Is our built environment part of the problem of us moving our bodies less and can it also be a solution? A recent report from Public Health England clearly cites the need to make changes to enhance active travel. 20mph limits can help our public realm be better for more people to walk and cycle regularly. The rationale is simple - provide safer spaces and people will use them.  Continue reading

The Scottish Government can lead on a 20mph default for built up roads. Default 20mph is eight times cheaper than each Local Authority signing 20mph where people and motor traffic mix.  LA’s funding each locality is £13.5-£15m more than a national default. We urge Ministers to choose road danger reduction at source for all and choose default 20mph. The £2m cost is only 0.3% of Scotland’s trunk road capital budget.  Continue reading

For some it could seem counterintuitive to applaud a network-wide 1-2mph speed reduction. However, wide 20mph limits are highly cost effective. What seems, at first, like a small reduction in speeds benefits society at large. Shared gains add up. Wide 20mph limits are efficient, affordable, cost-effective, fair, understandable, rapid to install and healthy. Continue reading

20 mph limits are fantastic value for money with huge first year rates of return.  Spending on all roads benefits every resident. Many different funds can pay for 20mph - which costs about £2.50-£3 per head. A national default 20mph limit would be cheaper due to fewer repeater signs, traffic orders and marketing. Cardiff propose using motoring fines.  Continue reading

20mph limits are proven to prevent road injury, and reduce fear, fumes, noise and loneliness. Like universal vaccination, 20mph limits cost effectively raise public health in built up areas - due to less danger and greater physical exercise. Not to bring in 20mph could be grossly negligent.  Continue reading

Whilst many urban councils have pressed ahead with 20mph limits, some County and, particularly Shire Councils have not always told the truth if reluctant to implement 20mph. We bust the common 20mph myths. Continue reading

Road injuries hurt an estimated 1% of people a year and its rising. Tackling road risk is key to public health improvement outdoors for all ages. Community-wide 20mph limits confer huge health economic returns in casualties avoided and in active travel exercise gains.   Continue reading

Article on 20's Plenty reprinted from the Green Liberal Democrat Magazine. Rod King makes the case for a national 20mph default urban limit by 2020 Thanks for permission to reprint Continue reading

Children are recommended an hour of active play daily, ideally outdoors.  With wide area 20mph limits they can more safely reach the best play locations.  20mph is child protection.  It encourages parents to allow kids out so children can move, be fit, sporty, explore, have fun and see friends. Playing out  encourages walking or cycling to school.  Continue reading

Being active is the ‘wonder drug’ that more Britons should be taking regularly.  The greatest gains in health are from regular activities like walking or cycling locally.  20mph speed limits are a crucial platform for people to choose active travel. All local transport methods and journeys become safer and more pleasant. 20mph helps keep people safe and gets their legs moving more often! Continue reading

Successful ways to campaign for 20mph limits include demonstrating community support to local politicians. Getting on the agenda of each major Party political group meeting can really help councillors to understand and vote for a Total 20mph policy. Win by speaking direct to those with power to set local road speeds Continue reading

Elected representatives must prioritise which policy ideas to action first based on factors like maximising the benefits, how easy policies are to deliver, achieving cross-party consensus, manifesto promises and responding to community asks. 20mph limits tick all the boxes since they benefit all age groups, genders and rich and poor alike. 20mph limits are a proven, affordable, popular and ‘can-do’ policy. Continue reading

Heike Aghte from Berlin is one of the leading campaigners for setting default 20mph or 30km/h limits in Europe and attended our 2015 20mph places conference in Cambridge on March 12th. Here we reproduce her notes on the conference. Continue reading

We provide an update on the state of 20mph adoption in London Boroughs. Continue reading

20mph limits support our universal rights to freedom of movement, clean air and freedom from intimidation.  Authorities who civilise roads with 20mph limits care about public health and child protection. 20mph supports fairness and public sector equality duties. Continue reading

 Presentation made by Rod King at the "20mph It's Miles Better" conference, Cambridge, 12th Mar 2015 Continue reading

Warrington has won 20mph awards and praise as has Brighton.  Bristol was voted ‘most desirable city’ in the UK. Cambridge, Britain’s innovation centre, also has 20mph limits.  The UK’s most celebrated places are winning prestigious prizes for 20mph. Continue reading

A new NICE review on tackling the causes of early death reminds Local Authorities that 20mph offers huge public health gains. At £3 per head of population, 20mph is cost effective as the recommended speed limit for child protection and to support public sector equality duties. Continue reading

We’re celebrating 20mph. People love 20mph limits as they are proven safer and healthier. 20mph is nearly fatality-free (3% vs 20% fatalities at 30mph). Both UK results and published literature says we are better protected on 20mph streets. Those who care want 20mph limits. Continue reading

Hindsight informs future best practice. We ask “What could be done differently?” 20mph implementers have shared their experience in a Brake webinar and with 20’s Plenty for Us. Continue reading

Public Health leaders are increasingly identifying wide-area 20mph limits as key for liveability & health equality. Speed reduction tackles risk, inactivity, obesity, isolation & is child, disability, elderly & dementia friendly. Continue reading

Here we "bust" all the 20mph myths that opponents so often use as an argument against implementing an appropriate limit for residential, urban and village streets Continue reading

