FAQs

Traffic calming is a term used for installing speed humps, speed tables, traffic circles, or any other road feature that has the intent of slowing traffic on a given road. By slowing traffic, a safer environment is created for pedestrians and cyclists who share the road.

Traffic calming measures may include things like curb extensions, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and other measures. Traffic calming can also be installed to deter drivers from using a residential road to shortcut around busy intersections.

Please contact 604-864-5514 or transportation@abbotsford.ca to request any accommodations to indicate your support or opposition to the traffic calming plan.

If you would like traffic calming on your street, please consult the City's website. Once you determine if your road is eligible for traffic calming, you will need to start a traffic calming petition.

If you have any questions, please contact the City of Abbotsford Engineering Department at 604-864-5514 or email the Engineering Department.

Traffic calming generally increases the amount of noise generated by traffic, through vehicle braking, suspension rattling as the vehicle passes over the speed hump, or in the case of trucks with loads, noise is greatly increased.

• Some drivers may choose not to slow down for the speed hump or table.
• Some drivers may slow down, but then speed up to make up for their perceived loss of time.

Traffic calming is suitable for local, residential roads. Traffic calming is not installed on arterial, collector, or industrial roads because those roads are key to the efficient movement of people and goods across the city. 

Traffic calming should not be implemented where the slowing of traffic would create unreasonable congestion, on any road that sees a high percentage of heavy truck traffic, or where the installation of traffic calming would create problems for transit vehicles and road maintenance vehicles. 

Traffic calming is not permitted on steep roads where the grade exceeds 8%, as the use of traffic calming on these roads can increase the likelihood of a driver losing control of their vehicle and crashing.

Traffic calming devices are placed in such a way to avoid utilities, maintenance holes, valve box lids, and catch basins. Traffic calming devices are also placed to avoid driveways. We do our best to align the traffic calming devices along the property line between adjacent homes, however it is not always possible to align with the property boundary for properties on both sides.

Signage

Our engineering standards require that a yellow warning sign must be placed adjacent to a speed hump. We do our best to layout traffic calming in such a way to ensure that signs do not become a visual obstruction, but sometimes due to other constraints it is unavoidable.

Depending on sightlines, an additional warning sign may be considered in advance of the speed hump.

Pavement Markings

Our engineering standards require pavement markings on the speed hump to alert motorists to an object in the road.