Lanark County Traffic Calming and Speed Management Policy d r a f t f o r d i s c u s s i o n Prepared by: AECOM Canada Ltd. 302 1150 Morrison Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K2H 8S9 T 613.820.8282 F 613.820.8338 www.aecom.com Date: May 2009
Table of Contents 1. Introduction...1 2. Goals and Objectives...1 3. Managing the Process...2 3.1 Initiation...4 3.2 Evaluation...5 3.3 Implementation...7 4. Traffic Calming Measures...8 4.1 Recommended Measures...8 4.1.1 Horizontal Deflection... 9 4.1.2 Road Environment... 10 4.1.3 Signage and Pavement Marking... 12 4.1.4 Education and Enforcement... 12 4.1.5 Combining Measures... 12 4.2 Measures Not Recommended...12 5. Recommendations...12 6. References...12 List of Figures: Figure 1: Traffic Issues Resolution Flow Chart List of Tables Table 3.1 Preliminary Assessment of Traffic Issues... 5 Table 3.2 Examples of Traffic Issues... 6 Table 3.3 Threshold Parameters for Implementing Measures... 7 Table 4.1 - Applicability of Traffic Calming Measures... 8 Table 4.2 Unsuitable Traffic Calming Measures... 12 Appendices Appendix A - Community Traffic Issue Reporting Form O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc
1. Introduction The County of Lanark has identified a need for a traffic calming policy in order to standardize the approach for addressing traffic concerns. The primary purpose of traffic calming is to influence drivers to behave appropriately to the functional classification of the road and its surrounding land uses to enhance the safety of vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists). The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) defines traffic calming as the combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behaviour and improve conditions for non-motorized street users. 1 Traffic calming may alleviate safety issues related to high traffic volumes and high traffic speeds on roads where such traffic issues are in conflict with adjacent land use and activity. This is typically applied to local or collector streets in residential neighbourhoods and may also be applied to County roads in built-up areas or on the approaches to built up areas where the roadside environment changes. Roads under the jurisdiction of the County of Lanark are mainly arterial roads and hence the speed management component of traffic calming is the principle focus identified for locations along Lanark County roads. Literature notes that on arterial roads, traffic calming measures are best suited for locations where vulnerable road users are present, including in built-up areas and transition areas. A cumulative effect can be achieved by introducing a number of complementary measures. 2 Traffic calming developed in the 1970s and 1980s in Europe and the concept was then introduced to North America. The Canadian Guide to Neighbourhood Traffic Calming, 1998, was prepared for the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) and the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE). It provides design guidelines for traffic calming measures throughout Canada. This Traffic Calming and Speed Management Policy for the County of Lanark builds on established guidelines with information specific to conditions in the County, such as the goals for resolving traffic concerns, the applicability of various traffic calming devices to conditions in Lanark County, and the approach to implementing traffic calming or speed management measures. Research is ongoing on speed management for arterial roads passing through rural communities. Experience in Lanark and elsewhere may be used to update this policy as the relative effectiveness of measures is better understood. The Policy contained within this document has been developed for the successful planning and implementation of traffic calming/speed management solutions specifically for the County of Lanark based on a review of similar traffic calming policies and programs in the following communities: Cambridge, ON Aurora, ON Ottawa, ON Gibsons, BC Kamloops, BC Windsor, ON North Cowichan, BC Waterloo, ON 1 Lockwood, Ian. ITE Traffic Calming Definition. ITE Journal, July 1997, pg. 22. 2 Van Schagen, Ingrid (ed.). Traffic calming schemes, Institute for Road Safety Research, the Netherlands for the Swedish National Road Administration, 2003, pg. 30-31 O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 1 -
2. Goals and Objectives Residents, staff and elected officials wish to achieve two key goals in undertaking projects for traffic calming and speed management: Safety Traffic calming and speed management can increase the safety of roads for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Appropriate driver behaviour Traffic calming and speed management can encourage driver behaviour that is appropriate for the class of the road and the environment of the roadside. It is intended that these goals be pursued while maintaining the effectiveness of the road network for transporting people and goods. County roads, in particular, are intended to serve intra and inter County travel. At the same time, they also pass through built-up areas that require drivers to change their speed. Objectives to achieve the goals of improving safety and encouraging appropriate driver behaviour include: Minimize conflicts Reducing the potential for conflicts between road users may reduce the likelihood of a collision occurring, thereby improving safety, particularly for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. Reduce vehicle speeds Speeds that are suitable along one section of a County road, may be considered excessive when the road travels through a built-up area. Measures that reduce vehicle speeds may help to reduce the likelihood of a collision and the severity of a collision. Reducing vehicle speeds also helps to improve the living environment of a community by reducing noise and other negative impacts of traffic. Coordinate policies The Traffic Calming and Speed Management Policy should be implemented in conjunction with the Access Policy of the County of Lanark. Many traffic issues relate to land use adjacent to the roads and therefore land access has a role in managing safety on the roads and encouraging appropriate driver behaviour. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 1 -
