30 km/h zone explained

30 km/h zones (30 kilometres per hour zones) and the similar 20 mph zones (20 miles per hour zones) are forms of speed management used across areas of urban roads in some jurisdictions. The nominal maximum speed limits in these zones are and respectively. Although these zones do have the nominal speed limit posted, speeds are generally ensured by the use of traffic calming (physical or psychological) measures, though limits with signs and lines only are increasingly used in the UK.[1] [2]

Reasons for implementation

These zones are generally introduced in areas, particularly residential areas, in an attempt to keep road traffic speeds down to a safe level. The philosophy behind such zones is that the streets in the zone are public space, and they seek to help strike a balance between the realities of an urban area bustling with pedestrian activity and the circulatory function of the roadways. Streets in these zones are considered to be a space for people who live, work, play and study in the area, while people who cross the zone to get somewhere else are excluded. The theory is to reduce rat running while improving the safety and quality of life in the area.

Research has shown that reducing driver speeds in built-up areas reduce injuries for all road users, including motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The link between vehicle speed and pedestrian crash severity has been established by research studies, with crash severity increasing as a function of motor vehicle speeds.[3] If a vehicle hits a pedestrian while traveling 15mph most pedestrians will survive a crash, often sustaining only minor injuries. Minor increases in impact speed have been shown to have a profound effect on crash severity. At 25mph, almost all crashes result in severe injuries and roughly half are fatal; and at 40mph, fully 90% of crashes are fatal. The dramatic differences in fatality rates are a key part of the theory behind 20 mph and 30 km/h zones.[4] Other studies have revealed that lower speeds reduce community severance caused by high speed roads in neighbourhoods, i.e. there is more neighborhood interaction and community cohesion when speeds are reduced to 30 km/h.[5]

Objectives

The objectives of the implementation of zones are to help:

Benefits

Compared to normal signed but unenforced speed limits, these type of speed zone generally deliver the required traffic speeds because of their traffic calming aspects.

Reviews of formal studies in many countries have found that 20 mph zones and limits are effective in reducing accidents and injuries, traffic speed and volume.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Speed limits without changes to street layout are less effective, but still have significant benefits.[11]

Death is much less likely if a pedestrian is hit by a car travelling at 30 km/h (20 mph) than at 50 km/h (30 mph) or more. The limited evidence from existing 30 km/h (20 mph) schemes shows marked reductions in deaths and casualties.[12]

Prevalence

Europe

In European countries 30 km/h zones have been used widely. On September 1, 1992, the city of Graz, Austria, became the first European city to implement a citywide 30 km/h limit on all roads except its largest. Significant 30 km/h zones are ubiquitous across the Netherlands. In Switzerland 30 km/h zones have been allowed by law since 1989 and they were first established in Zürich in 1991.[13]

In 2017, most of all IRTAD countries have a default speed limit in urban areas of 50 km/h, with various lower speeds, for instance, in the Netherlands, 70% of the urban roads are limited to 30 km/h.[14]

A network of 67 European NGOs organised a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) "30kmh - making streets liveable" collected signatures of support for a 30 km/h speed limit as the normal limit for the European Union. 50 km/h speed limits would then become exceptions. Local authorities would be able to decide on these exceptions and set other speed limits on their street network.[15]

In Munich 80% of the 2,300 kilometers of urban road network have a speed limit of 30 km/h or less, remaining roads are limited at 50 km/h.[16]

85% of Madrid's streets are limited to 30 km/h.[17] In May 2021 the government of Pedro Sánchez rolled out a new regimen of speed limits that limits most urban streets to 30 km/h, some to 20 km/h and the rest to 50 km/h depending on the number of lanes and whether the sidewalk is physically separated from street level.[18]

Lyon has the wider 30 km/h zone, with an area of 500 hectares (or 5 square kilometers) covering 87 km of road lanes.[19]

in January 2021 Brussels enacted 30 km/h as the default maximum speed for the entire Brussels Capital Region.[20] The authorities claim that this is the largest 30 km/h zone to date. According to sources the area of the Brussels capital area is 162 km².[21]

In France, town with most zone 30 kilometers are: Toulouse: 479,5 km, Angers: 461 km, Paris: 396,7 km, Lorient: 214,5 km, Grenoble: 213,7 km, Tours: 183,2 km et Nantes: 179,1 km.

