RESOURCE - Centerline Hardening Strategies

Part of Parachute Canada's Vision Zero Collection is an explanation of centerline hardening strategies that are intended to make intersections safer for pedestrians by reducing the turning radius for motor vehicles. The use of physical objects such as bollards, delineators or rubber curbs encourage drivers to make left turns at slower speeds.

Parachute references the experience of the City of New York that has installed this traffic calming measure in over 300 intersections since 2016. Data collected indicates that pedestrian injuries at these intersections have decreased by 20 per cent.

Additional results from Turn Calming locations include:

• Median left-turn speeds have decreased by 54.3 per cent
• Average left-turn speeds have decreased by 52.6 per cent
• 85th percentile left-turn speeds have decreased by 59.8 per cent
• Maximum left-turn speeds have decreased by 37.7 per cent

Vehicles were found to be making safer turns as well; the rate of crossing the double yellow line while turning has dropped by 78.9 per cent for locations that have a treatment extending to the stop bar and 100 per cent for locations that have a treatment extending all the way to the crosswalk.