There are different types of traffic calming measures. Suitable measures will vary, every location is different. Traffic calming can reduce traffic speeds and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
Speed in restricted areas is dangerous.
The faster the car is travelling, the worse the accident. At 35mph you are twice as likely to kill someone as you are at 30mph. Traffic calming can discourage the use of streets as short cuts and traffic levels.
Traffic calming can take the form of:
- Physical features such as gateway features
- Surface treatments
- Sign enhancements
- Traffic Regulation Orders such as speed limits and one way streets
These measures help to manage traffic.
Most traffic calming schemes contain several features which work together to reduce speeds. All schemes must consider the impact on emergency service response times and disruption to bus service routes.
What to do next
It is often easy to gain support to reduce traffic speeds but more difficult to establish the acceptable measures. If you are able to gain local support/consensus it will help to promote your scheme.
Discussion with your community network manager and Local Councillor is important.
View the Community Network pages
This will ensure that your potential proposal is practical, legal and above all safe.
Many requests are received and funding is limited. We cannot guarantee swift implementation, but we will keep you informed of the prospects for your scheme. For further information on traffic calming please contact us using the details on this page.
Speed Camera Requests
Working with our communities to address speeds and perception of speed is at the heart of our Casualty Reduction Strategy.
We will work in partnership to achieve this.
There are a range of tools available to Highway Authorities to change driver behaviour and control speeds on our roads. The deployment of speed cameras is one of those options. Department for Transport guidance recommends cameras are located in areas where many speed related collisions have occurred, and where other safety improvement measures have been considered first.
Deployment should be evidence based, proportional and justifiable, with a clear purpose to bring change in driver behaviour and mitigate an established pattern of serious injury (or increasing trend of collisions). We know that speed cameras will not always be the right solution. Every community is different. The right safety intervention could be:
- safe pedestrian or cycling space
- narrowing of highway space
- traffic calming
It is also acknowledged that speed cameras can be utilised to address other factors such as air quality, community severance, as a design mitigation and/or through construction as a temporary measure.
A partnership approach to camera deployment was undertaken in August 2021 with other south west partners. This led to new guidance and assessment criteria, which is supported by the Vision Zero South West Partnership (VZSW). Every site is means tested through assessment criteria and formally reviewed by VZSW and its partners. This review will conclude whether cameras are agreed in principle, or not supported, and the decision communicated to the Local Authority. Deliverability of sites agreed in principle will then remain subject to funding availability.
We do not have a dedicated camera funding programme. Community improvements are delivered through Implementation Plans. These plans set out the schemes we aim to deliver such as:
- Enhanced walking and cycling measures
- Improved links to public transport (bus and rail)
- Enhanced safety measures
- Traffic calming
- Community-based initiatives
Requests always exceed available funding. To deliver a balanced and affordable programme, we prioritise schemes. Further information is available in our refreshed Cornwall Transport Plan.
