26 February 2016

Majority support for more 20mph speed limits in Hammersmith & Fulham

Plans to make roads safer by extending 20mph speed limit zones in Hammersmith & Fulham are set to be agreed in March.

Plans to make roads safer by extending 20mph speed limit zones in Hammersmith & Fulham are set to be agreed at a council Cabinet meeting on 7 March.

“The clear majority of residents, in one of our biggest-ever consultations, said they support extending 20 mph speed limits to reduce injuries and deaths on our streets and make our neighbourhoods more pleasant for everyone,” said Cllr Wesley Harcourt, H&F Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Residents’ Services.

In total 5,287 consultation responses were received and recorded. The results were:

45% of respondents (or 2,367) replied YES on all roads (except TfL roads)
26% of respondents (or 1,351) replied YES except on some main roads listed by respondents
29% of respondents (or 1,493) replied NO to any new speed controls

“We are listening to the overwhelming 71 per cent of residents who wanted extended 20mph zones while acting on the suggestions for main roads where some residents wanted 30mph limits retained on main roads outside town centres,” said Cllr Harcourt.

“We are planning 20mph Safer Neighbourhoods on the residential side roads in the borough that don’t already have them and a 20mph limit on sections of main roads in our three, busy town centres, where accidents with pedestrians and cyclists are frequent.”

The extended limits follow similar initiatives in the other London boroughs and by the Mayor of London and Transport for London on TfL roads in town centres.

The remaining main roads in H&F would retain a 30mph limit. The introduction of the new zones will be funded by TfL.

“Collisions at lower speeds are much less likely to cause deaths or serious injuries. And lower speeds are also good for reducing traffic congestion by cutting delays caused by accidents and by encouraging more people to leave the car at home, because walking or cycling become safer, more pleasant options”, Cllr Harcourt added.

Of the 763 people injured in a collision in H&F in 2014, almost half were cyclists or pedestrians.

H&F Council does not have the power to install speed cameras, only Transport for London (TfL) can do this. Enforcement of the new speed limit would only be by the police and no revenue from any speeding fines would come to the council.

The TfL managed roads such as the A4 and A40 will remain at their current speeds.

Twenty-six per cent of the 71 per cent of residents who backed an extension of the 20mph Safer Neighbourhoods said they also wanted some H&F Council managed roads to remain at 30mph.

The following roads will therefore remain at 30mph for all but where those roads run through our town centres - which will be 20mph: