Chichester 20mph
With 20mph limits, West Sussex County Council (WSCC) aims to breathe new life into Chichester's streets. The vision of 20mph will help to create more pleasant communities for us all to enjoy. Slower speeds and reduced car use for local trips will lead to a less noisy and more people-centred community.
Safer
Residents living in 20mph streets should feel safer and more able to use local roads to go to work, school and the shops or doctors. At 20mph accidents are less serious and there are fewer deaths.
Healthier
Most people feel safer in a 20mph street, so find it easier to cross the road, ride their bicycle and play out, allowing people of all ages to make healthier travel choices.
Quieter
A 20mph limit encourages more considerate driving, particularly for short trips. This makes for quieter streets and enables neighbours to get to know each other.
Local
When people feel able to use roads safely, they choose to use local shops rather than travel out of area. Neighbourhoods with 20mph streets encourage more walking and cycling which reduces congestion and pollution.
National context
Nationally, a number of Local Authorities have already introduced a 20mph limit in response to concerns about road safety, health and the environment. Central government policy has made it easier to implement schemes without the need for road humps.
WSCC's transport policy reflects the national position and we are committed to working with communities where concerns about traffic speed are raised. In Chichester, residents have been calling for a 20mph speed limit for a number of years. We have worked closely with the community to understand the level of support for a 20mph limit, and conducted a consultation in the summer of 2012.
Over three quarters of the 5,613 residents who responded were in favour of implementing 20mph limits on residential roads in Chichester. WSCC councillors therefore approved a recommendation to go ahead with the scheme.
Design of scheme
WSCC has carefully designed the scheme to reflect national and local policy. All roads where the lower speed limit will apply are residential, less than 400 metres long and have previously had an average speed lower than 24mph. The lower limit can apply in other situations, such as where there is a history of accidents or outside a school.
After careful analysis, members of the South Chichester County Local Committee concluded that the lower limit should extend to all of Chichester’s residential roads, except A and B roads.
Engagement and education
Speed limit signs are only one dimension of a 20mph scheme. For a scheme to be successful, it is vital there is community support and ownership of the objectives. We are working with a range of community groups including: residentsand community associations, voluntary groups, schools, social clubs and local businesses.
Partners of WSCC, such as Sussex Police, the Fire & Rescue Service, Chichester District Council and the NHS, will all work together to ensure the approach is supported. When Members agreed the scheme, part of the budget was assigned specifically to carry out community engagement and education initiatives.
Cost of scheme
The total budget is £100,000, with around £70,000 allocated to install signs and/or markings on the highway. Any separate measures for education will be an additional cost, of up to £30,000.
Separate traffic calming measures may be considered at a later date but only if they are required to reduce speeds.
Enforcement
Sussex Police are able to enforce any legally established speed limit. They follow Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) advice and do not undertake routine enforcement of 20mph limits.
If a limit is correctly assessed and implemented, active enforcement should not be necessary. Sussex Police support the view that 20mph speed limits are community sponsored initiatives and as such, the community should play a major part in reducing speed and influencing driver behaviour.
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