TfL Consulting on 20mph Limits for Central London

Transport for London’s (TfL) current consultation on 20mph limits[1] heralds a concerted bid to reduce speeds across the capital. It includes a range of measures to increase driver compliance. Support the consultation by 10 July.

[1] https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/streets/20/consultation/

Policy on reducing London’s road casualties is now guided by the Vision Zero Action Plan[1] launched in July 2018. Its ambition is that, by 2041, no one will be killed or seriously injured on London’s roads. It focuses on speed, as excess speed is a factor in up to 37% of serious and fatal collisions on London’s roads. Where people and vehicles mix, TfL supports reducing maximum speeds to 20mph whether on borough-controlled roads (95% of London’s roads) or on the 5% of roads TfL itself controls (the Red Routes) which carry 30% of London’s traffic.

This consultation sets out plans to introduce 20mph limits on the remaining roads that TfL manages inside the Central London Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ) (IMAGE 1). All TfL managed roads inside the CCZ (IMAGE 2) would then become 20mph limited. If approved, these changes will be implemented by May 2020.

The consultation also refers to a second phase where limits will be reduced on almost 100 miles of the Red Route network across inner and outer London, including the inner ring road, high-risk roads and town centres. This is an extremely significant demonstration of TfL’s policy to reduce road danger right across the capital.

Key too is the emphasis on increasing driver compliance. TfL will use a range of measures including signage (eg lamp post banners/Vehicle Activated Signs), traffic calming features (eg raised tables/pedestrian crossings) and safety cameras (set to 20mph with £100 fines). Vision Zero is also seeing a greater focus on speed enforcement from the Metropolitan Police; for example, its concerted campaign on the A10 in Enfield which it is promoting heavily on social media[2]. From this year too all new London buses are being fitted with mandatory speed limiters[3].

IMAGE 1