improve urban mobility design with 3M road safety products
Urban Safety and Mobility

Around the world, cities are growing and urban areas are becoming more densely populated — creating new opportunities and challenges for traffic safety and mobility. 3M is committed to helping city planners and traffic engineers build safer and more efficient complete streets of the future as we work Toward Zero Deaths on urban roads.


  • Three graphics of protected bike lane, high-visibility intersection and mid-block crossing in busy urban areas.
Lane Marking and Sharrows
Clearly marked bike lanes with pavement markings in green, white and yellow.

Help bicyclists safely navigate bike lanes and make cyclists more visible to all road users with the use of retroreflective markings.

Symbols and Legends
Large left-turn arrow on pavement in road’s turn lane.

Help cyclists safely navigate bike lanes and follow rules of the road with the use of retroreflective road markings.

Fluorescent Traffic Signs
Yellow road sign with image of bicycle and words “may use full lane.”

Keep traffic flowing and help improve urban safety by clearly communicating bike lanes and other traffic messages with bright fluorescent traffic sign

Flexible Reflective Sheeting for Channelizers
Row of bike lane signs identifying protected bike lane.

Help motorists see these important visual cues to improve safety with high-visibility retroreflective sheeting on bike lane delineators.

Crosswalk and Lane Markings
Adult riding bicycle with small child in child seat on urban road near crosswalk.

Enhance safety for motorists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users with high-performance road markings that provide retroreflectivity, night or day, rain or shine.  

Fluorescent Traffic Light Back Plate
Highly visible stoplight against blue sky.

Increase safety in intersections with the added visibility of fluorescent retroreflective sheeting on traffic lights. This helps make them more conspicuous in a range of conditions, including at dawn, dusk and night. 

Designated Mobility Hub
Colorful painted pavement for scooter parking on urban road, with scooters and person holding handlebars of scooter.

Help reduce conflict points and clutter by designating bus stops, pedestrian zones at crosswalks, scooter zones, vehicle parking zones and bike boxes with retroreflective signs and road markings.

Cross Walk Markings
Low-angle shot of white painted crosswalk across road.

Help improve visibility, day or night, rain or shine, with retroreflective pavement markings for crosswalks at mid-block crossings.

Retroreflective Traffic Signs
Sign with letters and symbols reading “State law: Yield to pedestrians in crosswalk.”

Help keep pedestrians safe while alerting drivers to approaching crosswalks with highly visible traffic signs that provide visibility both night and day.

Fluorescent Traffic Signs
Yellow and black signs with image of pedestrian and words “next 1000 feet.”

Alert drivers to upcoming intersections and crosswalks with the use of retroreflective fluorescent signs for increased reaction time.

Designing Safer Streets: Solutions for Urban Safety and Urban Mobility

As cities become more densely populated, motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and multimodal transportation users are increasingly asked to share space on roads and sidewalks — resulting in more congestion and potential accidents.


These cost-effective road designs are proven to help calm traffic, reduce conflict points, and protect vulnerable road users.

  • Intersections present a variety of distractions and hazards for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. Over 50% of fatal and injury crashes happen at or near intersections. Designing more forgiving and more visible intersections can help reduce traffic collisions and save lives.

  • Increased bike travel offers significant benefits in urban areas, including reduced congestion and better overall health. However, riding a bike in congested urban areas can be hazardous for cyclists. Protected bicycle lanes provide safe, designated space for cyclists and other micromobility users.

  • Almost 3 out of 4 pedestrian fatalities happen when people try to cross the street mid-block, instead of at intersections. In these areas, motorists are travelling faster and are less aware of pedestrians on the road. Highly visible mid-block crossings help protect vulnerable road users in these high-risk areas.


Graphic of urban road with bicycle rider in protected bike lane, cars in driving lanes and pedestrian on sidewalk.
Experience Urban Street Design

View the City Limits video where you will see how urban planning can help improve safety and mobility.

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The Cities of the Future: Building Safer Roads for Urban Growth

  • The growing global trend toward urbanisation offers significant benefits for citizens, but it also presents challenges for traffic safety and mobility. Learn more about the traffic management issues related to growing urban centres, new approaches to urban mobility, and recommendations for designing and building complete streets in urban areas.


Traffic Safety Products to Improve Urban Safety

For more than 80 years, 3M has engineered traffic safety products that are more visible in a wider range of conditions, more rugged to withstand challenging environments and more versatile to improve road safety in your city infrastructure.

  • Our retroreflective sheeting for traffic signs and delineators improves visibility and recognition at greater distances. Available in fluorescent colours and highest overall retroreflectivity requirements in AS/NZ 1906.1 Class 1100.

  • Delineators and barriers guide motorists along with both visual and physical protection for pedestrians and cyclists. Our highly reflective sheeting can help road users see these traffic safety devices in a range of conditions.

  • Our high-performance markings — including wet retroreflective pavement markings and high-visibility symbols and legends tapes — help communicate important navigational information and guidance to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

  • Conspicuity tape on large vehicles, buses, and trucks is a proven, cost-effective way to improve the visibility of these vehicles, helping to prevent crashes. Added to bikes, scooters, and motorcycles, conspicuity markings help increase the visibility of these vulnerable road users. To be most effective, conspicuity tapes need to be highly retroreflective at wide angles for nighttime visibility.     


Need Help Designing and Building Safer Urban Roads?

Our 3M experts are here to show you cost-effective and easy-to-apply traffic infrastructure solutions that can help you improve traffic safety and mobility.

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