The article “Assessing the speed impact of urban traffic calming devices using functional data analysis”, published in European Transport Research Review, focuses on evaluating the impact of traffic calming measures on vehicle speeds.
The study uses floating car data (FCD), which consist of vehicle position and speed information obtained from GPS, and combines them with functional data analysis methods. This approach allows the analysis of speed behaviour along entire road sections rather than only at isolated measurement points, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how traffic calming devices influence driver behaviour.
The proposed methodology enables the identification of the spatial extent of the effect of individual measures (the influence zone) and quantifies changes in speed profiles before and after their implementation. Statistical evaluation of these changes was carried out using interval-wise testing.
The methodology was demonstrated using two real-world case studies from Spain and Czechia. The results contribute to more data-driven evaluation of traffic calming strategies and may support more effective planning of road safety measures.
Cite this article:
Elgner, J., Ambros, J., Muñoz, M.A., Valentová, V., Fišerová, E. (2026). Assessing the speed impact of urban traffic calming devices using functional data analysis. European Transport Research Review, 18(14). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12544-026-00775-8