Traffic Engineering and Road Safety

The ultimate goal of multimodal transportation networks is to ensure the safe and efficient movement of people and goods on roads and highways. Traffic engineering helps resolve the issues that obstruct that process. Beyond the design and construction of transportation infrastructure, traffic engineering focuses on the functional aspects of road geometry that make traffic flow, including traffic signs, signals, intersection management and road surface markings.

Full Life Cycle Services

WSP provides a full range of traffic-engineering services to municipal, regional and transit clients. Our teams assist clients in addressing traffic-design issues ranging from spot improvements and signal timings, to full traffic design for larger road projects. Our expertise includes traffic signalization, systems detection, lighting, road signage and traffic channelization and maintenance.

Our traffic engineering teams are experienced in research, modeling, planning, auditing and implementing improvements on urban, inter-urban and rural roads. Using engineering and behavioral techniques such as speed management, urban regeneration, streetscaping, multimodal streets and shared space, we assist our clients with:

• Traffic calming
• Traffic signage and markings
• Traffic signals
• Roundabouts
• Variable message signing
• Pedestrian facilities, management and accommodations in construction areas
• Bus priority measures
• Bicycle facilities
• Traffic signal design and coordination
• Transportation and traffic counts/surveys

Active Traffic Management

As part of our involvement in the Turcot Interchange, the busiest interchange in Quebec, Canada, we ensured maintenance of traffic through sound traffic management and engineering, as well as included more space allocated to public transit, cyclists, pedestrians and green space.

We provided the same services to the Dallas Horseshoe project in Texas, which required intense traffic management and coordination. Through active traffic management (ATM) and dynamic signage, we effectively managed the flow of traffic. WSP acted as lead designer of that project, responsible for the quality, completeness, schedule and cost of all design deliverables.

Meeting Local and International Standards

WSP’s expertise in traffic engineering extends to assisting clients with the coordination of concurrence, approvals and permits for multi-agency projects. Our teams are experienced with the implementation of local agency standards, as well as international standards, including MUTCD, TAC, NEC and Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines.