Permanent changes to infrastructure are an effective way to make roads safer. But they can be expensive. They can also take a long time to design and build.
Quick-build methods are an alternative to calm traffic quickly.
Quick-build program
Traffic calming curbs help us quickly change the road at locations with safety issues.
These curbs are a fast and effective way of changing the roadway layout to:
- Reduce safety risks
- Slow vehicle speeds
- Minimize conflict between pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles
- Make it safer for all road users
Curbs temporarily change roadways until we have budget to install permanent traffic calming. This usually happens when a road is up for renewal or reconstruction.
The curbs are made of yellow concrete, which makes them more visible than standard road material.
They’re 2.8 metres long and weigh 2,000 pounds – that’s about the same as a bison.
Because of their size and weight, they are durable enough to withstand Winnipeg’s snowy winters.
We are installing traffic calming curbs:
- Near schools
- Where multiuse paths cross a street
- In dense residential areas
We chose locations based on existing safety concerns like:
- Known speeding issues
- Intersections with wide corners
- Crosswalks with poor visibility
2026 locations
View details about each location, including type of safety measure and an aerial overview of the installation.
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Traffic calming curbs along the median on Edmonton Street at Cumberland Avenue to:
- Remind drivers that Edmonton is a two-way street. Many other roads in the area are one-way
- Create clearer vehicle lanes and reduce driving the wrong way on the street
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower speeds for turning vehicles
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians
More information:
- Artists from the community painted the curbs and street. This enhances visibility and beautifies the neighbourhood
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Two traffic calming curbs along the median at the crosswalk on Flora Avenue at King Street to:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Provide more signage to make the crossing location easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Two traffic calming curbs along the median at the school crosswalk on Jefferson Avenue at Roberts Crescent to:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Provide more signage to make the crossing location easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians
More information:
- This is a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. Drivers frequently speed at this location. The median curbs support drivers in going the speed limit, and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Location background: This is a multi-use path often used by cyclists and pedestrians. The multi-use path is also a school crosswalk.
Description: Two traffic calming curbs along the median on John Forsyth at the school crosswalk to:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Make the crossing easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians and cyclists
More information:
- This is a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. The median curbs support drivers in going the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Curb bump out
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Traffic calming curbs on the south side of Dufferin Avenue at Main Street to create a curb bump out that:
- Shortens the crossing distance
- Makes crossing pedestrians easier to see
- Prevents vehicles from parking too close to the stop sign
More information:
- Artists from the community painted the curbs and street. This enhances visibility and beautifies the neighbourhood.
Installation type: Curb bump out
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Traffic calming curbs on the north side of River Avenue, at the school crosswalk to create a curb bump out that:
- Shortens the crossing distance
- Ensures vehicles don’t park too close to the crosswalk
- Makes the crosswalk easier to see
- Narrows the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
More information:
- This is a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. The bump outs support driving the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Two traffic calming curbs along the median at the school crosswalk on Southglen Boulevard at Hirt Crescent to:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Provide more signage to make the crossing location easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians
More information:
- This is a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. Drivers frequently speed at this location. The median curbs support drivers in going the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Curb bump outs
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Traffic calming curbs on the north and south sides of Talbot Avenue at the pedestrian crosswalk to create curb bump outs that:
- Shorten the crossing distance
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Ensure vehicles don’t park too close to the crosswalk
- Make the crosswalk easier to see
More information:
- Artists from the community painted the curbs and street. This enhances visibility and beautifies the neighbourhood.
- This is a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. Drivers frequently speed at this location. The curb bump outs support drivers in going the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Curb bump outs
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Traffic calming curbs at the pedestrian crosswalk on Westminster to create a curb bump out that:
- Makes the crosswalk easier to see
- Narrows the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Shortens the crossing distance for pedestrians
- Ensures vehicles don’t park too close to the crosswalk
2025 locations
View details about each location, including type of safety measure and an aerial overview of the installation.
