The speed of motor traffic not only aggravates local
communities, but also puts people off cycling. There are a
number of measures that encourage and enforce slower driving,
including physical traffic calming (e.g. speed humps). CTC View
(formal statement of CTC's policy): We are currently revising
and updating our views on traffic calming and these will be
published in due course. In the meantime, these are extracts
from CTC's current Policy Handbook (March 2004). - Traffic
calming can benefit cyclists by reducing the speed of traffic,
provided it is of a cycle-friendly design. Vertical deflection
can be very effective at slowing traffic but the ramps must have
long, smooth profiles, approximating to a sinusoidal shape. -
Wherever possible the introduction of pinch points that squeeze
cyclists, e.g.: by providing central refuges, should be avoided.
At 30 mph the minimum width beside a refuge that allows safe
overtaking without intimidation is 4.5m. Only below 20 mph
should narrower widths be considered. - Pi