20 MPH Speed Limits in Edinburgh - Help needed

20 MPH Speed Limits in Edinburgh - Help needed

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gwm

2,390 posts

143 months

Wednesday 7th January 2015
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Like many things Edinburgh Council related, looks like the decision was already made and it'll happen regardless. Whether it has public support or not.

Though does anyone remember the proposed congestion charge a few years ago? That never got through but I can't remember the sequence of events.

simoid

19,772 posts

157 months

Wednesday 7th January 2015
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I think there was a vote about it... maybe 2003/4?

Pit Pony

8,265 posts

120 months

Wednesday 7th January 2015
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My local English Town, introduced 20 mph limits last year. I have not noticed anyone sticking to that limit.

Andrew[MG]

3,322 posts

197 months

Thursday 8th January 2015
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Are any of you Edinburgh residents doing anything about it?

Lil'RedGTO

666 posts

142 months

Thursday 8th January 2015
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Not much we can do now. The time to act was at the consultation stage, which has now finished. I haven't seen proper figures but it has been reported by the Edinburgh Evening News that of the 2500 or so consultation responses just under half were strongly in favour of the 20mph zone and only a quarter were strongly opposed, so the council will take that as an effective endorsement. Only if the consultation responses showed a majority against the scheme might the council have reconsidered. The horse has bolted, I'm afraid. As I have said in another post elsewhere, this is coming to every town and city in Scotland and the UK thanks to a concerted and coordinated campaign known as Go 20 run by a coalition of well-organised pro-cycling lobby groups and "charities" such as Brake.

Sunnysidebb

1,372 posts

166 months

Thursday 8th January 2015
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Andrew[MG] said:
What are the bus companies saying about this?

Just another example of why Glasgow is a better city to get around....
At the time of posting this I think you were correct Andrew, but since then ive read that Glasgow has started its Fast link scheme , basically instead of trams in the middle of the road there taking part of our roads and turning the centre of the road into a Bus lane with dedicated tram style stations. Apparently all road traffic lights will be controlled to allow the Bus an unimpeded journey. In other words they stop all cars to favour the Bus.
Its a scheme there planning to expand as well. frown

http://www.clydewaterfront.com/projects/clyde-wide...

http://www.spt.co.uk/corporate/about/projects/fast...

Lil'RedGTO

666 posts

142 months

Friday 9th January 2015
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The Council has published its analysis of the consultation responses. See the report of 13 January 2015: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/20mph

The final tally was 60% support or strong support and 36% opposed or strongly opposed. Men were much more evenly split (55% in favour) than women (75% in favour). Regular motorcyclists were 65% against. Regular car drivers were 52% in favour. Ironically, it seems as if it was Lothian buses who were the main driver behind the retention of some roads at 30mph.

Ominously, the report refers to the question in the consultation about roads with a 40 mph limit being reduced to 30 mph being “used to inform a later phase of work”. Hopefully the fact that 348 respondents commented that 40 mph roads should stay the same against 266 respondents who thought they should be reduced might put the brakes on that one.

Edinburger

10,403 posts

167 months

Friday 9th January 2015
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Lil'RedGTO said:
The Council has published its analysis of the consultation responses. See the report of 13 January 2015: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/20mph

The final tally was 60% support or strong support and 36% opposed or strongly opposed. Men were much more evenly split (55% in favour) than women (75% in favour). Regular motorcyclists were 65% against. Regular car drivers were 52% in favour. Ironically, it seems as if it was Lothian buses who were the main driver behind the retention of some roads at 30mph.

Ominously, the report refers to the question in the consultation about roads with a 40 mph limit being reduced to 30 mph being “used to inform a later phase of work”. Hopefully the fact that 348 respondents commented that 40 mph roads should stay the same against 266 respondents who thought they should be reduced might put the brakes on that one.
That's interesting, but the council are a rule unto themselves and will do whatever they choose.

I find it odd that 'they' can find money to fund this change, and can fund free school lunches, and can freeze council tax revenues against inflation while at the same time schools are mreducing to 4.5 day weeks because they're skint.

Crazy.

simoid

19,772 posts

157 months

Friday 9th January 2015
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Edinburger said:
That's interesting, but the council are a rule unto themselves and will do whatever they choose.

I find it odd that 'they' can find money to fund this change, and can fund free school lunches, and can freeze council tax revenues against inflation while at the same time schools are mreducing to 4.5 day weeks because they're skint.

Crazy.
If it saves one life...

FWIW I was under the impression that the Holyrood government, not the council, froze council tax,

Edinburger

10,403 posts

167 months

Friday 9th January 2015
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simoid said:
Edinburger said:
That's interesting, but the council are a rule unto themselves and will do whatever they choose.

I find it odd that 'they' can find money to fund this change, and can fund free school lunches, and can freeze council tax revenues against inflation while at the same time schools are mreducing to 4.5 day weeks because they're skint.

Crazy.
If it saves one life...

FWIW I was under the impression that the Holyrood government, not the council, froze council tax,
Yes - that's why I said 'they'. Freezing council tax is a SNP policy. But the council are reducing children's school weeks to save money.

Maybe if we had index-linked rises to council tax in line with RPI we'd be paying a more realistic sum each year and our kids could enjoy a 5 day week at school.

But, we have this silly policy being rolled-out, kids education is suffering, yet the council can find £Xm to reduce speed limits. Couldn't make it up really.

simoid

19,772 posts

157 months

Friday 9th January 2015
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Cool. I wasn't aware that the school week was being reduced - half day Fridays aren't a new thing are they? Or are they been rolled out in more schools? My googling was unsuccessful in pursuit of this knowledge.

cjno1

7 posts

169 months

Saturday 10th January 2015
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I wrote a letter last week to the councillors, from what I can see they've managed to gather no evidence at all that this will even work. These guys just seen to have a vendetta against the car.

They did a pilot on 30 roads in the south of edinburgh for 3 years and the average speed dropped from 22.9mph to 20.8mph. But they monitored 30 similar roads which they left at 30mph limits and the average speed of those dropped by 1mph too! Sounds like all they did was turn the average driver into a criminal and achieved nothing else.

I'm having a final push at trying to get people motivated behind this, otherwise it will just happen. There's a petition here in which I've got 50 signatures in little over a day, anyone who disagrees with the measure should sign it and tell their friends (especially if you have lots of followers in Edinburgh on twitter!)

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/opposition-to-t...

I'll send however many signatures I have on this by Monday to all the councillors who are going to be making the decision on Tuesday, hopefully it will give them some food for thought.

Tinohead

639 posts

208 months

Monday 12th January 2015
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A lot of streets in the centre of Aberdeen have been 20mph for quite some time now, can't honestly say it's made much difference to me as a driver (I still drive at the same speed as I did before, which is whatever I feel is safe at the time, within reason), or as a pedestrian (Union Street is still noisy and busy, and you still run the risk of loosing your head to a bus wing mirror if you walk too close to the edge of the pavement).

I've never once seen a speed trap on any of the roads that were reduced to 20mph, and from what I can see, very few drivers adjust their speed when going between 20mph and 30mph streets (I'd be surprised if half of them even noticed the difference)

Edinburger

10,403 posts

167 months

Monday 26th January 2015
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Was with a few friends over the weekend and this topic was discussed.

It's been passed by just 11 councillors and some sort of protest march or go-slow is planned. 85% of cyclists will now think twice about cycling as they'll feel more at risk with fruistrated drivers!

Free Sunday parking is being axed too.

Has anyone else heard anything more? It's being kept suspiciously quiet in media.

AGK

1,601 posts

154 months

Monday 26th January 2015
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Seems to gaining a bit of momentum over on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/saynoto20edinburgh

lordf

690 posts

166 months

Monday 26th January 2015
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If people stopped looking at their dam phones whilst crossing the road (I say crossing I mean wandering out blindly as there so engrossed in their phone to pay attention), then I'm sure we would have a few less accidents.

propaganda

407 posts

246 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Surely if the traffic going slower then the pollution, particularly particulate matter from diesels, will increase? Does that mean if you develop lung problems in say 10 years time you can sue the council?

tim0409

4,354 posts

158 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Edinburger said:
simoid said:
Edinburger said:
That's interesting, but the council are a rule unto themselves and will do whatever they choose.

I find it odd that 'they' can find money to fund this change, and can fund free school lunches, and can freeze council tax revenues against inflation while at the same time schools are mreducing to 4.5 day weeks because they're skint.

Crazy.
If it saves one life...

FWIW I was under the impression that the Holyrood government, not the council, froze council tax,
Yes - that's why I said 'they'. Freezing council tax is a SNP policy. But the council are reducing children's school weeks to save money.

Maybe if we had index-linked rises to council tax in line with RPI we'd be paying a more realistic sum each year and our kids could enjoy a 5 day week at school.

But, we have this silly policy being rolled-out, kids education is suffering, yet the council can find £Xm to reduce speed limits. Couldn't make it up really.
The CT freeze is a Scottish Government policy - Councils are free to increase CT if they wish but they would lose that amount which the SG builds into the revenue support grant (central government funding which accounts for approximately 80% of a council's budget) which they say funds the policy. In practice that means that if a local authority wanted to realise a 3% uplift, they would have to implement a 6% increase on CT. I seriously question how long the policy can continue given the impact it's having on council services, especially given the ageing demographic and the pressure on adult social care. The majority of people I speak to would rather see a modest increase in CT to protect basic services.

Edinburger

10,403 posts

167 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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So this is going ahead from February.

Sad day for Edinburgh and a sad day for democracy given that the petitions, protests, etc. were ignored.

Leithen

10,798 posts

266 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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Edinburger said:
So this is going ahead from February.

Sad day for Edinburgh and a sad day for democracy given that the petitions, protests, etc. were ignored.
Local Government makes National Government look positively angelic.