Frequently Asked Questions

The City of Woodland Neighborhood Traffic Management Program is an attempt to reduce the negative aspects of traffic (volumes, speeds, and / or accidents) in residential neighborhoods by preparing a Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan that would implement traffic calming measures. The goal of a Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan is to achieve consensus on what traffic calming measures should be taken on a street.

Calming Measures

Traffic calming measures can sometimes be controversial within a neighborhood. This is because traffic calming measures also have negative impacts. Possible negative impacts include, but are not limited to, loss of on-street parking, less convenient access, and increased traffic levels on adjacent streets. A Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan will attempt to balance the negative impacts with the desired objectives of the traffic calming program.

Traffic calming is a strategy intended to reduce the impact of motor vehicle traffic on a City street. Usually this strategy is implemented in residential areas. Traffic calming measures can be any combination of roadway modifications, planning features, or traffic control devices that are intended to slow cars down or lower the volume of traffic.

There are three levels of traffic calming:

1. Education and Enforcement seeks to reduce speeds through increased neighborhood awareness.
2. Passive Measures are signing and striping effects that are intended to influence speed or volumes. Regulatory signs, landscape, and pavement markings are passive measures.
3. Active Measures are physical changes to a roadway. Examples of active measures include speed humps and road closures.

The City has adopted a multi-step process for the construction of traffic calming features on a public street. To see a summary of the steps, please click here.