Westminster set for borough-wide 20mph limit and 11km of cycle lanes
Westminster Council estimates the scheme will cost £1.4m. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA - Credit: Dominic Lipinsk/PA Archive/PA Im
Westminster will roll out a borough-wide 20mph speed limit as London returns to the roads following the latest round of lockdown easing.
TfL red routes and roads inside the Royal Parks will be exempt from the changes. Picture: Michael Boniface - Credit: Michael Boniface
From early July the new restrictions will be imposed in a bid to make the roads safer for pedestrians while increasing the number of cyclists.
The scheme is projected to cost Westminster Council around £1.4 million and its implementation will follow the reopening of shops on June 15.
Cllr Andrew Smith, Westminster Council’s transport lead, said: “The way people are travelling around our city is changing, and as more people opt to walk and cycle in light of covid-19, we need to respond and adapt to ensure our streets are safe for all.”
In 2018 there were three fatalities on Westminster’s roads and 269 people were “seriously injured”.
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The council says by reducing the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph a person in a collision with a vehicle is five times more likely to survive.
Cllr Smith continued: “Reducing our borough-wide speed limit will not only save lives but will also create a calmer and more inviting street environment for those who visit our city.
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“These safer streets will encourage the use of greener modes of transport, improve air quality, and help us to kickstart Westminster’s powerful economy once more.”
The new speed limit has been lined up since last December when a public consultation saw 66 per cent of respondents support the move.
The changes, brought under a traffic management order, will cover roads throughout the borough including Maida Vale and St John’s Wood.
However the 20mph limit does not affect TfL ‘red routes’ such as Edgeware Road, Marylebone Road and the Westway, or roads inside the Royal Parks.
Westminster Council recently announced it will provide a further 11km of cycle lanes.
Victoria Station to Parliament Square, Marylebone Road to Regent Street, and Paddington Station to Bayswater Road will form some of the routes.
To boost the West End’s hospitality sector, cafes, bars and restaurants across Covent Garden, Soho, Chinatown, Mayfair and Oxford Street will also be given permission to put tables and chairs outside to provide a “continental style” service.
