Portsmouth to become 'tortoise town'
Discussion
From local rag:
www.thenews.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=455&ArticleID=1423412
If Queen Street can be reduced to 20 then I think all roads will be at risk.
Note, the motorway was reduced to 50mph 6 months ago - for no actual reason!
Also posted in the regional section
The News said:
EVERY residential road in Portsmouth is to become a 20mph zone in a bid to cut accidents and save lives.
But opponents have warned the new limits will turn Portsmouth into 'tortoise town'.
The 20mph decision was made as councillors voted last night to agree the city council's local transport plan, which included a £250,000 fund to reduce the speed limit in residential streets.
The move will be brought in street by street – and only major routes like Copnor Road, London Road, Northern Road and the motorway will be exempt.
Tory councillor Malcolm Hey, who went into the chamber brandishing a plastic tortoise, said: 'Instead of flagship city we are in danger of becoming tortoise town, with travel only slightly faster than a snail's pace. We get enough practice at moving at 20mph in traffic jams. When we can move safely at 30mph let's do so.'
www.thenews.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=455&ArticleID=1423412
If Queen Street can be reduced to 20 then I think all roads will be at risk.
Note, the motorway was reduced to 50mph 6 months ago - for no actual reason!
Also posted in the regional section
dickymint said:
Obviously another scamera cash cow to catch the unwary cyclist.
: We jest, but imagine the reality of having speed limits that effectively make it unlawfull to pass a cyclist. Surely there will be a substantial increase in collisions between vehicles and cycles as they are forced to interact more closely.
This sort of 20 is plenty nonsense makes me want to head butt a brick wall.
>> Edited by deeps on Thursday 6th April 16:10
ing idiots. 
mr9lt said:
Well if you think the naval town of Portsmouth is bad, drop down to Plymouth! 46 speed camera locations in a 10 mile radius of the city centre let alone the mobile locales! Then there are the 20 MPH area and virtually all residential areas have humps or road narrowing.
You're joking?! I lived down there for three very happy years, and was thinking of returning in the Elise for a good old hoon in the summer. Was looking forward to hearing the induction roar through the Barbican. May have to reconsider now....
Hollywood Wheels said:
Well if you think the naval town of Portsmouth is bad, drop down to Plymouth! 46 speed camera locations in a 10 mile radius of the city centre let alone the mobile locales! Then there are the 20 MPH area and virtually all residential areas have humps or road narrowing.
You're joking?! I lived down there for three very happy years, and was thinking of returning in the Elise for a good old hoon in the summer. Was looking forward to hearing the induction roar through the Barbican. May have to reconsider now....
The Barbican and Hoe sea front were such magnets for the boy racers that this was one of the first areas to get the dreaded speed bumps. The cretins have recently been putting bumps and mini roundabouts where ever they will fit, no doubt to use up budgets before April. In several areas they have put down bumps, screwed it up, taken them up after a couple of weeks and then put down new ones. Obviously well versed in the art of squandering public money. There was even an article in local rag recntly about how fed up local residents were with the speed bumps which begs the question...if the local residents don't want them, who decided that they were needed?
However, there are still plenty of decent roads in the surrounding areas (as long as you drive with "moor" care <groan> ) and look out for sheep.
We have a problem with bad driving on our housing estate of 1930s Semis (North London).
Because the idiot planners have balls-up the high street (A-road), our quiet estate is now a cut-through. The congestion is so bad that apart from commuters, even BiB on a call and council mini-buses can't resist it.
The problem is, like many places, cars are parked on both sides of the road and 30mph is simply not safe.
We asked the local bobby, who has a speed gun, what can be done. Unbelievably, the answer was 'not much'. Drivers at 30mph are not safe, but he cannot stop them for speeding. He is also not able to stop them for dangerous driving since it would not stand up. But he said he could stop them for speeding if the limit was 20mph.
So in a local meeting, with three of the local councillors present, the residents had a show of hands on whether or not we would welcome a 20mph limit or leave it at 30mph. Increadibly 83(!) said 'yes' and only one person said 'no'. I have never seen such a show of unity in a vote. Great, we thought.
Then came the small-minded obstruction. The planner in charge of roads said that we couldn't have a 20mph limit on the estate because a) There wasn't the budget for it and b) Did we really want speed humps and width restrictions and other upheaval such as barriers and chicanes?
"No, we want it just like it is but with a 20mph limit". Not possible, apparently, under current rules.
So it looks like it isn't going to happen and the local bobby remains powerless.
Apparently since no-one has been killed and there are only about 4 accidents a year (no injuries), even the worst road on the estate does not register on the list of 'things needing attention'.
Because the idiot planners have balls-up the high street (A-road), our quiet estate is now a cut-through. The congestion is so bad that apart from commuters, even BiB on a call and council mini-buses can't resist it.
The problem is, like many places, cars are parked on both sides of the road and 30mph is simply not safe.
We asked the local bobby, who has a speed gun, what can be done. Unbelievably, the answer was 'not much'. Drivers at 30mph are not safe, but he cannot stop them for speeding. He is also not able to stop them for dangerous driving since it would not stand up. But he said he could stop them for speeding if the limit was 20mph.
So in a local meeting, with three of the local councillors present, the residents had a show of hands on whether or not we would welcome a 20mph limit or leave it at 30mph. Increadibly 83(!) said 'yes' and only one person said 'no'. I have never seen such a show of unity in a vote. Great, we thought.
Then came the small-minded obstruction. The planner in charge of roads said that we couldn't have a 20mph limit on the estate because a) There wasn't the budget for it and b) Did we really want speed humps and width restrictions and other upheaval such as barriers and chicanes?
"No, we want it just like it is but with a 20mph limit". Not possible, apparently, under current rules.
So it looks like it isn't going to happen and the local bobby remains powerless.
Apparently since no-one has been killed and there are only about 4 accidents a year (no injuries), even the worst road on the estate does not register on the list of 'things needing attention'.
mungo said:
This is a good idea! Anyone who knows Pompey like me would agree.
As I already said, it is automatically dangerous to drive anywhere near 30 on many streets, but I have the feeling this will be a blanket change all over the city. Mungo, do you think it’s reasonable for Queens Street (near The Hard') to have been reduced to 20mph?
Trouble is, with Portsmouth being an island you need a council that fully understands our unique traffic issues. We certainly haven't got that.
I live in Southsea, which means I have to drive through Portsmouth to get anywhere, bar the Isle of Wight and France. There's a lot of roads I can't get down due to the speed bumps, so I'm limited in the routes I can use.
Traffic isn't too bad within Southsea and some parts of Portsmouth, and there are places where 30mph is safe. How are they going to enforce this, is anyone managing 30mph anyway?
No doubt Portsmouth Council has finished it's program of road narrowing, lane removal, unnecessary cycle and bus lanes. It's now looking to waste more money.
Yes, it's dangerous to drive at 30mph down narrow side roads, but this is madness.
I live in Southsea, which means I have to drive through Portsmouth to get anywhere, bar the Isle of Wight and France. There's a lot of roads I can't get down due to the speed bumps, so I'm limited in the routes I can use.
Traffic isn't too bad within Southsea and some parts of Portsmouth, and there are places where 30mph is safe. How are they going to enforce this, is anyone managing 30mph anyway?
No doubt Portsmouth Council has finished it's program of road narrowing, lane removal, unnecessary cycle and bus lanes. It's now looking to waste more money.
Yes, it's dangerous to drive at 30mph down narrow side roads, but this is madness.
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