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FHWA Highway Safety Programs

Traffic Calming ePrimer

The Traffic Calming ePrimer is a free, online resource openly available for public use. The ePrimer presents a thorough review of current traffic calming practice and contains the information needed to understand this complex field. The ePrimer is presented in eight distinct modules developed to allow the reader to move between each to find the desired information, without a cover-to-cover reading. The ePrimer presents:

  • a definition of traffic calming, its purpose, and its relationship to other transportation initiatives (like complete streets and context sensitive solutions);
  • illustrations and photographs of 22 different types of traffic calming measures;
  • considerations for their appropriate application, including effects and design and installation specifics;
  • research on the effects of traffic calming measures on mobility and safety for passenger vehicles; emergency response, public transit, and waste collection vehicles; and pedestrians and bicyclists;
  • examples and case studies of both comprehensive traffic calming programs and neighborhood-specific traffic calming plans;
  • case studies that cover effective processes used to plan and define a local traffic calming program or project and assessments of the effects of individual and series of traffic calming measures.

Module 1: Purpose and Organization of ePrimer

Module 2: Traffic Calming Basics

Module 3: Toolbox of Individual Traffic Calming Measures

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Module 4: Effects of Traffic Calming Measures on Motor Vehicle Speed and Volume

Module 5: Effects of Traffic Calming Measures on Non-Personal Passenger Vehicles

Module 6: Effects of Traffic Calming Measures on Non-Motorized Users

Module 7: Traffic Calming Programs and Planning Processes

Module 8: Traffic Calming Case Studies