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Speed Profile as a Tool to Estimate Traffic Calming Measures Efficiency



Author(s)

Robert Ziolkowski

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DOI:10.17265/1934-7359/2014.12.013

TCMs (traffic calming measures) are commonly installed in order to reduce speeds and volumes of traffic to acceptable levels and, thus, improve traffic safety as well as environmental impact when designed appropriately as a corridor or aerial implementation with proper spacing. Hence in many previous studies, their impact was mainly evaluated in scope of average and 85th percentile speed reduction. This paper presents and appraises the efficiency of calming measures of various types used in the city of Bialystok, Poland in terms of their influence zone. The assessment is based on speed profiles derived from individual test rides conducted with test vehicle equipped with GPS (global positioning system) data logger to obtain vehicle trajectory data. Speed measurements were conducted in vicinity of most commonly installed calming measures such as speed cameras, raised pedestrian crossing, raised intersection, speed bumps and speed cushion. The results reveal great differences within analysed devices and the usefulness of speed profiles in evaluation of their effectiveness. Speed bumps, most frequently used device in practice due to their low cost installation and speed reduction effectiveness, demonstrate lowest usefulness when influence zone is considered.

Traffic calming measures efficiency, speed profiles, influence zone