20mph speed limits to be imposed to protect cyclists
Discussion
Yazar said:
mail said:
...The new lower limits will be enforced by upgraded digital speed cameras, according to TfL.
...(keen cyclist) Mayor Johnson said: 'Lower speeds have the potential to significantly improve road safety while enhancing the environment for walking and cycling. As well as actively supporting and funding the installation of 20mph zones and limits on borough roads across London, we have also been looking at the TfL Road Network to see where further 20 mph limits could provide significant benefits. These locations will help us to better understand the role that 20 mph limits could play going forward.'
Matt Winfield, Sustrans London Deputy Director, said: 'This is a bold move from Transport for London to improve some of London's busiest streets.
'The advantages of 20mph go beyond the obvious gains in road safety - lowering the speed limit also helps to make our city a more comfortable and pleasant place to be. Our research shows that Londoners are keener than anywhere else in the UK to walk or cycle to school if their route was on 20mph streets.
'On the back of these new trials I hope to see more London boroughs adopt 20mph.'
Tom Platt, Living Streets London Policy and Campaigns Manager, said: 'These trials are great news for everyone living, working and visiting London.
'Councils across the city are now recognising that lower speed limits significantly improve the quality of our streets reducing road danger and creating a more inviting place to walk and spend time.
....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2992052/Mo......(keen cyclist) Mayor Johnson said: 'Lower speeds have the potential to significantly improve road safety while enhancing the environment for walking and cycling. As well as actively supporting and funding the installation of 20mph zones and limits on borough roads across London, we have also been looking at the TfL Road Network to see where further 20 mph limits could provide significant benefits. These locations will help us to better understand the role that 20 mph limits could play going forward.'
Matt Winfield, Sustrans London Deputy Director, said: 'This is a bold move from Transport for London to improve some of London's busiest streets.
'The advantages of 20mph go beyond the obvious gains in road safety - lowering the speed limit also helps to make our city a more comfortable and pleasant place to be. Our research shows that Londoners are keener than anywhere else in the UK to walk or cycle to school if their route was on 20mph streets.
'On the back of these new trials I hope to see more London boroughs adopt 20mph.'
Tom Platt, Living Streets London Policy and Campaigns Manager, said: 'These trials are great news for everyone living, working and visiting London.
'Councils across the city are now recognising that lower speed limits significantly improve the quality of our streets reducing road danger and creating a more inviting place to walk and spend time.
....
Some Gump said:
I'm a cyclist. I don't want to see 20mph limits. Hell, on a decent day, I should be going that fast. I want you buggers to be on your way, not constantly vie for position with cars.
I am also a driver. 20mph would just piss me off.
Thank god I rarely have to enter the living hell that is London.
Last time I drove through London I don't recall traffic going any faster than 20mph most of the time anyway. 3 hours on the M25, to go five miles, then into London, best part of a hole way gone just for 'a quick visit'......I am also a driver. 20mph would just piss me off.
Thank god I rarely have to enter the living hell that is London.
I'm a another cyclist and I don't want cars cluttering up my roads at 20mph. All that will do is slow me down..... 
Being serious, what a daft idea and clearly thought up by someone who rides a bike rather than being a cyclist. Whenever I see town planners making things "cycle friendly" half the time they are just making things worse for everyone concerned. Like the daft idea that cyclists get the whole lane to spread over at the front of traffic lights. Great, I start off and immediately have a lorry 6" from the back wheel.....
Being serious, what a daft idea and clearly thought up by someone who rides a bike rather than being a cyclist. Whenever I see town planners making things "cycle friendly" half the time they are just making things worse for everyone concerned. Like the daft idea that cyclists get the whole lane to spread over at the front of traffic lights. Great, I start off and immediately have a lorry 6" from the back wheel.....
I have to agree with most others. When I am on my bike it is inattention and drivers not seeing me at all that is dangerous, not speed. I prefer drivers doing 30 in an urban area for the simple reason that I am doing 15-20 myself and would rather they got past reasonably quickly than elephant racing.
Some Gump said:
Thank god I rarely have to enter the living hell that is London.
It will be nation wide in no time. Far too easy to set up these days with the spread of networks and competent cheap camera attached to ever more powerful yet cheap computers. Add on various forms of "recognition" software and the attraction to the "authorities", national and local, to take their cut of personal spending budgets will be too great for the troughers to resist.The quicker "self driving" vehicle comes about the better it will be as proposals like these are to be pushed forward. At least then one can be doing something else whilst dawdling between locations. And one assumes that the cameras will be redundant and the personal liabilities to one's driving licence(presumably no longer required?) will be removed.
I wonder what money generating scams they will come up with after that happens?
wolves_wanderer said:
I have to agree with most others. When I am on my bike it is inattention and drivers not seeing me at all that is dangerous, not speed. I prefer drivers doing 30 in an urban area for the simple reason that I am doing 15-20 myself and would rather they got past reasonably quickly than elephant racing.
Then, start paying attention and get some lights? 
OpulentBob said:
wolves_wanderer said:
I have to agree with most others. When I am on my bike it is inattention and drivers not seeing me at all that is dangerous, not speed. I prefer drivers doing 30 in an urban area for the simple reason that I am doing 15-20 myself and would rather they got past reasonably quickly than elephant racing.
