Techniques and tools to reduce vehicle speed
Breaking up linear aspect of street
Long straight stretches of street encourage drivers to put their foot down. You can partially obstruct the flow of tarmac without compromising the ordered linear architecture by pushing out at ground level into the carriageway.
Obstacles in the highway and reduced sightlines
Obstacles in the highway are one way to change the character and feel of a street as well as reducing speeds. They reduce forward visibility for motorists and this has been proven to encourage drivers to slow down. The conventional wisdom would be to elevate obstacles using kerbs - this can make the street look more like a traditional highway. Backed up by recent national guidance (Manual for Streets), DIY streets has in some cases challenged this - placing planters directly on the carriageway.
Speed tables
Speed tables consist of a raised area of street space which can reduce vehicle speed and, if designed well, can provide areas of public space for socialising.
Greenery
Trees and planters can be used improve the appearance of the street and can also help to ‘design out' problems such as pavement parking. They can also be used as the basis for chicanes and pinch points to reduce vehicle speeds.
Approaches to car parking
Different approaches to car parking can free up space for socialising and can create a chicane effect which can reduce vehicle speed. Options include perpendicular parking, echelon parking and parallel parking.
Narrowing the road and creating gateways
Narrowing the carriageway and creating gateways can force drivers to slow down to enter a space and it can send a message to drivers that you are entering a special place where the ‘rules of the road' are different.
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