Montpellier starts with 30 km/h zone on 1 August 2021.[22]

Since 30 August 2021, Paris has 30 km/h zone on most of the city except périphérique, boulevards des Maréchaux and few other streets.[23]

Since Wednesday 30 March 2022, Lyon has 30 km/h speed limit on 84% of its streets against only 37% previously. this means that 610 kilometres have a 30 km/h speed limit out of a total of 627 kilometres.[24]

In January 2024 Bologna enacted 30 km/h as the default maximum speed on 70% of its streets, covering around 90% of the city population.[25]

United Kingdom

There is significant action across the UK, both by organisations and local councils, to implement more 20 mph limits and zones in local communities.[26] 20's Plenty for Us list populations in UK local authorities committed to wide-area 20 mph limits at over 15 million people at March 2016, with over half of the largest UK 40 urban authorities having agreed a Total 20 mph policy. Some towns define the 20 mph zone as the general speed limit across the city, with a higher speed for main roads.[27]

In March 2018, Edinburgh implemented a citywide network of 20mph limits. Average speeds have reduced; support for 20mph is increasing, though compliance is still imperfect; casualties have fallen. There is no evidence of displacement of traffic from 20mph streets to 30mph streets.[28] The council of the mostly-rural Scottish Borders, UK, tried a 20 mph speed limit in 97 villages and towns from October 2020. Speeds reduced, and remained lower for at least eight months. The largest speed reductions were in locations with higher speeds, and especially in those having mean speeds greater than 25 mph before the intervention.[29]

In Wales in September 2023, after supportive reviews of the literature,[30] commitment in the manifesto of the ruling Welsh Labour party, after some years of successful pilot studies,[31] extensive consultation,[32] [33] supportive opinion polls,[34] [35] and further consultation by local councils, a 20mph limit was introduced as a default for residential roads.[36] Local councils, which implemented the change, were able to make exceptions where appropriate. Public Health Wales predicted that this would save up to ten lives and about two thousand serious injuries per year.[37]

The policy was introduced to the Senedd by a Conservative MS in 2018. It had all-party support for some years,[38] [39] [40] [41] and opinion polls continued to show majority support.[42] However, in 2023, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives began to claim that the policy was for a "blanket" 20mph limit, and the issue became the "most toxic" in years.[38] The Senedd's petition site recorded over 450,000 signatures to a request for the policy of "reducing to 20mph EVERWHERE" to be stopped.[43] A motion of no confidence in Lee Waters, Deputy Climate Change Minister, was backed only by Conservatives and was defeated in the Senedd.[44]

In the week after implementation, analysis of in-vehicle GPS data showed that traffic speeds on urban roads in Wales reduced by 2.9mph. Half of the drivers were sticking to the new limit and there was a significant reduction in the length of roads where speeds are well above 24 miles per hour.[45] Three months later, overall average speeds were 2.4mph less than pre-implementation levels.[46] [47]

United States

In the US, 20mph speed limits exist along linear routes, but are slow to catch on for area-wide implementation. New York City has implemented 20 mph zones through its Neighborhood Slow Zones program.[48] [49]

Ten US states already allow 15mph or 20mph speed limits for linear routes, as follows:

Mexico

Mexican cities which have established 30km/h zones (Zonas 30):

