James Evison
13 September 2013
City of London votes for 20mph speed limit
The City of London has voted to impose an area-wide 20mph speed limit in a move which aims to improve safety and quality of life across the square mile.
The City of London court of common council voted for the policy o protect workers and visitors to the UK's financial hub. Campaigners now hope it will send a message to the rest of the UK that a 20mph environment would encourage active travel and health, as well as providing better road safety.
The move was made after an air quality impact report proved there would be no negative effects from reducing the speed limit – only raising journeys by a maximum of 25 seconds.
It follows the mayoral roads task force in July claiming that 20mph zones would improve road safety and offer a better quality of life to Londoners.
A quarter of London boroughs now either have a blanket 20mph policy or are moving towards such a limit.
Jeremy Leach, 20's Plenty for Us London co-ordinator, said: ‘A 20mph City of London says strongly that 20's Plenty where people work. The City of London joins Paris and Tokyo in recognising that 20mph limits are better for business and health.
‘Other boroughs are watching the City's decision. More are expected to announce their own borough-wide 20mph limits soon.’
Transport charity, Sustrans’ London deputy director, Matt Winfield, said: 'A 20mph limit is welcome wherever it is put in place across the country, but a postcode lottery where pedestrians and cyclists are safer in some areas than others is not acceptable – 20mph must become a national default speed limit.
