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 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. 
   
     
     
         2 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         3 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the interior is free of the interior boards. 
     
     
         4 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , 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%. 
     
     
         5 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         6 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         7 . The traffic calming system of  claim 6 , 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. 
     
     
         8 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         9 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , wherein the connectors are recessed into correspondingly shaped recesses formed in the surfaces of the boards. 
     
     
         10 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         11 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         12 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , wherein the boards are formed of an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         13 . The traffic calming system of  claim 1 , wherein the skeletal pattern comprises a roundabout central island pattern or a splitter island pattern. 
     
     
         14 . A method of making a traffic calming system, comprising:
 providing the traffic calming system of  claim 1 ; and   installing the boards in the skeletal pattern on the ground surface at an intersection of vehicle roadways.