Speed Table Evaluation and Speed Modeling for Low-Volume Crosstown Roads

Abstract

More than 50% of injury accidents in Spain take place on crosstown roads in urban areas. Traffic calming is an initiative to reduce the impact of traffic on local streets by lowering both the number and the severity of crashes. However, the implementation of traffic-calming devices in Spain was not standardized in the past, and no technical criteria were applied. The paper presents the methodology, results, and conclusions of an analysis specifically related to speed tables, which are flat-topped speed humps, as part of the research project MODETRA. For the research, five low-volume crosstown roads with 16 speed tables were selected to analyze drivers' behavior. Speed data were collected from a sample of more than 900 vehicles through the selected crosstown roads using Global Positioning System trackers. For each individual vehicle, a continuous speed profile along the path was obtained. The analysis showed that the minimum speed occurred when the vehicle left the traffic-calming device and the maximum deceleration occurred just before the device. Geometric characteristics of the speed tables were measured by using a digital profilometer. A wide dispersion in the geometry can be concluded. It was found that the speed reduction depended mainly on the separation between traffic-calming devices, whereas the speed over the speed tables depended crucially on the entrance-ramp slope, the speed table length, and the distance from the previous traffic control device. Also, no statistical correlations were found between speed table height and speed reduction or spot speed over the speed table.