20mph speed limit planned for all inner city streets by 2021

FROM Canton to Splott and Butetown to Gabalfa, nearly every road in vast swathes of Cardiff could soon have 20mph speed limits.

Cardiff council is introducing the scheme which will, between now and 2021, see 20mph zones gradually brought in to residential streets throughout almost all of the city centre and inner city.

Roads in Cathays and Roath were made subject to a pilot scheme back in 2014 – and now much of the rest of the city could join them.

The 20mph zones will be introduced across the city in:

Riverside, Canton (phase one) – 2016-17

Gabalfa, Grangetown (phase one), Canton (phase two); Cathays pilot upgrade – 2017-18

Plasnewydd, Adamsdown, Grangetown (phase two) – 2018-19 Penylan, Splott, Butetown – 2019-21 Anna Semlyen, national campaign manager from the 20’s Plenty for Us pressure group, said there would only be benefits from 20mph zones being introduced.

“It’s unbelievable how many benefits there are, and we are not just talking casualties,” she said.

“If you reduce the risk – because people are going less fast – then people will start to feel they are more able to talk to neighbours or to let their children play.”

Ms Semlyen also said vehicles would be more fuel-efficient, while there would also be a resulting fall in pollution.

And she added: “If you improve the streets where people live, they will walk more and they will cycle more.

“Even small increases in walking and cycling can have massive benefits for the health of a nation.

“The only difference is a marginal increase in the number of seconds it takes in cross-city journeys.”

She met Cardiff council’s cabinet member for transport, Ramesh Patel, at 20’s Plenty conferences, and added: “Cardiff council officials have done their research.”

Coun Patel said: “This scheme will have a host of benefits by improving public safety, improving the liveability of our streets, reducing the attractiveness of using residential streets as shortcuts for drivers as well as encouraging walking and cycling.

“We have devised a scheme after learning from other councils in the UK.

“The scheme will be delivered incrementally from the city centre out, ensuring that the new schemes implemented are immediately adjacent to areas that already have the 20mph limits in place.

“This will provide continuity for drivers as well as cyclists and walkers using these areas.

“We intend to ensure primary routes in these wards will remain at 30mph, with speeds in residential areas reducing to 20mph.

“The council has liaised with the South Wales Police on the scheme to ensure they are fully briefed as we move forwards.

“The detail of each scheme will be consulted with local councillors and residents in these wards before we implement the scheme in each area.

“We consulted on this scheme through the Ask Cardiff survey for the last three years and most recently 71.2% of respondents endorsed the 20mph restrictions.

“Cardiff’s population continues to increase so we have to plan for this growth by encouraging more people to leave their car at home and consider using public transport, cycling or walking.

“This scheme is only part of our overall strategy to achieve this aim.

“We have to make alternative forms of transport more attractive and viable and this is what we are doing.”