Sarah Lunnon on roads...

How we might view roads had we more time to evolve with them:

Source: Johansson, R., (2009) Presentation: Chief Strategist, Road Safety Division, Swedish Road Administration, Improving Road Safety in Scotland: Prevention and Best Practice. Edinburgh, Tuesday 3rd February

20 mph consultation for Stroud - closes 15th November

Headline from local campaign years ago!

Philip Booth writes: below is the web page link for the Stroud 20mph proposals and how to respond to the consultation. Please do! I've also copied below my own response supporting the move. See streets affected here. Here is link to consultation but have had reports that link sometimes doesn't work - contact Highways directly:

www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/extra/article/115270/Stroud-20mph-Speed-Limit-Proposal

Dear Mr Wilson,

I write in support of the 20 mph zone for Stroud. I think this is a very positive and exciting development that will continue to build on a culture change that is needed to slow traffic, reduce casualties and create more liveable streets.

As District Councillor for Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe I have had many conversations about traffic in this ward and some in neighbouring areas - and reducing speeds has been repeatedly high on residents' list of concerns.There has been overwhelmingly support for 20 mph in residential areas. For 8 years we campaigned in this area to slow speeds; it was great to see such large sections of the community support the campaign. I am delighted we now have a 20 mph zone across the ward. Indeed my only disappointment with the Stroud scheme is that it is not a wider area linking up with this ward and extending over other residential areas.

However I don't think we should be fooled that 20 mph is the whole answer. Traffic will continue to speed but I am convinced 20 mph will lead to lower speeds, less speeding and a start to shift the culture of speeding. For too long we have seen 30 mph as the speed for residential areas and have got so used to that, that many find 20 mph uncomfortably slow. The more 20 mph is seen as the default the more it will help in that much-needed culture change. 20 mph will also allow us to look further at other traffic calming measures to support the 20 mph - not more humps and bumps but more along the lines of the Shared Spaces approach.

In support of this move I would like to make some further comments:

• 20 mph is safer. When a pedestrian is hit by a car at 40 mph they only have a 15% chance of surviving, at 30mph, 55%, but at 20mph the chance of survival increases to 95%. This is more than sufficient justification for a default 20 mph in urban areas. Amazingly even a 1 mph drop in average speed is estimated to reduce accidents by 6% in urban areas.
• 20 mph is more pleasant; 20 mph limits help create 'living streets' as this is the speed at which drivers can have eye contact with other users of the street. It is the speed at which pedestrians feel more confident about crossing the road, children play outside their homes and it is quiet enough to hold a conversation. Research has also found that residents of busy streets have less than one quarter the number of local friends than those on streets with little traffic. 20 mph is about reinforcing positive aspects of our villages and towns, reducing noise and discouraging through traffic. 30mph is just too fast for the mix of narrow roads, parked cars and limited footpaths, especially for children, dog walkers and cyclists.
• 20 mph doesn't impact significantly on journey times: in urban areas 20mph has been shown to lengthen average journey times by only 30 seconds. In some areas traffic in 20 mph zones ran more smoothly and led to less queueing at key junctions.
• 20 mph can cut CO2 emissions and increase health; research shows that 20mph limits are a critical success factor in promoting walking, cycling and public transport as alternatives to the private car. This means less CO2 emissions and healthier residents. 
• 20 mph are increasingly seen as the way to go; Lancashire have adopted a countywide 20 mph, while Portsmouth's 20 scheme has cut serious injuries and deaths by 22%. Newcastle, Leicester, Oxford, Hull, Bristol and many more towns, are among councils that are introducing blanket 20 mph limits on residential streets.

I give a huge welcome to this proposal and look forward to this being a step towards a safer more pleasant Gloucestershire.

All the best - Philip

Cllr Philip Booth, Stroud District councillor for Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe ward

First Glos County ward-wide 20 mph

 Philip writes:

The signs have started going up today and will be for next couple of days....it's been a long, long campaign but we are there.....yes still more to do to encourage slower speeds but this is a step forward....and one I promised to work on 7 years ago when I was first elected as a District Councillor.

