Issue date: Friday December 18^th 2009

The campaign to introduce more 20mph zones in St Albans got another boost this week with the announcement of new national guidelines that will make them much easier for local councils to implement. The proposals mean that 20mph schemes can be introduced on groups of roads where speeds are already reasonably low without the need for extra traffic calming measures such as humps or chicanes.

Welcoming the announcement by the Road Safety Minister Paul Clark, Labour group leader Cllr Roma Mills said: “I have been pushing for wider use of 20mph limits near schools and on residential streets for some time, but the county council has always argued that this could only be done in conjunction with traffic calming measures. The new guidance makes it absolutely clear that this is not always the case, and should make it much easier for us to create roads and communities that are safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.” She added: “Only last week the British Medical Journal published research which showed a 40% reduction in road casualties had been achieved where 20mph zones were introduced in London.”

Last week, the St Albans City Forum, which includes district councillors, businesses and other community representatives, also gave its support to the principle of greater use of 20mph schemes.