20 mph limit for London

[swilly]

The Sunday Times reported that Tfl are considering imposing a 20 mph limit in the congestion zone as a result of average speed increasing by 2 mph up to 11.9 mph and this being a threat to pedestrians and cyclists.

I may be missing something but slowing the traffic down again will surely cause congestion.

Please somebody with a more open mind than myself, convince me that i'm wrong and that all is ok.

For those that are interested, my bunker in the hills is coming on quite nicely, and the delivery of high powered assault rifles is due any time soon.

[sadoksevoli]

Politicians and the bureaucracy they spawn are increasingly throttling our economy and our society. Each new step is small in itself and accusations such as this are laughed off with incredulity but we are approaching a time when there will be too many rules and too many people sucking our prosperity dry leaving us all in the same dark, dank pit of mediocrity and apathy.

[plipton]

20MPH? you'll never get up to that sort of speed in London Miladdo

[littlegearl]

read Jeremy Clarkson's column in the sun, he said congestion charging is great 'cos there's no traffic any more, so much so that he hit 70mph!!! in central london...

so, this was inevitable really, probably all part of their grand scheme of things...

charge £5 to enter the city... all cars that don't need to come off roads so roads become clearer... traffic speeds up... people still randomly step into the roads... people get run over... speed limit comes down... congestion builds up... mayor announces there is still congestion, so toll goes up to £10...

just wait, i bet something like the above happens...

[swilly]

plipton said: 20MPH? you'll never get up to that sort of speed in London Miladdo

The article claimed motorists were driving at speeds considered to high between traffic lights as a result of less congestion.

[plipton]

swilly said:

plipton said: 20MPH? you'll never get up to that sort of speed in London Miladdo

The article claimed motorists were driving at speeds considered to high between traffic lights as a result of less congestion.

Ah, a 20MPH speed limit will stop that then.

[ATG]

hmm ... let's see ... option (1) protect cyclists by clamping all cars on sight ... option (2) encourage (force) cyclists to behave responsibly by wearing some (just some) high visibility clothing, riding in a predictable manner on the road (that black stuff next to the pavement), obeying traffic signals (those coloured light things), signalling before they turn ... and how about fitting some lights, or is that asking too much?

[swilly]

I would like to see some cyclist laws passed.

Firstly, cyclists have no place on a road with cars, as they are just pedestrians on a metal frame.

Secondly a bike is a vehicle and uses a constructed path whether a road (currently), a cycle path or pavement and as such should be taxed, and should be required to display this road tax as cars do. No discrimination here please.

Thirdly, all cyclists should be required to wear hi-viz clothing and helmets, with fines introduced to in force this.

Fourthly, cyclists should be required to have insurance as do car owners, although naturally at a lower rate, to cover the financial implications of the accidents they create.

[DJFish]

plipton said: 20MPH? you'll never get up to that sort of speed in London Miladdo

You'd be suprised,

You'd also be suprised how good a big bore exhaust sounds going through the tunnelly bit on the Embankment at c. Clarkson speeds whilst travelling just behind a DB7 Vantage with a sports exhaust.

Made my day that did.

Dave

[gnomesmith]

I may be missing something but slowing the traffic down again will surely cause congestion.

Sadly it has been proved that the slower the traffic the greater the volume that can be accommodated, hence the variable M25 speed limits. Its all to do with the distance between cars. Lets keep it as a secret in case it catches on.

[LRdriver]

I am sorry but this just makes me puke..
I used to be a bicycle messanger in Copenhagen and the 30mph limit is not a problem.We do not have a congestion problem so speeds are higher.
Thinking about it, almost every other city has a 30mph limit and the pedestrians and bicycles live quite happily with cars.
So using these as an excuse is just a feeble way of getting another nanny law shoved up your arses under the banner of "SAFETY"

You folks should really consider a revolution..

[LRdriver]

Swilly,
A bit draconian there huh?..
what about pedestrians on roads with no pavement. Tell you what, lets tattoo a RoadTax disc on your ass before you even walk outside your door.


Seriously though swilly et al, I am just yanking your chain. Looking at the culture thing, in holland and Denmark we have a long tradition of bicycles and children ar tought to ride responsably with them taking a riding test and course when in the 6th grade (which, shockhorror, takes place on public roads..) we are taught that even if it is the cars fault, WE get hurt, hence a defensive attitute.
The UK road network is not very cyclist friendly but in the city you are no different then Copenhagen or Amsterdam except they live happily with millions of riders. Having seen riders blantantly flout the laws and ride like idiots does nothing to make things better.

Like the tone we like to take with numptys, "Education, education, education.."

[pies]

20mph in london,just driven from paddington to lincolns inn approx 6 miles (max) no accidents or roadworks 1 hour 30 mins
The conjestion has not gone at best reduced and in most cases its been moved to another location!!!

Sorry no smilies as getting server error needed to insert in a few places, and somthing unplesent up KL

[swilly]

gnomesmith said:

I may be missing something but slowing the traffic down again will surely cause congestion.

Sadly it has been proved that the slower the traffic the greater the volume that can be accommodated, hence the variable M25 speed limits. Its all to do with the distance between cars. Lets keep it as a secret in case it catches on.

But the M25 is a carriageway that allows the continual movement of traffic even when the limit is reduced.

If you consider the congestion zone, you will have traffic moving into it at 20mph or less or greater but movement within at 20mph or less plus taking the effects of traffic lights into account etc and you get a system with more traffic trying to flow into it than flowing out - and that's the recipe for congestion.