20mph proposals reflect consultation responses

Nearly 15,000 people have responded to a consultation on proposals for a second phase of 20 mph speed limits covering nine different areas. The massive response rate shows that there are many people who feel very passionately about 20mph speed limits.

Councillor Pete West Chair of Environment Transport & Sustainability Committee said: “I would like to thank people for taking part in this big debate. We have listened and are proposing reductions in speed limits where people want to see them. The majority of residents will get the speed limit they want on the street where they live.”

Early monitoring from the first six months of Phase 1 in the city centre shows there has been;

• A decrease in traffic speed on 74% on the roads.
• A significant reduction in the number and severity of collisions, and no fatal collisions since implementation. This includes a 20% decrease in the number of collisions and a 19% decrease in the number of casualties (based on five months of 2013 data compared with the three year average for the same five months in the previous three years.)

Councillor West continued “We know that improving the safety on the roads where they live continues to be a priority for many residents. Though it’s early days, I am pleased that the initial monitoring from the Phase 1 area shows that speeds are falling and that fewer people are getting hurt. This is consistent with the experiences of towns and cities elsewhere that have introduced similar measures.”

“We are committed to making the roads in the city safer for everyone and we know that reducing traffic speeds to 20mph in residential streets is a practical and popular way we can do this.”

What happens next?

The revised proposals will be discussed at a special meeting of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee on 11 December 2013 at 11am at Hove Town Hall.

There will be another opportunity for residents to have a say on the revised proposals at the next stage of consultation, which is advertising the speed limit orders. No final decisions will be made until March 2014.

Proposals

West Hove; 59% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

Roads to retain their existing limits: Kingsway, Old Shoreham Road, New Church Road, Sackville Road and all pre-existing 20mph limit roads. All other roads in this area, including Portland Road, to be reduced to 20mph.

Dyke Road West; 60% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

All roads to retain their existing limits with the exception of a small number of roads surrounding school locations, which are east of (but not including) Shirley Drive and south of (and including the eastern section of) The Droveway.  

Dyke Road East; 62% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

It is recommended that Dyke Road, Dyke Road Avenue and the A23 (London Road) retain their existing speed limits. It is recommended that a 20mph limit is created in the area around Westdene Primary School.

Preston; 64% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

It is recommended that the A23 (Preston Road) retains its existing limit and that on the basis that the consultation proposals had a clear majority (63%) in favour, roads within the Preston area be reduced to 20mph.

Patcham and Hollingbury; 52% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

It is recommended that the roads to the north of Ladies Miles Road retain their existing limits. This is in response to the fact that the majority of residents in this area stated that they did not support 20mph on their roads.

That all roads south of Carden Avenue be reduced to 20mph and that roads north of Carden Avenue, with the exception of those already indicated, up to and including Ladies Mile Road be reduced to 20mph to provide slower speeds in the roads around the Patcham Schools, Library and Community Centre.

Coldean; 60% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

On the basis that the consultation proposals had a clear majority (57%) in favour, it is recommended that all roads within the Coldean area be reduced to 20mph and that Coldean Lane be reduced from 40mph to 30mph as outlined in the consultation proposals.

Hollingdean and South Moulsecoomb; 56% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

It is recommended that Lewes Road retain its existing limit and that the 20mph limit on Ditchling Road be extended north to Fiveways bringing the Downs Infant within the lower limit area and creating a clear gateway to the central area.

Bevendean and north Moulsecoomb; 55% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

On the basis that the majority of the roads in Bevendean have a pre-existing 20mph, traffic calmed, speed limit and that the consultation proposals had a clear majority (55%) in favour, it is recommended that all roads within the Bevendean and Mouslecoomb area (east of Lewes Road) be reduced to 20mph.

East Brighton; 59% of people getting the speed limit they want on the road that they live on.

It is recommended that the following roads retain their existing speed limits: Marine Parade, Roedean Road, Royal Crescent, Marine Square, Warren Road and Wilson Avenue and that all other roads in the area are reduced to 20mph.

The full report is available on the Special Meeting, Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee papers page.