The City of Charlotte, NC, is frequently challenged with balancing an increasingly dense street network with citizen concerns for traffic speeds and pedestrian safety in residential neighborhoods.

On various projects, DRMP developed and designed traffic calming solutions to effectively address speeding and safety concerns in several Charlotte neighborhoods.  A road diet was implemented on Remount Road converting a four-lane divided road to a two-lane divided road with buffered bike lanes.  Curb extensions, on-street parking, lateral lane shifts, and median pedestrian refuge islands were designed for Euclid Avenue.  DRMP was also responsible for creating the City’s Traffic Calming Manual.   The goal of the Manual is to establish an easy-to-reference guide for City staff and residents to refer to when considering specific traffic issues and ways to address those issues. The Traffic Calming Manual is comprised of a matrix that summarizes all the traffic calming measures City staff may consider to address primarily speeding problems. Secondary benefits of addressing speeding can include improvements to pedestrian and cyclist comfort and safety, driver awareness and even congestion.

The City believes the traveling public – not just vehicular but, pedestrian and bicycle traffic – will benefit from the establishment of a more robust “toolbox” of traffic calming measures at the disposal of city engineers and planners.  Ultimately, the goal of traffic calming in the City is to create a safer and friendlier environment for all street users which provides a happier and higher quality of life for citizens in the City of Charlotte.