Traffic calming is a term used for installing speed humps, speed tables, traffic circles, or any other road feature that has the intent of slowing traffic on a given road. By slowing traffic, a safer environment is created for pedestrians and cyclists who share the road.
Traffic calming can also be installed to deter drivers from using a residential road to shortcut around busy intersections.
In the City of Abbotsford, we use two forms of traffic calming, vertical deflection and horizontal deflection.
Vertical Deflection
A raised crosswalk is a speed table with a pedestrian crossing marked over its top.
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A speed cushion has the same height and width as a speed table, but includes wheel cutouts to allow large vehicles to pass unaffected while still reducing passenger vehicle speeds. Unlike most other forms of vertical deflection traffic calming, they can be used on emergency vehicle response routes as they do not affect the response times of these vehicles.
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Speed humps are different from speed bumps. Speed bumps are used in parking lots, and are intended to be driven over slowly at 10-20km/hr. Speed humps are used in the roadway, and can be driven over comfortably at 20-30km/hr.
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A speed table is shaped like an elongated speed hump with a flat top. A speed table functions the same as a speed hump, but can be driven over at slightly faster speeds and is easier for larger vehicles such as transit buses.
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Horizontal Deflection
Near intersections, curb bulges can be used to narrow the roadway, which has multiple benefits. Firstly, the reduce road width slows vehicles. Secondly, pedestrians become more visible when trying to cross, as they are not blocked from a driver’s line of sight by parked vehicles on the street. Finally, pedestrians also have a reduced crossing distance, increasing the safety of the crosswalk.
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One method of slowing traffic is to make the driver navigate around a circle. To do this at an intersection, a traffic circle is used.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Traffic calming is suitable for local, residential roads. Traffic calming is not installed on arterial, collector, or industrial roads because those roads are key to the efficient movement of people and goods across the city.
Traffic calming should not be implemented where the slowing of traffic would create unreasonable congestion, on any road that sees a high percentage of heavy truck traffic, or where the installation of traffic calming would create problems for transit vehicles and road maintenance vehicles.
Traffic calming is not permitted on steep roads where the grade exceeds 8%, as the use of traffic calming on these roads can increase the likelihood of a driver losing control of their vehicle and crashing.
Traffic calming generally increases the amount of noise generated by traffic, through vehicle braking, suspension rattling as the vehicle passes over the speed hump, or in the case of trucks with loads, noise is greatly increased.
- Some drivers may choose not to slow down for the speed hump or table.
- Some drivers may slow down, but then speed up to make up for their perceived loss of time.
If you would like traffic calming on your street, please read the traffic calming procedure below. Once you determine if your road is eligible for traffic calming, you will need to start a traffic calming petition.
If you have any questions, please contact the City of Abbotsford Engineering Department at 604-864-5514 or email the Engineering Department.
Traffic Calming Procedure
- The City does not install traffic calming devices on Arterial, Collector, or Industrial Roads. View Road Classifications on Webmap.
- Only Local Roads and Laneways are eligible for Traffic Calming:
- If you are requesting traffic calming for a school zone, City staff require the request to come from the school itself – please get in touch with the school principal or School District to talk to them about your request for traffic calming.
- Due to road safety concerns, traffic calming is not permitted on roads with a grade greater than 8%. If you are unsure of the grade of your road, please contact the Engineering Department.
- Before we will consider a traffic calming request, we require a petition signed by one-third (33%) or 10 houses - whichever is less - of all the fronting homeowners of the block or street where you want traffic calming.
- If your request is for traffic calming in a park zone, only the support of homeowners fronting the park zone are required.
- If your request is for traffic calming in a laneway, the petition must be signed by two-thirds (67%) of all homeowners who back onto the lane
- Before we will consider a traffic calming request, we require a petition signed by one-third (33%) or 10 houses - whichever is less - of all the fronting homeowners of the block or street where you want traffic calming.
- Once a petition is received by the City, staff will schedule a traffic study for your road. Laneways and school zones do not require a traffic study and can skip this step.
- The traffic study will look at the following warrants to determine if traffic calming is required on your road:
- The minimum traffic volume on your road must be 500 vehicles per day
- 15% of drivers must travel at a speed at least 5km/hr over the posted speed limit or 30% of all traffic is shortcutting on your road
- The installation of traffic calming will not significantly impact emergency vehicle response times, transit operations, or the ability of maintenance vehicles to service your road
- If the road meets these requirements, it will be given a number of points by the matrix below:
Criteria Points Basis for Points Assignment Speed 0-25 5 points for every 1km/hr that traffic speed is over 55km/hr or 35km/hr in a park zone (the 85th percentile speed) Volume 0-25 1 point per 100 vehicles per day Total Points Possible 50 In a given year, the roads with the highest number of points are chosen to receive traffic calming - as funding allows. Elementary school zones and laneways are exempt from this, and traffic calming will be implemented as soon as possible as funding allows.
- If your road is selected to receive traffic calming in a given year, as outlined in Step 3, an individualized Traffic Calming Plan will be created for your neighbourhood. This may include various types of traffic calming and will analyze impacts to other roads functions such as cycling, pedestrian routes, on-street parking, and transit.
- Once a Traffic Calming Plan has been created, it will be shared with all fronting homeowners who will be affected by the installation of traffic calming. Residents will be surveyed, asking if they approve of the Plan.
- For the City to move forward with installing Traffic Calming, a minimum of half (50%) of all fronting homeowners must respond to the survey and of that, at least two-thirds (67%) must approve of the plan.
- If support for the Traffic Calming Plan is not received, the City may either return to Step 4 and amend the Plan, or we may choose to not install Traffic Calming on your street at that time.
- Once the neighbourhood has approved the Traffic Calming Plan, the City will arrange for the installation of the traffic calming measures and notify the homeowners via mail when the construction schedule is known. Installation usually happens during the summertime.