Philip Booth, Stroud District councillor for Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe (Green) said: "At last! The signs are up. This is the first ward-wide 20 mph in the County. Reducing speeds has been repeatedly high on residents list of concerns. Over 8 years we've had meetings, petitions, public consultation and more. 30mph is just too fast for the mix of narrow roads, parked cars and limited or non-existent footpaths, especially for children, dog walkers and cyclists. We know 20 mph isn't the whole answer but it is a step in the right direction and plays a part in slowing traffic and changing the culture of driving in residential areas. 20 mph is safer, reinforces positive aspects of our villages, reduces noise and has been shown to lead to more people feeling safer to walk and cycle."

Philip Booth added: "I hope this will be the start of following Councils' like Portsmouth, Newcastle, Leicester, Oxford, Hull, Bristol and many more towns, where councils are introducing blanket 20 mph limits on residential streets. A huge thank you to all residents, both Parish Councils, Highways and County councillors Sarah Lunnon and Tony Blackburn for making this possible."

If you click on the tag below you will see the story of 20 mph in nearly 80 blogs! See for example my report to County re why we need 20 mph:
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/20-why-we-need-it.html

Meeting Martin Surl, Police and Crime Commissioner; hate crime, 20 mph and more

Talking crime at Scrutiny

Last Thursday was Strategic Scrutiny meeting at the Council. There were various reports re health updates, a 'lessons learned' report re the canal and more - but this blog is a brief look at Martin Surl's presentation to us and a couple of the questions I raised.

Interestingly what I didn't get a chance to say was that in 2011 Green County Councillor Sarah Lunnon sought in a motion to GCC to stop cuts to Emergency Services; the debate was guillotined - the main opposition to amendment seemed to be that Sarah was being political. Well she was - she was attempting to use the political process to protect our vital services.Martin has gained a 2% increase in the budget now so we hopefully wont see a big impact...

Anyway Martin outlined his approach and I welcomed lots of what he said like an emphasis on prevention of crime and his support for Restorative Justice and its aims to stop people re-offending. He listed 5 priorities; the first being about preventing crime, the second an emphasis on older people, third, young people becoming adults, the fourth about how we design spaces and last 'Safe & social driving'. You can see more here.

With limited time I noted the importance of building communities - stronger inclusive communities mean less crime, but also noted the under-reporting of Hate Crime in County particularly relating to incidents with people with disabilities. This needs to be taken seriously and I am not convinced the issue is understood.

Various other issues got raised during the evening - Martin assured us that he had the Minister's word that costs for policing the badger cull would come out of central government funds and not Gloucestershire. He aslo again stated the Police would be neutral - they were not there to support one side. He also noted he wanted to keep community policing like PCSOs.

The last issue I raised was around support for 20 mph - this is clearly a County Council issue but in the past Police have not been so supportive - it sounded like Martin was neutral on the issue.

I did of course mention that Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe ward could be the first in the County to have a ward-wide 20 mph. As regular blog readers will know since 2006 and indeed earlier many of us have been campaigning - reducing speeds has been repeatedly high on residents list of concerns when I knock on doors. In 2009 over 400 local residents signed a petition requesting lower speeds and both the Parish Plans called for slower speeds/20 mph limits. In a vote in Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish there was 83% in favour. We hope to get final confirmation very soon and the signs to go up this summer.

As I've said before and in my submission a few weeks ago regarding the Traffic Order:

30mph is just too fast for the mix of narrow roads, parked cars and limited or non-existent footpaths, especially for children, dog walkers and cyclists. 20 mph is safer. As you will know if you are driving at 30 mph and someone run's out three car lengths in front of you, you will hit them at 27mph; that is the equivalent to falling from the third floor of a building. At 20 mph you will stop just in time. On average five people lose their lives on roads in England and Wales every day, 63 sustain serious injuries and hundreds of others suffer other injuries.

20 mph is also about reinforcing positive aspects of our villages, reducing noise, discouraging through traffic and it has also been shown to lead to more people feeling safer to walk and cycle.

The idea of 20 limits over a wider area is about getting the message across that it is unacceptable to drive more than 20 mph in a residential area. Lancashire have adopted countywide 20 mph, while Portsmouth's 20 scheme has cut serious injuries and deaths by 22%. See my report to the County in 2010 on why we need 20 mph: http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/20-why-we-need-it.html

As one of those who has long worked for 20 mph locally and over all residential areas, I fully support this move towards a 20 mph. It will not be the whole answer to slowing speeds but is part of the approach to make our communities safer and more pleasant. I hope that this Traffic Order is approved without delay.

