Traffic Calming Results Are In: What We Learned from Little Flower's Recent Tactical Urbanism Project

Last month, you may have seen temporary cones and barriers pop up around Little Flower’s streets as part of our Community Powered Infrastructure Project. This temporary demonstration, conducted in partnership with the Department of Public Works (DPW), was a tactical urbanism effort designed to test low-cost solutions for improving safety and quality of life in our neighborhood.

These projects can be impactful for two reasons: first, they allow us to gather valuable, real-world data on road user behavior in our neighborhood; and second, they highlight specific safety challenges to the city and begin to establish the partnership(s) needed to explore permanent solutions.

We’re excited to share the results, key takeaways, and most importantly, what comes next as we transition from temporary testing to exploring permanent changes.

The Project

The motivation behind this project was simple and community-driven: address neighbor concerns about vehicle speed and visibility, which had been raised consistently at neighborhood meetings and on social media.

Working with DPW, we decided to test two specific, temporary interventions that are proven to improve pedestrian safety:

1. Daylighting: This involves preventing parking right up to the corner of an intersection to ensure clear sightlines for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. (Note: Indiana law already prohibits parking within 30 feet of an intersection, but this intervention physically reinforces it.)
   

   

2. Curb Extensions (Bulb-Outs): These temporarily narrowed the effective width of the street at intersections. This action is designed to slow down turning vehicles and significantly shorten the distance pedestrians must cross.
   

   

After surveying dangerous intersections near key neighborhood anchors like the Little Flower Catholic School and Church, we focused our temporary installation efforts at nearby schools and along the future 13th St. “Neighborway” or neighborhood greenway.

What the Data Showed: The Impact of Interventions

The data collected during the demonstration period offers compelling, data-backed evidence that these small, temporary changes can significantly influence driver behavior and improve public safety.

1. Daylighting: Clearer Views Mean Safer Stops

At 14th and Bosart, an intersection where sightlines were frequently blocked by parked cars, the temporary daylighting measure resulted in clear safety gains:

• Slower Speeds: Daylighting successfully reduced the average vehicle speed moving through the intersection.
  

  

• Improved Compliance: We observed a sharp decrease in the most dangerous driving behavior ("Wreckless/No Brake") and a corresponding increase in drivers making a full or slow stop. The clear sightlines force drivers to be more attentive as they approach the intersection.
  

  

2. Curb Extensions: Encouraging Safer Turns

Curb extensions physically narrow the road, which often makes drivers feel less comfortable taking corners at high speeds. The data confirmed this positive effect: drivers reported feeling more attentive and were statistically more likely to make slower turns in the areas with bulb-outs. Curb extensions are highly effective because they:

• Significantly reduce the distance pedestrians have to cross.

• Slow down vehicle speeds, especially when multiple vehicles approach the intersection.

Key Learnings and Next Steps

While the results were largely positive, the temporary nature of tactical urbanism also highlighted important lessons:

• Complementary Solutions: Daylighting and curb extensions are highly effective but work best when paired with other traffic calming solutions (like raised crosswalks or speed humps). They are part of a larger toolkit, not a single fix.

• Need for Permanent Materials: At certain locations, temporary installations were moved by residents (like at 13th and Gladstone). Any future permanent solution needs to be "hardened" and fixed in place to prevent tampering and ensure safety consistency.

• The Emerson & Nowland Pilot: We quickly adjusted the initial installation at Emerson and Nowland after neighbor feedback indicated the design created new safety issues by pushing turning vehicles too far into the intersection. This immediate community response was invaluable and demonstrated the power of flexible, real-time monitoring.

Moving Forward: Exploring Solutions for Permanent Change

The success of this pilot project provides LFNA with robust data to engage with DPW and city officials as we explore solutions for permanent infrastructure updates.

LFNA will continue to actively explore solutions for neighborhood-wide safety measures, including:

• Working to install "No Parking Here to Corner" signage at select locations to formalize the practice of daylighting.

• Advocating for the implementation of 20 MPH speed limits on residential streets throughout the neighborhood.

• Investigating the installation of Speed Humps at identified high-speed locations.

The bike racks used in the project are being reused and installed at businesses and organizations around the neighborhood!

Bike rack installation at the corner of Bosart & 10th St.

Bike rack installation at Social Life Event Center on 10th St.

Get Involved!

Do you have thoughts on the project's data, or are you passionate about traffic safety? We need neighbors to step up and help lead projects! If you would like to help us explore and advocate for these next steps, or if you want to lead a new safety initiative in the neighborhood, please reach out to the LFNA Board at littleflowerneighborhood@gmail.com.