Central London’s long-awaited 20mph speed limits come into force on Monday (2 March), a move designed to reduce road danger and increase levels of active travel.
The 20mph limits, which were given the green light in September, will affect 8.9km of roads within the Congestion Charging Zone – including Millbank, Victoria Embankment and Borough High Street.
They are supported by new signage and road markings, with raised pedestrian crossings in prominent locations where a high number of people walk, such as Embankment and Tower Hill Underground stations and outside the Tate Britain.
TfL will recalibrate all the speed cameras in central London and says it will work closely with the Metropolitan Police to ensure that drivers are complying with the new speed limits.
Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, said: “I am absolutely determined to do everything I can to eradicate all deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads and these new measures are a vital step along the way to helping us to achieve this.
“By cutting speed limits on TfL’s roads within the Congestion Zone we are saving lives, while at the same time making our streets more appealing for Londoners to walk and cycle around the Capital.”
Lilli Matson, chief health, safety and environment officer at TfL, said: “Millions of walking and cycling journeys are made across our city every single day and a person is five times less likely to be fatally injured if hit at 20mph than at 30mph – it’s as straightforward as that.”
New speed enforcement team
To mark the introduction of the new 20mph limits, TfL and the Metropolitan Police have announced the launch of a new speed enforcement team.
The team will be deployed to known high-risk locations for speeding and will respond to stakeholder and community concerns about drivers speeding in their area, equipped with the newest laser video speed enforcement technology.
Andy Cox, Metropolitan Police detective superintendent, said: “Speed limits are designed to keep road users safe, they are limits not targets and the law should be adhered to.
“Excessive speed unfortunately remains a common cause of serious and fatal collisions across London and the consequences can be devastating for those involved and their families.
“Safe speeds are key to achieving the Vision Zero ambition and it’s vital that those driving or riding on our roads respect the law on speed limits. We will actively target speeding and dangerous drivers and ensure they are dealt with robustly.”
Don’t know, I’m afraid Guzzi.
Adrian Berendt, Tunbridge Wells
--1
Thanks Adrian. A useful summary to save wading through lots of stuff. It seems those targets are about the whole of London but is there anything specific just to the new 20mph scheme on vehicle speeds and casualty statistics in the 1/3 years before the scheme?
Guzzi, Newport
+1
Hi Guzzi. 20mph is seen as part of the Mayor’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which is “the
elimination of all deaths and serious injuries from London’s streets by 2041” and “to reduce motorised traffic in London by 10-15 per cent by 2041”, with interim targets such as no one killed by a London bus (2030), 65% reduction of KSIs from 2005-9 levels by 2022 and 70% reduction from 2010-14 by 2030. https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/the-mayors-transport-strategy includes other SMARTs, such as 80% of trips on foot or bike by 2041; Healthy Streets includes a scoring system.
In summary, you may or may not agree the vision and/or whether it is achieveable, but there are plenty of targets…
Adrian Berendt, Tunbridge Wells
0
Thanks Adrian. Vision Zero is all very well as a high level target – if an unachievable aspiration can really be called a target. However it is not a S.M.A.R.T target. I wonder what levels of casualty reduction TfL will consider to be a “success” in 1, 2 or 3 years time?
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria)
Guzzi, Newport
+3
Guzzi, Vision Zero is the target
Adrian Berendt, Tunbridge Wells
--1
I read in today’s BBC article the quote from the London Cab driver who said they would like to be able to go as fast as 20mph on roads in this part of London.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51674007
So, does anyone know what the officially recorded ‘before’ speeds were on the new 20mph roads?
After all if they were less than 20mph for most of the day, what will TfL be measuring as success?
Guzzi, Newport
+4
Another disaster & should be scrapped it will bring London to a standstill causing more pollution than ever. Supposedly we had a so called Successful trial in Acton for a year, this is not true I have been in Acton virtually daily for 7 months & observed the speeds that cars were doing but in the main they were doing at least 30mph when traffic conditions allowed, so the was no successful trial then they turn around & introduce this madness on this.
M Foley, London
+5
I’m glad to see that additional engineering and extra enforcement are to be part of the 20s package. That at least shows TfL are serious about it and willing to back up their words with hard cash.
Pat, Wales
+2
“…and a person is five times less likely to be fatally injured if hit at 20mph than at 30mph – it’s as straightforward as that.” Not quite…that suggests it’s okay to hit someone, provided it’s no more than at 20mph because they’re less likely to die! At a max of 20 mph there no excuse for hitting anyone.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
--10