Well it has been a very good week for our campaign to have more sensible speed limits on our streets where people live, and work,  and play.

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday I was in Brussels with ETSC (European Transport Safety Council) presenting to students from around Europe who were on a course on campaigning for lower speeds. It was great to see the enthusiasm from the students present and I hope that my presentation gave them inspiration to start 30 kph campaigns in their own countries.

 

On Thursday I was invited by CTC to their announcement of their “Safety in Numbers” campaign. This was held in the Jubilee Room of the House of Commons in Westminster and was sponsored by the All Parliamentary Cycling Group. The campaign may be downloaded from www.ctc.org.uk/safetyinnumbers. One major initiative within the campaign is 20 mph speed limits for residential roads and for us 20 is one of the most important numbers to encourage cycling as well as walking.

 

On Thursday I took the opportunity whilst in London to see Koy Thomson the Chief Exec of London Cycle Campaign to assist in including 20’s Plenty in their campaigns, and also Phillipa Hunt of Living Streets whom 20’s Plenty for Us are working with closely on their new campaign for 20 mph speed limits.  20’s Plenty for Us is providing resources and background information for their initiative which will be launched to all local Living Streets groups.

 

And on Friday the National Audit office released its report on how the Dept for Transport was (or was not) “Improving Road Safety for Pedestrians and Cyclists in Great Britain”. 20’s Plenty for Us had contributed to the report and we were pleased to see that they also were encouraging 20 mph being set as the speed limit for residential streets. This may be downloaded from http://www.nao.org.uk/our_work_by_sector/transport_and_infrastructure/improving_road_safety.aspx

 

It is really encouraging to see that the “establishment” is coming around to believing that our 30 mph speed limits on residential roads are simply not tenable, and that we must opt for 20 mph as being the default unless otherwise approved. With Oxford being the latest local authority to make a formal decision on 20 mph across all residential streets (apart from arterial roads) then this is increasingly becoming the standard initiative for creating a better street and road environment for all users.

 

Whilst I know that some of you continue to have battles with local authorities where you live on lower speeds, please be heartened by the emerging evidence that there is change in the air. I would suggest that it is no longer  a case of whether 20 mph becomes the default for residential streets, but merely, how, where, and how many lives must be blighted before it becomes universal throughout the land.

 

My thanks to you all for all your efforts. Our collective voices are making a real difference. As Gandhi said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!”

 

My best regards

 

 

Rod King

20's Plenty For Us

07973 639781

www.20splentyforus.org.uk