How do we make better, safer, more shareable streets? One way is through traffic calming, which puts infrastructure in place that slows cars down and reminds drivers that they aren’t the only ones out there.

Through creating wide, visible bike lanes and bike boxes, narrowing neighborhood streets to encourage appropriate speeds, building pedestrian islands and curb extensions, increasing lines of visibility and more, the streets become the shared turf of pedestrians, cyclists and cars. An added bonus is that many traffic calming measures add to the beauty and community feel of a street.

The following video provides a nice overview of traffic calming, examples of successful traffic calming projects and a glimpse into the history of the approach.