Reducing traffic speeds and volumes through traffic calming measures are powerful ways for residents to start to reclaim their streets for their own needs. Traffic calming provides the opportunity to use streets not only for moving cars but also as an aesthetically pleasing focal point for the community. Narrowing is done through reducing the pavement width, adding parking to the street, or adding a median. At intersections, narrowing is complemented by tight corner radii. Deflecting the vehicle path causes the driver to slow and devote more attention to the task of driving.
Deflection is done through curving the travel path of the automobile.
Sharing the pavement with other vehicles is a powerful way to slow traffic and raise the attention level of drivers. On-street parking can also compel shared use of the street. Diverting the driver's route makes vehicular access more difficult, and encourages the driver to use another route. Diagonal street closures, one-way streets, median closings and turning movement restrictions are primary examples of diversion. Standard traffic control devices slow traffic through regulation.