New 20mph zones are launched
New 20mph zones are beginning to come into force across the city.
Twerton and Southdown are the first two areas of Bath to have the reduced speed zones introduced and 20mph road signs have been put up to remind drivers.
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Councillor Roger Symonds
Bath and North East Somerset Council is introducing the lower speed limits in an attempt to make roads, particularly in residential areas, safer for all road users – drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Councillor Roger Symonds, the authority's cabinet member for transport, said: "It is to make roads safer and to give communities back their roads and their outside spaces, so if you live on a road you don't have to think traffic will be going through at 30mph."
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Mr Symonds said the initiative, which will cost the council £500,000, aimed to change people's driving habits and their attitudes towards roads and traffic.
He said: "The idea is to get people thinking 20mph, not thinking 30mph. It's a cultural change because people have been dominated by traffic for so long."
The scheme is expected to take two years to roll out across B&NES, subject to funding and the results of local consultation.
Peasedown St John is scheduled to be next to get a 20mph zone. The council is then due to consider Newbridge and Weston, and then Keynsham.
Mr Symonds said: "The intention is to go throughout the whole of the area, all residential roads. Some roads are main roads so they won't get the 20mph but most residential roads will."
Resident Alan Owen, 74, of Millmead Road, said he welcomed the new speed limit.
He said: "I want to see it extended. I reckon it's going to make the roads safer if they can enforce it. I think all of Oldfield Park should get 20mph."
Comments
by Dave_Weston
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 5:10PM
“jezer - they probably do issue fines if they catch people but most will only stay on double yellows for a few minutes, so the chances of getting caught as the enforcement bod does their rounds is quite small. I see Bristol council have a camera car (or maybe more than one) which would seem ideal for this sort of thing as it can nip round the hotspots like Broadmead more frequently than someone covering the beat on foot - one of those in Bath could probably pay for itself outside the Co-op on Julian Road alone!”
by jezer
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 4:58PM
“Traffic infringements seem to be rarely enforced these days. Take parking on double lines, I believe this is now down to the council rather than police. What are the traffic wardens doing? Lots of money could be collected in fines if proper action was taken.”
by Dave_Weston
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 4:56PM
“In response to gaz1133, the minutes of the planning and transport scrutiny panel meeting held on 11th September state as follows:-
"Councillor Roger Symonds replied that the intention was to complete the scheme
within two years. He added that he needed to emphasise that the restriction cannot
be enforced, but he hoped that the signage would encourage people to drive slower and more carefully"
http://tinyurl.com/9y9ncm9”
by highspeeder
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 2:33PM
“I live on one of these pointless 20mph areas (Southdown Road) and I've yet to see anyone adhering to it. However I was told by a friend that while trying to be an upstanding citizen by travelling down Southdown Road at 20 mph he was overtaken by a Culverhay schoolboy cyclist rushing home for his tea. Just like their last tenure of the Council the Lib Dems keep on wasting our money. I can't for the life in me see why anyone votes for them.”
by a1rhellair
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 11:58AM
“A budget of 500k gbp is probably right, given that the average hourly labour cost in Britain is about 20 euros. In Bulgaria, it's 3.5.
More at: http://tinyurl.com/8sosnzk),_2008-2011.png&filetimestamp=20120424085138”
by concernedbath
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 10:53AM
“Imposing penalties on drivers who stop on pedestrian crossings (a few well-placed cameras would record lots of these) might bring in some income to offset the costs of the signs. How often does any driver in Bath receive a penalty for this?”
by bath1946
Monday, October 08 2012, 7:45PM
“The 20mph speed limit has the same legal status as any other speed limit except that the police have stated that they do not intend to enforce it, which is why it is no more than an expensive gimick. Speed calming measures are far more effective, but if it is wished to combine them with speed limits why not make all of Bath a 20mph zone with a few signs at the entrances to the city.”
by aurea_flamma
Monday, October 08 2012, 7:32PM
“Let's keep re-kindling this story under a new title in the vain hope that all those that disagree might eventually stop posting their disapproval – Nope – still hasn't worked – better try and repost it again!”
by Mr_Nemo
Monday, October 08 2012, 3:22PM
“I agree with Dave_Weston, the situation of the repeated flooding of the road near the golf course is a disgrace. This is no longer just a one-off incident, but increasingly a regular occurrence.
It /does/ become a problem for drivers when it becomes so deep and wide that they are forced to take turns in a single-file traffic through the middle, on what is a busy road at the best of times. Perhps in fact this is a part of Cllr Symond's secret anti-car master-plan - by having random bits of flooding on busy Bath roads he can slow the traffic down without the need for (very) expensive road signs and traffic orders???”
by rogerh3
Monday, October 08 2012, 11:22AM
“No, you're wrong. It has the same legal status as any other speed limit.”