In its latest guidance the DfT is very supportive of 20mph limits, yet some shire county 20mph policies do not reflect this. Continue reading

Does your Local Authority value older people? Vulnerability due to slow to heal injuries, delayed reactions, slower movements, instability and eye problems mean that older people gain a lot from 20mph limits. Continue reading

The aim of 20mph limits is slower speeds. High compliance is gained by positive engagement rather than just asking resident’s views. Continue reading

Healthy roads have slow speed limits.  Roads and pavements make up most of the public realm.  Wide 20mph limits affordably and effectively tackle fear, injury risks, child protection, obesity and health inequalities whilst raising fitness through active travel. Continue reading

Attracting visitors, ideally arriving by public transport, brings prosperity. Tourists often sightsee by walking around. Visitor numbers rise when the public realm is improved by safer, nicer streets. As with pedestrianisation, 20mph limits attract walkers. With less danger, footfall rises as do profits. Cyclist numbers increase too. Continue reading

Children and families are big winners from slower speeds. Wide 20mph limits help parents and children to get around locally. Less danger or parent ‘taxi-duty’ and more walking and cycling means healthier, happier families with extra money to spend. Continue reading

Door stepping is key to canvassing local opinion. Election candidates and resident’s associations are recommended to ask if wide-area, default 20mph limits are popular. 20mph is an affordable pledge that all ages can support. It’s a deliverable promise for a better community. Continue reading

Total 20 has exceptional investment returns.  It is a transport intervention like no other which really benefits from multi-agency collaboration.  Signed, mandatory 20mph limits without humps is much more about ‘social engagement’ than ‘traffic engineering’.  Coordinated and sustained marketing of 20mph benefits will best raise driver awareness, compliance and contribute to making better communities. Continue reading

Lower speeds improve streets.  20mph raises safety and quality of life.   Signed 20mph limits are proven effective.  Maximising compliance is key.  Behaviour change is through engagement and light enforcement. This 2-page briefing sets out the wide evidence that 20mph limits are beneficial to communities. Continue reading

Our briefing sheet for the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group when we gave evidence on 6th Feb 2013. Continue reading

Gaining widespread driver compliance with 20 mph limits involves much more than relying on police enforcement. Multi-agency collaboration and social marketing are crucial. Continue reading

Installing 20 mph limits is primarily a capital spend and has little bearing on council services or jobs. 20 mph limits are an affordable, best value policy with exceptional rates of return. Continue reading

Slower speeds prevent road crashes or reduce the damage they cause.  There are free casualty maps online.  Look up your road and request 20 mph. Continue reading

Villagers need protection from speeding traffic. Rural through-route traffic is often heavy and excessively fast without urban congestion. Country streets can have narrow or no pavements, even when doors lead straight to a road. Getting safely to shops and schools at village edges is crucial.  Many villages, even with ‘A’ roads, have successfully been 20mph limited. Continue reading

Wide area 20 mph limits are extremely popular.  Furthermore, approval levels rise, validating the policy’s implementation.  No humps are needed.   Continue reading

Slowing speed limits from 30mph to 20mph has contributed to increasing cycling and walking by over 20%. 20mph increases physical activity and reduces traffic. Cyclist casualties fall Continue reading

20mph limits boost business.  Places embracing slower speeds and therefore walkers and cyclists have higher levels of footfall and takings.  Less fuel is used.  Journey times are unaffected.  Continue reading

Public Health England’s Chief Exec Designate, Duncan Selbie, has used 20mph limits as an example for Public Health Directors of how they can provide visible, accessible and practical evidence to local authorities to benefit community health and “reduce child accidents and deaths by an important margin” . Liverpool and Bristol’s PCT’s have given funding or expertise towards implementing community wide 20mph limits. Health improves and people are better protected in 20mph areas. Continue reading

It’s a popular misconception that fuel efficiency peaks at 50-60mph. Yet What Car magazine found that for many cars 20mph was the most efficient speed .  In urban conditions 20mph beats 30mph for saving fuel. 20mph limits mean less acceleration and braking. Walking and cycling increase. 20’s Plenty is green Continue reading

An extensive list of Council Scrutiny Committee reports have concluded 20’s Plenty Where People Live.  Enough sources cite 20mph as a “Best Value Policy”. Implementing road danger reduction need not be delayed by duplicating further scrutiny.  Continue reading

Over 75% of people say 20mph is the right speed limit for residential streets. It’s recognised as “best practice” where there are pedestrians and cyclists such as town centres, shops, workplaces or schools.  Children are better protected if 20mph limits surround nurseries, parks and play areas.  Quality of life and ‘liveability’ improves. Continue reading

People wrongly assume that 20mph limits delay journey times.  Yet, average city speeds are generally well below 20mph owing to congestion and queues.   And traffic flows more freely at 20mph than 30mph:  drivers make better use of road space by packing closer and  junctions work more efficiently and at a higher capacity as its easier to merge. Because drivers feel safer, some leave their cars at home, further reducing congestion.  20mph limits mean quicker journeys. Continue reading

An update on a previous report on the case for 30kph limits as a standard across Europe Briefing sheet on how the “Total 20” policy used by UK towns should be replicated throughout Europe. Continue reading

The number of people living in local authorities committed to 20mph limits now reaches 8m Continue reading