Traffic Calming - Request Speed Bumps, Humps & Cushions

Traffic calming is a term used to describe a combination of mostly physical features that are intended to improve traffic use on local collector streets, alter driver behaviour and improve safety conditions for everyone who uses the street.

Some of the most common types of traffic calming measures are traffic circles, raised circles in the middle of intersections that are intended to slow the speed of vehicles as they travel around the circle; choker, chicane or pinch points, devices that create an impediment on the road by placing a fixed object on the street, forcing motorists to divert around the object or slow down on a narrower section of road; and speed humps, raised sections of road to reduce speeds.

Traffic calming has been used successfully to reduce vehicle speeds in residential neighbourhoods. Speed humps are one of the most popular traffic calming measures. Studies have indicated that speeds drop approximately 15km/h between speed humps and about 20km/h at the hump itself. However, speed humps are not appropriate on every street. The City will not install them on TTC bus routes, and Emergency Services may raise concerns if their response times would be impacted.

The City’s Traffic Calming Policy enables the installation of Traffic Calming measures – speed humps and cushions on local and collector roadways and speed bumps in laneways. Learn more about Learn more about the City of Toronto's Traffic Calming Policy.

The Vision Zero Road Safety Plan  is a comprehensive action plan focused on reducing traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto’s streets. The Plan prioritizes the safety of our most vulnerable road users across seven emphasis areas through a range of extensive, proactive, targeted and data driven initiatives. The City is committed to Vision Zero and upholds its fundamental message: fatalities and serious injuries on our roads are preventable, and we must strive to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries to zero.

The Vision Zero Road Safety Plan is a bold pledge to improve safety across our city using a data-driven and targeted approach, focusing on the locations where improvements are most needed. The Plan addresses safety for the most vulnerable users of our transportation system—pedestrians, school children, older adults and cyclists. Based on factors that contribute to serious injury and fatality crashes, the plan will also focus on aggressive and distracted driving, safety for motorcyclists, and heavy trucks.

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Our office manages hundreds of traffic calming requests from across Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Community requests for traffic calming (specifically, speed humps, speed cushions and speed bumps) are initiated by the local Councillor's office. We work hard to make this as transparent and collaborative a process as possible and ensure that residents have the opportunity to engage in the process. The steps to request traffic calming measures are outlined below in detail, including how we work with residents to gauge community support and then with Transportation Services for evaluation of the request.   

Transportation Services staff may also proactively identify locations for Traffic Calming (speed humps and speed cushions only) through various programs or to be bundled with capital works. Staff will liaise with the local Councillor to gauge support, and supported locations will move through the remaining five steps for evaluation and approval.  

 

Speed humps, speed bumps, and speed cushions are all traffic calming devices used to slow down vehicles in areas where speed needs to be controlled, like residential streets, parking lots, and school zones. However, they differ in design, purpose, and how they impact vehicles. Our office can will determine which option is appropriate based on road eligibility. 

Speed Humps:

Speed humps are raised areas of pavement, usually about 3 to 4 inches high, but they are wider and more gradual than speed bumps. Their width is typically 10 to 14 feet (3 to 4.3 meters), meaning the vehicle crosses the hump over a longer distance. They are designed to reduce vehicle speed to about 10 to 20 mph (15 to 30 km/h) without causing a harsh jolt. Because they are more gradual, speed humps create a smoother transition for vehicles, making them less disruptive for both drivers and passengers compared to speed bumps.

Use: Speed humps are commonly found in residential areas and roads with relatively light traffic, where moderate speed reduction is needed.

Speed Bumps:

Speed bumps are much shorter in length than speed humps, typically only about 1 to 3 feet wide (30 to 90 cm), and they are about the same height as humps (3 to 4 inches). They are designed to force drivers to slow down to a very low speed, around 5 to 10 mph (8 to 16 km/h). Speed bumps create a more abrupt change in elevation, which forces drivers to slow down significantly. If a vehicle goes over a speed bump too fast, it can cause discomfort and even damage to the vehicle.

Use: Speed bumps are commonly used in parking lots, driveways, and areas where very low speeds are required.

Speed Cushions:

Speed cushions are similar in function to speed humps but differ in design. They are a series of raised areas, typically wider than a single wheel track but narrower than the entire vehicle width. This means that larger vehicles, such as emergency vehicles or buses, can straddle the cushions without slowing down significantly. They are designed to reduce the speed of smaller vehicles, such as cars, while allowing larger vehicles to pass with minimal disruption. Speed cushions cause cars to slow down while allowing emergency or service vehicles to maintain their speed since the wider wheelbase can bypass the raised portions.

Use: Speed cushions are commonly used in areas where it's important to maintain accessibility for emergency services, such as bus routes or emergency vehicle corridors, while still controlling the speed of regular traffic.

