Transport for London (TfL) will bring in 20mph speed limits on its roads in Camden, Islington, Hackney, Haringey and Tower Hamlets from Friday 31 March. The changes will see almost all the roads in the boroughs have a consistent 20mph speed limit on both the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) and borough road network. Lowering speed limits is a key part of the Mayor’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate death and serious injury from London’s transport network and to enable more walking and cycling in the capital.
Indicative TfL monitoring of the 20mph speed limits introduced on roads within the central London Congestion Charging Zone shows a significant reduction in the number of collisions since its introduction. Data collected from 1st May 2020 to 30 June 2022 shows the number of collisions has reduced by 25 per cent (from 406 to 304), and collisions resulting in death or serious injury have reduced by 25 per cent (from 94 to 71), demonstrating the huge impact of lowering speeds across London. Vulnerable road users continue to be most at risk on London’s roads, but since the introduction of 20mph speed limits, collisions involving vulnerable road users have decreased by 36 per cent (from 453 to 290), while collisions involving people walking have decreased by 63 per cent (from 124 to 46).
The 20mph speed limits will be introduced on sections of the A503, A501, A41, A1, A10, A11 and A1203, and will help to make a large area of London safer and more attractive for people in these communities to live and work, encouraging more people out of their cars and to walk, cycle and use public transport more often. Enabling more people to use healthier and more sustainable forms of travel will be vital to reducing congestion and air pollution.
The new speed limits will be supported by new signs and road markings, and TfL is working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service to ensure that drivers understand and comply with the new lower speed limits. Banners attached to streetlamps in the new 20mph areas will also be put in place to increase driver awareness of the new speed limit. Following implementation, TfL plans to carry out monitoring to determine whether further measures to further reduce vehicle speeds are required.
Collision data from around the world shows that the speed at which people are driving or riding is the single most important factor in whether a collision takes place and how severely people are injured. The police reported speed as a contributory factor in almost half of fatal collisions in 2020.
TfL is committed to expanding its lowering speed limits programme and is now working to lower speeds on 140km of its roads by 2024 and in 37 town centre locations in inner and outer London. TfL is working with the Met Police to increase their capacity to take enforcement against drivers and riders who speed and are on target to be able to take action on a million speeding offences by 2024. This year, 2022/23, the police will enforce around 650,000 speeding offences, an increase of around 30 per cent compared to the previous year.
Last week, TfL launched local engagement on plans to introduce 65km of new 20mph speed limits within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham, Southwark, Wandsworth, Merton, Bromley and Lambeth. TfL is now working to lower speeds on more than 140km of its roads by May 2024 in inner and outer London, after introducing 13.7km of new lower speed limit schemes in February 2022.
London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman, said:
“TfL data shows that 20mph speed limits are reducing the number of collisions on London’s roads, highlighting how important the continued expansion of the 20mph programme is. Lowering speeds is one of the most important things we can do to reduce road danger and we’ll continue to work with TfL, the Met Police and London’s boroughs to make it easier and safer for people to walk, cycle and use public transport, creating a safer, greener London for everyone.”
Penny Rees, TfL’s Head of Healthy Streets Investment, said:
“We are determined to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from London’s roads in line with our Vision Zero goal. Speed continues to be a factor in almost half of fatal collisions in London and this is not acceptable. It’s clear that these new 20mph speed limits will not only save lives, but also make it easier and safer for people to walk, cycle and use public transport, creating a safer, greener London for everyone. We’re committed to eliminating unsafe speeds across our network and will work closely with the police to ensure the new speed limits are robustly enforced.”
Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, said:
“We’re thrilled that a new 20mph speed limit is being introduced by TfL on Seven Sisters Road, Stoke Newington High Street, Rectory Road and Stamford Hill, joining nearly all other main and Council residential roads in the borough.
“We have been campaigning with residents for this vital change for a number of years, so this is an important moment for so many of us given the impact of speeding in these locations. Ensuring 20mph is the norm will make each road safer for people who walk, cycle and take public transport, and also help create a greener, healthier Hackney for our residents.”
Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality, and Transport, said:
“It’s vitally important that we reimagine the way that we use our streets, to make them more pleasant, safer, and environmentally friendly for all.
“We’re delighted to have been able to work with TfL to bring new 20mph speed limits to Islington. As well as saving lives and reducing injuries, the new speed limits will support our efforts to create a more environmentally friendly Islington by making it easier to walk, cycle, wheel, and use buggies and wheelchairs.”
TfL has started work recently on major new schemes to make it safer and easier to walk and cycle in the capital. Construction work has started on Cycleway 50, a new route between Finsbury Park and Holloway Road, which will include an overhaul of the intimidating and outdated Nag’s Head gyratory. Work has also started to transform the Lea Bridge Roundabout in Hackney with upgraded pedestrian crossings and segregated cycle lanes throughout, making it easier to walk and cycle through this key junction.
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