The Village of Cumberland will utilize temporary traffic calming curbs (TC curbs), also known as Calgary Curbs, to enhance pedestrian safety at several key locations and crosswalks throughout the Village that do not meet current pedestrian design standards. TC curbs help narrow the street which encourages drivers to travel at lower speeds, helping to reduce the number and severity of collisions. When used at crosswalks, TC curbs reduce crossing distances and provide a protected, visible space for pedestrians to stage before crossing. Three crosswalks along Fourth Street will be the first locations for these TC curbs to be implemented. Once the road corridor is reconstructed in future capital projects then the TC curbs can be redeployed to other locations around the Village.

The Village of Cumberland is a small community with a population of 4,447 that has undergone tremendous growth. Between 2011 and 2016 the population grew by approximately 30%. The population is also young, with a median age of 39.3 and many of the new residents have school-age children. The existing crossing infrastructure was constructed at a time when far fewer people lived in the community and to outdated engineering design specifications. Active transportation is also heavily encouraged in the Village, so pedestrian and cycling traffic is higher now and puts a greater demand on existing crossing infrastructure throughout the Village. Despite encouragement towards active transportation, with recent population growth, the volume of vehicle traffic has grown considerably as well. With this increase in vehicle traffic and increase in active transportation use, it is crucial that road and crossing infrastructure is upgraded to provide a more equitable and safer environment for vulnerable road users. Grant funding is necessary for implementing projects like this in smaller communities as funding is typically diverted to replacing critical infrastructure. These TC curbs will be able to be quickly deployed and temporarily upgrade existing crosswalk infrastructure. When corridor improvements are done through future capital projects, and permanent crossing upgrades are made, then the TC curbs can be relocated to other areas of the Village to provide quick, short-term safety upgrades.