Oceania

Australia

New Zealand

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Elizabeth Press . No Need for Speed: 20′s Plenty for Us . Streetfilms.org . 2010-08-30 . 2011-11-27.
  2. Web site: UK Department for Transport. Setting Local Speed Limits . 2013-01-01 . 2015-04-28.
  3. Global Road Safety Partnership, Speed management: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners, Geneva: Global Road Safety Partnership, 2008, p. 5.
  4. Book: Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns . John Wiley & Sons . 2013 . 978-1-118-41859-8 . 2014-08-18.
  5. Web site: Joshua Hart . Driven To Excess: A Study of Motor Vehicle Impacts on Three Streets in Bristol UK . . 2011-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426002544/http://www.walk21.com/papers/Josua_Hart.pdf . 2012-04-26 .
  6. Cairns. Jo. Warren. Jon. Garthwaite. Kayleigh. Greig. Graeme. Bambra. Clare. 2014-09-28. Go slow: an umbrella review of the effects of 20 mph zones and limits on health and health inequalities. Journal of Public Health. 37. 3. 515–520. 10.1093/pubmed/fdu067. 25266281. 1741-3842. free.
  7. 20mph Supporting Technical Appendix Rapid Evidence Review. November 2018. Report by Atkins, AECOM, and Professor Mike Maher (UCL) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/784907/technical-appendix-4-20mph-rapid-evidence-review.pdf
  8. 20mph Research Study. Process and Impact Evaluation Headline Report. November 2018. Report by Atkins, AECOM, and Professor Mike Maher (UCL). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/784907/technical-appendix-4-20mph-rapid-evidence-review.pdf
  9. Developing and implementing 20-mph speed limits in Edinburgh and Belfast: mixed-methods study. Ruth Jepson, Graham Baker, Claire Cleland, Andy Cope, Neil Craig, Charlie Foster, Ruth Hunter, Frank Kee, Michael P Kelly, Paul Kelly, Karen Milton, Glenna Nightingale, Kieran Turner, Andrew James Williams and James Woodcock. Public Health Research Volume 10 • Issue 9 • September 2022ISSN 2050-4381 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/26263/Jepson_2022_PHR_20mph_speed_limits_CC.pdf
  10. Web site: New data shows significant improvements in road safety in London since introduction of 20mph speed limits . Transport for London. 18 November 2023.
  11. LUSTRE. Lower urban speed limits in Europe. What does the evidence show? May 2023. A report in three parts:Project overview report, incorporating• Development of UK policy on 20 mph speed limits, by PACTS (Evan Webster,David Davies and Margaret Winchcomb)• Summary of European speed limit case studies, by Christer Hydén, LundUniversity, SwedenPaper assessing the methodological quality of studies evaluating low speed limits by DrRune Elvik, TOI, Norway. (Appendix 1.)Meta-analysis of the effect of 20 mph speed limits in the UK by LoughboroughUniversity (A Theofilatos, M. Quddus and M Feng). (Appendix 2.)Project team: The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS),Loughborough University, Lund University (Sweden), Institute of Transport Economics(Norway) and the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC).Funded by The Road Safety Trust. Published by The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS)Buckingham Court78 Buckingham GateWestminsterLondon SW1E 6PEUKhttps://www.pacts.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Lustre-Report-2023-Funded-by-the-RST.pdf
  12. If you could do one thing..." Nine local actions to reduce health inequali. Dorling. Danny. January 2014. British Academy.
  13. Web site: Tempo 30 . Stadt-zuerich.ch . de . 2011-11-27.
  14. Web site: Speed and Crash Risk. Itf-oecd.org. 2021-11-19.
  15. Web site: 30kmh EN | 30km/h - making streets liveable!. En.30kmh.eu. 19 November 2021.
  16. Web site: Speed limit compliance and enforcement. Niassembly.gov.uk. 2021-11-19.
  17. Web site: La DGT limitará la velocidad a 30 km/h en ciudad, ¿es necesario? ¿en qué calles?. Diariomotor.com. 19 November 2021.
  18. Web site: In bid to reduce road deaths, Spain rolls out 30km/h speed limit on most urban streets. José Manuel Abad. Liñán. 11 May 2021. English.elpais.com. 19 November 2021.
  19. Web site: La ville aux piétons. Lyon.fr. 2021-11-19.
  20. Web site: City 30 Brussels . city30.brussels . en . 2021-01-05.
  21. Web site: Brussels-Capital Region | Population & Facts | Britannica. Britannica.com. 19 November 2021.
  22. Web site: Montpellier: la vitesse abaissée et limitée à 30 km/h dès le 1er août. France 3 Occitanie. 27 July 2021 . fr-FR. 2021-07-28.
