Livable and healthy communities are important. As our city grows, our roads face more demands. When arterial roads are busy, some drivers will cut through neighbourhoods. Neighbourhood residents might notice more cars, noise, and speeding and some people might have concerns about their safety and quality of life. 

Community Traffic Management

Community Traffic Management helps address traffic issues. The City works together with the Community to address their traffic concerns. We call this process a Community Traffic Management Plan.

The City has developed a Community Traffic Management Policy. It will help neighbourhoods find solutions for short-cutting and other traffic issues. City Council adopted the Community Traffic Management Policy on April 11, 2017.  The former Public Participation Guidelines for Community Traffic Management Process was repealed. 

Urban Planning Committee Report

Community Traffic Management Policy

Attachment 3: Themes Emerging from Public Engagement

Attachment 4: Community Traffic Management Process

Traffic Calming Measures

There are a number of different ways to address neighbourhood traffic issues such as shortcutting and speeding. This list describes the different measures that could be used in a community to address traffic issues.

Chicane

Chicane traffic calming measure photo

  • Effectively reduces speeds
  • Easily negotiable by large vehicles except under heavy traffic
  • Maintenance concerns
  • May impact parking and  driveway access
Curb Extensions

Curb extension photo

  • Narrows vehicle travel lanes
  • Improved sightlines for pedestrians and vehicles
  • Shorter pedestrian crossing distance
  • May slow right turning vehicles, particularly for large vehicles
  • Restricts parking too close to intersections
Directional Closure / One Way

One way street photo

  • Effective at reducing traffic volumes
  • Maintains two-way bicycle access
  • Limits access to local destinations
  • Local residents will have to adjust their travel routes
  • May require enforcement
Full Road Closure

Full road closure example street photo

  • Eliminates non-local traffic
  • Maintains all-direction pedestrian and bicycle access
  • Requires legal procedures
  • May create circuitous routes for local residents and emergency services
  • May limit access to businesses
Intersection Channelization

Intersection channelization photo

  • Prevents through access into community
  • Reduces shortcutting traffic
  • Shorter pedestrian crossing distances
  • May divert traffic to other streets
  • Little to no effect on speeds
  • Less effective without physical barriers
Prohibited Turns

Prohibited turns street photo

  • Reduces shortcutting traffic
  • Little impact to speeds
  • Enforcement required for effectiveness; violation rates can be high
  • Adds to sign clutter
Raised Crosswalk

Raised crosswalk in Calgary photo
Raised crosswalk in Calgary

  • Turns an entire crosswalk into a speed hump (with similar impacts)
  • Enhances pedestrian safety
  • Not as effective in reducing speeds as speed humps
  • Need to consider drainage and maintenance issues
Raised Diagonal Diverter

Raised diagonal diverter photo

  • Reduces shortcutting traffic
  • Maintains all-direction pedestrian and bicycle access
  • Reduces collision potential
  • May impact emergency response travel time
  • Residents will need to adjust travel routes
Raised Intersection

Raised intersection photo

  • Enhance safety for both pedestrians and vehicles
  • Calms two streets at once
  • Not as effective in reducing speeds as speed humps
  • Need to consider drainage and maintenance issues
Raised Median Island

Raised median island photo

  • Narrows the roadway to reduce traffic speed
  • Provides pedestrian refuge at midpoint in crossing
  • May require elimination of some on-street parking
  • May reduce driveway access
Raised Median Island Through Intersection

Raised median island photo

  • Reduces traffic speed
  • May reduce traffic volumes
  • Provides pedestrian refuge at midpoint in crossing, enhancing pedestrian safety
  • Can maintain all-direction cyclist access
  • May require elimination of some on-street parking
  • May increase travel time for road users
  • May reduce driveway access
  • May impact emergency response travel time
  • Enforcement may be a challenge
Speed Hump / Speed Table

Speed hump photo
94B Avenue between 50 Street and 75 Street in Ottewell (now removed)​

  • Effective at slowing speeds
  • Little impact to cyclists if designed properly
  • “Rough Ride”
  • May increase noise / vibration
  • Prominent signage and markings
Traffic Circle

Traffic circle photo

  • Calms two streets at once
  • Requires sufficient roadway space
  • May need to purchase property
Traffic Signal Timings

Traffic signal timing photo

  • Maximized for the arterial roadway to enhance traffic flow, and make it more attractive to drivers
  • Minimized for sidestreet traffic to discourage shortcutting
  • If the traffic signal has pedestrian push-buttons, may lead to “dash and drive” behaviours