Then, start paying attention and get some lights? If 20mph is safer than 30mph then surely 10mph would be safer than 20mph or, err, a man walking in front carrying a red flag or, what they really want - no cars at all!!
It's already clear that our Motorways are about to be restricted to first 50mph and then whatever with the introduction of "SMART" revenue collection, I mean SMART Motorways.
Why does Government insist on putting road policy in the hands of d
heads that almost certainly don't drive themselves?
It's already clear that our Motorways are about to be restricted to first 50mph and then whatever with the introduction of "SMART" revenue collection, I mean SMART Motorways.
Why does Government insist on putting road policy in the hands of d
heads that almost certainly don't drive themselves?Wouldn't call myself a cyclist as such, more a driver who rides a bike from time to time. With my cyclist's head on I'd like to confirm what previous cyclists have said. I'd rather see a car get smartly past rather than have a bike doing 18mph being overtaken by a car doing 19 and spending the length of street alongside me to get by.
mybrainhurts said:
Boris is going a bit bonkers with the roads. Taxi and private hire cars to be electric or hybrid in x years.
20,000+ black cabs + loads of private hire vehicles.
Minimum range capability 40 miles.
Charging point network x 500. Charging time 30 - 40 minutes.
Don't have my abacus to hand, but the numbers don't seem to add up from here.
They never add up with that clown. Just wait 'till he get's his hands on the levers of power in downing street.20,000+ black cabs + loads of private hire vehicles.
Minimum range capability 40 miles.
Charging point network x 500. Charging time 30 - 40 minutes.
Don't have my abacus to hand, but the numbers don't seem to add up from here.
355Chris355 said:
Creates a level playing field by allowing cyclists to race cars ...
Is that the intention?
Often when going down hills in 30's I've my speed limit set to 30mph yet cyclists undertake... They also do not wait for traffic lights to turn green (in my experiences most not a minority) run reds and simply look to see if its clear to go. Is that the intention?
Risk is you could have someone in a 3 second to 62mph car at the lights who wants to monster off the line up to the speed limit perfectly legal but stupid cyclist breaking the rules.
We need cyclists to be properly insured as if they run into a car they need to pay for the damage, seems to be they then claim utter poverty and cannot pay yet have a push bike worth more than lots of cars
We were all getting along so wellThey have that in Edinburgh. You see this ridiculous crap of bikes whipping past the cars, especially downhill. Or actually just flat out overtaking on the right (which often raises a few eyebrows).
Nobody expects a sneaky left side passing in a city centre! It's a miracle more people don't get hit.
What would protect everyone more is if both riders and drivers alike weren't often such inscrutable fkwits.
Nobody expects a sneaky left side passing in a city centre! It's a miracle more people don't get hit.
What would protect everyone more is if both riders and drivers alike weren't often such inscrutable f
kwits.We're about to have 80% of Edinburgh's roads changed to 20mph limits, so I sympathise with the points raised here although the volume of traffic - and therefore the challenges - are far greater in London.
Thread on the Edinburgh change here if you're interested: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=...
Thread on the Edinburgh change here if you're interested: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=...
roachcoach said:
They have that in Edinburgh. You see this ridiculous crap of bikes whipping past the cars, especially downhill. Or actually just flat out overtaking on the right (which often raises a few eyebrows).
Nobody expects a sneaky left side passing in a city centre! It's a miracle more people don't get hit.
What would protect everyone more is if both riders and drivers alike weren't often such inscrutable fkwits.
Actually if there are 20mph and lower speed limits shouldn't it be a requirement that push bikes (and scooters & some very very fast runners be fitted with speedometers else they might actually not realise they are breaking the law. Nobody expects a sneaky left side passing in a city centre! It's a miracle more people don't get hit.
What would protect everyone more is if both riders and drivers alike weren't often such inscrutable f
kwits.As we don't have police generally with speed guns but instead fixed unmanned cameras we need registration plates on push bikes to ensure they don't break the speed limit. Unless of course undertaking is accepted as safe practice & wing mirror damage is common and just one of those running a car cost.
Come to Cambridge. 20% cycle traffic, city-wide 20mph zones, even had that eternally miserable arsehead Chris Boardman here yesterday talking to the national 20's Plenty conference.
Which tells you all you need to know about WHO the 20mph restrictions are coming in to placate.
(Hint: It's those who it affects least)
Awful, awful place.
Which tells you all you need to know about WHO the 20mph restrictions are coming in to placate.
(Hint: It's those who it affects least)
Awful, awful place.
davepoth said:
2)Some of the streets they've put a 20mph limit on are a bit silly. Like this one:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=englishcombe+lane...
Also a 20 here:https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=englishcombe+lane...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.757331,-1.219962...
Honest question do cyclists stick to 20mph speed limits? (Let's ignore them breaking 30mph as they certainly do)?
Do they accept that they need to slow down or if not why not rules are clear one speed limit be it cars buses vans wagons motor bikes push bikes running scooters skate boards
Do they accept that they need to slow down or if not why not rules are clear one speed limit be it cars buses vans wagons motor bikes push bikes running scooters skate boards
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