Tampere removes raised Teivaalantie crossing after nearby building shook

Tampere removed the raised pedestrian crossing on Teivaalantie in the Ryydynpohja neighbourhood after vibration measurements showed heavy vehicles using the height difference disturbed an adjacent residential building. Residents had reported the shaking. The removal was reported by Tamperelainen.

The city will monitor pedestrian safety now that the crossing is gone and will assess later whether other traffic calming measures are needed. About a year ago Tampere removed two speed cushions from Pänninsaarenkatu near Lamminpää school after residents complained that heavy traffic over them caused vibrations, while the raised junction in front of the school was left in place. Measurement summaries found the vibration levels did not pose a risk to building structures, but they did significantly reduce living comfort.

Traffic engineer Heljä Aarnikko said Finland has no official standards for traffic-induced vibration, so Tampere relies on recommendations and bulletins from the VTT Technical Research Centre when carrying out measurements. Removals of street calming features are rare in Tampere, and vibration is the most common reason they are taken out.

The move follows recent scrutiny of vibration risks at other sites, including monitoring at the Kaleva intersection after nearby construction works raised similar concerns raised similar concerns.