Edinburgh looks to expand 20mph limits

08/10/2019 | CHRIS AMES

Edinburgh Council could add more roads to the city’s 20mph network although the scheme has had only a limited impact on traffic speeds.

In March 2018, Edinburgh became Scotland’s first city to implement a city-wide network of roads with a 20mph speed limit.

An evaluation of the 20mph speed limit roll-out will be considered by the council’s Transport and Environment Committee this week.

Among the findings is a statistically significant reduction in speeds across 66 sites surveyed, with speeds dropping by 1.34mph on average, and by up to 2.41mph in some areas. There was also an increase in the number of vehicles with average speeds of 20mph or less.

The council said research shows support for the scheme has grown since its implementation. However only 21% of respondents said speeds were lower, with 61% believing they were the same.

It said it has received requests to add further streets to the network and had assessed several for inclusion. The report recommends starting the process to reduce the speed limit on a number of streets.

The report also proposes a review of the road network that currently has higher limits, ‘in order to proactively identify any further streets where a reduction in speed limit may be appropriate’.

Transport and environment convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes said: ‘These initial results demonstrate that by leading the way to become Scotland’s first 20mph city we are having a real impact on the safety and wellbeing of people in Edinburgh.

‘Research shows that for every 1mph reduction in speed there is a 6% reduction in accidents so the evidence that speeds are dropping by more than twice as much in some areas is extremely positive.’

She added: ‘Of course, there is still work to be done to encourage compliance and these findings will help us to target resources to achieve this.’

The evaluation shows a substantial reduction in road traffic collisions post-20mph implementation compared to three years before but the council said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be attributed to the 20mph limit.

The report notes that ‘concerns remain regarding compliance’ and cites possible actions on streets where there may be continuing non-compliance.

These could include signage and road markings, targeted enforcement from Police Scotland or short-term deployment of mobile vehicle activated speed signs (VASS)

The report states: ‘Further physical traffic calming measures such as road humps or chicanes will only be considered if there is a significant collision history or where high vehicle speeds are not reduced sufficiently with soft engineering measures such as VASS and additional signage.’

It also cites the use of 'Pop Up Bob' (pictured), a life size cut out of a police officer holding a speed camera, but stresses that 'Bob' is not intended to replace real officers.

The findings of the report ‘reveal no evidence of displacement of traffic from 20mph streets to 30mph streets’.

 

 

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Senior Civil Engineer - Major Projects x 4

£45,894.00 - £54,952.00
We are looking for experienced engineers to help us progress a number of key projects and programmes Glasgow, Glasgow City
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Technician - Maintenance

£31001.0000 - £36471.0000 per annum
Essex Highways is responsible for managing and maintaining one of the largest highway networks in the country
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Highways Contract Engineer

£46,731 - £49,764
The team helps provide a safe road network that operates efficiently and effectively.  Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Principal Transport Planner

£46,731 - £49,764 (pro-rata)
We are looking for an experienced professional to join us on a six-month temporary contact as a Principal Transport Planner. Kettering, Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Highways Maintenance Operative

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Highways Maintenance Operative Broughton, Brigg
Recruiter: Amey

Head of Highways Contracts & Network

£81,803 progressing to £90,664 per annum
The team includes approximately 60 directly employed HCC people Hertfordshire
Recruiter: Hertfordshire County Council

Principal Construction Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Principal Construction Manager Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Quality Technician

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Quality Technician Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)

£42679.0000 - £50211.0000 per annum
Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)Permanent, Full Time£43,960 to £51,718 per annum*Location
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Project Manager (Major Projects)

£44,711 - £47,754
Are you an experienced project professional or engineer with looking to take the next step in your career? Halifax, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Senior Civil Engineer - Roads

£45,894 - £54,952
Are you an experienced engineer looking to support the Scottish Government’s national objectives. Scotland
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Project Team Manager

£55,147 to £60,676 per annum
We are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for a role as Design Team Manager Norwich, Norfolk
Recruiter: Norfolk County Council

Clerk of Works

GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Assistant Projects Engineer

GRADE 06 (£29,093 - £32,654),GRADE 07 (£33,366 - £37,035), GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Principal Engineer - Traffic Management

£45,718 - £48,710 per annum
At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives. Bath, Somerset
Recruiter: Bath & North East Somerset Council

Vehicle Technician - Improver

£28,624 - £30,060
Transport Services is responsible for all aspects of transport and related services Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Programme Delivery Office Administrator

Grade 9 £31,344 - £33,253 per annum
At Derbyshire, we have been on a journey to transform the way we deliver highway services to make them fit for the future Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Support Officer - Highways Asset Management Systems

£31,586 - £34,314
We are a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to maintaining and improving our highway infrastructure. Lincolnshire
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Principal Transport Planner (Strategy)

£46,731-£49,764
We are looking for an experienced professional to join North Northamptonshire Council as a Principal Transport Planner (Strategy). Sheerness House, 41 Meadow Road, Kettering moving to Haylock House, Kettering Parkway, Kettering NN15 6EY, United Kingdom
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Electrical Engineer

Grade 9 £34,314 to £37,938 - Grade 10 £37,035 to £40,476 - Grade 11 £39,513 to £43,693 - Grade 12 £42,708 to £46,731 p.a.
The Construction Consultancy Services (CCS) team provide client-side construction consultancy services across a range of professional disciplines to d Durham
Recruiter: Durham County Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW