Residents' perceptions on the effectiveness of road humps in improving Malaysian residential environments

Two common concerns for residents in their respective residential areas are high traffic speeds and noise levels. This paper analyses if road humps are viable as a measure for improving residential living environment based on their effects on traffic speed and noise. The study was conducted in three Malaysian residential areas: Putrajaya, Taman Setiawangsa, and Keramat. A questionnaire survey was distributed to 478 respondents asking for their perception on whether road humps have improved the living environment by reducing speed and noise. Binary logistic regression models were also estimated using the questionnaire data regarding whether the existing road humps have improved the living environment by reducing traffic noise. Descriptive analysis was conducted to assess changes in average vehicle speeds and noise levels for the selected 12 road humps. The significance of this paper is that it explains the effect of existing Malaysian road humps on actual residential environments, which can potentially help improve the planning of new residential areas. The result of this study is that road humps are effective in reducing vehicle speeds but are not viable as a noise reduction measure. © Avestia Publishing, 2017

A theoretical overview of road hump effects on traffic noise in improving residential well-being

Previous studies have stated that an urban residential area’s living quality is threatened by noise annoyance, of which traffic noise is considered the main contributor. This paper aims to discuss if the speed-reducing benefits of existing road humps make them viable as a noise-reducing measure, particularly when the humps do not comply with existing guidelines. The methods used were a literature review and paired-sample T-tests to test the significance of changes in traffic noise at selected road humps. The literature and data showed that noise levels were still high at roads with road humps, due to the frequency of vehicle accelerations and decelerations near the road humps. The noise levels are also above the permissible noise level for Malaysian residential areas. This suggests that road humps are less viable especially when drivers change their speed of vehicles appreciably when approaching the road humps

A theoretical overview on effects of road humps on traffic speed, noise and volume in improving residential living environment

This paper is part of an ongoing study that aims to analyse the effectiveness of road humps as a traffic calming measure in improving the living environment. It contains a review of how different road hump installations affect traffic speed, noise and volume. The findings are that differences in hump height and spacing are factors in influencing the speed selection by drivers. There are also uncertainties in regards to the effects of road humps on traffic noise levels, while road humps are effective in reducing the traffic volume only if more attractive alternative routes are available. Gaps identified in the previous studies are the consideration of road geometrics sample sizes, seasonal periods and development changes in before-and-after studies. Further studies should be conducted on the effects of road humps on traffic speed, noise and volume in consideration of the gaps identified from previous studies

Residents’ perceptions on road hump effectiveness in Malaysian residential environments

Two common concerns for residents in their respective residential areas are high traffic speeds and noise levels. This paper analyses the perception of residents on the effectiveness of road humps in improving residential living environment based on their effects on traffic speed and noise. The study was conducted in three Malaysian residential areas, specifically Putrajaya, Taman Setiawangsa, and Keramat. A questionnaire survey was distributed to 478 respondents asking for their perceptions on whether road humps have improved their living environment by reducing speed and noise. Binary logistic regression models were also developed to identify variables that affect respondents’ likelihood to agree that existing road humps have improved the living environment of the residents by reducing traffic speed and noise. The result of this study is that the height of road humps affects noise levels and traffic speeds, as average vehicle speeds and LAeq were lowest at the road hump of 90mm height. The respondents’ perceptions of the importance of lower traffic speeds and noise levels, as well as the appropriateness of hump heights and locations, were significant variables in determining the likelihood of their agreement that road humps have improved their living environment

A theoretical overview of road hump effects on traffic noise in improving residential well-being

Previous studies have stated that an urban residential area’s living quality is threatened by noise annoyance, of which traffic noise is considered the main contributor. This paper aims to discuss if the speed-reducing benefits of existing road humps make them viable as a noise-reducing measure, particularly when the humps do not comply with existing guidelines. The methods used were a literature review and paired-sample T-tests to test the significance of changes in traffic noise at selected road humps. The literature and data showed that noise levels were still high at roads with road humps, due to the frequency of vehicle accelerations and decelerations near the road humps. The noise levels are also above the permissible noise level for Malaysian residential areas. This suggests that road humps are less viable especially when drivers change their speed of vehicles appreciably when approaching the road hump

A theoretical overview of road hump effects on traffic speed in improving residential living environment

This paper is part of ongoing study to analyse the effectiveness of road humps as a traffic calming measure in improving the residential living environment. Concerns have been raised that high traffic speeds impact neighborhood liveability; therefore in order to discuss the effectiveness of road humps in improving the Malaysian residential living environment, a review has been conducted on various literatures concerning the effects of road humps on vehicle speeds. Some of the major findings from the literatures are that the vehicle's operating speed is affected by the spacing in between a series of humps, though the recommended speed differs in various literatures. An incorrect hump profile will also decrease the hump's effectiveness and potentially result in passenger discomfort and vehicle damage. In addition, the road hump design is the key point in hump's effectiveness in reducing 85th percentile vehicle speeds; however, care must be taken in ensuring that the hump profile does not only cater for reduction in speeds, but also addresses the numerous concerns resulting in reduced manoeuvrability for buses and emergency vehicles. More research needs to be carried out to test the effectiveness of current schemes in Malaysian residential areas as the existing installations are mainly on an ad-hoc basis

A theoretical overview of road hump effects on traffic speed in residential environments

This paper is part of an ongoing study to analyse the effectiveness of road humps as a traffic calming measure in improving the residential living environment. A review was conducted on various literatures concerning the effects of road humps on vehicle speeds, particularly in residential areas. The major findings from the literatures are that the vehicles’ operating speeds are affected by the hump design and spacing in between humps. An incorrect hump profile will also potentially result in passenger discomfort and vehicle damage. Public perceptions also agreed that road humps are effective in reducing vehicle speeds. More studies should link field study results with residents’ perceptions particularly in Malaysia, while considering the effect of road geometrics and other devices possibly impacting vehicle speeds along selected roads. Further research also needs to be done to test the effectiveness of current schemes in Malaysian residential areas, as many are on an ad-hoc basis

Effects of road humps on traffic speed and noise in Putrajaya residential areas

As a traffic calming measure, the installation of road humps in residential areas has helped reduce the speeds of vehicles along residential roads. However, it is also widely seen that changes in speed regarding sudden deceleration and acceleration near the road humps have increased the noise level of the traffic in the residential areas. This paper discusses the effects of road humps, as a traffic calming measure, on the traffic speed and noise levels in a residential area. The study was conducted for two different sets of road humps in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The speeds of moving vehicles and noise levels were measured for a 12-hour period using radar guns and noise level meters at selected points. The sample size was determined using the systematic sampling technique based on the 12-hour traffic volume count conducted beforehand. The relationship between speed and noise levels at road humps are assessed together with the respective road and hump characteristics, with the finding that the impacts on noise levels were influenced by the rate of speed reductions, which is dependent on the road hump and road geometrics. Road humps were also found to not necessarily contribute to reduction in noise levels despite being effective in reducing vehicle speeds