3. Managing the Process The County of Lanark s Traffic Calming and Speed Management Policy is intended to respond to the concerns of the general public while balancing a technically sound process with the efficient use of County resources. County staff deal with general traffic concerns and traffic calming requests, and if a process is in place to address both issues, efficiencies can be gained by integrating these functions. The staff response to both types of requests has been combined in this policy to achieve efficiency and consistency. This integration is expected to be effective since residents may submit concerns and seek traffic calming solutions when immediate safety mitigations are required, or when less expensive traffic engineering or enforcement measures may adequately resolve the problem or issue. Physical traffic calming and speed management measures are typically more expensive than most other traffic safety enhancements, therefore they are normally used after less restrictive measures have been implemented and proven unsuccessful. The policy integrates the routine reception of traffic concerns into a coordinated review of traffic conditions by County staff. A request for a physical traffic calming treatment may be resolved through a normal review process before triggering a detailed study. Conversely, a general complaint may eventually lead to a traffic calming or speed management assessment, in order to address a valid traffic safety issue. A process flow chart is included in the policy as Figure 1. When it has been determined that the traffic issue has been resolved, the following people will be advised: Initiators of the process County Council representatives Local municipal staff O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 2 -
Figure 1: Traffic Issues Resolution Flow Chart O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 3 -
3.1 Initiation The first step of this process involves identifying traffic problems or issues within the County. There are three ways that traffic issues could trigger a traffic calming review. A. Resident Request Traffic complaints, concerns or informal petitions submitted by residents may or may not explicitly request traffic calming treatments. They may relate to traffic safety concerns, to issues of traffic speed and volume or to environmental factors such as noise and air pollution on sections of road. While residents may make their concerns known in any number of different ways, the County should encourage residents to provide their concerns in writing or through the completion of a pre-designed form to ensure that each issue is clearly described and documented. For each request that is received, the following information should be recorded: Resident s name and home address Contact information such as phone number, fax number and email address Exact location of the problem (street(s) name, address, intersection etc.) Detailed description of the concern The time(s) at which this problem typically occurs (morning peak, night time, all day, spring, winter etc.) Additionally, any related information regarding the conditions or potential solutions may be identified by the individual and should also be formally recorded. A sample reporting form is provided in Appendix A. B. Staff Initiation This could be triggered by County or municipal staff knowledge and observation, or through an annual review of traffic volume/speed data in the County database. C. Council Direction County Council could direct Public Works staff to investigate a specific concern that has been identified. A preliminary traffic assessment of the subject location(s) will be conducted by staff using available data from the WorkTech database such as collision reports, traffic volumes and speed data. The preliminary investigation will also include an initial site visit to verify road grade, sightlines, pavement markings and placement of regulatory and warning signs. Staff will identify potential impacts of possible corrective measures on County and municipal services such as emergency response and public works. Using the information collected, staff will determine if the site conditions merit further investigation. Table 3.1 describes the criteria to be met in the preliminary assessment. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 4 -
