Local area traffic management: effects on the environment

Local area traffic management, in more recent times traffic calming, has been very much in vogue. Do the schemes that have been implemented achieve what the original proponents desired? Even if the engineering aims have been achieved, what of the environmental impacts? Have the improvements envisaged by the local residents been realised? This paper seeks to answer those questions by a literature review and a number of before and after studies of traffic device installations within the City of Woodville. Surveys include traffic engineering aspects, community perceptions of what typical treatments can achieve and the change in community attitudes following the installation of devices. The environmental impact in terms of traffic noise and gaseous emissions are discussed to provide commentary whether there is a net overall improvement.