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Rural Livability

Managing High-Speed Regional Traffic

Three images together of highway context, rural, commercial strip, and Main Street.
Managing high speed traffic is dependent on the context. In a downtown setting a well-designed median with proper landscaping can provide needed refuge for pedestrians while curtailing a motorist’s speed. Similarly, adding trees and green space at a human scale can slow down high-speed vehicular traffic. Photo credit: Renaissance Planning Group.

Many rural communities have served for decades or centuries as “way stations” along major rivers, rail lines, and highways connecting urban centers. Corridor traffic that brings customers and goods can be the econmic lifeblood of a town. But too many vehicles moving too fast can overrun the heart of a community, making it unappealing to visitors and unsafe for people trying to walk or ride bicycles.

CSS techniques can help rural communities to manage high-speed car and truck traffic along major highways that pass through their central areas. Many of the most frequently used strategies – such as gateway treatments, traffic calming, congestion management strategies, roundabouts, and visual cues – not only improve traveler safety, but also enhance the community’s attractiveness.

Updated: 6/20/2017
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