CARY — Motorists cutting through one Cary subdivision are encountering signs telling them they are in a"traffic calming"area. In a what?

Seems that traffic calming is a means of curbing speeding throughresidential areaswithout restricting motorists' access. Farmington Woods Drive is a popular way to get from Kildaire Farm Road to Cary Towne Center. It is an alternate to using busy Maynard Road.

For the past few days, drivers have found orange and white barrels placed to narrow the roadway. The constriction tends to make motorists slow down.

Otherdeviceswill also be tried in the next few weeks -- speed humps, raised crosswalks and lanes repainted to make them seem narrower. The devices will be tested for about six weeks and may become permanent, depending on their effectiveness.

People can register their feelings about the study or obtain more information by calling the Traffic Calming Hotline at462-3900.