Table 3.1 Preliminary Assessment of Traffic Issues Warrant Criterion Requirement Warrant 1 1.1 Road Grade The road grade is less than 5%. Safety Requirements 1.2 Emergency Response On streets where traffic calming is proposed, impacts on Emergency Services will not be significant as determined in consultation with Emergency Services (Fire, Ambulance, and Police) staff. 1.3 Sightlines Sightlines can be improved. 1.4 Collision History There is a history of collisions. Warrant 2 Technical Requirements 2.1 Minimum Speed The average operating speed is at least 10 km/h above the posted speed. 2.2 Minimum Volumes AADT is at least 1000 vehicles per day. 2.3 Pavement Markings Pavement markings require modifications. 2.4 Signage Regulatory signs or warning signs need improvement. If any one of the criteria is met, the issue is taken forward to the evaluation stage for further investigation. If none of the criteria are met, the unsuitability of the issue for remediation is reported back to the initiator. 3.2 Evaluation If it is determined from the initial investigation that intervention is required and that a valid, documented traffic problem exists, the next step is to determine whether the traffic issue is a traffic calming issue. Both the location of the problem and the type of problem will assist in the determination of whether traffic calming is a reasonable response to the issue. Appropriate locations for traffic calming would be in a built up area or on the approaches to a built up area. Also, a roadway is in an appropriate area for traffic calming if the adjacent land uses front onto the road, if vulnerable road users are present on the roadway, or if the road is in a sensitive area, such as a tourist area, a historic area or near a hospital. If the traffic issue does not fulfill these criteria then it may be an operational or enforcement issue or a safety issue that is better resolved through means other than traffic calming. Table 3.2 highlights some examples of the types of issues that are often identified during a traffic calming study. As noted in the table, some of these are good examples of issues in need of traffic calming, while others may be better addressed through other means. Some problems may be addressed through either traffic calming solutions or non-traffic calming solutions depending on the particular situation. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 5 -
Table 3.2 Examples of Traffic Issues Traffic Calming Issues Speeding through built-up areas Intersection safety for pedestrians and cyclists Road operation and safety Non-Traffic Calming Issues Speeding along arterial roads outside of built-up areas Intersection operations Road operation and safety History of collisions Roadway geometry and signal timing The process diverges at this point depending on whether the issue can be resolved through traffic calming methods. Non-traffic calming issues may be resolved through corrective action to mitigate the traffic problem, such as sign repair or replacement, removal of sightline obstructions or pavement marking improvements. On occasion, a safety audit may be required if a documented collision history exists. Once a solution is found to the traffic issue or if it is found that no intervention is required, the initiators of the process are advised of the outcome of their request. If the traffic concern cannot be resolved through simple corrective action, then additional data will be collected in order to proceed. In order for the implementation of traffic calming/speed management measures to be considered, thresholds for several criteria must be met. Based on the data available in the County database, roads should have an AADT of at least 1000 vehicles per day and have an average operating speed of at least 10 km/h above the posted speed. Also the road grade should be less than 5%. If these criteria are not met, the investigation will not proceed further and the initiators of the process will be advised. Should it be determined that a safety concern exists despite speed or volumes that are lower that the thresholds, the issue will be reviewed for treatment through other means than through traffic calming. If the thresholds are met then the Public Works staff of the local municipality and the County Council representatives for the particular municipality will be advised that a traffic calming study is underway. Additional data collection will be undertaken. Updated speed and traffic volumes will be collected for the roadway under examination and the collision reports specific to the location will be requested from the relevant police authority. The police will also be asked if there has been a history of complaints with regard to inappropriate driver behaviour. Traffic volumes will be collected for a 24 hour period and the peak hour volumes will be calculated. Vehicular speed will be measured and the average and 85 th percentile speeds will be calculated. The current data will then compared to the acceptable parameters for the type of roadway. The threshold parameters noted in Table 3.3 were developed based on the review of existing conditions on County roads and the threshold parameters used in the Traffic Calming Policies of other municipalities. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 6 -
Table 3.3 Threshold Parameters for Implementing Measures Speed Limit Speed Threshold 50-70 km/h 85 th percentile speed is 15 km/h over speed limit 80 km/h 85 th percentile speed is 20 km/h over speed limit 3.3 Implementation If the roadway meets the threshold criteria, traffic calming/speed management measures should be considered. County Council will be informed of the progress of the study and their support will be required to continue with the process. Once a decision has been made to investigate traffic calming or speed management measures for a street or area, a more detailed study is required. Even though traffic calming projects are no longer required to follow the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA), the study procedure would still provide some of the elements previously required within a Municipal Class EA. The development and evaluation of alternatives will be included and should be presented for public consultation. Depending upon the scope and complexity of the project and the availability of staff resources, the study may be conducted by Lanark County staff or with the assistance of a consultant. Based upon the problem definition and the operational characteristics of the road, the traffic calming measures (for mainly urban settings) or speed management measures (for mainly rural settings) that best suit the problem will be considered. Physical and non-physical measures appropriate for usage in Lanark County are described in section 4 of this document Design proposals will be generated and reviewed with internal stakeholders, such as emergency services personnel. Public consultation would proceed in partnership with the local municipality and the County Council representatives for the local municipality. The plan may be refined as a result of comments received during consultations. The County will circulate a survey to the affected households in the immediate area of proposed measures to determine the level of support for implementation. The area affected by the project will be determined using professional judgement based on the type of traffic issue, the operational characteristics, and the surrounding road network. The response rate from the survey should be at least 50% and more than 50% of the affected residential units should be in favour of pursuing traffic calming or speed management measures in order to proceed with implementation. County Council approval would be required prior to the formal public notification of study completion. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 7 -
4. Traffic Calming Measures The Canadian Guide to Neighbourhood Traffic Calming and the traffic calming policies for other municipalities have identified approximately 25 measures that are commonly used in Canada for traffic calming. However, it should be noted that not all measures listed are appropriate or effective as traffic calming measures. Some measures, such as stop signs and maximum speed signs, for example, should not be used for traffic calming purposes. Although effective for other purposes, these measures have proven to be ineffective as traffic calming measures. For example, all-way stop signs, which are intended to alternate rights-of-way at intersections rather than attempt to control speeding, have become synonymous with traffic calming and yet have unintended negative impacts within a neighbourhood. Unwarranted all-way stop signs can result in poor stop sign compliance at the site and towards signs in general. The perceived safety benefits of all-way stops can be outweighed by an increase in traffic speeds away from the stop signs and pedestrian safety can be compromised at the intersection itself. 4.1 Recommended Measures This section of the policy identifies those measures that are considered appropriate for County of Lanark roads. These recommended measures were selected based on the road and traffic characteristics and on the hierarchy of Lanark County roads. Some measures can be used on all roads, whereas others should be used only on roads with lower speed limits. Other factors affecting the applicability of measures in Lanark County include access for emergency vehicles and ongoing road maintenance. It is recognized that while the impact on snow clearing is an important issue to consider during the selection of measures, those impacts can be mitigated through proper design and through the use of signs and other indicators to improve the visibility of measures for snow plow operators. The design of measures should be undertaken using the guidelines in the Canadian Guide to Neighbourhood Traffic Calming and the guidelines presented in this policy. Table 4.1 - Applicability of Traffic Calming Measures Traffic Calming Measure Type of problem addressed Appropriate location Physical Measures Horizontal Deflection Curb Extension Vehicle Speed, Pedestrian Safety Posted speed < 70 km/h On-Street Parking Vehicle Speed All roads Raised Median Island Vehicle Speed, Pedestrian Safety All roads Mini Roundabout Vehicle Speed, Vehicle conflicts Posted speed < 60 km/h Road Environment Textured Crosswalk Pedestrian Safety, Driver behaviour Posted speed < 70 km/h Streetscaping Vehicle Speed, Pedestrian Safety, Driver All roads Behaviour Gateway Vehicle Speed, Driver Behaviour All roads O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 8 -
Traffic Calming Measure Type of problem addressed Appropriate location Non-Physical Measures Signage & Pavement Marking Speed Zones Vehicle Speed, Pedestrian Safety All roads Transverse Pavement Markings Vehicle Speed All roads Centreline Painting Vehicle Speed All roads Edgeline Painting Vehicle Speed, Pedestrian Safety All roads Education and Enforcement Speed Watch Vehicle Speed Posted speed < 70 km/h Targeted Enforcement Vehicle Speed, Driver Behaviour All roads Safety and Education Campaign Vehicle Speed, Driver Behaviour All roads Those traffic calming measures recommended for use in the County of Lanark are briefly described in the following section. 4.1.1 Horizontal Deflection This section describes measures that cause a horizontal deflection of vehicles. These types of measures may reduce vehicle speeds, reduce conflicts and enhance the neighbourhood environment. Curb extensions reduce roadway width curb to curb. They are intended to improve pedestrian safety by reducing the distance that pedestrians must cross a roadway, as well as improving the visibility of pedestrians for approaching motorists, and the visibility of approaching vehicles for pedestrians and other vehicles. Curb extensions can be used at intersections and in mid-block locations, and can be used alone or in combination with a median island. In addition to their pedestrian safety benefits, curb extension on one or both sides of the roadway also help to reduce vehicle speeds. For this purpose, curb extension may be built on either urban or rural roadway cross sections. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 9 -
