Speed awareness

After speaking with concerned residents on many streets like Woodhead Road and Nether Edge Road, who frequently witness drivers ignoring 20mph zone speed limits, I understand and echo SC's concern (Star Letters November 11).
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Nov 2016, 05:44 BST
Updated 18th Nov 2016, 11:22 BST
20mph zone20mph zone
20mph zone

Implementing 20mph speed limit areas on a piecemeal basis is costly, inefficient and less effective.

In 2012 Sheffield council changed focus to small schemes around schools.

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Portsmouth (population 205,000) implemented a citywide scheme in 2008 for just £425,000.

Sheffield’s final bill for the crawl towards citywide implementation will be massively more expensive.

A report to Cabinet at the time of the 2012 decision said “a blanket approach is more likely to produce positive results as the accompanying publicity and promotion can be pitched to give the scheme a much higher profile: drivers know the residential limit is 20mph.”

This awareness is the key and it gradually changes driver behaviour.

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We really need this to happen as over four-fifths of child casualties occur on roads with a 30mph speed limit.

The council hopes to complete a citywide residential roads scheme by 2025 but funding will clearly be an issue.

Lib Dem then Labour administrations missed an opportunity to implement a citywide scheme affordably before austerity budgets began to really bite.

It would help protect residents and visitors from road danger, air and noise pollution and encourage greater use of streets for sustainable travel, walking and cycling to raise public health for all ages and abilities.

Alison Teal

Cllr Nether Edge & Sharrow

Related topics:SheffieldPortsmouthLabour