  23. Web site: INFO RTL - Paris: Depuis le passage aux 30 km/H, la vitesse moyenne a diminué de 1,8 km/H . August 2022 .
  24. Web site: Le 30 mars, 84 % des rues de Lyon passeront en zone 30 . 20 March 2022 .
  25. Web site: Bologna Città 30 . Bologna Città 30 . 17 January 2024 . it-IT.
  26. Web site: 20's Plenty for Us. 20splenty.org. 17 March 2016.
  27. Web site: Speed Limits: A review of evidence. Racfoundation.org. 2021-11-19.
  28. Edinburgh Council 18 August 2022. Evaluation of the 20mph Speed Limit Roll Out – Three Years Post-Implementation. Paul Lawrence, Executive Director of Place. Contact: Daisy Narayanan, Senior Manager – Placemaking and Mobility https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/s9840/Item%207.3%20-%20Evaluation%20of%2020mph%20with%20appendices.pdf
  29. Assessing the Impact of 20 mph Speed Limits on Vehicle Speeds in Rural Areas: The Case of the Scottish Borders. Adebola Olowosegun (Transport Research Institute, School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, UK), Grigorios Fountas (Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Transportation and Hydraulic Engineering, School of Rural & Surveying Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.), and Adrian Davis (Transport Research Institute, School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, UK.) Safety (journal) 2023, 9(3), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9030066 13 September 2023
  30. The state of the evidence on 20mph speed limits with regards to road safety, active travel and air pollution impactsA Literature Review of the EvidenceDr Adrian L Davis FFPHAdrian Davis AssociatesConsultant on Transport & HealthBristol, UKAugust 2018. https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-08/the-state-of-the-evidence-on-20mph-speed-limits-with-regards-to-road-safety-active-travel-and-air-pollution-impacts-august-2018.pdf
  31. Transport Research Institute. Technical Paper 101. The value of prevention – casualty reductions in switching from a 30mph to 20mph speed limit default in Wales. November 2022 https://blogs.napier.ac.uk/tri/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/2022/11/TRI-Technical-Paper-101.The-value-of-Prevention.AD_.pdf
  32. Proposal to reduce speed limit to 20mph on residential streets. Last updated:11 March 2022. Summary of responses. https://www.gov.wales/proposal-reduce-speed-limit-20mph-residential-streets
  33. Explanatory Memorandum to the Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) (Wales)Order 2022This Explanatory Memorandum has been prepared by the Economic Infrastructure Directorate and is laid before Senedd Cymru in conjunction with the above subordinate legislation and in accordance with Standing Order 27.1Minister's DeclarationIn my view, this Explanatory Memorandum gives a fair and reasonable view of the expected impact of the Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order 2022. I am satisfied that the benefits justify the likely costs.Julie James MSMinister for Climate Change21 June 2022 https://senedd.wales/media/fo3ibze5/sub-ld15187-em-e.pdf
  34. https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2022-11/20mph-public-attitudes-survey-further-research.pdf Welsh Government – Public Attitudes to 20mph
  35. A new independent public attitude survey, conducted by Beaufort Research on behalf of the Welsh Government, shows the majority of respondents support a new lower speed limit. Almost two-thirds of people surveyed said they would support a 20mph speed limit where they lived and 62% said they wanted everyone to slow down on the roads. When asked about safety, 64% of people said that 20mph speed limits "makes it safer for pedestrians"; 57% agreed that 20mph means "fewer serious collisions on the roads" and almost half (47%) thought 20mph would make it safer for cyclists. 20mph speed limit 'could save Wales £100 million in first year'. Road Safety GB. 7 November 2022 https://roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/20mph-speed-limit-could-save-wales-100-million-in-first-year
  36. Web site: Introducing default 20mph speed limits | GOV.WALES. 16 September 2023. www.gov.wales. 18 November 2023.
  37. We interviewed the man responsible for 20mph in Wales and he expects some roads to go back to 30mph. But Lee Waters says the policy is 'here to stay'. By Ruth Mosalski, Political Editor, Wales Online. 19:53, 26 SEP 2023 Updated17:13, 28 SEP 2023 https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/interviewed-man-responsible-20mph-wales-27791459
