TRAFFIC CALMING COLLECTOR STREETS PORTLAND'S EXPERIENCE

The City of Portland Bureau of Traffic Management has almost ten years of experience implementing traffic calming projects. This experience includes traffic calming projects on three segments of collector streets. These streets operate as two-lane two-way roadways with traffic volumes that range from 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles per day (vpd). All of the streets have predominantly residential land uses. Traffic calming devices used on these streets include traffic circles, long profile (22') speed humps, medians for pedestrian refuge (slow points), curb extensions, and entry treatments. Traffic calming generally improves the quality of the pedestrian environment and makes streets more pleasant for cyclists. This article describes three traffic calming projects that the Bureau has completed on collector streets.