Design a poster for the 20 mph zone

Randwick Parish Councillor Mort Watkins writes: "Children who live in the Parish of Randwick or who attend Archway School are invited to design a sign to alert drivers to the 20 mph zone, currently being proposed in the Randwick Parish. Competition rules and template can be found on our website, http://community.stroud.gov.uk/randwick and entries must be with the Clerk of the Council no later than Friday 8th February 2013. Whiteshil and Ruscombe Parish have launched a similar scheme with their local schools.

Road Safety Week - a dismal affair?

Last night Full Council was cancelled due to the weather forecast - but the Green group of councillors still met to discuss a range of issues and approached - particularly with the budget coming up....but this blog is about a comment to the press by Green County Councillor Sarah Lunnon....as regular blog readers will know for some years I've been working locally with others on a ward-wide 20 mph...it looks like it is going to happen; a couple more hoops to go through.....

Greens call for Urban 20mph and No pavement parking

Road Safety week is a pretty dismal affair commented Cllr Sarah Lunnon (Green Stroud East) with the majority of the campaign being focussed on those who do the least damage. Pedestrians constantly taught how to cross roads, cyclists covered in dayglo and protected like they are ready for the amphitheatre. 

Greens are calling for a radically different approach to roads - one that recognises the needs of people to move around and not just when they are inside a vehicle.

Cllr Sarah Lunnon said "actually the signal for a vehicle to stop or slow down is not a red light or some other highway sign but a person. If for example a driver sees a child on the side of a road they should slow down, irrespective of the speed limit - children, well people are impulsive, they do daft things, they step into roads without looking or thinking. It is our responsibility when driving vehicles in urban, village and residential areas to recognise this".

At 20 mph this recognition is more likely, drivers can read what people in the street are doing, also if there is an accident a 20mph the likelyhood of death or serious injury is vastly lower than at 30mph or above. What we need is a Highway Authority, and political ambition prepared to protect the most vulnerable, by introducing a blanket 20mph across all of Gloucestershires current 30mph and reversing the defacto acceptance of vehicles parking on pavements and forcing pedestrians into the carriageway."

Whiteshill and Ruscombe vote for 20 mph

Citizen last year; many of us have been campaigning for years!

I don't know full details of the count which took place today in the Village Shop, but I understand 83% of those who voted were in favour of 20 mph. All residents of Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish was sent polling cards and this looks like we are now another step closer to 20 mph - Randwick have already agreed. Both Parishes need to confirm to County then the legal process begins for a Traffic Order - assuming no problems with that we could see 20 mph signs as early as April across the Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe ward.

I have to say I am delighted we are getting closer - as I've said many times, 20 mph is not the answer to our problems with traffic going too fast but it is a step in the right direction to change our culture - in many other countries it is the norm to have 30 km (20 mph) in residential areas and some in this country like Lancashire are going for Countywide 20 mph schemes. 20 mph will hopefully make all of us drivers think and hopefully cut our speeds - see my recent letter to press here as to why 20 mph is important.

UPDATE: Here are the figures: 265 votes:
217 Yes
48   No
19   Spoilt or invalid
83% in favour
27.5% turnout

20mph; make your vote count in Whiteshill and Ruscombe

Time for a 20 mph speed limit in our villages: please support

Well the consultation in Whiteshill and Ruscombe is nearly over on the 20 mph - I urge folk to take their votes to the ballot box in the village shop. Randwick have already had their consultation - Whiteshill and Ruscombe have gone a step further with a full ballot of the electorate which closes on 20th October. We have come such a long way and it would be awful not to get the votes we need in favour of the changes.....please vote.

We really can make a difference and start changing the culture - yes it wont be the answer but it is a step in the right direction....and by sharing the costs between teh Parishes it will never be this cheap an option again. See my letter to the press on this issue here - and below a letter to press from my colleague Sarah Lunnon - I copy it here as several people heard the 20 mph story in the national tabloids - sadly another great example of how tabloids twist the news.....

