The City of Fredericton, like most other Canadian municipalities, has experienced a significant increase in public complaints regarding motor vehicles traveling through neighbourhoods at high speeds. In order to address these complaints, the City has developed a Traffic Calming Policy that will ensure a consistent and equitable approach to addressing speeding within the municipality. This policy will consider travel speeds, as well as collision data and registered public complaints to prioritize areas of focus for traffic calming.
What is traffic calming?
Traffic calming aims to reduce negative effects of vehicle use, alter driver behavior, and improve conditions for non-motorized street users.
For example, a traffic calming measure could be the installation of speed bumps or speed cushions on residential streets. These physical obstacles force drivers to slow down, thereby reducing vehicle speeds and improving safety for pedestrians and other road users.
Why not just reduce the speed?
Reducing posted speed limits can mitigate collision severity, but merely changing signs may not alter driver behavior significantly. Lower speed limits can lead to safety risks like increased speed differentials, illegal passing, and rear-end collisions. Lower speed limits may be appropriate for streets with inherent low-speed design features or those with traffic calming measures already in place.