In short:

• Speed Humps: Gradual and wider, designed to slow vehicles to moderate speeds (10-20 mph).
• Speed Bumps: Short and abrupt, designed to slow vehicles to very low speeds (5-10 mph).
• Speed Cushions: Allow larger vehicles to pass with less disruption while still slowing smaller vehicles.

 

You can submit your request for a new stop sign or a new painted pedestrian crosswalk through 311. 

A Red Light Camera (RLC) is an automated system that detects and captures images of vehicles entering an intersection in spite of the traffic signal indicating red (during the red phase). It is designed to work in tandem with other Vision Zero methods and strategies, including road design changes, public education campaigns and traditional police enforcement. The RLC program is focused on altering driver behaviour to decrease red-light running and increase safety.

Images are reviewed by Provincial Offence Officers and then tickets are issued to the owner of the vehicle regardless of who was driving. Upon conviction, the only penalty is a fine – no demerit points will be issued nor will the registered owners’ driving record be impacted.

Site Selection

Locations are selected through a data-driven approach that considers collision data.

In selecting RLC sites, a two-staged process is used based on best practices and provincial guidelines.

Stage 1: First, an initial screening of all signalized intersections to identify and prioritize sites based on the following data:

• Killed or Serious Injury (KSI) collisions involving pedestrians
• Killed or Serious Injury (KSI) angle collisions
• Killed or Serious Injury (KSI) collisions involving cyclists
• Angle collisions
• Pedestrian collisions
• Cyclist collisions
• Requests from the Toronto Police Service and the public

Stage 2: Once the sites were prioritized, a manual review of the site was conducted which included the following considerations:

• Necessary regulatory signage
• No obstructions or impediments to the RLC system
• Adequate boulevard space to accommodate the RLC system
• No construction conflicts

Map of ASE and Red Light Camera Locations

Request for Red Light Camera

• Red Light Cameras Pilot Projects Extension Act

• Safer School Zones Act

• Automated Speed Enforcement Regulations

Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) is an automated system that uses a camera and a speed measurement device to detect and capture images of vehicles travelling in excess of the posted speed limit. It is designed to work in tandem with other methods and strategies, including engineering measures, education initiatives and traditional police enforcement. ASE is focused on altering driver behaviour to decrease speeding and increase safety.

The images are reviewed by Provincial Offence Officers and then tickets are issued to the owner of the vehicle regardless of who was driving. Upon conviction, the only penalty is a fine – no demerit points will be issued nor will the registered owners’ driving record be impacted.

Locations are selected through a data-driven approach that considers vehicle speed and collision data. As mandated by the provincial government, ASE systems are placed in Community Safety Zones.

75 ASE systems are installed on local, collector and arterial roads in Community Safety Zones. There are three systems per ward to ensure an even distribution.

The ASE systems are mobile and will rotate every three to six months within each ward. This provides an opportunity to address a greater number of areas with safety concerns and provide a wider-ranging deterrent effect. “Coming soon” warning signs will be posted 90 days before ticketing begins at any new ASE location. Warning letters will not be issued.

Site Selection

In selecting ASE sites, a two-staged process was used that was developed based on best practices and provincial guidelines.

Stage 1: First, an initial screening of all Community Safety Zones were identified and prioritized based on the following data:

• Collisions involving children
• Collisions where a vulnerable road user was killed or seriously injured
• Vehicle speed data
• 24-hour traffic volume
• Percent of students within walking distance
• Requests from Police and the public

Stage 2: Once the sites were prioritized, a manual review of the site was conducted which included the following considerations:

• Necessary regulatory and advisory signage (Community Safety Zone, Speed Limit, and ASE);
• No obstructions or impediments to the equipment;
• Adequate boulevard space to accommodate the equipment;
• No planned road work;
• No sharp curves or extreme grading changes;
• No speed limit reductions planned;
• Adequate distance from speed limit transitions; and
• Cannot have the presence of a flashing 40km/h speed limit reduction sign.

Once sites are assessed, operational considerations may result in minor adjustments to site prioritizations.

Request Automatic Speed Enforcement

If you notice that people are regularly driving above the speed limit on a road, then you can report speeding and other traffic complaints to Toronto Police Services. Driving complaints can be made regarding behaviours like speeding, unsafe lane changes, disobeying of traffic lights or failure to stop at stop signs. In order to submit a report for a specific driving complaint, a brief description of the vehicle is also required to validate the licence plate information. 

At its meeting on October 25, 2023, Infrastructure and Environment Committee considered the 2023 Traffic Calming Policy, which was adopted under item 2023.IE7.4.

City Council adopted the 2023 Traffic Calming Policy, as detailed in Attachment 2 of the Transportation Services report (October 12, 2023) from the General Manager, Transportation Services on November 8 and 9, 2023.  

The 2023 Traffic Calming Policy went into effect upon approval by Council and applies to Community Council reports beginning in January 2024. 

You can learn more here.