Traffic Calming

Road Diets

“Road diets” are one approach to traffic calming. Road diets involve a reduction in the width of vehicular travel lanes and reallocate that space for other uses such as bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossing islands, left turn lanes, or parking. Safety and operational benefits for vehicles and pedestrians include

• decreasing vehicle travel lanes for pedestrians to cross,
• providing room for a pedestrian crossing median,
• improving safety for bicyclists when bicycle lanes are added,
• providing an opportunity for on-street parking (which also serves as a buffer between pedestrians and vehicles),
• reducing rear-end and side-swipe crashes,
• improving speed limit compliance, and
• decreasing crash severity when crashes do occur.

Implementation of traffic calming measures can reduce traffic speed, reduce motor-vehicle collisions, and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. These measures can also increase pedestrian and bicycling activity.

Striping and Pavement Marking

Striping is a cost-effective and simple way to slow traffic down, but also more effective in communication speed limits, intersections, and bike lanes to those on the road. Throughout Manitou Springs there are pavement markings that say "stop" or communicate the speed limit.

Something as simple as having drivers look down and pay attention to the road in front of them is effective in mitigating speeding in our neighborhoods.

Speed Bumps

Speed bumps are a common form of traffic calming, but come with consequences for liability, maintenance, and snow removal issues. They are intended to make drivers more aware of their speeds by imparting a rocking motion, but can still be comfortably crossed at speeds of 20 to 25 mph. 

The City has installed temporary speed bumps in certain residential areas, but in order to add them, we must first complete a traffic study to ensure that the conditions of the traffic merit a speed bump. The bumps are removed in winter time for snow removal.

Signage

Signage is a cost-effective and simple way to slow down traffic. Of course, signage communicating the speed limit for the road works to let people know, by law, what speed is required of them. But, more importantly, signage alerting drivers of crosswalks, sharp curves, bumps in the road, etc. are all effective in calming traffic.

Pedestrian crossing signs placed in the middle of the road are particularly effective for slowing vehicles down at crosswalk locations.

Traffic Calming Request Form

If you are interested in having a traffic calming method implemented on a roadway in Manitou Springs, you can apply for one through our Traffic Calming Request Form.