Re Philip Booths letter (20mph 12/09/12) readers may have been surprised, like Gloucestershire’s Green Party, by the story "Injuries increased in 20mph zones" carried by many news outlets. It is well known that an impact at 20mph causes less injury than an impact at 40mph. Injury being proportional to energy, and energy is higher at higher speeds - So what was going on?

Well as many excellent blogs have pointed out "Back when there were fewer 20mph streets, fewer people were injured on 20mph streets. Now that there are more 20mph streets, more people are being injured on 20mph streets. Journalists however had taken the raw numbers of people injured on the 20mph streets, rather than taking the rate of injuries per mile of streets. This road safety intervention, they concluded, isn’t working." 

Simple as that.

ROSPA’s website gives the figure of 450 20mph zones introduced 1991-99, and that by 2008, no less than 2148 zones had been introduced.

It is also possible that other factors are involved, such as people feeling more free to run about in 20mph zones, but if anyone is going to argue that, they are going to have to substantiate it, and it also completely misses the quality of life benefits that come with reduced traffic speeds.
 
Sarah Lunnon, Green Party, County Councillor for Stroud East

Local bits and pieces

Mains Water Leak in Ludlow Green: Water has been running down the road for many days and Severn Trent have said they will not act until 30th to stop the mains leak. Residents, the Parish Council, myself and Highways have also been made aware. I hope that action can be taken; three residents have already contacted me directly. One of them, a regular cyclist says the water on the bend in the road is dangerous and needs attention.

Update from STW: Water legislation states that customers must have 48hrs notice of a planned shutdown of the water supply. The Resource Manager at Staverton have requested a shut for this Sunday (23rd Sep) but they will need to arrange for warning letters to be hand delivered asap to comply with this legislation and therefore for the shut to go ahead. This they will do their best to achieve.

Whiteshill and Ruscombe Shop Break-In: Sadly the shop was broken into on Tuesday and cigarettes taken; there are few there but the repairs needed will take a huge chunk of money. I've just been there today for a coffee and would urge others to go along and if poss slip some money into the repairs box! Last week the Paganhill PO had the knife-point robbery which is in local press this week - however it is perhaps worth reminding ourselves that we live in a wonderfully safe place compared to many.

Welfare Reform: Wednesday night I was at a meeting re the introduction of the Universal Credit and it's impact on local residents. It comes in Oct 2013 to 2017 and will replace a number of benefits and will also be less money - in Stroud District's case that is around £108k. It wont affect pensioners but those in Council tenancies with a spare bedroom face a 14% cut and if 2 spare bedrooms a 25% cut; all tenants are being written to and those facing massive changes have already had a letter.

Randwick Parish 20mph meeting: On Tuesday I was at the Parish Council organised evening to hear more about the introduction of a 20 mph zone across most of Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe. As many will know I have been working for this for many years with many different groups. At the meeting it was good to hear many voices in favour but also those rightly questioning certain aspects like around enforcement etc - and there will be no more bumps as part of this!! I am delighted we are now getting close - Whiteshill and Ruscombe have a meeting on 2nd October so if you missed the Randwick one come along and here about it - see my letter to press here.

Whiteshill, Ruscombe and Randwick 20 mph consultation begins: my letter to press

Headline years ago when we called for 20

Here's a copy of letter to local press sent last week and hopefully in some of local papers tomorrow. The Parish Councils want to ensure everyone has a chance to be involved and have their say. Details of the proposals will be published in the Randwick Runner and the Whiteshill Warbler newsletters. In addition, there will be two information events to give residents the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback on the proposals; on the 18th of September in Randwick and the 2nd October in Whiteshill. Parish councillors and a representative from the Gloucestershire Highways will be on hand to talk through the details of the proposal and answer questions. Residents may also send comments to: Randwick Parish at: clerk.randwick(at)btinternet.com and Whiteshill & Ruscombe Parish at: clerk(at)wrpc.org.uk

Anyway here is the letter:

Whiteshill, Ruscombe and Randwick have long sought lower traffic speeds, indeed one ex-councillor started campaigning more than 33 years ago! Well now after some serious disappointments over previous years, the Parish Councils are at the first stage of the County’s Big Community Offer scheme to introduce a 20 mph on most roads in the two Parishes. A consultation process with residents is being launched this month to determine if the scheme goes forward.

