In the broadest sense, traffic calming is the process of reducing the physical and social impacts of traffic on urban life, principally through the reduction of traffic speeds and volumes. Its main objectives are to reduce accidents and help to improve urban amenity. In principle, traffic calming may be directed at neighbourhood streets and areas, urban or rural corridors, or whole cities. Programs may involve direct intervention using physical devices or other management techniques (including emerging technologies), or more fundamental social changes that result in different travel choices and driver behaviour. This can mean, ultimately, reduction in the total levels of traffic in cities. Regardless of the many benefits that engineering-based traffic calming techniques can bring, "sustainable cities" will not be created through engineering treatments alone. Already, there are developments in electronic speed control that may supplement or even replace some physical treatments. However, the achievement of "traffic calming" on a large scale, with or without physical treatments or electronic speed management, requires widespread and fundamental changes in the community's attitudes to urban development, travel mode, and how they behave as drivers. We have enough experience to verify that traffic management at a significant level cannot get too far ahead of social attitudes, and that we cannot expect to bring about cultural change through traffic engineering alone.
Abstract