Slowing down for the kids....

Traffic Calming.  It's a big topic in our neighborhood right now. 

And it looks like many citizens are taking things into their own hands to solve traffic problems in this age of budget cuts.

In our post-war era neighborhood when cars were king everything was designed around the automobile.

We are realizing we need some immediate steps to slow down traffic in our neighborhood for the safety of our kids on bikes and on foot.

Thankfully there are huge efforts underway to promote the Complete Streets idea in which pedestrians, bicyclists, strollers, wheelchairs, and other modes of transportation are given the same importance as the mighty vehicle.

[And let me tell you...if you have a sensory challenged kid who cannot tolerate car rides or car seats and screams bloody murder with every car trip you will SOOO wish you lived in a walkable city!!!]

Here are some great ways to learn more about traffic calming -- the successes, challenges, pros, and cons to different approaches. See also the innovative approach of shared space conceived by traffic engineer Hans Monderman that has reduced traffic speeds by up to 50%.


Or really treat yourself to the tactile sensations of The New York City Street Design Manual.

It not only provides a beautiful overview of best practices in terms of street design, but it also does so on lucious paper if you purchase the print version instead of just downloading the pdf.
 

[Vintage Car Photo by AgnosticPreachersKid shared under Creative Commons License]

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