Design and feasibility study of a smart speed hump for selective urban speed management: risk-informed deployment via conditional generative modelling

A major traffic-related problem faced by residents is speeding, which not only causes safety concerns, but also noise issues. Traffic calming is a much favoured traffic management tool employed by road controlling authorities to primarily reduce vehicle speed, hence improve community liveability. This research aimed to investigate the impacts of traffic calming on speed, safety and traffic noise. The objectives included developing models for the prediction of speed and noise on traffic-calmed streets, and providing guidance for good design practices. Speeds of individual vehicles as they approached and crossed traffic calming devices were observed in order to identify the behaviour of individual drivers. Results indicated that the speed hump and the raised angled slow point produced the largest speed reductions and least variation in speeds, while mid-block narrowings had no significant speed changes. Inter-device speed was found to be mainly controlled by the separation between devices. 85th percentile speeds at distances from calming devices were 40 – 45 km/h for vertical deflections and 45 – 55 km/h for horizontal deflections. Speeds on approach to speed humps were found to be influenced by the distance available on the approaches, while operating speed at the speed humps were partly influenced by the hump width relative to the road width. There was evidence of safety benefits of traffic calming overall, despite mid-block crashes increasing post-calming. However, there was no association between the traffic calming and the crashes, which appeared to probably be due to other factors, human factors in particular. Noise levels produced by light vehicles across speed humps were in fact lower than on a flat section of road, given their respective mean speeds. At a reference speed of 25 km/h, noise levels produced over the 100 mm hump were 3.6 dBA higher than those produced by the 75 mm hump.

Traffic safety is a major concern across the world. Since speed is a major cause of traffic crashes, various traffic calming measures are used to enhance the safety of the road users in urban areas. Speed humps and bumps are the most widely used traffic calming devices. As a considerable number of bicyclists use the road along with motorized users, it is important to consider them while deploying any traffic calming devices. Studies have shown that bicyclists experience significantly larger discomfort as compared to motorized vehicles while passing over speed humps. In this study, a modification has been proposed to enhance riding comfort of bicyclists without compromising the traffic calming attribute of a speed bump. This modification is named “K-pass.” Analysis of data collected before and after the modification justifies the effectiveness in reducing the discomfort of bicyclists. Over a period of eight months, 70% of the bicyclists chose to use K-pass. Data also revealed that a high proportion of motorized two-wheeler users also used the K-pass at reduced speeds. It is expected that the K-pass will be a useful modification to the existing speed humps and speed bumps in areas where bicycle usage is expected.

Managing vehicle speeds and ensuring road safety in residential neighborhoods have led to the widespread adoption of various traffic calming strategies, with speed humps being among the most implemented solutions. However, their implementation has raised significant concerns regarding secondary environmental impacts, particularly noise and vibration generation that can adversely affect residential communities during sensitive nighttime hours. This study addresses a critical gap in understanding the temporal dynamics of noise and vibration pollution induced by speed humps during nighttime periods in Japanese residential neighborhoods. Statistical analysis of LAeq measurements revealed significant temporal patterns: immediate increase (+2.71 dB, p p p < 0.001). Estimation method provided in ISO 9613-2 propagation modeling used to evaluate the compliance with Japan’s Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for Noise. Collectively, these findings underscore the critical need for both event-based adaptation analyses and standard propagation models in evaluating the efficacy and temporal evolution of noise induced by the traffic calming devices.

The concept, Traffic Calming, was introduced to China nearly more than 10 years ago. However, no engineering practice emerges for a long time. As a typical small rural town for tour in Beijing, Zhaitang Town requires more attention on the beautiful site and pedestrian safety. In 2008, Beijing Mentougou Highway Sub-bureau decided to change the reconstruction of Zhaitang Avenue into a pilot engineering project of traffic calming. According with the research results of the traffic features in Zhaitang, the combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior and improve conditions for non-motorized street users were applied, such as Speed Humps, Raised Crosswalks, Raised Intersections, Speed Cushions, Roundabouts, Chicanes, Neckdowns, Center Island Narrowings, Lateral Shifts, Median Diverters, Boom Barrier, Pedestrian Refuges, and so on. After a half year observation, the before-and-after data of the first traffic calming engineering project has been achieved. The principles, methods, techniques to set traffic calming facilities resulted from the project and the outcome evaluation are described in the paper.

