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Design Features that Reduce Operating Speeds Roadway designers should select design elements that reduce operating speeds to the desired values. As discussed earlier in this chapter, narrower lane widths have a traffic calming effect. The following speed-reduction strategies will be considered for roadway design on Boston streets, and are therefore discussed in more detail on the pages that follow: >> Midblock neckdowns and chicanes >> Center medians/islands >> Speed tables >> Paving treatments The focus of this chapter is street design “between the curbs,” thus there are a variety of other chapters that should be referenced for other traffic calming strategies:
Roadways
>> Intersection treatments such as signal timing progression, raised intersections, and curb extensions can be used to reduce traffic speeds—these are discussed further in Chapter 4: Intersections. >> Street trees have a calming effect on traffic speeds – they are discussed in Chapter 2: Sidewalks. >> Enforcement and regulatory measures can be used to reduce speeding—they are discussed in Chapter 5: Street Management.
Boston Transportation Department
Updated as of December 2010
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The design treatments on the following pages should be applied based on engineering judgment and in consultation with BTD. The guidance in this document is the standard for the City of Boston. It should be supplemented with design guidance provided in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the MassDOT Project Development, and Design Guide and AASHTO Greenbook.
Boston Complete Streets Guidelines
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