Expediently Installable Traffic Calming System

Abstract

A traffic calming system is provided that can remain in place on the ground without additional attachment while a vehicle grazes or traverses it. The traffic calming system includes a variety of modular units that can be laid out in any desired pattern as needed to direct a flow of traffic. The modular units can be connected together in an arrangement such as for a roundabout or splitter island. The modular units can be arranged individually as lane markers, such as for a bicycle lane or pedestrian lane, or to outline a roundabout or splitter island.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lane marker for traffic calming comprising:
 a body configured for placement on a ground surface, the body comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface between the upper surface and the lower surface; and   wherein:
 the upper surface extends at an angle upwardly from an upper edge of the side surface to a higher location, 
 the lower surface is frictionally enhanced with respect to the ground surface, and 
 a height of the side surface, the angle of the upper surface, and a coefficient of friction of the lower surface with respect to the ground surface are selected so that a lateral component of a load applied on the body is less than a friction force generated between the lower surface and the ground surface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the angle of the upper surface ranges from 5° ±5% to 30° ±5%. 
     
     
         3 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the ground surface is an asphalt material or a concrete material, and the coefficient of friction of the lower surface is at least 0.25 ±5% with respect to the ground surface. 
     
     
         4 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the side surface ranges from 0.0625 inch to 2.0 inch ±5%. 
     
     
         5 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the side surface extends circumferentially around the body, and the upper surface of the body has a conical or truncated conical configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a diameter ranging from 1.0 feet ±5% to 4.0 feet ±5%. 
     
     
         7 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a rectangular configuration, and the side surface extends along a length of the rectangular configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the lower surface is textured to provide the coefficient of friction. 
     
     
         9 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the lower surface is formed of elastomeric material having a Shore D hardness of 75 or less. 
     
     
         10 . The lane marker of  claim 9 , wherein the elastomeric material is a urethane material or a rubber material. 
     
     
         11 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein the upper surface and the lower surface are integrally formed from an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         12 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein an aperture is formed in the body at the higher location. 
     
     
         13 . The lane marker of  claim 1 , wherein a recess is formed in a central region of the lower surface, and a weight is affixed within the recess. 
     
     
         14 . A traffic calming feature for vehicular traffic comprising:
 a plurality of the lane markers of  claim 1 , the lane markers arranged in a pattern on a roadway surface of asphalt or concrete, and   wherein the pattern comprises a roundabout, a splitter island, a bicycle lane, or a pedestrian lane.   
     
     
         15 . A traffic calming system, comprising:
 a skeletal structure comprising:
 a plurality of boards arranged in a skeletal pattern on a ground surface of a vehicle roadway, each of the boards comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, and having an elongated configuration with a length extending between end regions, the length greater than a width, and a thickness between the upper surface and the lower surface, the thickness less than the width, 
 a first portion of the boards comprising perimeter boards and a second portion of the boards comprising interior boards, and 
 a plurality of connectors attaching the end regions of adjacent ones of the boards together in the skeletal pattern on the ground surface; and 
   wherein:
 the perimeter boards are connected together at perimeter joints at adjacent end regions to form a perimeter of the skeletal pattern, and 
 the interior boards are connected to adjacent end regions of the perimeter boards at the perimeter joints and extend across an interior of the skeletal pattern to provide cross bracing in a plane across the skeletal structure. 
   
     
     
         16 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein a further portion of the end regions of the interior boards are connected together at a central joint within the interior of the skeletal structure. 
     
     
         17 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein a portion of the interior is free of the interior boards. 
     
     
         18 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein each of the perimeter boards has a side surface having a dimension extending between the lower surface and the upper surface of at least 0.0625 inch ±5%, and the upper surface of each of the perimeter boards extends at an angle upwardly from an upper edge of the side surface to a higher location, the angle ranging from 5° ±5% to 30° ±5%. 
     
     
         19 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein the lower surface has a coefficient of friction of at least 0.25 ±5% with respect to the ground surface of asphalt or concrete. 
     
     
         20 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , further comprising a friction enhancing element affixed to or integral with the lower surface of at least a portion of the perimeter boards and/or the interior boards. 
     
     
         21 . The traffic calming system of  claim 20 , wherein the friction enhancing element comprises a material having a coefficient of friction of at least 0.25 with respect to the ground surface of asphalt or concrete, a material having a surface texture, an elastomeric material having a Shore A hardness of 60 or less, or a painted layer with hard ceramic or diamond particles, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein each connector comprises a first portion connectable to a surface of a first board and a second portion connectable to a surface of a second board. 
     
     
         23 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein the connectors are recessed into correspondingly shaped recesses formed in the surfaces of the boards. 
     
     
         24 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein the connectors have a shape chosen from a rectangular shape, a bar shape, a square shape, a dovetail shape, a dog-bone shape, a T-shape, and an I-shape. 
     
     
         25 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein each of the perimeter boards has a trapezoidal plan shape having parallel sides extending along the length of the board and non-parallel sides extending at non-orthogonal angles across the width of the board. 
     
     
         26 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein the boards are formed of an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         27 . The traffic calming system of  claim 15 , wherein the skeletal pattern comprises a roundabout central island pattern or a splitter island pattern. 
     
     
         28 . A method of making a traffic calming system, comprising:
 providing the traffic calming system of  claim 15 ; and   installing the boards in the skeletal pattern on the ground surface at an intersection of vehicle roadways.