The Group Manager - Highway Services reported on the current status of 20 miles per hour limits and zones in the County Borough and on the potential implementation of further schemes.

He reported that local authorities can introduce speed limits of 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 miles per hour and more recently 20 miles per hour.  He stated that there were a number of organisations which advocate blanket lower speed limits and the wider use of 20 miles per hour limits combined with rigorous police enforcement would satisfy casualty reduction targets.  The use of 20 miles per hour limits needed to be balanced with other considerations, namely guidance on the enforcement of 20 miles per hour speed limit/zones, which indicated that general compliance needed to be achieved without excessive reliance on enforcement. 

The Group Manager - Highway Services informed the Forum that within the County Borough there are some eleven 20 miles per hour zones and one 20 mile per hour speed limited funded through the Welsh Government and Council grants.

The Group Manager - Highway Services reported that current guidance allowed highway authorities to implement 20 mile per hour speed limits and zones where appropriate, particularly in residential areas, which was encouraged and supported by the Welsh Government.  He stated that in order for 20 miles per hour speed limits and zones to be successful they should ideally be self-enforcing and in introducing such schemes highway authorities should take account of the level of police enforcement were required before installing either of these measures and must always formally consult the Police when considering their use.  Research had indicated that 20 miles per hour speed limits should only be used where vehicle speeds were 24 miles per hour or below or where traffic calming measures were planned as part of the speed management strategy.

The Group Manager - Highway Services informed the Forum that whilst there was evidence that 20 miles per hour zones introduced in conjunction with speed reducing features were effective in reducing collisions and speeds, there was an evidence gap on the effectiveness of 20 miles per hour speed limits.  He stated that the design and treatment of new housing estates sought to design the road layouts to naturally lower speeds by type of road geometry and the introduction of chicanes to change the perception of the driver and naturally promote lower speeds.

The Group Manager - Highway Services reported that in order to influence driver behaviour on existing streets it meant that physical traffic calming measures such as chicanes, build outs or speed cushions were usually required and the cost of introducing such measures was to ensure that a length of road was engineered to promote and maintain a lower average speed could run into tens and thousands of pounds.

The Group Manager - Highway Services reported that the rate at which the Council was able to address requests for new 20 miles per hour schemes was largely based on available funding and that road safety grants from the Welsh Government were prioritised on the basis of individual road safety records.  He stated that it was not always the case that requests for 20 miles per hour zones coincide with casualty locations and as such bids to the Welsh Government for funding of 20 miles per hour zones with a low or nil casualty rate were not successful when prioritised against areas with higher collision rates.

A Member of the Forum expressed concern at the saturation of parked cars during the day time at the Coity Fields Estate and stated that a car had collided with a child and believed that a 20 miles per hour zone would be more beneficial in that area than traffic calming measures.  The Group Manager - Highway Services informed the Forum that parked vehicles tended to slow drivers down during the day and that he would ask his traffic officers to investigate the concerns raised and confirmed whether measures were needed in that area.

A Member of the Forum believed that the imposition of 20 miles per hour limits in Broadlands had not deterred speeding traffic and that the Police would not enforce the speed limit in that area.

The Group Manager - Highway Services informed the Forum that speed limits are prescribed and that there were also advisory limits in place, however, the majority of motorists adhered to speed limits.  He also informed the Forum that where speed limits were advisory that they would not generally be accompanied with traffic regulation features.             

RESOLVED:            That the Forum noted the report.