Green's lead way to a safer Sheffield

8th November2009

The Greens put a motion to full council last week in support of the "Twenty’
s Plenty for Sheffield" campaign, which proposes a city-wide 20mph speed limit in residential urban areas in Sheffield. This was amended but received cross party support.

A new report by by Sheffield University says that road traffic accidents are
responsible for a fifth of all deaths in Sheffield people aged between 15
and 24 and are the most common cause of death of a child aged 5 to 14. Around 300 pedestrians are injured on Sheffield’s roads every year.

The Greens also point to research from UK and abroad that has shown
city-wide speed limits of 20mph have significantly reduced speeds in just the first year of operation, and after several years reduced urban accident rates by up to two-thirds, with numbers killed and seriously injured reduced by even more.

Coun Jillian Creasy added , "In these cities the new speed limits have
encouraged walking and cycling, especially for the elderly and younger children, but only increased the journey time of a 15 minute car journey by just 1 minute. They have also reduced vehicle emissions by 12% due to less acceleration and deceleration. And 72% of drivers surveyed as part of the British Social Attitudes Survey support the move."

She continued, "We are pleased that the motion received cross party support and that the principle of slower speed limits on residential roads has been officially recognised. However, a city wide 20mph limit is more effective than bringing it in area by area through Community Assemblies as the Administration wants. It would set a code of behaviour across the whole city so that it becomes "normal" to drive at 20mph in residential areas. Everyone would know the rule and there would be no need for signs or humps".

ENDS

SHEFFIELD GREEN PARTY MOTION

(a) notes the "Twenty’s Plenty for Sheffield" campaign that proposes a
city-wide 20mph speed limit in residential urban areas, such as has been
introduced in Hull and Portsmouth;

(b) recognises the importance of reduced speed in reducing the risk
for pedestrians and other road users, with around 300 pedestrians injured on
Sheffield’s roads every year;

(c) notes research from UK and abroad that has shown city-wide urban
speed limits around 20mph have:

(i) significantly reduced speeds in just the first year of
operation;

(ii) after several years in operation, reduced urban accident rates
by up to two-thirds, with numbers killed and seriously injured reduced by
even more;

(iii) encouraged walking and cycling, especially for the elderly and
younger children;

(iv) benefited communities, with residents a quarter more likely to
stop and talk on footpaths;

(v) increased the journey time of a 15 minute journey by just 1
minute;

(vi) reduced vehicle emissions by 12% due to less acceleration and
deceleration; and

(vii) been supported by 72% of drivers surveyed as part of the British
Social Attitudes Survey;

(d) welcomes the Government consultation "A Safer Way: Consultation on
Making Britain's Roads the Safest in the World" that will inform road safety
strategy beyond 2010 and hopes that it will propose 20mph speed limits in
urban residential areas countrywide;

(e) believes that the expense of intensive traffic calming measures
required in 20mph zones is delaying the implementation of 20mph speed limits
that are a priority in over 100 sites across the City;

(f) believes that the implementation of a city-wide limit of 20mph
on residential roads, combined with a public information campaign and
innovate inexpensive traffic calming, would have an immediate beneficial
impact on accidents and fatalities in the City; and

(g) therefore directs officers to report to the Cabinet on the
feasibility of implementing a city-wide 20mph limit on all residential
roads, excluding major routes as appropriate.

MOTION AS VOTED FOR BY COUNCIL (Lib Dem amendment)
(a), (b), and (c) as above

(d) notes that Council officers are already looking into the feasibility of
implementing 20mph speed limits on residential roads as a result of a
request from the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport and Streetscene;

(e) notes that it is the intention for local councillors and local
communities, through Community Assemblies, to decide what is best for their
area with regard to 20mph speed limits on residential roads; and

(f) notes that this issue is due to be discussed at the next meeting of the
‘Sheffield on the Move’ Forum in January 2010 and looks forward to plans in
the New Year on how 20mph speed limits on residential roads could be
implemented in consultation with local people.

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