Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Graham, Tom and Ian
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What were the local issues four decades ago?
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
What were the local issues four decades ago?
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
20mph limits and traffic calming
by Lib Dem team on 20 November, 2009
A really interesting (for me, anyway) article on the law around 20mph limits and traffic calming. I didn’t know that the law said you had to have traffic calming measures if you had a 20mph limit. (Although I’m sure some places have 20mph without traffic calming – Crossacres Road in Wythenshawe for a start).
The law seems to be that you can have a 20 mph limit without traffic calming measures, but only if the traffic is already quite slow – at least 85% of vehicles should already be going 24mph or slower.
However, the Government research is clear that 20 mph limits do work in reducing speeds and accidents (though not in getting everyone to drive slower that 20 mph).
average speeds reduced by 9 mph, annual accident frequency fell by 60%, the overall reduction in child accidents was 67%, and there was an overall reduction in accidents to cyclists of 29%. Traffic flow in the zones was reduced by 27%, but flows on the surrounding boundary roads increased by 12%. There was generally little accident migration to surrounding roads.
The Government advice on introducing 20mph zones is here. I’ll be interested to read up on the details: certainly I agree with the author of article that any community should have all the information as early as possible.
2 Comments
Ian
I am afraid you are very wrong in your assertion that 20 mph speed limits need a 85%ile speed of less than 24 mph. In fact DfT Circular 01/2006 only “suggests” that they only be used without calming where the average speed is less than 24 mph.
In Portsmouth they have implemented 20 mph across the whole town, including roads with an ave speed above 24 mph, and found that on fsater roads then speeds dropped by 7 mph.
Please have a look at http://www.20splentyforus.blogspot.com for some more reasoning and articles on this.
Please also get back to me with any technical questions.
Regards
Rod King
Campaign Director – 20’s Plenty for Us.
Iain, this raises the issue of High Grove rd, which featured so prominently during the last local election. We have a 20mph limit, essential as this is a school road and a pleasingly high number of pupils walk to school. BUT! as we all know the speed limit is not adhered to by ‘rat runners” HOWEVER!!! Please do not suggest that sleeping policemen are the answer here. They disfigure the road and its environs and I only have to ask you the question; would you like them on your road? to gauge their popularity.
These days I think its considered as effective to have plateaux rather than humps, so a possible solution might be a plateau outside the school gates, one spanning the Milton Crescent junction and possibly a 3rd between Milton and Gatley Rd. Chicanes, I feel would not be as effective because of refuse lorry access.
regards
Alan