Reducing speeds is repeatedly high on residents list of concerns. In 2009 over 400 local residents signed a petition requesting lower speeds and both the Parish Plans call for 20 mph limits. Indeed locally we have cross-party support for the move. 30mph is just too fast for the mix of narrow roads, parked cars and limited or non-existent footpaths, especially for children, dog walkers and cyclists.

We all know that 20 mph is safer. If you are driving at 30 mph and someone run's out three car lengths in front of you, you will hit them at 27mph; that is the equivalent to falling from the third floor of a building. At 20 mph you will stop just in time. On average five people lose their lives on roads in England and Wales every day, 63 sustain serious injuries and hundreds of others suffer other injuries. Why take the risk?

20 mph is also about reinforcing positive aspects of our villages, reducing noise, discouraging through traffic and it has also been shown to lead to more people feeling safer to walk and cycle. In urban areas 20 has been shown to lengthen average journey times by only 30 seconds.

The idea of 20 limits over a wider area is about getting the message across that it is unacceptable to drive more than 20 mph in a residential area. Lancashire have adopted countywide 20 mph, while Portsmouth's 20 scheme has cut serious injuries and deaths by 22%. As one of those who has long worked for 20 mph locally and over all residential areas, I fully support this latest move by our Parish Councils.

Cllr Philip Booth, Stroud District councillor for Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe ward 


See my report to County re why we need 20 mph:
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/20-why-we-need-it.html

20 mph update: value to public health

Russ cartoon

It looks like 2nd October will be the Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish consultation re introducing a 20 mph zone to nearly all the Parish plus Randwick. I have written many pages and reports on the value of 20 mph and don't intend to repeat here - check out previous posts by clicking 20 mph label below - however here is something new....

Bristol’s 20mph report on the 2 Bristol 20 mph pilots (the combined areas cover approximately 500 roads and 30,000 households) found some figures re the impact of 20 mph:

pg 2 - Using a mean of a 23% increase in walking and a 20.5% increase in cycling the Health Economic Assessment Tool (a conservative method of assessment) indicates that for each £ spent the return on investment for:
• walking is £24.72
• cycling is £7.47.

The Department of Transport states that any schemes giving a return on investment of more that £2 for every pound spent give high value for money. How’s that for value for money Public Health improvement?

Support national safer cycling petition

Oh dear last week I had a tricky situation - I've used the same number on my combination lock since I was a wee lad - of course now I have a sooooper doooper strong lock - well it gave up last week when I was locked on a fence outside the Canal Centre - no amount of twisting and turning and retrying unlocked it - I borrowed massive bolt cutters but they were broken - in the end Travis Perkins came to the rescue with a hack saw - still don't know why the lock failed.....anyhow it means a new lock is needed....anyway I am clearly still traumatised by this....but onto what I was meaning to write about....

The Times is running a campaign to make cities fit for cycling - it includes calls for 20 mph in residential areas.  They have launched an 8-point manifesto, and it is hard to argue against any of their aims - I think it should be supported by all.  Sign petition at: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/contact/

Meanwhile after years of lobbying for simple changes to traffic sign regulations, CTC, The UK's National Cyclists' Organisation with 68,000 members, welcomed last year that the Government has finally agreed to a relaxation of certain rules. This includes for example permitting an ‘except cyclists’ plate to be used in conjunction with a ‘no entry’ sign, a trial permitting cycling over zebra crossings, as well as an advanced green light phase for cyclists and the means to bypass standard traffic signals. The changes should make streets safer and road engineering cheaper.

Local authorities will now have the freedom to allow two-way cycling on quiet one-way streets with a simple sign change. This has long been common practice in Europe and is a safe, sensible approach to improving cycle access whilst reducing street clutter. The move to give greater local flexibility over signing may help make it easier for authorities to allow cycling where current regulations create a stumbling block. Green County councillor Sarah Lunnon is in the process of finding out how Gloucestershire intend to act.

Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe 20 mph update

I've not had a chance to write up quite a number of recent meetings like Parish Councils, Green councillors and more - I'm not sure I will now as have another busy week with meetings every night - but I did want to add a note about the recent Working Party looking at 20 mph within the two Parishes. For those interested in the long history click on the 20 mph label - for me the story goes back 7 years but I read in the Randwick Runner Brian Stanley has campaigned for 33 years!! In 1988 he got a 30mph through the Parish but still hasn't got the 20 mph.....we were promised 7 years ago but at the last minute it was taken away....anyhow since then we've had working party's 20 is Plenty, a big Parish petition and much more...

Well now at last with the Community Offer by Highways we are moving forward again...Gloucestershire Highways cannot fund non priority schemes and police enforcement resources are limited and therefore communities are being given the opportunity to look at what they can do to put in place traffic calming and speed reduction measures in partnership with GCC. The Gloucestershire Highways Community Offer details can be found on the GCC website: http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/highwaysyourwayhttp://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=105872  


At our working group meeting in Westrip we looked at the options with a Highways Officer and have now embarked on further research into options and costs. Reducing speeds is clearly the aim - and a key issue raised with me on the doorstep - we basically are exploring two ways - should we go for a mandatory 20 mph across both Parishes - or just go for an advisory? Advisory is cheaper but how much do people really take notice of such advice...

The mandatory is a more complex process and more costly although Highways pay half and the two Parishes would split the cost - mandatory is also about changing the culture of speed - increasingly residential areas are wanting to create more pleasant environments which are not determined by giving priority to traffic. We also all know that hit at 30 mph you are much more likely to die than hit at 20 mph - see my 500 words in The Citizen here, the report I wrote here and the letter to GCC councillors here. Of course some of a mandatory speed limit's effect will also wear off as they do with the advisory - speeds can creep back up - but to me it is also a message about caring for our villages and the people in them - in Norway for example and other places in Europe 30 kph (about 20 mph) is mandatory in residential areas - drivers get used to it - already there is huge demand from Parishes across Gloucestershire for traffic calming and indeed across the country - Portsmouth has just turned their whole city 20 mph. I am convinced the better option is a mandatory but clearly even an advisory would be an improvement.

Of course none of this is possible without other traffic measures - 'gateways' are being considered - these are entrances to the villages - in some places they are earth bunds, others white gateposts (not like the Standish ones), some have lots of planting and in some places Cotswold stone walls (set back from road) - but basically a way to tell drivers you are entering a different area - a village with people in the streets...they work in many areas with strong evidence they cut speeds. I personally don't like humps or rumble strips as they urbanise our village environment......

Anyway we have a way to go - TRO's take about 2 years but we have at least started the process and will also be looking at how residents can be consulted - do drop me a line with any thoughts.

Next step to slow traffic

Slides from talk

Before Christmas I was at the Randwick Parish Council meeting - very nice it was to as after my feedback re District Council stuff and a shorter agenda we had a presentation from Highways about 20 mph (see details at bottom of how you can hear presentation), then a presentation of cheques to local groups and then wine and nibbles for any local residents present.

Long have we campaigned for a 20 mph in the two Parishes - see here demo last year in Whiteshill. See here why 20 mph is the way to go and on the 20 mph label for lots lots more about 20 mph. Well now Highways have finally sorted the direction they intend to go in the light of cuts of 30% to Highways.

The way forward came partly out of a County Scrutiny meeting which reported on actions needed. I can't do justice to the talk but basically there are three ways forward - see slide one.

The crucial question is with limited resources how best should the two Parishes reduce speed - an issue that gets a mention more than most other items on the doorstep. As the last slide on this blog post from recent speed tests shows it is partly a perception of speed rather than speed itself - but nevertheless speed is still above 20 mph and also looking at some of the sites shows that infact speed maybe higher at some other sites.....

So should we pursue a 20 mph mandatory speed limit? Many have wished for this and for me it is about changing our culture - 20 mph should be the norm in all residential areas - my report linked earlier has plenty of arguments why it is needed - reduced casualties, increased cycling and walking, more pleasant neighbourhoods etc.

