speed humps, serpentines, and other traffic calmings

[Joel S. Berson]

At 5/2/2011 07:49 PM, Barbara Need wrote:
>In Ithaca, the intersection-wide ones are called "raised intersections"

In the Boston area also, I find Googling.  "Cambridge has constructed
raised crosswalks, raised intersections, ... In addition, raised
crosswalks have also been constructed in Belmont, Brookline and other
nearby communities."  (according to Newton.)

Belmont also calls its things humps:  "the small-town atmosphere of
Belmont, Massachusetts, ..... There are more than fourteen different
traffic-calming techniques, from curb extensions and chokers to
raised intersections to speed humps and serpentine design."

Cambridge is the innovator for raised intersections and serpentines
around here (according to Newton):  "In the Boston region, the City
of Cambridge is often cited as being at the forefront of traffic calming."
http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/cdbg/transportation/documents/traffic_calming_guidelines.pdf,
with diagrams of things called --
mini-roundabout
neckdown
realigned intersection
speed hump
raised crosswalk
raised intersection
chicane
choker

(If you want to see a curious result from the on-line OED, try "Quick
search" for "traffic calming"  Then scroll up a bit.)

Traffic-calming, but driver-enraging.

Joel

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