This old chestnut

Posted in response to a blog about proposed 20 mph zones in Southville at simplysouthville.blogspot.com

"Ah! This old chestnut again. We've had 20 mph zones here in Redfield for 10 years now, along with all the associated traffic calming measures and street furniture, including signs which say you're leaving a 20 mph zone and entering, um, a 20 mph zone. Total lunacy, but apparently all in accordance with the regulations.

Unfortunately and to our annoyance and despair, the signage makes not a jot of difference to the speed of 90% of motorists, either on the 'rat-run' side streets or the main road, where, alarmingly, a lot of traffic still travels at around 40 mph and sometimes a lot faster.

The brickwork chicanes are almost always driven across, rather than around, the contraflow systems force cyclists onto the pavements, gutters or into oncoming buses and other traffic.

There are so many cars and so little enforcement that drop-down kerbs, zig-zag lines, bus lanes, cycle lanes, yellow lines, speed bumps and pavements are routinely parked on.

I've come to the conclusion, after a decade of first hand experience, that the 20 mph zones here, are in practice, worse than useless, not only lulling pedestrians and cyclists into a dangerous false sense of security, but degrading the meaning and regard for laws / regulations in general.

If, after 10 years of living in a 20 mph Home Safety Zone, with signs designed by local school children announcing, 'Think! 20 Is Plenty', the majority of traffic still travels at dangerously high speed and those same school children - or rather, by now, their offspring - have to wait for ages at the side of the road in the aforementioned Home Safety Zone, before dashing across, it really hasn't worked.

Everyone here - residents, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists passing through - knows that it hasn't worked, either to their convenience or disappointment.

Why would Southville be any different ? Would it be properly enforced there ?

Don't bother - you'll save a few quid and maintain some semblance of respect for the law."

20 mph Ph.D.

Are you sitting comfortably ?

This is a 20 mph sign at the end of Edward Street as it enters Church Road, Redfield, next to the Chinese takeaway, indicating that this stretch of Church Road is 20 mph. Right ?



Wrong. This sign, 50 metres away, at the end of Verrier Road, by The Old Bank, shows the end of a 20 mph Zone as you enter Church Road. Or does it ? Surely, that's what a crossed out 20 means, with the words 'Zone Ends'. So what's with the other 20 in the red circle ? Perhaps the speed limit's still 20, but the 20 mph zone has ended. Uh ?

I knew I should have taken a Ph.D. in street furniture.

No matter, this lunchtime, a police car sped up Church Road on the wrong side at 80 mph, without siren or lights, which at least gives the impression that everyone else is doing under 20.

April Fool

Judging by the speed of traffic on this stretch of Church Road, Redfield, the 20 mph sign must be some kind of April Fool's joke.