However with limited resources should we pay for a TRO to get a 20 mph? Yes cheaper if we did the two parishes together - but still has a cost - and will just a speed limit reduce speeds? Certainly in some areas like Portsmouth where there is a city-wide 20 mph the evidence is that speeds are significantly reduced in some areas - but many areas only marginal speed reductions. Another factor is that speeds are reduced with new signs but then creep up again unless traffic calming measures are also done.

Would money be better spent on gateways that reduce speeds coming into the village and other traffic calming measures?

Ideally we need both in my view. Traffic engineers will likely recommend traffic calming over the mandatory speed limits but it is up to the community to decide - the next step is to establish another working party to look at all this - oh dear how slow all this moves - no wonder people get disillusioned with local government - it was back in 2006 it was reported to us by the then county councillor that the mandatory 20 mph was all but certain - since then we have had endless confusion and misinformation. Having said that now there is a clear process set out by the County and I am optimistic of at least finding a way forward.


Highways will be doing the same talk to Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council meeting on Thursday 12th January 2012 at 7.30pm in Whiteshill Village Hall on Main Road. All welcomed - it is a public meeting.
  

20 mph to get another working party

20 is Plenty scheme

 Glacial is the pace of getting 20mph in this area - we've had campaigns, agreements, petitions and more...well now comes the County's Community Offer......it means another 20 mph working group which I've already requested to join. It will look at questions like those below - many of which we have already answered.....My blog has covered lots on 20 mph over the last years like the 500 words in The Citizen here, the report I wrote here and the letter last year to GCC councillors here.

As a starting point the working groups need to be thinking about some of the following questions:
·         What roads in the parish would be covered by the reduced speed limit?
·         What type of scheme would be acceptable and affordable to the community (speed limit campaign, advisory speed limit, or a traffic regulation order changing the speed limit)?
·         How will the parish demonstrate community support for spending local funds on the scheme such as a petition or open meeting?
·         How will consultation be carried out and who will respond to consultees?
·         What natural traffic calming features already exist and what additional features may be required?
·         What speed survey data is already available?
·         How many speed limit signs would need changing?

New Scientist article on 20mph

Old newspaper cover of our campaign

Speeding comes out in the top three issues when I am on the doorstep in the ward. This is not strange and is reflected nationally where speeding is among the top local issues. As many will know we have long campaigned for 20mph for residential areas. The campaign continued but we are not sure whether the County really understands this issue. They have for years failed to act on repeated requests. The latest possibility relates to GCC's Big Community Offer - it is not clear whether our 20mph proposals fit that bill. Hopefully news soon?

The New Scientist article here, is worth a read as it reinforces what we have already said.... it has a useful opinion piece on why 20 mph is the way to go:. Here are a couple of paras: "Survivability refers to the body's capacity to tolerate the energy transfer in accidents. Evidence shows that on access roads, where crashes involving pedestrians are likely, a 20mph (30kph) limit is appropriate. On distribution roads, where side impacts are likely - when a car might ram into the side of another that is pulling out of a side road, for instance - the limit should be 30mph (50kph). In situations without pedestrians and where side impacts and head-on collisions are improbable - motorways and freeways - the limit should be 60 to 70mph (100 to 110kph)....

.....It may be important for politicians to distinguish between media debate and public concern on this issue. For example, Damian Poulter – a colleague at the University of Reading, UK – and I examined the UK government's British Crime Survey to determine what people are concerned about in their local communities. In comparison with a range of antisocial behaviours such as race attack, drugs, intimidation and noisy neighbours, speeding was the top concern (Accident Analysis and Prevention, DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2006.08.015)."

20 mph update

Well the update is that there is still no news from the county re our repeated requests for a 20 mph. However the '20 is Plenty'  signage has returned to the Parish - and I did want to note the decision by the European Parliament to support 20mph speed limits in urban areas. The measure was part of a report, adopted by the parliament, which aims to improve road safety across the EU.

As a member of the parliament’s Transport Committee Green MEP Keith Taylor had argued for the 20mph speed limit in urban areas to be included in the report. He commented: "Road accidents across Europe remain at unacceptably high levels and there is a need for a more concerted effort to improve road safety. The European Parliament has today signalled the right direction for road safety, notably by strongly recommending an EU-wide speed limit of 30 km/h (20mph) in urban areas. This limit would ensure drivers have to respect the same road rules no matter where they drive, making it easier for drivers and safer for all those on or near our roads. Lower speed limits in urban areas will not only have major safety benefits for all road users but will also reduce noise and air pollution and, as such, would be a win-win situation."

