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OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

SCRUTINY OF 20MPH SPEED LIMITS

Rupert Thacker

Team Leader – Forward Planning and Rail Liaison

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BACKGROUND

1990’s The Department of Transport issues Circular roads 4/90 in December 1990.

It set out out the basic guidelines for the introduction of 20mph speed limit zones and outlining the procedure for consent from the Secretary of State required at the time.

In the early 1990s HCC began the introduction of 20mph zones in a number of town centres and residential areas across the county including the newly bypassed Berkhamsted High Street.

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20mph in Hertfordshire

In the mid 1990s HCC began the introduction of 20mph zones in a number of town centres and residential areas across the county including the newly bypassed Berkhamsted High Street and residential parts of Herford.

The implementation of 20mph areas has continued through the subsequent 30 years and resulted in over 290 roads in Hertfordshire having a 20mph speed limit.

All are supported by a Traffic Regulation Order that makes them legal.

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These include town and local centres residential areas and areas at or close to schools.

Out of approximately 530 schools

48 are close to or within a 20mph area.

They have been installed for a number of reasons including:

•Causality reduction•As part of town centre enhancement schemes, to reduce speeds and traffic volumes,•Cycling, pedestrian infrastructure schemes•Quality of life initiatives

All instances they were installed in line with government and police guidance at the time that stated they should be self enforcing once installed.

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Consultation

• Informal

• Formal

• The Traffic Regulation Order and Notice process

• Legal requirements

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HCC Speed Management StrategyThe purpose of the speed management strategy is to set out :

•How speed management schemes are selectedand funded•A consistent approach to setting speed limits based on function and nature of the route•A consistent approach to the implementation of speed management traffic calming schemes•The role of the Police and the County council as highways authority in relation to speed enforcement•The key criteria for the selection of safety camera sites •Outlines education and publicity programmes.

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The 2009 strategy was refreshed in 2012 taking into account the county councils third Local Transport Plan

20mph limits and zones are coveredin detail in the document in sections:

2 Setting Speed Limits

3 Selection and Funding

4 Traffic Calming MeasuresAppendix 1 – Hertfordshire speed Limit framework

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The strategy stats that in Hertfordshire 20mph should:

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DfT circular 01/13January 2013

Update of 01/06

More flexibility around 20s and the use of traffic calming

Encourage self compliance

Should not rely excessively on enforcement

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Revised Draft Speed management Strategy

Consultation: Friday 27 September and Friday 22 November

Speed measurements

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20mph Criteria -

•Environment – Hertfordshire Speed Limit framework

•Limits – speeds must be 25mph mean or below before implementation

•New Criteria for zones without physical measures

-Zones - mean speed of 24mph or below once implemented

•Limits and zones should be generally self enforcing

•20mph limits and zones will not normally be implementedon the A and B road network

•Advisory 20mph limits or zones for Schools•Variable 20mph limits should be self enforcing

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CostsThe cost of implementing a 20mph area is difficult to predict and can vary from £10,000 to £1,000,000,000+ depending on the scope and physical measures required.

Limit Zone

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Case studies 2008 – estimated 2148 20mph Zones in England – 400 in London

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Portsmouth - The largest area in the UK with a 20mph limit - 94% of roads previously had a 30mph limit.

When monitoring the results a distinction was made between roads where the average speed before the 20mph zone was introduced was: 20mph or less; between 21 and 24 mph; and over 24mph.

There was an overall average speed reduction of 1.3mph following the introduction of the limits, as the average speed dropped from 19.8mph to 18.5mph.

The change across the six areas varied from a reduction of 0.6mph to 1.7mph. This was a statistically significant reduction in speeds across the city.

Some were found to still have average speeds between 24 mph and 29 mph after the scheme was implemented.

Overall there was a drop in the number of police reported injuries in the six areas comparing the average of 163.7 casualties per year over the 3 years before the introduction and an average of 129.4 casualties per year in the two years after. This represented a 21% reduction.

The number of KSIs rose from an average of 18.3 per year to 19.9 per year in the same time period, Much of this increase came from the number of pedestrians injured and it was not possible to measure whether the amount of pedestrian activity had increased following the introduction of the 20mph limits.

Qualitative surveys indicate that the scheme was generally supported by residents, although most of the respondents would like to see more enforcement of the 20 mph speed limits.Cost 573,000

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Bristol 20mph pilots in Inner South and Inner East Bristol have been delivered by Bristol City Council as part Cycling City Project and the Active Bristol programme. Physical measures were not included in the scheme other than signs and road markings.

500 roads and 30,000 households.

The aim was to encourage more walking, more cycling, and more independent mobility for children and elderly in the City, to reduce risk and severity of road casualties and to help create pleasant people-centred streets and public space.

Headlines:• 65% of roads saw a reduction in mean speeds • 18 roads no longer saw average speeds above 24mph • The average reduction in mean average speed across roads in the Inner South area was 1.4mph, and in the Inner East area was 0.9mph • The mean average speed across all roads has dropped to 23mph and under between 7am and 7pm • 35% of respondents from the main roads felt roads were safer following the 20mph limits being installed. • 89% of residents supported 20 mph on all residential streets • 56% of residents supported 20mph on main’ roads

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Counts carried out at 1 in 10 roads

Speeds

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St Albans

Hertfordshire County Council installed an area wide 20mph Zone in the cathedral Area of St Albans in 2012 in accordance with the Hertfordshire Speed management Strategy including over 50 roads.

Speed Surveys were carried out on a number of roads before works.

DfT permission was gained to allow permit minimal additional physical measures on a small number of roads due to the nature of the road network with tight geometry and narrow roads.

Physical measures in the form of road narrowing's, chicanes and road markings were installed in the roads where speeds were in excess of 24mph 85th percentile.

Consultation and Perception survey undertaken with residents

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Outcomes

Initial results show that speeds have been reduced in roads with and without traffic calming.

Most significant reductions were in the roads where physical measures were introduced.

The largest decrease was 7.8mph 85th %ile. There was a small increase in speed in one road of 0.1 mph 85th %ile

Two roads remain outside of the requirements with speeds in excess of 24mph 85%ile.

All of the roads in the zone had mean speeds of 24mph or less both prior and after the scheme being implemented.

Cost £100,000

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Perception Survey

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Questions?