Traffic Calming Devices Protect Children Walking to School
The town of Greenwich, CT, as part of its Safe Routes to School program, is in the process of installing traffic calming devices near local schools to improve the safety of school children walking to school. Based on traffic studies conducted in the vicinity of each participating school, the use of speed humps was recommended to help slow motorists and improve safety.
Before installing permanent solutions, the town wanted to test the effectiveness of speed humps in slowing down traffic, as well as to monitor the reaction of residents. Since asphalt humps could not be easily removed or relocated, the town chose to use Traffic Logix rubber traffic calming solutions to test each location.
The Traffic Logix products are constructed from recycled rubber and are prefabricated to meet size requirements. The interlocking design of the units allows for simple assembly, removal, and relocation. The rubber speed humps are installed in the same configuration as the permanent humps would be.
The devices were installed on several roads in the vicinity of each school. The goal was to slow cars from 30-45 m.p.h. to meet the posted speed limit of 25 m.p.h. Before and after traffic studies found the speed humps to be effective in slowing vehicle speeds.
According to Traffic Operations Coordinator Melissa Evans, “People love the products, and other residents keep calling to ask how they can get them on their streets. We’re using the products to slow traffic down and improve safety on school walking routes.”
As additional schools are recommended through the Safe Routes to School program, the rubber devices are installed to test new streets. The town is currently in the process of ordering additional products to keep pace with the growing need for traffic calming to improve the safety on the roads near schools.
However, keeping pace doesn’t have to mean speeding ahead. Greenwich continues to move forward with caution, using temporary rubber speed humps to ensure that the permanent humps will be installed in the proper locations.
Traffic Logix rubber traffic calming solutions are designed for use as both temporary and permanent measures. For more information about Traffic Logix products, visit www.trafficlogix.com.
Abstracted from Market Wire Newsletter (1/09/07); Source: Traffic Logix.