20 mph speed limit proposed in East Riding's residential areas

Lib Dem Councillors on the East Riding Council are proposing that “20 should be plenty” in urban and rural residential areas at the Full Council meeting tomorrow.

Lib Dem Cllr Linda Johnson said:

“The East Riding of Yorkshire Council last looked at speed limits in residential areas in 2018 and have it ‘on their books’ to reconsider in 2023. We think the consultation process with our towns and villages should start now, with plans put in place to ensure the default speed limit where there are vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists becomes 20mph no later than early 2025.

"Since lockdown eased, even where there are traffic-calming measures, cycling in town where there are no dedicated, protected cycle lanes, has become more scary. A policed, reduction in traffic speed limits would encourage more cyclists back on the roads and enjoying active travel again. So as well as making it safer for pedestrians, 20 is plenty will make it safer for cyclists.”

Lib Dem Councillor, David Nolan, in supporting the motion said:

“Twenty years ago I proposed that the speed limit outside all the 150 East Riding Schools should be 20 mph. There was some resistance to the idea with people saying it was expensive to do and arguing that the approach should be piece-meal. Today almost all our schools have a 20 mph zone outside them. Nobody would argue that the speed limit outside a school should be 30 mph or higher. Attitudes change and we now need to extend the 20 mph zones from the school gates to our town centres. According to Roadwise, a pedestrian hit at 30 mph has a 20 per cent chance of being killed. But if a pedestrian is hit at 20 mph the chance of being killed drops to 2.5%. “

According to Roadwise; If you hit a pedestrian:

• at 40 mph there is a 90 percent chance they will be killed.

• at 35 mph there is a 50 percent chance they will be killed.

• at 30 mph there is a 20 percent chance they will be killed.

• at 20 mph there is a 2.5 percent chance they will be killed.

Motion to Council:

This Council agrees with and supports the UK Government’s recent endorsement of The Stockholm Declaration, which stipulates in Resolution 11 that a council should “mandate a maximum road travel speed of 20mph in areas where vulnerable road users and vehicles mix; except where strong evidence exists that higher speeds are safe.”

The Council therefore:

a) Resolves to formally adopt Resolution 11. In practice this means that the default speed limit on East Riding’s urban and rural residential streets will be 20mph, except on main roads where speed limits, if higher, must be both safe and appropriate.

b) As the Local Highways Authority, this Council consults Parish Councils and communities to identify all the roads which should adopt a 20mph speed limit no later than 30 April 2025 and to make significant progress towards realising these changes in tandem – establishing 20mph limits in identified places quickly if communities agree.

c) The Council commits to providing the necessary funding, to achieve the goal of making our residents safe across East Riding of Yorkshire.

d) That the financial implications of this proposal be incorporated as part of the Council's forthcoming budget process.

Proposed by: Councillor Linda Johnson

Seconded by Councilor David Nolan

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