Traffic calming is the implementation of physical or physiological changes to reduce traffic speed or volumes so as to improve safety and quality of life within a neighbourhood.
Traffic calming installations are generally appropriate for local residential and minor collector roads. Traffic calming techniques or strategies can also be applied to major collector and arterial roadways through the application of mainly physiological changes within the road right-of-way (e.g. landscaped boulevards, streetscaping, etc.) that do not affect the function or capacity of the roadway, but may change the driver’s perception of the local environment.
The advantage of traffic calming installations is that they are self-enforcing and do not require regular police enforcement. Principals of TIMCON have undertaken numerous traffic calming and neighbourhood studies.