For some time the Council have been developing a 20 mph limit scheme in West Putney and around Dover House Road. This is important because it is seen as a test bed for area-wide 20 mph limits in Wandsworth. WCC has strongly supported the idea of 20 mph limits because they can help reduce the speed differential between cyclists and motorised vehicles and so increase the safety and comfort of cyclists.
In the past, the Council has always combined 20 mph zones with traffic calming including chicanes, humps and speed cushions, which can often be dangerous and uncomfortable for cyclists. However, the residents in the area said they wanted the speed limits, but not the traffic calming.
In response the Council are proposing to put in the 20 mph zones with no physical measures, using only 20 mph signs and painted road markings designed to look like speed cushions but without any humps or other physical measures. The residents are being consulted again on whether they want the 20 mph limits to be put in with these painted virtual speed cushions, with actual speed humps, or not at all.
Given the cost and problems of physical humps and speed cushions WCC is proposing to support the introduction limits with the painted markings, provided that their effectiveness is properly monitored, but we would like to hear from as many cyclists as possible before we make a formal response.
Please give us your comments here. We need to forward responses to the Council by the end of Sunday March 13th. This was done and our response is shown as a comment to this post.
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Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteI think that if they implement the 20mph zone it would be great. Hopefully a first step to borough wide 20mph zone.
Jon
Cycle humps were put on Danebury Avenue which slows most cars down. Beyond the humps cars still speed. Unfortunately the road surface around the humps seems to disintegrate more quickly & some very dangerous potholes appeared this winter. Not convinced that the cost of putting humps in is worth it but a borough wide 20mph limit would be great!
ReplyDeleteHi Mike,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to check before seeking advice from the 20splentyforus group for you - is this a zone or a limit? (not quite clear from the wording).
Susie
Susie, its a 20 mph limt that's proposed, not a zone.
ReplyDeleteMike
Hi Mike, for info, here are the comments received from members of the 20splentyforus group:
ReplyDelete1. We have a few locally (Shacklegate Lane). They may work for the first
few encounters but rapidly get ignored. Perhaps if they were randomly
replaced by real ones for a week or so ! (LBRUT member)
2. My understanding is that :-
You need to clarify whether it will be a 20mph "zone" or a 20mph "limit". [My Note: It's a 20mph speed Limit, not zone]
If it is a zone then it will require the "traffic calming" to indicate lower speed requirements to drivers. This may be psychological or physical. Hence your painted bumps.
However, if it is a "Limit" then it will still need repeater signs. The painted bumps may be a useful traffic calming device, but there existence is in addition to the limit.
Is it a Permanent Traffic Order or Experimental? If the latter then it will only run for 18 months and will then revert.
Is it actually a change in speed limit at all?
Also if it is a "Zone" then the police expect far less enforcement than if a "limit". RK
3. These two reports on the subject of psychological traffic calming make
interesting reading - MH
Engineering quiet lanes in surrey hills aonb_u of surrey_2001 (1).pdf
or http://tinyurl.com/5t3m9qe
Psychological traffic calming_TRL_2005 (1).pdf or
http://tinyurl.com/5t9l87t
4. I suggest effectiveness is similar to the 'matrix' speed indicator signs - quite effective in first 6 months but likely to wear off over time as people get used to them. To a certain extent it does depend on the proportion of traffic that is regular local commuters - once anyone has been down the road a few times the impact will wear off. However an integral part of the psychological effect depends on features like white road margin lines 'narrowing' the carriageway either side of the 'humps' and possibly 'ghost' islands or hatch markings.
ADA
Many thanks to all those who commented and voted in the poll.
ReplyDeleteHere is our response sent to Wandsworth Council:
Thank you for forwarding these documents for comment by Wandsworth Cycling Campaign (WCC). The proposals were looked at and commented on by several members of our group.
In general, WCC is strongly supportive of the introduction of a 20 mph speed limit on residential and shopping streets. Some physical traffic calming techniques such as chicanes and narrowings can often lead to conflict between users of motor vehicles and cyclists, and are generally not acceptable to us.
We are pleased to see the Council considering the use of 20 mph limits supported by psychological traffic calming measures such as the 'virtual speed cushions' proposed here and support the Council's willingness to try these in the introduction of the proposals.
The responses from our members with experience of such virtual speed cushions elsewhere (for example, there are some in Shacklegate Lane in Teddington) suggest that they are effective at first, but that this wears off quite quickly as drivers become used to them. We would therefore wish to see the effectiveness of the measures monitored after implementation.