PROPOSED 20MPH SPEED LIMITS FOR OXFORD
Oxford Pedestrians
Association (OxPA) warmly welcomes the proposals as published but strongly believes they do not go far enough:
- They will not address environmental and road safety issues found on Oxford’s main roads, including the bus routes, where most pedestrian activity occurs.
- They will create confusion, with both pedestrians and vehicle users unsure as to whether the street they are in is or is not subject to 20mph limits
OxPA has been a long-standing supporter of 20mph limits and is a founder member of the Life Begins At 20 campaign. The County Council’s own recent report, issued prior to these consultations, confirms the County’s understanding of their benefits.
It is therefore surprising that, having acknowledged that the greatest safety case for 20mph limits is to be found on the main roads, the report backs away from recommending that those roads be subject to a 20mph limit.
Including the main roads within the 20mph limit will immeasurably enhance the benefits of the limit:
- Main roads will be much more welcoming to the young, the old, and the vulnerable so that social exclusion will be reduced
- Collisions between motor vehicles and vulnerable road users will be reduced
- The outcomes of collisions that do occur will be much less severe
- Confusion will be removed about whether a street is or is not limited to 20mph
- Conformance with the limits will be much greater due to greater clarity
- Street signage and clutter will be minimised
- Costs of implementation will be much lower
- Scheme implementation time will be much less
OxPA therefore requests that consideration be given to achieving these substantial additional benefits by creating a 20mph limit which is substantially more comprehensive than that proposed.
OxPA also requests that when introduced, the scheme should include use of the road surface to provide reminders of speed limits, with reliance on posted signs kept to an absolute minimum.
Lastly, OxPA hopes that the scheme will be introduced quickly so as to hasten the introduction of its welcome benefits.