Traffic Calming Animation of the Day: The Chicane
In the shortest, sweetest Streetfilm ever, a 24-second stop-motion animation, Elizabeth Press perfectly illustrates a chicane which is a sequence of bump-outs that force drivers to slow down and drive a more circuitous route along a straight, wide street. An added side benefit, chicanes also create more sidewalk space to be used for benches, tables, plantings and street furniture.
By
Jason Varone
12:30 PM EST on January 17, 2008
In the shortest, sweetest Streetfilm ever, a 24-second stop-motion animation, Elizabeth Press perfectly illustrates a chicane which is a sequence of bump-outs that force drivers to slow down and drive a more circuitous route along a straight, wide street. An added side benefit, chicanes also create more sidewalk space to be used for benches, tables, plantings and street furniture.
The word chicane comes from the German word schikane, meaning harassment.
Project for Public Spaces has more on chicanes and various other traffic calming techniques.
Jason Varone battles the streets everyday during a 9 mile commute on his bicycle from downtown Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. In addition to his efforts on Streetsblog, he is an artist making work related to the environment and technology. Examples of his work can be found at www.varonearts.org.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Gale Forces? West Side Council Member Wants A Bike Lane On Central Park Transverse
"I particularly support the ... transverse. Even more people would use bicycles when they know they can get from one part of Manhattan to another," Council Member Brewer said.
March 24, 2026
AT THEIR LIMIT: Boards Covering 1M New Yorkers Want Reduced Car Speeds
Eight community boards have asked the city Department of Transportation to designate their districts as “slow zones” with 20-mile-per-hour car speed limits.
March 24, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines: Above the Law Edition
It takes almost no time for hopes to be dashed in this cruel town. Plus other news.
March 24, 2026
Monday’s Headlines: We Fixed Congress Edition
DOT installed "don't walk" signs next to pedestrians ramps in Brooklyn, then removed them after Streetsblog started asking questions. Plus more news.
March 23, 2026
The City Is Doing to Prospect Park What It Needs to Do to All Parks
A long-awaited bike lane in Brooklyn will create almost full protected cycling coverage around Prospect Park — setting a new standard for the rest of the city.
March 23, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.