This paper presents a narrative review on the integration of digital technologies into traffic calming strategies to enhance environmental safety in residential areas. As urban environments evolve toward smart and sustainable futures, traditional traffic calming measures such as speed humps and curb extensions remain effective in reducing vehicle speed but fall short in terms of adaptability, real-time responsiveness, and environmental sensitivity. This review explores how the fusion of traditional methods with intelligent infrastructure, such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and adaptive signage, can improve safety and support environmental monitoring in residential settings. Drawing from multidisciplinary literature in engineering, urban planning, and behavioral science, the review highlights the limitations of existing interventions and the emerging role of technology in reshaping residential mobility. While technological advancements show promise, user acceptance and behavioral engagement remain underexplored. To address this, the review applies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to examine factors influencing public perception and adoption of smart calming systems. Key research gaps are identified in areas such as the standardization of digital criteria, context-sensitive implementation, and empirical evaluation of environmental impacts. The findings suggest that future research should focus on pilot programs that integrate physical and digital measures, adopt longitudinal environmental tracking, and employ mixed-method approaches to assess user behavior. This review ultimately proposes an interdisciplinary framework that redefines traffic calming as a synergy between engineering, digital innovation, and community-centered design to promote safer, smarter, and more environmentally responsive neighborhoods.

The present study investigates the speed behaviors of drivers encountering speed humps on urban and suburban roads. The purpose is to optimize the geometric dimensions of different types of speed hump by considering ride comfort and driving safety criteria. Field observations of drivers’ behavior were conducted near 90 speed humps in eight cities in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Vehicles speed modeling was carried out using multi-layer perception and normalized radial basis functions artificial networks. The sensitivity analysis results of artificial neural network (ANN) models showed different factors associated with speed humps’ performance. While the length of entrance and exit ramps and passage width were the most influential factors in urban roads, speed before the humps’ position plays a crucial factor in suburban roads. Finally, the optimum geometry of speed humps was presented by ANN models for different types of roads.

This paper evaluates the use of traffic calming as an option to address the high road casualties caused by speeding in Iran. The aim is to reduce the speed of motor vehicles to improve road safety and the quality of life. In this study, a part of Shahrara Street in Tehran that has speed humps installed is modelled in Aimsun software. The results suggest that calming the street leads to the reduced speed of vehicles and traffic volume on that street. However, it also results in reduced capacity of the street; thus, calming devices, including speed humps, should be placed at appropriate distances to each other to achieve an appropriate overall level of service, balancing speed and road safety benefits against capacity. In this research, a distance between speed humps of between 200 and 400 m is recommended.

Speed management is an essential tool in ensuring the improved safety of users of urban roads, particularly vulnerable users. It relies on several measures: awareness campaigns, speed control, as well as the development and operation of the road infrastructure. Municipalities in Quebec are increasingly resorting to the development of traffic calming measures, and are facing numerous questions concerning their installation and their effectiveness. To respond to this need, the ministere des Transports du Quebec (Quebec Department of Transport) has begun publishing a series of fact sheets on a variety of traffic calming measures, including speed humps and speed cushions, raised crosswalks and intersections, neckdowns, centre islands and chicanes. A general fact sheet introduces all of the measures and notably outlines the procedure for pre-implementation analysis. Each fact sheet dedicated to an individual measure outlines the implementation context, advantages and disadvantages, geometric characteristics, effectiveness at reducing speed, and maintenance requirements, including winter maintenance. Two fact sheets are already published: the general fact sheet and the fact sheet on speed humps and speed cushions. The fact sheets as well as examples of measures implemented in municipalities are available on the ministere's web site under Partenaires-Municipalites-Securite routiere.

Critical Analysis of Speed Hump and Speed Bump and Geometric Design of Curved Speed Hump

Pedestrians and cyclists are defined as vulnerable road users and are particularly at risk in traffic accidents in urban areas. A common speeding prevention measure used worldwide to protect vulnerable road users and ensure their safety in urban areas is the use of vertical traffic calming devices, i.e. speed humps and speed bumps. This article deals with red-coloured speed humps that are installed across the entire width of the carriageway. The geometric characteristics of such speed humps, the materials from which they are made and the installation and marking procedures are described. The reasons for their increasing use in the installation of new and replacement of existing vertical traffic calming devices in Croatia are also discussed. Finally, a short survey was conducted at two locations in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, where two different types of these speed humps are installed: the speed hump installed immediately before the crosswalk and the speed hump on which a crosswalk is marked. A total of 60 road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) were interviewed to find out their opinions and satisfaction with these devices.

