<$BlogRSDUrl$>
Oppose Traffic Calming Obstructions
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Click and Clack on traffic calming and
car damage:
RAY: Traffic calming is not used on main thoroughfares, where efficiency IS the top priority. But on neighborhood streets, where commuters from outside the neighborhood speed through, traffic calming can provide great benefits.
TOM: There are a number of different "tools" in a traffic calmer's toolbox. There are chicanes, which put little "S-curves" in the middle of a block by using trees or sidewalk bump-outs as baffles. There are sidewalk extensions that make the street narrower by expanding pedestrian space. And there are raised crosswalks and speed humps.
RAY: Unlike a speed BUMP, which is literally just a small, semicircular bump, a speed HUMP is a larger raised area. For instance, an entire crosswalk, or even an entire intersection, may be raised a few inches so that a car drives up a ramp onto this platform, continues across it and then comes down on the other side.
TOM: As long as you approach it at a reasonable speed -- say, 20 to 25 mph, in most cases -- absolutely no harm is done to the vehicle. To put it in perspective, hitting a pothole is far worse for a car than driving over a speed hump is.
RAY: Our only caveat is that there has to be clear signage in advance of a speed hump. It's not fair to drivers to simply surprise them. Or even to post the speed limit somewhere else on the street, and let them pay the price if they exceed it.
TOM: It's actually a safety issue. If a driver hits a speed hump without slowing down first, the tires can leave the ground momentarily, making it impossible to stop or steer. And that's very dangerous, especially because many speed humps are located at intersections or crosswalks.
Archives
Thursday, December 04, 2003
Friday, December 05, 2003
Saturday, December 06, 2003
Monday, December 08, 2003
Friday, February 20, 2004
Monday, July 26, 2004
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Friday, July 01, 2005
Monday, July 11, 2005
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Monday, September 12, 2005
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Friday, January 20, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Friday, May 26, 2006
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Friday, December 01, 2006
Saturday, February 10, 2007
