I am proposing a motion at the next full meeting of Worcestershire County Council on Thursday 14th May. It is calling for the council to rethink its current stance of limiting 20mph to a few areas, such as by schools. In light of the increasing evidence in favour of wide area 20mph speed limits on residential and urban roads, particularly in relation to public health improvements, I’m hopeful that the council will look again at this idea.
The motion is signed by members of the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and a Liberal, and I’m sure it could receive cross-party support. The full notice of motion is as follows:
Many councils across the country, of various party political control, have or are in the process of implementing wide area 20mph speed limits on residential and urban roads without traffic calming. Over 14 million people now live in these areas.
Public health and other bodies such as NICE, Public Health England, the LGA and the WHO all support such a policy. It is described as the most cost-effective way to improve health equality by tackling inactivity, obesity and isolation, whilst also being child, disability, elderly and dementia friendly.
Wide area 20mph limits rarely need any traffic calming measures and in other areas have been shown to be affordable, costing around £3 per person.
Implementing wide area 20mph limits should be a core part of our public health strategy. We therefore ask the County Council to rethink its current policy on 20mph, which restricts where they can be implemented, and call for a Cabinet report into introducing wide area 20mph speed limits on residential and urban roads.