This paper examines the impact of `traffic calming' upon the safety and convenience of cycling. Traffic calming has the potential to bring significant gains to urban areas, in terms of reduced impact from automobiles, and improved conditions for other modes of transport. The intent of traffic calming is to decrease the speed and volume of motor vehicles generally to reduce the amount of trips made by motor vehicles, while at the same time encouraging trips to be made by walking, bicycles and public transport by creating conditions more favourable to these modes. However, traffic calming, or particularly Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) - a form of traffic calming - must ensure that the safety and convenience of cycling is not diminished by the placement of a `bicycle unfriendly' treatment on the street. All too often, a LATM scheme ruins what was a relatively safe and continuous cycling route - the completely opposite outcome to the general intent of traffic calming. LATM schemes must be designed to ensure that devices placed on the road do not prejudice the safety of cyclists, and cause a decline in the level of bicycle use. Examples of `good' and `bad' i.e. bicycle `friendly' and `unfriendly') LATM schemes are given. (A)
Abstract