The purpose of this research was to evaluate the Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT's) "Residential Traffic Calming Guide." A 2-year pilot program served as a means to evaluate the Guide. The results of the evaluation enabled VDOT to strengthen its Guide based, to a large extent, on the lessons learned in the pilot program and to prepare for effective statewide implementation of this customer service-oriented program. This report documents the activities of the pilot program and VDOT's Residential Traffic Calming Committee, which administered the program. Numerous conclusions were drawn by the researchers based on specific experiences during the pilot program. The conclusions ranged from the usefulness of specific elements of the Guide, actions that worked well for a particular county, the description of side effects from having the pilot program in place, lessons learned from specific traffic calming projects, and a list of other activities that have occurred under the moniker of traffic calming. The recommended changes to the Guide that were identified during this effort and incorporated in the latest version of the Guide are described. An implementation plan outlines a suggested approach to transition from a pilot to a statewide program. The plan emphasizes the Guide as a component of a residential traffic management program.
Abstract