Natural traffic calming in the Dutch Province of Limburg : pilot study of two adapted roads. The continuous search for infrastructural measures to further improve road safety motivated and stimulated a number of regions to use more ‘natural’ measures and territorial characteristics. These natural measures are expected to have a positive influence on the perception and behaviour of the road user, and, consequently, also on road safety: ‘natural traffic calming’. This actually involves ‘environmental and territorial traffic engineering design’. The Regional Road Traffic Safety Authority Limburg (ROVL) as well as the Province of Limburg is interested in the possibilities of Natural traffic calming. To gain experience with this relatively new approach, natural traffic calming measures have been implemented at two locations in the Province of Limburg: • The provincial road N281 between the towns of Baneheide and Nijswiller (80 km/h); here hedges were placed diagonally along the roadside just before side roads. In addition, intersections were marked with trees. • The ‘Dorpsstraat in the town of Slenaken (50 and 60 km/h; municipality Gulpen-Wittem). Red bicycle lanes were applied to the non-urban road section. At the transition from rural to urban and at one other location requiring attention, red brick strips were applied transversely across the road surface. Hedges were also placed along the roadside. Theoretical considerations and previous research indicate that natural traffic calming measures can contribute to the credibility of speed limits. This way they can also contribute to the predictability principle on roads in a natural manner. There are many possible ways to further detail this. The measures that are evaluated in the present pilot study are an illustration. This pilot study shows that it is important to evaluate the effects of new measures to find out if the right (safe) course is being followed, or whether adaptations must be made. In addition, it is to be recommended that a sound problem analysis is made at the beginning of a project. What are the nature and the cause of a problem, and which measures can contribute towards a solution of the problem? Solutions may be found in more traditional measures, but possibly also in new initiatives. An evaluation will then have to show the effects of these new measures. It is far from easy to use measures to attain the desired effects. Gathering knowledge about the effects of measures and applying it, can contribute to well-balanced and effective policy choices.
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