The council’s consultation on 20mph will now close on Sunday 7th September – you can find the survey here.
We strongly encourage you to reply and support the scheme. It is not perfect but it is far better than what we have now.
Our previous piece on the topic can be found here. As a summary of these, and other arguments please look at the diagram below.
TfL has a lot of research to back up the benefits – an infographic summary can be found here. And if you really want more, 20s Plenty is a treasure trove.
We believe that becoming far more of a 20mph borough will be a boost to our desire for safe, healthy, people-friendly streets. As we have previously stated we would like to see more shopping areas included in the scheme, the image at the top shows some of the areas in green which are not covered. If these areas matter to you, please say so in your response.
In the course of the consultation there’s been some interesting challenges to the proposal. Perhaps you may have come across them yourself. If you, or someone you know is on the fence hopefully you will find them helpful.
1. 20mph doesn’t work elsewhere
This is often accompanied by ‘look at Wales!’
The Welsh 20mph scheme is not quite as universal as claimed, it’s actually less than half of the network (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj55ren8229o). Then there’s the 100 fewer injured or killed in the first year of operation.
And these schemes take time to bed in, same as would be the case in Enfield if it goes ahead.
In Wales it has been incredibly successful.
Across London now there are many such examples – check out the Transport for London report here
- 40% reduction in the number of people killed
- 34% in the number of people killed or seriously injured
- 35% reduction in collisions and 36 per cent reduction in casualties on borough roads
And so on.
Then there’s the health benefits from lower pollution and emissions with reduced acceleration and braking. This is about more than safety.
It works elsewhere, it will work in Enfield too.
2. We don’t need a blanket scheme!
We do not wish to present ourselves as cynical, but it does look as though some critics of the scheme may not have looked at the map.
The shopping areas of Winchmore Hill, Lancaster Road, Arnos Grove, Bush Hill park, Silver Street, Freezy Water and Oakwood (as examples) are NOT included.
Neither is the Ridgeway, Southbury Road, A10, A406, M25 etc.
We have never argued for a blanket scheme, but the proposal does not recommend one.
Have a look for yourself – here is the map.
3. The police are busy enough as it is!
We’ve heard this a lot in recent weeks and it’s pretty baffling.
Isn’t there a speed limit already?
We would dearly love the police, and other emergency services, to have fewer deaths and serious injuries to investigate, fewer long stays in hospitals, lower rates of asthma and similar conditions and more people to feel they can cross a road or cycle their journey without taking their life in their hands.
Sure, there will be a need for some enforcement but the same is true now.
20mph means there is less to do for the police, not more, and the same will apply to other emergency services.
Here’s all the speed related collisions from 2018-2022. How much did all of this cost the taxpayer in emergency services costs?
4. 20mph limits slows journeys down
When you drive a car in a city you often have cars all around you. The lights change, you go through in a batch, travel together in a batch and then stop again at the next junction.
Driving more slowly can give you the impression the journey is taking longer, but then less time spent at a junction gives it back the other way.
Not every journey is the same of course – but when traffic is slower other options like cycling become more attractive. Then less traffic means fewer hold ups.
20mph also means fewer collisions which in itself leads to fewer delays.
Not so sure? We recommend you take a look at this article about optimum speeds for traffic flow. https://www.20splenty.org/20mph_improves_traffic_flows
There’s others, including those which would fracture the scheme so much it would be very difficult for motorists and others to know the limit. Certainty brings safety.
Summarising
We will finish by repeating the points that this scheme will, once rolled out and bedded in, make our borough a much more pleasant place to live
- When speeds fall people feel safer, and then they get from place to place in other ways. That leads to a further fall in pollution.
- People feel empowered to get out on the street, local businesses benefit from the increased footfall, and communities become stronger.
- We want every parent to feel that their children are safe walking to school, and for every elderly person to stay connected with their community. Lower speeds reduce loneliness.
- There may well be times when motorists feel frustrated, but the payoff is considerable. The majority of journeys in Enfield are not made by car, but we are well behind the London average.
Enfield can become a much more pleasant place to be for everyone. Please make sure you take the time to support it.
