Agenda item

Zahur Khan, Head of Traffic and Parking Services and Liz Wathen, Traffic and Safety Manager presented the report which updated members on progress on the recommendations of the March 2011 Regeneration and Employment Review Committee report on ‘The Introduction of 20mph Zones’.

In the discussion the following points were made:

·         20mph zones had speed reduction measures e.g. speed humps.

·         A 20mph limit was a scheme without speed reduction measures.

·         Islington completed the first 20mph zone in 2002 and completed the last in 2009.

·         The work to limit 50% of the borough’s roads to 20mph was completed in 2010 and was considered to be successful.

·         In 2011, the council decided to introduce a borough wide 20mph limit and the police objected. Only the police could enforce the scheme as speeding was a criminal offence and the police did not have the resources to undertake enforcement work.

·         The biggest challenge since the completion of the work had been to address the public perception that there was a lack of enforcement.

·         As part of the borough commander’s priority to make Islington the safest borough in London, since October 2014 the police had been enforcing the 20mph limit. Prior to this, they completed a series of 27 stop and advice sessions with the council in which those travelling over the speed limit were stopped by the police and given advice by council staff.

·         The police were working closely with the council. All Safer Neighbourhood Teams were involved and had been trained.

·         The police did not have to advise the council when they would be carrying out enforcement as it was part of their day to day activities. In response to the committee’s request for annual enforcement figures, the officers advised that they would request this from the police.

·         Speed cameras in Islington were being upgraded to enforce the 20mph speed limit.

·         Speeding ticket money went directly to the Treasury.

·         The council was keen to work with TfL which had control over the strategic roads in the borough.  TfL, which had initially raised concerns about the Islington 20mph limit, was now undertaking 20mph limit studies in the City of London and had started implementing some 20mph limits e.g. outside Waterloo Station.

·         There was more enforcement of the 20mph limit than there had been of the 30mph limit.

·         A cultural change was required to make speeding more socially unacceptable.

·         If buses travelled at 20mph this would help to reduce the speed of other vehicles.

·         Camden had introduced a 20mph limit and Hackney, Haringey and the City of London would soon be introducing the same or similar schemes.

·         The average cost to the country of a Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) person was over £1million.

·         The number of accidents on Islington’s roads had reduced this year due to a number of factors.

·         Reducing the number of accidents could encourage more people to walk or cycle.

·         A member stated that a 20mph limit meant more people cycled and walked. This had effects such as a reduction in social isolation and obesity, which meant people required less support and relied less on council services. Improving the design of streets to encourage drivers to slow down could help with this. Officers advised that there was limited funding, however zebra crossings were being improved and this would encourage more people to walk. Community Infrastructure Levy money was being used for some schemes.

·         In response to a member’s comment that figures of outcomes would be useful e.g. walking to school figures and whether traffic volumes had reduced, it was suggested that the member could liaise with the Senior School Travel Plan Officer to identify a number of schools and compare their school travel plans.

·         The council was undertaking work to improve cycle routes in the borough and more information could be given to the committee about this.

·         Following a request from members, officers would ask the police to provide annual enforcement figures from before and after the implementation of the 20mph limit.

·         A member of the public raised concern about speeding offences, more CCTV being required and issues with cyclists on Green Lanes. Officers advised that TfL was responsible for this section of road. TfL was working with the City of London on studies of 20mph limits and if satisfied with the results, it could decide to introduce 20mph limits more widely on its roads.

·         A member of the public raised concern about speeding vehicles on side roads, often near schools. Officers advised that school crossing patrols were in place at schools. There were some speed humps near schools, however the council now had a policy not to put in new humps unless there was a specific or critical reason. Funding meant there was a need to react where accidents happened and where there were no accidents, it was difficult to justify putting in place precautionary measures when accidents had occurred elsewhere. The resident suggested that similar signs to the one outside Grafton School which encouraged people to walk and cycle be placed outside all other school in the borough. Officers would look into this.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That officers consider placing signs outside all schools, encouraging people to walk and cycle.

3)    That officers ask the police to provide annual enforcement figures both before and after the implementation of the 20mph limit.

4)    That officers provide committee members with more information about planned cycle route improvements.