Traffic calming involves changes in street alignment, installation of barriers, and other physical measures to reduce traffic speeds and/or cut-through traffic, in the interest of street safety, livability, and other public purposes.

A charrette is a neighborhood meeting that is designed to be an interactive and hands-on series of meetings. Each charrette will begin with an educational slide show to introduce everyone to the various types of traffic calming treatments and to explain their effects. The slide show will be followed by a discussion of traffic issues affecting the neighborhood. Residents will then be asked to vote for those issues which they feel are the most urgent. Following the voting, participants will form smaller groups of 6 to 8 people. Each group will work independently and develop suggested solutions for the highest priority issues. One member of each group will present his or her team's solutions to the other stakeholders. Solutions agreed upon by consensus will be investigated, from an engineering perspective, for their ability to be incorporated into a traffic calming master plan for the neighborhood. Once investigated, the project team will present its findings to the stakeholders and the recommended devices will become part of the traffic calming master plan.

Please refer to the Charrette Schedule tab for a listing of scheduled charrettes.

Some of the changes you may see in your neighborhood include: road diets, traffic circles, curb extensions, chicanes, chokers, speed tables, textured pavement, and landscaping treatments. When used properly these improvements typically improve safety and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood.

Preliminary traffic calming devices will be selected at neighborhood charrettes. The Traffic Calming Team will conduct field inspections to determine whether or not the devices selected can physically and safely work. Any required changes will be discussed with the neighborhood. Final recommendations will be included in a traffic calming master plan.

In traffic-calming terminology, a traffic circle is a small circular island located in the center of an intersection. There are usually no other geometric changes made to the intersection.

Like a traffic circle, roundabouts are also circular islands located in the center of an intersection. However, roundabouts can be used on roads with higher traffic volumes. The biggest difference between a circle and a roundabout is that all approaching roads to a roundabout are always YIELD controlled. Additionally, the approaching roads may have splitter island installed so that vehicles are encouraged to turn right and drive around the device.

Speed bumps are abrupt rises placed in the roadway that force drivers to come to a near stop before going over them. On the other hand, speed tables are gradual rises that most vehicles can drive over at slow speeds without discomfort.

Chicanes are a series of curb extensions that alternate from one side of the street to the other forming S-shaped curves. Motorists are forced to slow down to maneuver between them. The curb extensions can also be landscaped in order to create a park-like environment.

Brick, textured material or stamped pavement can be used to change the appearance of the road surface. These changes are designed to have a conscious or subconscious effect on drivers to positively modify their behavior.

These are just a few of the traffic calming devices which will be discussed at our charrettes. For more information on these treatments please participate in your neighborhood charrette.