The overall target of the report, adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg, is to reduce EU road deaths by half (from 38,000 in 2010) as well as reducing injuries. Various measures to tackle the major causes of traffic accidents – alcohol, drugs and speed – are included in the report. These range from recommending lower blood alcohol levels for new and professional drivers, fitting alcolocks which prevent driving if alcohol is detected to new types of commercial vehicle, reducing danger from ´blind spots´ and promoting safe routes to school.

'20 is Plenty' set to return

Well as the '20 is Plenty' signs look set to return to both Randwick and Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parishes for six months we are still lobbying the county to take action on our long term request for a mandatory limit. Click on the label below to see more but I did want to note that yet more evidence grows for mandatory 20 mph in residential areas - see below. Indeed to me, as I've said before, the evidence is overwhelming, why are the County failing to act??

Yes finances I hear you cry but some Parishes have already said they would pay and savings in accidents etc are well documented. Plus if you do whole areas the cost comes down dramatically. We need to change the culture and start making residential areas places to live not traffic sewers! Anyhow Brake say that the average motorist breaks the speed limit an astonishing 18,000 times during his or her lifetime. It also wants motorists to drive at 20mph or below in built-up areas to help reduce road deaths. Read the Daily Mail article here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018283/Fast-loose-law-Average-Briton-break-speed-limit-18-000-times-life.html

Dismay at cabinet advice on road safety

20 is Plenty is OK but what we need are mandatory schemes

The Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership and Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, GCC cabinet member issued a press release last week and oh how they got it wrong again. See here their release on road safety for children during the light summer evenings. It is very frustrating as once again the messages are aimed in the wrong direction.

Our Green County Councillor Sarah Lunnon (Stroud East) sums it up when she says: "Pedestrians and children are shown as being the most vulnerable on the roads, yet all of the safety messages are aimed at them, not at those who actually hit them with a tonne of solid metal moving at high speeds in residential areas. If you hit soft human flesh, 30mph is fast even if it is the speed limit."

The council's advice did not include any tips for motorists.

Of course the solution is to introduce 20mph speed limit across the county in residential areas - Green party policy and something this blog has pushed and pushed. A starting point to make our streets, villages and towns safer would be blanket 20mph zones so that children can cycle and move around their local area. Yet our GCC Cabinet member doesn't seem to understand and by many accounts seems to dismiss even the idea of a blanket 20 mph.

Sarah Lunnon said in response to the press release: "Given the higher proportion of children making up the road casualties why is Will Windsor-Clive refusing to consider blanket 20mph? It's simple, easy to understand and no enforcement is needed to reduce speeds. How many more injured children does he need? The penalty for children being on holiday should not be serious injury or death."

Stroud against the gyratory

BBC pic of new bridge under construction

There has been much debate in the local papers about the approach to Stroud at Wallbridge - where the new Brewery Bridge is due to open very soon. This point should encourage access into the town and not be a racetrack acting as a dangerous barrier to the future development of Stroud. Greens have long supported the local pressure group, Stroud Against the Gyratory. By closing the temporary road once the new Stroud Brewery Bridge is open, a pleasant public space could be created that would encourage people to slow down and relax rather than pass through.

As County Cllr Sarah Lunnon (Stroud East) said to press in response to the latest suggestions to support keeping both bridges open: "We need to ensure safe access into Stroud, build beautiful places, not scare people away. All over country small towns with big fast roads in the centre just wither and die. I don't want to see that happen to Stroud."

The current set-up is very unpleasant for pedestrians and cyclists, and there doesn't seem to be much improvement once the new bridge is open. I like many others think that if we close the current temporary road and revert to the old system it would greatly improve the experience of entering Stroud. There is also news that a restaurant is to open in July at the old hotel by Cheapside - we could create a wonderful peaceful space that people would be drawn to: would you rather eat a meal and have a coffee looking out over a square and canal or with cars racing past right in front of you? Closing the road can surely only enhance that area -  and bring more jobs.