  38. Martin Shipton. Shocking Facebook posts prove 20mph row is the most toxic issue since devolution began. 24 Sep 2023 https://nation.cymru/opinion/shocking-facebook-posts-prove-20mph-row-is-the-most-toxic-issue-since-devolution-began/
  39. Web site: What is the democratic mandate for a national 20mph default limit in Wales?. 20's Plenty for Us. 18 November 2023.
  40. Senedd says "Twenty's Plenty". Owen Donovan. July 16, 2020 https://seneddhome.com/2020/07/senedd-says-twentys-plenty/
  41. Cherry Allan. Cycling UK. Friday, 7 July 2023. Why 20 mph in Wales matters. https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/why-20-mph-wales-matters
  42. Do Welsh voters support or oppose the new 20mph speed limit on roads where cars mix with pedestrians and cyclists? (16-17 September) Support 46% Oppose 34% Redfield & Wilton Strategies. 2:00 PM · Sep 20, 2023 https://twitter.com/RedfieldWilton/status/1704480530308505610/photo/1
  43. We want the Welsh Government to rescind and remove the disastrous 20mph law. Created by Mark Baker. Accessed 29 September 2023.
  44. Wales 20mph: No confidence vote in minister Lee Waters fails https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-66929515
  45. Wales 20mph. Independent analysis of vehicle speeds in the first week after the implementation of 20mph speed limits in Wales. Agilysis. September 2023. https://nation.cymru/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Wales-20mph-Impact-Analysis-Report.pdf
  46. Wales 20mph. Implementation report. Independent analysis of vehicle speeds 3 months after the implementation of 20mph speed limits in Wales. January 2024.
  47. Revealing the impact of 20mph speed limits in Wales and the implications for enforcement. Agilysis. January 22, 2024. https://agilysis.co.uk/2024/01/22/wales-20mph-3months-on/
  48. Web site: Fried . Ben . NYCDOT Releases Landmark Ped Safety Study, Will Pilot 20 MPH Zones | Streetsblog New York City . Streetsblog.org . 2010-08-16 . 2011-11-27.
  49. Web site: Neighborhood Slow Zones. NYC DOT. 2023-04-17.
  50. Web site: Chapter 346  - Rules of the Road . Wisconsin State Legislature . 2011-11-27.
  51. Web site: Declara Monterrey Zona 30 a calle Morelos . 20 February 2014 . Multimedios . es . 2015-07-16.
  52. Web site: Zona 30 fue inaugurada en GDL . Unión Jalisco . es . 2015-07-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150717185828/http://www.unionjalisco.mx/articulo/2015/02/06/gobierno/guadalajara/zona-30-fue-inaugurada-en-gdl . 2015-07-17 .
  53. Web site: Este mes quedará terminada la Zona 30 y el programa Mi Bici en Zapopan . Meganoticias . es . 2015-07-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150721000815/https://meganoticias.mx/tu-ciudad/guadalajara/noticias/item/71198-este-mes-quedara-terminada-la-zona-30-y-el-programa-mi-bici-en-zapopan.html . 2015-07-21 .
  54. Web site: Proyecto Zona 30, por buen camino . El Debate . es . 2015-07-16.
  55. Web site: Yarra Council recommends maintaining 30km/h limit | Yarra City Council. Yarracity.vic.gov.au. 19 November 2021.
  56. https://www.victoriawalks.org.au/Assets/Files/Speed-Limits-Position-1.3.pdf "Safer Urban Speed Limits Position Statement"
  57. Web site: Manly cuts speeds to 30km/h to become NSW's slowest suburb. Julie. Power. 10 July 2020. The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 November 2021.
  58. Web site: 30 is the new 40: New reduced speed zone for Liverpool. Chris. Boulous. 9 July 2020. Liverpoolchampion.com.au. 19 November 2021.
  59. Web site: 30km/h Speed Limit for Parker Street Cootamundra . Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) . 20 August 2024.
  60. Web site: Wellington to have 30 km/h speed limit in the central city by end July. Let's Get Wellington Moving. 2012-06-11.
  61. Web site: New speed limit comes into force. July 2012. Taranaki Daily News . 2012-07-01.
  62. Web site: Speed limit changes for Central City. 29 February 2016. Christchurch City Council . 2016-03-01.
  63. Web site: 13 Major Cycle routes. Christchurch City Council . 2018-11-16.
  64. Web site: Mount Maunganui's new speed limit: 30 km/h. Bay of Plenty Times . 2011-06-22.
  65. Web site: 30km/h speed limit for Tauranga city centre. Tauranga City Council . 2018-10-05.
  66. Web site: Wynyard Quarter and Viaduct Harbour now 30km/hr. Auckland Council . 2017-08-27.

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