Cycling Tips & Stories

A UK city has implemented 115 different 20 MPH zones throughout the city, covering about 1/4 of the cities roads. The results in the city of Hull are quite astonishing:

Hull City Council’s 20mph zone programme is thought to have prevented 200 serious injuries and 1000 minor injuries over the years. The overall number of road casualties in the city has been cut by 20 per cent and the number of deaths and injuries have each been cut by about 40 per cent. Overall, the cost of implementing the zones has been £4.5 million, with another £5.4 million required to zone other areas of the city. The financial savings from the zones already implemented (in terms of injury costs) have been estimated at well over £40 million, giving a 10:1 value for money ratio.

The Institute of Public Policy Research’s report Streets Ahead confirms the link between poverty and children’s road safety: it shows that children in the poorest 10 per cent of society are three times as likely as children from the richest 10 per cent of society to be pedestrian casualties. Overall, child pedestrian injuries are four times as likely in poorer area, than in richer areas. All of the wards in Hull are amongst the third most deprived in the country and this has been a strong incentive in reducing speeds in the city.

The Hull 20mph zones involve the use of various traffic calming mechanisms including humps and bumps, speed cushions, road narrowings, etc. The sign at the entry point of each zone has been designed by local children and the council puts a strong emphasis on consultation with the emergency services, bus operators and local people: no 20mph zone is implemented unless all three groups are on board with the idea.

Do residents hate the 20 MPH zones? Are they controversial? On the contrary:

The results of post-implementation monitoring of the zones have been very positive. Seventy-two per cent of respondents say they think speeds have been reduced as a result. Forty-eight per cent think the zones have made the area “a more pleasant place to live” and 71 per cent would recommend traffic claming to someone in another area. Overall, 77 per cent think the 20mph zones are “a good idea”.

permanent link to article: "20 MPH zones in neighborhoods save lives, money"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/25/2003 01:00:09 PM |comment on this article