Community Concerns - Street/Traffic Calming
Far too many neighborhoods have become places to drive through instead of places to drive to. This is because over the last 70 years governmental policies – federal, state, and local – have prioritized sprawl over the walkability that our existing urban areas provided. We have asked our traffic engineers to get as much traffic from point “A” to point “Z” without care or concern about points “B” through “Y”. However, multiple generations of people across the USA have begun to realize the value of good urbanism – in large cities, inner ring suburbs, and small towns – and have begun to return to urbane walkable places. Many of those urban places are need of reclamation though, now that most people understand that the lives and businesses of the people “down the road” are not more important than the lives and businesses of those “along the road”.
Neighborhoods - Street Networks
Learn how communities that have a lot of intersecting streets – in both vibrant, urban areas and in serene residential areas – achieve slower moving traffic while actually providing a greater capacity for motor vehicles to get around town.
Neighborhoods - Nodes of Places
Communities have the ability to create safer neighborhoods through street calming by creating walkable, accessible districts where people can park once and accomplish multiple tasks.
Neighborhoods - Tools for Planning
From public participation to pedestrian sheds, there are many tools to help communities take the necessary deep dive when trying to come up with solutions that achieve calmer traffic while still maintaining an effective road network.
Streets - Fundamental Ingredients
The features that provide safety and comfort for pedestrians in a walkable environment also affect street calming. People feel like walking in places that have calmer traffic; the two go hand in hand. Understanding the fundamental ingredients of great streets is crucial for communities wanting to get control of their streets.
Streets - Scale and Proportion
The scale and proportion of a street corridor should reflect the needs of a community and can have a significant effect on the behavior of motor vehicle traffic. Different scales influence vibrancy and intensity of a district which, in turn, influences the character of traffic
Streets - Intersections and Streetscape
Intersections and streetscape can be critical elements for pedestrian safety in walkable neighborhoods. Different styles and features of intersections and streetscape are ways that communities can control the safety and traffic at those places which are likely the most important for its residents, businesses, and institutions.
Buildings - Stimulating Special Places
Discover how the thoughtful positioning and shaping of buildings along streets can cultivate slower moving traffic, which reinforces places of comfort and relaxation for communities.
Public Places - Sidewalks and Cafes
Streets with calmer traffic that are pedestrian friendly provide the opportunity for people to connect with others in a vibrant and safe environment. Sidewalk cafes are some of the places that signal a district is safe, meant for people (not just cars), and drivers need to slow down.