The Effect of Traffic Calming Measures on Pedestrian and Motorist Behavior - a PDH Online Course for Engineers and Surveyors

The Effect of Traffic Calming Measures on Pedestrian and Motorist Behavior

Course Outline

Traffic calming measures provide for better flow of traffic on our roadways. This course will provide information regarding the use and results of several types of traffic calming measures. The course materials are based solely on the technical report "The Effects of Traffic Calming Measures on Pedestrian and Motorist Behavior" as found on the website of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student would have learned the following:

The goal of traffic calming measures;
Types of traffic calming measures;
What are raised sidewalks and how are they used;
What the purpose of using bulbouts;
How traffic calming measures are used in other countries;
How a refuge island can slow vehicles down;
The effects of traffic calming measures on drainage;
The effects of traffic calming measures on emergency vehicles; and
The definition of Measures of effectiveness (MOEs).

Intended Audience and Benefit

This course is intended for anyone with an interest in traffic calming, traffic engineering transportation engineering, air pollution, environmental engineering or anyone wanting to know how traffic calming. After reading this course the student will know what studies were done in the field of traffic calming and which cities were chosen as study sites for the report. This information may be essential to future vehicles purchases by the reader.

This information may provide some useful information to the readers and explain some measures that may be present in their community.

Course Introduction

To relive traffic congestion traffic engineers must always rely on sound engineering judgment and methods to make traffic flow more efficiently. Several neighborhoods especially in metropolitan areas utilize traffic calming to make the roadways safer for motorists and pedestrians. This course will explore how traffic calming measures affect motorists and pedestrian behavior.

Course Content

This course will provide information regarding the effects of traffic calming measures on pedestrian and motorist behavior. The course materials are based solely on the technical report "The Effects of Traffic Calming Measures on Pedestrian and Motorist Behavior" as found on the website of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

The Effect of Traffic Calming Measures on Pedestrian and Motorist Behavior

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
Past Research on the Effects of Speed Humps
Previous Studies on the Effects of Bulbouts and Street Narrowing
DATA COLLECTION
BULBOUTS - CAMBRIDGE AND SEATTLE
Site Descriptions
Pedestrians for Whom Motorists Yielded
Where Do Pedestrians Cross?
Average Pedestrian Wait Time
BULBOUTS - GREENSBORO AND RICHMOND
Site Descriptions
Vehicle Speeds
Pedestrians for Whom Motorists Stopped
RAISED CROSSWALKS
Vehicle Speeds
Pedestrians for Whom Motorists Stopped
RAISED INTERSECTIONS
Pedestrians for Whom Motorists Yielded
Pedestrians Who Crossed in the Crosswalk
Average Pedestrian Wait Time
REFUGE ISLANDS
Pedestrians for Whom Motorists Yielded
Where Do Pedestrians Cross?
Average Pedestrian Wait Time
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
REFERENCES

Course Summary

The information presented in this course could be used to enhance our knowledge about how traffic calming affects pedestrian and motorist behavior. Using this knowledge could make our roadways safer for both motorists and pedestrians by decreasing the speed and volume of traffic. As always good engineering judgment is always paramount in any situation. Utilizing good judgment and the knowledge gained in this course can provide much safer highways.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://www.ite.com
http://www.aashto.com
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.