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Two curbs along the median that:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Provide more signage to make the crossing location easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians and cyclists
Installation type: Curb bump out and corner radius reduction
Installation timeline: Complete
Description:
- A curb bump-out on the north side of Cathedrale, east of the crosswalk
- A corner radius reduction on the south side of Cathedrale
Together, they:
- Shorten the crossing distance
- Ensure vehicles don’t park too close to the crosswalk
- Make the crosswalk easier to see
- Lower driving speeds for turning vehicles
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
More information:
- Artists from the community painted the curbs and street. This enhances visibility and beautifies the neighbourhood.
Installation type: New crosswalk with curb bump out
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: New crosswalk with a curb bump-out on Wellington Avenue at Banning Street along the neighbourhood greenway.
This:
- Shortens the crossing distance
- Ensures vehicles don’t park too close to the crosswalk
- Makes the crosswalk easier to see
- Narrows the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
More information:
- Artists from the community painted the curbs and street. This enhances visibility and beautifies the neighbourhood.
Traffic calming curbs are one of the measures being used in the Cambridge Traffic Calming Project for the following locations:
- Cambridge St between Corydon and Mulvey
- Cambridge St at Mulvey Ave
- Cambridge St between Fleet Ave and Lorette Ave
- Cambridge St at Lorette Ave
Installation type: Curb bump outs
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Two curb bump-outs: one on either side of the school crosswalk on Chancellor Drive near Island Lakes Crescent. They create a curve in the road, called a chicane.
This:
- Shortens the crossing distance
- Narrows the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Ensures vehicles don’t park too close to the crosswalk
- Makes the crosswalk easier to see
More information:
- This is in a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. The bump outs support drivers in going the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Curb bump out
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Traffic calming curbs on the west side of Watt Street south of the school crosswalk at Hazel Dell Avenue to:
- Shorten the crossing distance
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Ensure vehicles don’t park too close to the crosswalk
- Make the crosswalk easier to see
More information:
- Artists from the community painted the curbs and street. This enhances visibility and beautifies the neighbourhood.
- There is a daycare on this corner and an elementary school at the end of the block. The bump-out makes it safer for young children crossing the street.
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Traffic calming curbs in the median at the crossing to create a pedestrian island and:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Make the crossing easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians and cyclists
Installation type: Curb bump outs
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Curbs on both sides of the road on either side of the crossing to:
- Shorten the crossing distance
- Ensure vehicles don’t park too close to the crosswalk
- Make the crossing easier to see
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
More information:
- This is in a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. The bump outs support drivers in going the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Two traffic calming curbs along the median at the school crosswalk on Templeton Avenue at Novara Drive to:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Make the crossing easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians and cyclists
More information:
- This is a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. The median curbs support drivers in going the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Two traffic calming curbs along the median at the school crosswalk on Templeton Avenue at Pennyhill Gate to:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Provide additional signage to make the crossing location easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians
More information:
- This is a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. The median curbs support drivers in going the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Installation type: Pedestrian island
Installation timeline: Complete
Description: Two traffic calming curbs along the median at the school crosswalk on Templeton Avenue near Thorn Drive to:
- Narrow the roadway to naturally support lower driving speeds and reduce speeding
- Provide more signage to make the crossing location easier to see
- Create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians
More information:
- This is a school zone with a 30 km/h speed limit. The median curbs support drivers in going the speed limit and make it safer for children on the way to and from school.
Curb designs
Pedestrian islands
- Provides a location in the middle of a wide road for pedestrians or cyclists to stop and make a two-stage crossing
- Slows vehicles
- Makes the crossing location more visible to drivers
Corner radius reductions
- Makes a corner tighter so vehicles turn at a lower speed
- Reduces the risk of pedestrian-vehicle collisions
Curb bump outs
- Shortens the crossing distance for pedestrians, slow vehicle speeds, and make pedestrians more visible at a crossing
- These are sometimes used in pairs to create a curve, called a chicane, in the road
Road narrowing
- Adds a median and curb bump out to make the road less wide
- Slows vehicles
Annual timeline
Location selection and preliminary design
January
Procurement process begins for the curbs
February
Location design and technical drawings
March – May
Community outreach events and mural design
June
Anticipated installation
July – August
Ongoing monitoring and evaluation
September
Winter and spring maintenance
November – April