Residents and businesses in Rotherham are being asked to have their say on when and how they would like 20mph zones to be introduced on their local roads.
Most 20mph limits in Rotherham have been introduced following requests from residents and are often made in response to accidents. Where a 20mph speed limit is supported with physical traffic calming, accidents have been shown to be reduced by around 40% to 60%.
In addition to improvements in road safety, 20mph schemes also:
- Reduce social exclusion. The disproportionate threat of death and injury for pedestrians and cyclists is compounded by poverty and age. Poorer neighbourhoods disproportionately bear the brunt of road danger. Child pedestrians from poorer households are five times more likely to become road casualties than their better off counterparts. Restore the balance between traffic and communities by reducing noise and increasing social interaction.
- Enable and encourage more walking and cycling which would help to cut congestion and create cleaner air
- Offer health benefits by enabling more walking and cycling, especially by children, which would arguably do more than any other single measure to defuse the health time bomb of obesity, diabetes and coronary heart disease caused by sedentary lifestyles.
Rotherham Council’s Leader Cllr Chris Read said: “20mph zones can help to create safer local neighbourhoods. They reduce collisions and casualties and improve safety, particularly for vulnerable members of the community. They can also reduce noise and traffic in neighbourhoods. Increasingly people are telling us that they want them in their areas, usually in residential estates. Equally there are clearly places where they’re not appropriate, like bigger roads and through routes.
“But when you travel around the borough at the moment we’re inconsistent about which residential roads are 20mph and which are 30mph limits. That’s because of the way we’ve taken requests for them in the past. So over time we want to be more transparent about the Council’s approach so that drivers know what to expect, and also clear that where there is significant local objection then we’re not trying to force them onto any particular area.
“The new policy sets out when and how we will agree to install a new 20mph zone and we’d really welcome feedback from all road users about whether our proposals are getting the balance right before we adopt the new policy.”
“But when you travel around the borough at the moment we’re inconsistent about which residential roads are 20mph and which are 30mph limits. That’s because of the way we’ve taken requests for them in the past. So over time we want to be more transparent about the Council’s approach so that drivers know what to expect, and also clear that where there is significant local objection then we’re not trying to force them onto any particular area.
“The new policy sets out when and how we will agree to install a new 20mph zone and we’d really welcome feedback from all road users about whether our proposals are getting the balance right before we adopt the new policy.”
Developing a policy for the implementation of 20mph zones is a key priory for the Council and for local people, so that zones can be introduced thoughtfully and appropriately when addressing concerns.
One East Dene parent recently complained about speeding vehicles saying: “There was an accident recently when two cars collided. One was pulling out from being parked and a car driving fast on the road hit it. Too many drivers speeding.”
Responding to such feedback requires a policy explaining why it is sometimes not possible to introduce a 20mph limit and also indicating where traffic calming or other measures may be required to effectively to slow vehicles down to 20mph, alongside 20mph signs.
The consultation will close on Friday 22nd December, 2023.