Installing and Maintaining

Temporary Speed Humps and Traffic Circles

By: John Templeton, P.E. and Robert E. Rees, P.E.
Introduction
Concord, California, like most communities, receives requests and complaints from residents
regarding high travel speeds and traffic volumes on neighborhood streets. In response, the City
of Concord completed a Neighborhood Traffic Management Handbook to assist residents in
understanding neighborhood traffic issues and defining opportunities to enhance neighborhood
livability. The handbook evolved from the Dana Estates neighborhood outreach program.
Intersection bulb-outs at school crossings were universally supported. Some, but not all residents
supported more intrusive measures (i.e., speed humps and traffic circles). Concern focused on
device effectiveness and permanency should they be ineffective or unpopular.
To address neighborhood concerns, Concord undertook a program to install temporary speed
humps and traffic circles. The devices, made from recycled tires, can be installed and removed in
one day. The devices were tested for effectiveness and durability within the Citys maintenance
yard before installing them on the street.
This paper focuses on testing, installation, and maintenance of temporary speed humps and
traffic circles. Problems and follow-up actions encountered during device testing in the Citys
maintenance yard will be documented. The paper addresses field implementation including preconstruction and installation procedures. Installation procedures are illustrated to assist
communities in completing similar installations. Finally, the paper identifies on-going
maintenance activities.
Site Locations
Two streets within the Dana Estates neighborhood were identified for testing temporary
installations of speed humps and traffic circles. Lynwood Drive was chosen for speed hump
installations and Landana Drive was chosen for the traffic circle installation. Both streets are
well established with mature landscaping, sidewalks, and single family homes fronting both sides
of the street. The roads are 40 feet curb-to-curb and on-street parking is allowed. Lynwood Drive
is a residential street that carries between 2,000 and 2,500 vehicles per day. Landana Drive,
which is residential in nature but functions as a minor arterial, carries between 9,000 and 12,000
vehicles per day.
Speed Humps
The temporary speed hump installations were done in June 2000. Three speed humps (14 feet
long and 32 feet wide) were installed on Lynnwood Drive. The humps were assembled from 32

pieces measuring 2 feet by 7 feet. On either side of the speed hump, near the curb, was a tapered
edge. The installed humps did not intrude upon the gutter area so as not to impact drainage. The
humps were shown to be very effective within the test area, reducing the 85th percentile vehicle
speed by about 6 mph.
The leading edge of each speed hump began curling
within several days of the speed hump installation. The
curling resulted from each section being bowed as
vehicles drove over the hump. Temperature changes
were also a factor. The City received complaints from
residents who were concerned about the appearance of
the humps. In an effort to counteract the curling, the
leading edge of one of the three speed humps was glued
with a bituminous material. The bituminous material
failed to bond the speed hump to the road surface.
Further deterioration of the speed humps occurred within several months of installation. Voids or
soft spots were observed in some of the rubber pieces. These areas of the hump became soft as
a result of the material delamination. The supplier inspected the material, confirmed factory
defects, and replaced the bad sections.
Winter rains resulted in another unexpected problem with the speed hump installations on
Lynwood Drive. Sheet flow during rainstorms occurs on Lynwood Drive. Debris caught in the
sheet flow lodged its way under the leading edge of the speed humps, causing further lifting and
curling of the humps leading edge.
In the last several months, City staff has repaired edge
pieces that have torn away from mounting bolts and
replaced damaged tape used for pavement markings on
the humps. Speed hump sections have continued to
deteriorate and have been replaced by the manufacturer.
In one instance the manufacturer sent replacement speed
hump sections that had become defective prior to
installation (see adjacent photograph).
Speed Humps Next Steps
The manufacturer has designed a U-shaped piece of steel into the leading edge to counter act the
curling. Initial findings indicate that this stops the curling; however, the edges to not appear hold
up to high volumes of traffic. The manufacturer has also provided an end cap to install along the
leading edge of each speed hump. The end cap is bolted into the pavement and should eliminate
the problem. End caps will be installed on one of the existing speed humps and noise levels
monitored.