On-street parking is a practical way of decreasing the effective road width by allowing vehicles to park adjacent and parallel to the road edge. This type of measure is applicable on most classes of road, but may not be effective on rural cross-sections, where there are wide shoulders and vehicles tend to park further from the travel lane. The primary benefit of allowing on-street parking as a traffic calming measure is the reduction in vehicle speeds due to the narrowed travel space. A potential disadvantage is a reduction in pedestrian safety for pedestrians who cross from between parked cars. Raised median islands are installed in the centre of an arterial or collector road, in order to slow traffic without affecting the capacity of the road. Raised median islands are particularly useful at unsignalized crosswalks on higher-volume roads, as they increase motorists awareness of the crosswalk and permit pedestrians to cross half the road at a time. Raised median islands can be combined with curb extensions to further improve pedestrian safety. These measures may be considered on all classes of roadway. Mini roundabouts are raised islands located in the centre of an intersection around which traffic must circulate. They sometimes have landscaping in the middle and the outer ring is usually mountable so large trucks can navigate the small curb radii. They should only be used at intersections of roads with a posted speed limit of 50 km/h or less. Mini roundabouts should not be confused with the standard roundabout. Standard roundabouts include splitter islands on the approaches and have a larger central radius as well as an outer radius instead of four corners at the approach roads. 4.1.2 Road Environment This section describes measures that create a change in the environment adjacent to the roadway. They communicate to drivers that the land use that they are driving through requires reduced speed and more O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 10 -
attention to pedestrians. These types of measures may reduce vehicle speeds and enhance the neighbourhood environment. Textured crosswalks are crosswalks that incorporate a textured and/or patterned surface that contrasts with the adjacent roadway. They are appropriate for use on roads with speed limits of 60 km/h or 50 km/h. The primary benefit of textured crosswalks is that they better define the crossing location and can further enhance other measures such as raised crosswalks and/or curb extensions. They draw attention to the presence of pedestrians in the area Streetscaping incorporates a number of elements including landscaping and street furniture such as trees, flower planters, newspaper boxes and recycling or garbage bins. Streetscaping can slow traffic and enhance the pedestrian environment. Trees and other plantings can effectively narrow the perceived roadway width which can result in the reduction of vehicle speeds. Gateways include decorative signing and/or landscaping to alert the driver that they are entering a village, hamlet, or built up area. The intent is to make the drivers aware that the context of the road is changing and that the driver behaviour must be altered. Decorative signage can make the area appear as a destination rather than simply a through route. This measure could be coupled with reduced posted speeds. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 11 -
4.1.3 Signage and Pavement Marking This section describes measures that are less costly to implement. Because these measures do not physically change the roadway they are more passive methods of affecting driver behaviour. Speed zones or Community Safety Zones combine speed limit signs with school area or playground signs to indicate that the area requires a reduction in speed. Caution must be exercised in the placement of speed limit signs where traffic speed reduction is actually needed. The placement of speed limit signs is not an effective means of traffic calming but should be considered if the roadway merits a lower speed limit due to the nature of the surrounding land use. Transverse pavement markings are usually transverse bars or chevrons. The transverse bars are typically spaced to give drivers the perception that they are speeding up. This encourages drivers to be aware of their speeds and slow down. They also alert drivers that they are entering a different area or approaching an intersection. Centreline painting can reduce the width of the travel portion of a lane. Narrowed lanes provide a feeling of constraint and encourage drivers to reduce their speed. Lanes can either be visually narrowed by adding a painted median, but these may be less effective than center islands with raised curbs and landscaping, since vehicles can traverse a painted island. Edgeline painting is another method of reducing lane width through the implementation of pavement markings. In this case the lane is narrowed from the outside and additional space is provided on the shoulder. The additional shoulder space can be used by cyclists or pedestrians. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 12 -