BackgroundEvidence related to the effectiveness of speed humps on reducing pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions (PMVC) has been conflicting. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between speed hump installation and changes in PMVC rates in Toronto, Canada.MethodsSpeed humps were mapped along with police-reported pedestrian collisions from 2000–2011 and built environment roadway characteristics. A quasi-experimental study identified collision counts before and after speed hump installation, modeled using repeated measures Poisson regression adjusted for season and roadway characteristics. Stratified analyses were conducted by age group and injury severity.ResultsThere were 27,827 PMVC, with 1344 collisions along 409 roadways with speed humps. PMVC incidence rates/meters of road/month decreased after installation of speed humps (IRR 0.78 95 % CI 0.66, 0.91). Winter, collector roads (versus local), pre-amalgamated city centre and increased land use mix were associated with more collisions. The association between speed humps and PMVC rates decreased more for children (IRR 0.57, 95 % CI 0.41, 0.79) than for adults (IRR 0.80, 95 % CI 0.68, 0.95).ConclusionsSpeed humps are an easily replicated method of traffic calming which have a significant protective effect on PMVC on the roadways where they are installed, particularly for children. There is a need for an area-wide analysis to determine the effects of the installation of speed humps to ensure that PMVC are not being displaced to surrounding roadways.

INVESTIGATION ON NORTH AMERICAN TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICE SELECTION PRACTICES

Impact Assessment of Speed Calming Measures on Road Safety

IntroductionThis study examined the effectiveness of three physical environmental roadway interventions (enhanced crossings, speed humps, and turn traffic calming) in preventing crashes involving pedestrian and cyclist injury and mortality in...

In the fall of 2000 the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) began a planning study on behalf of the Kentucky Transporta tion Cabinet (KYTC) to investigate the bicycle and pedestrian access on KY 1968 (Parkers Mill Road) from Man O War Boulevard to New Circle Road in Lexington. The 1-mile section has a rural design with two 9-foot lanes, limited 3-foot earth shoulders and adjacent objects in the clear zone making travel on this road uncomfortable for pedestrians and cyclists. Yet this section of Parkers Mill Road represents a line of desired non-motorized travel due to parks, neighborhoods, a local high school, the sidewalk network on Man O War and the excellent bicycling to the west of the city in this area. Parkers Mill Road is scheduled to be reconstructed in 10 to 15 years but an interim temporary solution to pedestrian and bicycle access along this travel corridor is being sought. The objective of this planning and design study was to gather background information and include all interested parties in developing alternative plans for bicycle and pedestrian travel along Parkers Mill Road. The study consisted of collection of background information and extensive field data collection. A well-attended meeting of interested neighborhood and community groups defined problems and possible solutions for the particular route. During the meeting, the stakeholders completed a survey using electronic polling equipment and software. Ideally a solution would address the following community needs: provision of recreational opportunities for the neighborhood and community; accommodation of pedestrians; accommodation of club or advanced bicyclists; accommodation of children and more causal bicyclists; maintenance of the rural character of the road; reduction of the high speed of motorized traffic (relatively high given the geometric design of the road); reduction in the volume of motorized traffic using this road; and protection of horses from people and people from horses. This reports summaries nine alternative solutions, the associated costs and the extent to which they address community needs. The following alternatives were developed and are not mutually exclusive: Shared Use Path on Either Farm Road South of Parkers Mill Road; Shared Used Path on South Side of the Parks Mill Road; Provision of a Sidewalk on the South Side of Parkers Mill Road; Provision of Dedicated Infrastructure on the North Side of Parkers Mill Road; Speed Humps or Other Traffic Calming; Reduction in Speed Limit; “Share the Road” Signs; Road Closure; and Convert to One-way Vehicle Traffic with Adjacent Biking/Walking Lane. It is recommended that the community local officials review these options with KYTC to determine a plan of action.