Traffic Circle
A traffic circle was installed at the Landana Drive /
Mulberry Drive intersection in December 2000. The
traffic circle replaced a stop sign on Mulberry Drive and
eliminated the right turn only lane from Landana Drive to
Mulberry Drive. The traffic circle installation was
intended to reduce vehicle speeds on Landana Drive
entering the neighborhood and provide a more effective
intersection control at the Landana Drive / Mulberry
Drive intersection. The initial traffic circle (figure to the
right) combined with pavement striping and advanced
signing was expected to be sufficient for traffic control; however, because of the unbalanced
traffic flows between Landana and Mulberry, minor adjustments to the island and the
intersection approaches were made. Type Q Markers were installed on Landana Drive to define
the travelway for drivers who were going on the wrong side of the traffic circle. Staff observed
that many elderly drivers had difficulty traversing the circle.
Subsequent to the installation, additional minor adjustments
were made to address driver disregard for the intersection
yield signs and the higher speeds of entering traffic on
Landana Drive (from right to left in the photograph to the
left).
After a 30-day observation period, the temporary curb was
painted yellow to provide improved visibility for the general
driving population and additional Q-markers were installed
at the intersection approaches and departures to Landana
Drive. These markers were necessary to narrow the lanes at the traffic circle to force drivers to
slow down when going around a tighter curve.
Commercial truck activity was another operational consideration that became apparent during
the 30-day observation period. The circle location was placed within the intersection in such a
manner as to slow vehicle traffic. Larger commercial trucks, however, were unable to negotiate
the intersection as originally constructed. The result was
that some drivers made use of the rolled curb, sidewalk,
and lawn areas to maneuver through the intersection.
Relocating the center circle several feet resolved this
problem. As the photograph indicates, commercial trucks
can and do effectively maneuver through the intersection.
After relocating the traffic circle, City staff observed that
the number of Q-markers was confusing some drivers,
especially elderly drivers, with respect to driver right-of-

way, channelization, and general traffic flow. In response, most of the Q-markers were removed
and replaced with temporary curb. The curb was painted yellow for improved definition and
visibility.
The last remaining issue to resolve was the speed of
approaching traffic from Landana Drive through the
intersection. Because of the high rate of speeds, 30-mph
and over in a 25-mph zone, and the substantially higher
traffic levels, the southbound traffic on Landana was
dominating the intersection flows. In response, an 8-foot
wide speed cushion was installed prior to the intersection.
In some instances neighbors, police, and City maintenance
crews observed motorists driving on the rolled curb and a
portion of the sidewalk to avoid the speed cushion. The
cushion is made of a harder rubber material and caused more of a jolt than the speed humps on
Lynwood Drive. The speed cushion was subsequently replaced with a less severe hump (like that
installed on Lynwood Drive) and signs were installed next to the hump to prevent motorists from
driving on the rolled curb and sidewalk to avoid the hump. These changes resulted in more
motorists yielding to traffic from Mulberry Drive.
Traffic Circle Next Steps
The neighborhood response to the traffic circle has been positive and so it will continue to be
monitored for effectiveness. If determined by the neighborhood to be a positive attribute for the
community, the City will install landscaping within the circle and the median areas.
Conclusions
Temporary devices are useful tools in helping the public and staff to evaluate the effectiveness of
a proposed traffic calming program. The rubber speed humps that were tested need to be
redesigned for better durability. The speed cushion was constructed better, but causes too much
of a jolt to be used on high volume streets. The installation of both the speed hump and
cushion is time consuming because of the many bolts that need to be set into the pavement. The
rubber curbing used for the traffic circle and median islands is durable, simple to install, and easy
to relocate.
Authors
John Templeton P.E., Transportation Manager, City of Concord, 1455 Gasoline Alley, Concord,
CA, 94520, phone: (925) 671-3129, fax: (925) 680-1660, e-mail: johnt@ci.concord.ca.us.
Robert E. Rees, P.E., Senior Associate, Fehr & Peers Associates, 3685 Mount Diablo Boulevard,
Suite 301, Lafayette, CA, 94549, phone: (925) 284-3200, fax: (925) 284-2691, e-mail:
r.rees@fehrandpeers.com.