4.1.4 Education and Enforcement Education and enforcement are intended to address issues of speeding and driver behaviour and may be used to influence change when other new speed management measures are implemented. Although these measures usually have a targeted impact, the cost can be high if they are implemented frequently and extensively. Typically education and enforcement campaigns in Canada are of short duration. In other countries greater priority and budget has been targeted to education. Where this is done, it is normally implemented on a national or provincial/state basis. Speed watch signs and displays are usually radaractivated signs that dynamically display approaching speeds for individual vehicles or display messages such as SLOW DOWN or REDUCE SPEED when a vehicle exceeds a certain speed. The devices can be portable or permanent. They alert drivers that they are speeding and create a sense of being monitored to the driver. Targeted enforcement is typically police presence to monitor speeds and the compliance with other traffic laws. Tickets are issued to motorists for violations. It is often used with traffic-calming devices to regulate behaviour and encourage compliance. Enforcement is also used by itself to reduce speeds. Safety and education campaigns can successfully change driver behaviour if directed at a particular segment of the population. They are most often used to modify the driver behaviour in a specific neighbourhood or area. The campaigns focus on elements of driver behaviour that is considered a safety problem. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 13 -
4.1.5 Combining Measures As noted in the literature, a combination of traffic calming measures may be needed to effectively address the problems identified. For example, when a community safety zone is introduced, an education and enforcement campaign would be beneficial to coincide with the initial implementation. This was done when the community safety zone was introduced in Glen Tay. Enforcement of the new speed limit was done with drivers initially receiving warnings followed by issuing of fines. Another example of combining measures is the construction of curb extensions or pavement markings in addition to the installation of a gateway feature. Various measures can be combined to address the particular situation. 4.2 Measures Not Recommended Some traffic calming measures are not appropriate for the arterial roads under the jurisdiction of Lanark County. In general these include vertical and horizontal deflections with design speeds (typically 30 km/h) that are much lower than the design speed of the County road. Diversion of traffic from County roads is also not a suitable approach. Table 4.2 lists the traffic calming measures that are not recommended for use on County roads in Lanark. Table 4.2 Unsuitable Traffic Calming Measures Vertical Deflection Horizontal Deflection Obstruction Raised Crosswalk Raised Intersection Speed Hump Sidewalk Extension Chicane Curb Radius Reduction Directional/Full Closure Diverter Raised median through intersection 5. Recommendations The County will: Record traffic complaints received from the public, Council or staff and follow the traffic issue resolution process to assess the requirements Undertake preliminary investigation for traffic calming requests Determine the type of intervention required Find the appropriate measure based on the identified problem Communicate the proposed solution with the initiator, County Council, local municipal staff and residents Add project to list of capital projects O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 14 -
6. References Boulevard Transportation Group. Municipality of North Cowichan Traffic Calming Policy. North Cowichan, British Columbia. June 2005. Bunt and Associates Engineering Ltd. Town of Gibsons Traffic Calming Master Plan Report. Gibsons, British Columbia. December, 2007. City of Ottawa. Area Traffic Management Guidelines. Ottawa, Ontario. December 2004. City of Waterloo. Traffic Calming Policy. Waterloo, Ontario. City of Windsor. Traffic Calming for Residential Areas Policy Paper. Windsor, Ontario. September 2005. Corporation of the City of Cambridge. Cambridge Traffic Calming Policy. Cambridge, Ontario. 2008. Hallmark, Shauna L., Peterson, E., Fitzsimmons, E., Hawkins, N., Resler J., and Welch, T. Evaluation of Gateway and Low-Cost Traffic- Calming Treatments for Major Routes in Small Rural Communities. Center for Transportation Research and Education. Ames, Iowa. November 2007. TAC. Canadian Guide to Neighbourhood Traffic Calming, Transportation Association of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. December 1998. Town of Aurora, Public Works Department. Policy and Procedure Manual Traffic Calming Policy. Aurora, Ontario. November 2007. Urban Systems. City of Kamloops Traffic Calming Policy. Kamloops, British Columbia. November 2002. Van Schagen, Ingrid (ed.), Traffic calming schemes; opportunities and implementation strategies. Work carried out for Swedish National Road Administration. SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research, The Netherlands, 2003. O:\Projects\18\18-100000\100045 - Lanark TMP\Policy documents\traffic Calming\Traffic Calming Policy rev May-2009.doc - 15 -
Appendix A Community Traffic Issue Reporting Form
Community Traffic Issue Reporting Form Use this form to report a community traffic problem or safety issue. County staff will conduct a preliminary investigation to determine the nature and extent of the issue. Urgent safety concerns, such as a missing stop sign, should be immediately reported to the County. Street or area of concern: Type of Problem: Pedestrian Safety Other Safety Issues(cyclists, motor vehicles) Speeding Vehicles Through Traffic Traffic Volume Parking Other Description of the problem: Specific location(s) of the traffic problem(s): Time of day when problem occurs: When problem started: Possible causes of problem: Any perceived danger to pedestrians, residents, or property as a result of the problem: What is the desired outcome (i.e., reduced speed, lower traffic volume, fewer collisions, lower risk to pedestrians, etc.): Name: Email: Address: Day Phone: