Richmond 20mph

[2gins]

Yeah. Yet bizarrely the other exemption is the A305 from Apex corner to Twickenham town centre, which remains 30 i.e. the same limit. It has:

Plenty of side roads
Several schools
Narrow in places
Pedestrian crossings
Pubs, bars, restaurants

https://goo.gl/maps/bDLffqDbSCP2

It is crossed by the Sixth Cross Road, which will be 20 mph; this has no schools, twice the width and is built up on only one side.

https://goo.gl/maps/MgLAEvGFTkS2

I can only conclude the councilors have gone utterly mad!

Edit - from the councils' own report:

4.29
During the consultation the Council became aware of London Councils’
attempts to request speeding enforcement powers. This was not part of the
Council’s thinking prior to consultation. However, in light of the concerns
expressed about enforcement and achieving higher levels of compliance, the
Council will actively support this call and should such powers transfer, will
consult residents on any potential usage of these powers. The Council will
also consider any other innovations and approaches that may aid greater
compliance and enforcement – given the strong views from respondents on
the matter.

So, councils want to both set and enforce the limit. Can't see anything wrong with that at all!
Jesus wept.

Edited by 2gins on Thursday 14th February 12:56

[2gins]

Well, it has to go through the council's scrutiny committee which meets later this month, although it is scheduled for March 25 I think. I'll be putting in a submission for that meeting but probably won't speak at it. However, the scrutiny committee is simply made up of non-cabinet councilors and since the council is predominantly Lib Dem and generally in favour, impartiality is unlikely.

So then you might grumble to the local MP, but they're both in favour anyway and have other things on their minds (Goldsmith and Cable) so that probably won't go very far. So then you could go to the Mayor, but you know where that will get to. So then it's judicial review (Mrs 2gins is a govt lawyer so well aware of the process), or good old fashioned civil disobedience.

All we can really do is make sure that when it kicks in all those who didn't respond to the consultation and don't like it start telling people - local press (RT Times is just a mouthpiece for the liberals in council - but hey ho), social media noise etc. That's about it really.

Practically it'll be down to making sure that they are held to account for wasting £950k of public money when it turns out in 2021 that there hasn't been any change in collision rate or modal shift at all. Just in time for the 2022 local council elections, at which point I should imagine common sense will break out, but 4 years too late.

[2gins]

Would you like a hammer for that nail, the head looks quite large.

[2gins]

Spot on Tom. But the reality is that 20 mph has not increased cycling uptake, and in fact in Richmond cycle journeys have more or less doubled over 5 years without it. Apart from the Thames path the only purpose built cycle route I can think of in the borough is this TfL one on the A316

https://goo.gl/maps/fuQQobYbUpp

That requires the cycle to slow down and speed up again at every side road - 20 or so over 2 miles. Needless to say many cyclists just use the main road, which winds everybody up. There's loads of scope for quietways around the back streets, there's more cycle parking at the local Sainsbury's than in the town centre; its these things where the focus should be. I'd day probably around 50% of residents live in flats or converted terraces with no/little cycle storage - where are they supposed to keep a bike, let alone use it.

At the end of the day it's not the prospect of doing 20 mph that I object to, its more the rubbish arguments put forward and lack of imagination coupled with the constant expectation for drivers to suck it up.

[2gins]

Update.

Scrutiny meeting was 25th Feb, not 25th March as reported in the local rag. Luckily I got my submission in in time.

10 people presented at the meeting, 3 standing councilors (which seems a bit odd), London and borough cycle activists, the local 20s Plenty guy, an A&E surgeon who spoke about his day job trying to save little girls' lives after road accidents and one other guy, all in favour. Two residents speaking against.

Passed scrutiny as you may have seen in the local papers. In addition, there was a motion passed to accelerate the phased introduction plan to get it all done this year.

Cabinet meeting sits this evening to give the final nod. There are various discussions ongoing and several complaints running through the council channels about the quality of the consultation, and the decision making etc.

49.7% against the proposal, 47.9% in favour - a slender majority with no overall support for or against. Pushing ahead is justified by the council on the grounds that

i) 52% of respondents agreed with the question "do you think reducing the speed limit to 20 mph will reduce the severity and frequency of accidents in the borough?" - a very leading question;

ii) there was majority support among under 19s and over 74s - about 8% of the response rate;

iii) By excluding a few roads the expectation is that more people would be in support, creating the majority in favour - but of course they don't know this because they haven't asked that question, so it is an assumption based on the premise that people were only opposed to the limit running past their front door (figuratively speaking - only concerned about their usual route) and not opposed to the concept of a whole borough 20- mph limit.

The majority support lies with a side roads only scheme, but the council won't support this. It is a manifesto commitment of course, other big headline manifesto commitments from the Lid Dems' 2018 campaign are:

"We’ll tackle town hall secrecy and put an end to ‘lip service’ consultations."

" Above all we will ... listen to, and act on, the concerns of borough residents."

"Work with local residents to deliver 20mph speed limits everywhere."
The key phrase here being "work with local residents"

"Making sure residents have a real say over the decisions that impact upon them and their community."

It will start within the next month. Kew goes first, including the A307 (soon to be the scene of a head-on collision due to rash overtaking, I'm sure). Barnes, Sheen, Mortlake, Richmond town will follow in Phase 1 I think before it comes to Twickenham probably over the summer and then out to Whitton, Teddington, Hampton in the autumn. I'm guessing at the timelines but the broad idea is the for North/East part of the borough with higher overall support rates to go first and the stragglers last.

Enforcement will be by community speed watch and PCSOs, Proper Plod where there is widespread ignorance.

So there you go.

[2gins]

Anyone feels strongly enough about this or has an issue with a particular road, the traffic order is out and can be seen here, you have until the end of this week to submit any comments or objections.

https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/roads_and_tra...

I've flagged the A307 Kew Road as the average speeds are > 24 mph and the problem is parked cars for Kew Gardens not speeds.

Will it make any difference, probably not but I'm not one for lying down etc.

[2gins]

Now in roll-out. Starting in Kew Green and Hampton with works moving inwards towards the river over the next 12 months. Changes to speed enforcement thresholds progressively area-by-area, no planned new enforcement cameras etc at this stage. No news on when the neighbourhood womble teams will start up.

https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/roads_and_tra...

Looking at the map it appears that the 40 mph stretch at Hampton Court / Bushy Park has been excluded after all, but this might just be the guy who did the map getting bored with it.

Stay safe out there people!

[2gins]

Council are at it again.

New consultation about the active travel strategy here, open until mid December.

https://haveyoursay.citizenspace.com/richmondecs/a...

I haven't read it yet. I will post up key points as I come across them, but the opening line is along the lines of, 'our streets weren't built for cars, but for walking, horses and carts, and their use can be changed again' so you can see where it's going.

[2gins]

Vipers said:

Just drove through place near Wimbledon, all 20, can't say it bothered me much, quite a lot of traffic, just set cc on 20, doesn't suit all I know, 20 v 30 not much difference really.

It's not just this aspect. I'm happy to do 10 mph if its appropriate for the road environment and conditions.

It's the fact there are hundreds of other projects that would actually do more for safety, emissions and mode shift in the borough, that would have benefited from a cool million quid. It's the fact that 20 mph wide area schemes have been shown to not be effective at those things, compared to the status quo. It's the fact the council stood for election on a platform of improving local democracy, then ignored public opinion in their first major PC and rammed it through anyway. It's the completely one-sided propaganda campaign deliberately designed to skew public opinion ("encourage support" was their spin on it!). It's the fact they've been led by the nose by their SJW pals in single issue pressure groups (20s plenty, bikes, Brake etc) instead of listening to the objective research and making good progress on better projects. There are actually some halfway decent proposals in the latest active travel PC, if they'd done this first they'd be a year into the changes now and we might actually be seeing some benefit. Instead we're a million quid of public money down, and all we have to show for it is some new road signs and more street clutter.

Huge smash on the A307 in the new 20 limit over the weekend, Focus ended up on its roof, 2 injured taken to hospital. Local news says it hit a tree, single vehicle collision. New speed limit seems to be effective

[2gins]

The Mad Monk said:

TL:DR

Is the 20mph limit in force in London Borough of Richmond?

If so, how are they enforcing it?

It's being applied area by area since August. Kew, Sheen, Barnes has all been completed as has I think Hampton and Teddington. They're moving inwards from the edges. Some area of Richmond town have been started as has the A305 from East Sheen up to the town, but not yet live. Whitton will be last.

There is no enforcement whatsoever except for the existing speed cameras and a community speedwatch scheme that so far is conspicuous by its absence.

[2gins]

There are a number of thriving discussions on social network nextdoor in which residents are complaining about tailgating, overtaking, road rage etc.

We did tell them. Interesting to see how it pans out.

[2gins]

Thanks for posting the Kingston link, I thought they'd already done it tbf. Interesting claims on the link, it will be interesting to see how they spin 2018s DfT report on 20mph given that is now well in the public domain.

If you want any source data for your response drop me a PM. I haven't added 2018 numbers yet but will do if you want a short cut.

As for traffic down here... I drove back from outside Loughborough a few months ago, it took longer to get from M25 J15 to my house than to do the 100 miles more or less from Loughborough to J15, via the A5. Some nights leaving work, a journey of 16 miles against the flow, I could be in Birmingham before I could get home. It's carnage.

[2gins]

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/20-mph-...

[2gins]

Implementation now looks completed, just some repeaters to uncover north of A316 in Whitton.

Casualty figures for 2020 will be released end of September 2021. There'll be no useful emissions / air quality data because Hammersmith bridge closure has massively increased congestion in half the borough.

Enjoy the new regime, comrades.

[2gins]

I can do 20 on my bike, they're holding me up too. I overtook one lady the other week, not in the borough but closer to work.15 mph then down to 10 over the bumps, after 1/4 mile I'd had enough and went by after a speed bump. Then she woke up.

[2gins]

There are a couple of petitions running on Change.org for those who feel strongly enough to sign and share around your real life and social networks.

I like the signage, I bet that's in Whitton/Heathfield.

[2gins]

I believe it relates to a social media campaign in Whitton, and the figure was 73% IIRC. So one ward where people could be bothered. The other end of the borough was more inclined the other way so it balanced out.

In justifying rolling out to Whitton anyway the council did note PTAL scores were low (1s and 2s on a 106 scale) and said they'd sort that out. Guess what. Nothing. (PTAL is public transport accessibility level, basically public transport is ste in Whitton. Only a couple of bus routes down the high street and nothing in the residential areas away from main roads).