User:MrPhibbs/London 20 mph

Adoption of 20 mph speed limits across the Greater London area

Since January 2013 when the London Borough of Islington became the first borough to introduce a 20mph limit on all of its roads, a number of Inner and latterly Outer London boroughs have gradually been adopting a policy of 20 mph speed limits as the default maximum speed limits for their roads.

The process of adopting 20mph typically follows a pattern of:

- a decision by a Local Authority to undertaken consultation with residents about speed limits and a move to a 20mph limit for some or all of the roads that they manage

- a balance in favour of such measures to be expressed during the consultation process

- adoption of the limits through the creation of Traffic Orders

- introduction of the 20mph limits and monitoring its impact of vehicle speeds.

To date no consultation process in any of the London boroughs has led to residents expressing a consensus view against the introduction of wide-area 20mph limits. This has inevitably led to calls for all boroughs which have not yet consulted their residents to do so, in the spirit of localism and democracy.[]

History

The move towards the 20mph limits stems from the desire for a fairer balance between vehicles and people in built up areas. From the 1980s onwards this was mostly done using 20mph zones mainly in residential areas and enforced with vertical traffic calming such as speed humps. Research found the restricting maximum speeds to 20mph in this way could reduce the numbers of casualties by more than two-fifths1. Over time problems with the use of humps to calm traffic and the desire to introduce 20mph limits on high streets and in other places where lots of people walk and cycle meant that an approach using limits became far more popular and widespread in London and across much of the rest of the UK. Between January 2013 and the end of 2015, a total of six London boroughs (Islington, Camden, City of London, Southwark, Hackney and Tower Hamlets) will have adopted 20mph speed limits on all of their roads with a further two, Lewisham and Lambeth, due to become 20mph by mid-20162. By that time, two-thirds of the residents of the 13 inner London boroughs and two-fifths of all Londoners will be living on 20mph streets and roads. The progress of this is shown on a short video at: https://vimeo.com/141059995

In addition to the boroughs themselves, Transport for London has introduced a number of 20mph limits on the Red Route network whose roads it controls. This development can be seen at: https://vimeo.com/142223414

Enforcement

In the early days of 20mph, the Metropolitan Police were reluctant to enforce the 20mph limits. Changes to guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers3 clarified the preparedness of the police to enforce 20mph limits.

In Islington the Metropolitan Police position is to enforce the 20mph limit4 and Local Authorities work far more hand in hand with the local police as they bring forward changes to speed limits to ensure the police are on board with those changes and are comfortable about enforcing them5.

1	 http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/4370/1/bmj.b4469.pdf

2	 http://southwarklivingstreets.org.uk/20mph/london20mph-summary-02nov15/

3	 http://www.acpo.presscentre.com/Press-Releases/ACPO-marks-refreshing-of-speed-enforcement-guidance-26e.aspx

4	 http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/crime-court/police_and_public_to_join_forces_and_enforce_islington_s_20mph_limit_in_uk_s_first_community_speed_watch_1_3863589

5	www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2015/02/lower-speed-limits-to-see-calmer-and-safer-environment/