Traffic Calming and Fire / EMS Department Emergency Responses Lee Havens, Fire Chief Jonathan Bigony, President Pete Mellits, P.E. / Fire Chief ( ) Bowie Volunteer Fire Department And Rescue Squad, Inc. December 11, 2008

What is traffic calming? “Traffic calming involves changes in street alignment, installation of barriers, and other physical measures to reduce traffic speeds and/or cut-through volumes, in the interest of street safety, livability, and other public purposes.” * The Institute of Transportation Engineers

What is it designed to do? Reduce the volume of through traffic. Reduce speeding. Improve aesthetics to roadway to alter driver behavior via “calming measures”. Increase safety to non-motorized users. Increase safety to pedestrians.

History of Traffic Calming Introduced in Europe in the 1960’s. Introduced in the United States in the 1970’s. –Berkeley, California; –Seattle, Washington; –Eugene, Oregon. Introduced in Prince George’s County in the late 1990’s / early 2000.

Methods of Calming Devices and Their Effects on Fire / EMS Apparatus Speed Bumps, narrow ½’-3’ asphalt strips / 3-6” ht. Speed Humps, wide 10’ to 15’ asphalt strips / 3-6” ht. Traffic Circles at Intersections. Traffic Lane Narrowing / Channeling via Concrete Curb & Gutter. Traffic Lane Narrowing via Paint Striping. Traffic Signage. Traffic Speed Monitors / Speed Cameras.

Speed Bumps Speed bumps are rounded raised areas placed across the roadway, typically1/2 to 3 feet wide in the direction of travel. They are typically found in parking lots and are 3 to 6 inches high. The profile of a speed bump can be circular, parabolic, or sinusoidal. They are often tapered as they reach the curb on each end to allow unimpeded drainage.

Speed Humps

Speed humps are rounded raised areas placed across the roadway. They are generally 10 to 15 feet long (in the direction of travel), making them distinct from the shorter "speed bumps" found in many parking lots, and are 3 to 6 inches high. The profile of a speed hump can be circular, parabolic, or sinusoidal. They are often tapered as they reach the curb on each end to allow unimpeded drainage.

Traffic Circles Traffic circles are raised islands, typically placed in intersections, around which traffic circulates. They are good for calming intersections, especially within neighborhoods, where large vehicle traffic is not a major concern but speeds, volumes, and safety are problems.

Traffic Circles

Traffic Lane Narrowing/Channeling via Concrete Curb & Gutter Chokers are curb extensions at midblock locations that narrow a street by widening the sidewalk or planting strip. If marked as crosswalks, they are also known as safe crosses. Two-lane chokers leave the street cross section with two lanes that are narrower than the normal cross section. They are good for areas with substantial speed problems and no on-street parking shortage. A center island narrowing is a raised island located along the centerline of a street that narrow the travel lanes at that location. Center island are often landscaped to provide a visual amenity.

Traffic Lane Narrowing/Channeling via Concrete Curb & Gutter

Traffic Lane Narrowing via Paint Striping These techniques provide a flexible way to take back space from the street for non-motor-vehicle uses. Traditional traffic engineering calls for 12- to 13-foot lanes, citing "traffic safety" standards - but newer evidence shows that lanes as narrow as nine feet can still be safe for driving. Lanes can also be removed from serving traffic and designated for busses, trolleys, or other types of transit. Traffic lanes can be transformed into bicycle lanes. All street lanes can be narrowed together to create more room for non-auto uses.

Traffic Signage and Speed Monitors / Speed Cameras

The Fire / EMS Department Problem Traffic calming devices designed to reduce the speed of everyday traffic also reduces the speed of emergency vehicles. Depending on the calming device, damage can occur due to their longer wheel-base, stiff suspension and higher vehicle weight forces these vehicles to come close to a stop to safely negotiate the calming device. This, increasing fire / EMS response times.

The Fire / EMS Department Problem Increased fire / EMS response time. Damage to fire / EMS apparatus. Discomfort and possible further injuries to patients being transported. Possible firefighter and EMS injuries.

Response Time Studies Austin, Texas Boulder, Colorado City of Portland, Oregon Houston, Texas Montgomery County, Maryland Orange County, California Ottawa-Carleton, Canada

Firefighter / EMS Injuries Ottawa, Canada Orange County, California Sacramento, California

Fire / EMS Apparatus Damage Boulder, Colorado Montgomery County, Maryland Prince George’s County, Maryland Washington, D.C.

Recommended Solutions NO speed bump or speed hump traffic calming devices on major response routes. NO speed bump or speed hump traffic calming devices on hills of 8% grade or more. Ensure traffic circles are adequately sized for large fire apparatus via design turning templates. Ensure traffic lane narrowing / channeling via concrete curb & gutter is adequately sized for large fire apparatus via design turning templates.

Cushions Cushions cover only part of the width of the street to allow passage for emergency vehicles, buses or other large vehicles, and bicycles; they are usually placed at varying intervals to respond to the need to channel the wheels of larger vehicles, while still providing hurdles wide enough to slow standard-sized vehicles.

Cushions

References for Additional Information Traffic Calming Websites: esforplaces/livememtraffic “Americans Against Traffic Calming” Website: