Twenty is Plenty for Hove

 …and Brighton.
Twenty’s Plenty.

Quote of the week

“In the UK we have never moved around so much without moving our bodies…”

Rod King, MBE, of 20’sPlenty. Hoping we can all avoid slumping towards a sedentary Christmas.

Six thoughts about Phase 2 of 20mph in Brighton and Hove

As the dust settles on last Wednesday’s meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environment and Transport Committee on extending the existing 20mph zone outwards from the centre of the city, following are some thoughts. In the form of current flavour of the month, a listicle:

1. In the UK there are now 12 million people living in 20mph areas. With the implementation of Phase 2, this will rise to 12 million + the population of Brighton and Hove covered by the second phase, minus those who live along the roads which have been excluded due to a) the original plan and b) Conservative and Labour amendments. (Ditchling Road, Surrenden Road, Braybon Avenue (including Old Farm Road and Graham Avenue) and Carden Avenue (excluding the Carden Avenue service road).  Map

2. Hundreds more streets in Brighton and Hove will be covered by a 20mph speed limit. As this article points out.


3. 20mph is enforceable. It’s no different from any other speed limit, as has already happened in Brighton and Hove, where 50 drivers were stopped by the police for exceeding the 20mph limit.

4. 20mph is uncontroversial elsewhere. While a policy that is demonstrated to reduce the numbers of Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) in other parts of the UK and Europe is uncontroversial, for reasons best known to themselves (because they haven’t said why), a 20mph default speed limit seems to have huge symbolic value for Brighton’s would-be “unchained” motorists.

5. Beware of “common sense.” When those two words are used, its time to turn the bullshit detectors up to max. Common sense, as per the adverts from the Unchainers, is just another way of saying, “there is no evidence for what I’m going to say next.” Here’s an example, from Unchain’s latest advert.

“Victory for common sense. Thank you to the Conservative and Labour councillors for listening to the majority of people who did not want to see a 20mph speed limit in nine areas of the city.”

And here’s some more common sense, a verbatim comment taken from the Unchain Facebook site:
“Roads are for cars teach people to respect their own space and that of cars. Cars can kill, so I take care when driving n ask that pedestrians respect me - even fear e a little. The raod is for cars. Beware and be aware. Take care out there n stop trying to pad out life. Live with care, in everything.”

6. We’ll wonder what all the fuss was about. Over time, 20mph will become the norm in British cities. People will get used to it and looking back, will wonder what all the fuss was about. Like the smoking ban. Apart from a few diehards, who would now go back to the days when pubs, restaurants and other venues were full of smoke? And, as this report shows, the smoking ban has had a major impact. In the same way, 20mph will make things better for everyone: safer, quieter, more inviting, less threatening, more sociable. What’s not to like?


Thanks to Becky Reynolds for the photo.

20mph: Plenty for Brighton and Hove - but it’s 10mph too fast for Hove’s celebrities

Those of us who’d like to see slower traffic so as to Unchain the Brighton Pedestrian and Cyclist are looking forward to the extension of 20mph speed limits. But for a select group of Hove citizens, 20mph is 10 mph too much. The glitterati who live on Hove’s Western Esplanade have put up a sign designating a speed limit of 10mph. Presumably, as it’s a private road, they can choose any speed limit they like – unlike everyone else. If 10mph is enough for Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim, Zoe Ball, David Walliams, Laura Stone, and Adele, surely 20’s Plenty for the rest of us?

Unite and fight: trade union campaigns AGAINST 20mph for Brighton & Hove - You couldn't make it up!!!

Is that what trades unions are for? A full page advert in today’s Brighton Argus from the South Eastern Branch of Unite, “Britain’s biggest union,” opposing the extension of 20mph default speed limits for Brighton and Hove. Not a shred of evidence. Not a single fact. Strangely, the news that “We are pleased to join with out Members who support Unchain the Brighton Motorist,” and “Unite the union is opposed to the transport policies in Brighton and Hove” does not appear on the Unite campaign page.  Is this really why members pay their subs?

20’s Plenty as the new default urban speed limit. And is the “Fight for Car-Friendly” Brighton really about cars?

As the campaign to “Unchain the Brighton Motorist” splurges on more Argus ads, there’s an interesting commentary on the ongoing saga of 20mph in the blog Notes on a Broken Society.
“The rational approach is obvious; make progress on the basis of evidence from elsewhere, and then make future decisions on the basis of what happens in Brighton and Hove when you can properly do so.  But this debate is not about transport politics; it is about the political narratives that frame our city. And that’s why it’s so toxic, and why its implications for the city are so important.”
More along these lines at the blog.

And here’s the latest release from campaigners at 20’s Plenty, who are arguing that 20mph should be the UK’s normal residential speed limit. Which, in the language of behavioural economics is a good example of setting a new default. And so it should be, since it’s supported by Under Secretary of State for Transport Norman Baker and Shadow Transport Minister Maria Eagle (someone should tell Brighton Labour’s Gill Mitchell).

As 20’s Plenty note in today’s press release,

“Conference topics, speeches, council votes, highway authority and police actions on speed limits are increasingly showing the UK transitioning to 20mph as the normal residential speed limit. At Labour’s Party conference Shadow Transport Minister Maria Eagle MP firmly committed to 20mph residential limits. The Association for Chief Police Officer guidance on enforcement is being updated due to requests from Parliamentary Under Secretary for Transport Norman Baker MP for tougher policing of 20mph limits.
The City of London voted overwhelmingly (95 for vs 5 against) for every road to have a 20mph limit. Regional capitals Cardiff and Edinburgh are saying 20’s Plenty too. Councils of all colours have backed 20mph limits for their traffic authorities. 209 branches of 20’s Plenty for Us nationwide are also evidence of wide-area 20mph’s near universal appeal.

The Department for Transport are backing community wide 20mph limits with guidance changes and with several Cycle City Ambition Fund grants like Birmingham’s £0.8 million towards 20mph and Local Sustainable Development Grants. This is not just a casualty reduction issue. Further benefits are from improvements in quality of life and encouragement of active and more sustainable transport methods such as walking and cycling;

Founder of 20’s Plenty for Us, Rod King MBE, commented

“The 30mph national limit has been rejected as inappropriate by many of our largest conurbations for where people live, shop, work and travel to school. We are in transition to 20mph limits being the norm with exceptions where a higher limit is justifiable. Authorities must recognise that “It’s time for 20” and that “There’s a place for 30”. This needs to be done by setting 20mph as the normal built-up speed limit and then repeater signs showing where it’s right to have another limit. This signage rule change is both cheaper and gives drivers a consistent message.”


Whether it’s about cars or not, when it comes to 20mph one thing is clear: the struggle continues. Take a stance and register your views at the BHCC consultation website – but hurry, the consultation closes on Friday 4^th October.

MBE for 20mph speed limit campaigner

Congratulations to Rod King of 20’s Plenty, awarded the Member of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, for Services to Road Safety. Nice one Rod. (Photo from 20’s Plenty).

20mph –It’s About Behaviour, Not Just Enforcement

One of the arguments sometimes used about default 20mph speed limits, coming soon to Brighton and Hove, is that they are “unenforceable.” These extracts from a briefing by 20’s Plenty show that gaining widespread driver compliance involves much more than relying on police enforcement - the aim is for drivers to voluntarily slow down.
Even on isolated streets simply altering signs from 30 to 20mph brings about a 2mph reduction in speed and crashes fall by 10%. When implemented widely, falling maximum and average speeds bring important quality of life gains. On faster roads self-enforced reductions in average speed can be 7mph.
As 20’sPlenty say, reducing community limits to 20mph is all about social behaviour change rather than traffic engineering. Generally, 20mph limits should be self enforcing. Motorists must realise that streets are also where people live, shop or enjoy leisure.
Rather than just putting “signs on sticks”, successful limit schemes include so much more:

• Engagement before road signs change
• Community-wide 20mph limits applying to the vast majority of streets - e.g. 94% of Portsmouth – so that most drivers gain benefits in their home neighbourhood. Exceptions need to be justified.
• Single-phase implementation - or, if roll out is progressive, there’s a need to publically and continuously explain that most streets will be included over time.
• Extensive, sustained social marketing. A multi-agency approach. Heavily selling the benefits helps motorists to understand how and why 20mph improves community life.
• Professional staff with expertise in soft measures including social marketing and internet viral campaigns.
• Community self policing slowing down those behind, social disapproval of speeding, community speed watch, reporting of speeder’s plates, loan of speed guns to activists.
• Occasional light touch enforcement warnings and Fixed Penalty Notices by traffic police. This is on top of extensive engagement. It is not an additional cost to the Police budget since there are the same number of roads and drivers as when enforcing a 30mph limit.

From April 2013 in the UK, local authorities are taking over public health responsibilities, and public health staff have experience and skill in promoting behaviour change. So collaboration with transport planning, police and other agencies for better well being is key. As 20’sPlenty conclude, good 20mph compliance needs a sustained, multi-agency marketing campaign. Integral is the requirement for the police to play their role in creating the legal background. Occasional high profile warnings or fixed penalties will help. This need not divert resources from other police responsibilities.
Full briefing with references.

It's Official: Twenty Will Be Plenty in Brighton and Hove

Great news: Brighton and Hove city centre will have a 20mph default speed limit from April 2013. My hunch is that 20 mph urban speed limits will come to be seen as one of the greatest public health promotion measures of the 21^st century - not just because of the lives saved from reduced vehicle speeds, but also because of the contribution to “modal shift” – making it more attractive to walk and cycle. As well as reducing pollution. And making the city a nicer place to live, work, play and visit. To find out more, have a look here, and here, the latter being today’s guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence which says that walking and cycling should become the norm for short journeys rather than driving a car, in an attempt to tackle a national epidemic of inactivity and obesity, which now causes as much harm as smoking.

20mph: Miles Better

The debate about 20mph default speed limits in urban areas rumbles on. Here's a contribution from Yours Truly, published in The Argus at the weekend. http://www.theargus.co.uk/opinion/letters/9918079.20mph_is_better_for_all/ 

20’s Plenty To Help Make Brighton and Hove A Walkable City

Brighton & Hove City Council is proposing the phased introduction of a 20mph limit for residential and shopping streets in the city, which will greatly benefit walking and cycling, and make this a better city for everyone. The deadline for the consultation is this Friday, 10^th August, so please follow the link to complete the short online survey - and forward to others. (Thanks to Lewes Road for Clean Air for the reminder).
And while we’re on the subject of turning Brighton and Hove into a walkable city, here’s a story which just appeared in The Argus on some of the ideas that came out of our Living Streets workshop last month. The full set of slides from the workshop are available here.

Don’t Blame Pedestrians…

…is a campaign being run by 20’s Plenty which points how some drivers blame pedestrians who get killed or seriously injured for ‘taking chances’ when they cross. 20’s Plenty asks, “how easy is it to cross safely? Who’s to blame when walkers die?” pointing out that society would be very limited if we were only permitted to cross roads at signalised junctions. In the UK there is no ‘jay-walking’ law: we accept that pedestrians need to cross roads without signals, zebra crossings or traffic islands.
At locations without pedestrian crossings, pedestrians need to identify a gap in the traffic to be able to cross. To cross two lanes of traffic most pedestrians will accept a 4 to 6 second gap but people with limited mobility need gaps of 10 to 12 seconds – and the availability of gaps depends on factors like traffic volumes, density, time of day and, crucially, vehicle speeds. Currently pedestrians have to assume that traffic on 30mph roads is going faster than the law allows, since 49% of British drivers speed in 30mph areas and the police don’t tend to penalise drivers below 36mph.
· At 36 mph a 5 second gap is a distance of 80 metres and a 10 second gap is 160 metres
· At 18 mph a 5 second gap is a distance of 40 metres and a 10 second gap is 80 metres
How often is it possible to see the traffic for a tenth of a mile (160m) in either direction? Sight lines are often blocked due to parked vehicles at either side of the road, corners and obstructions – it is no wonder that children and older people struggle to cross roads safely in current conditions. It’s even more dangerous for children: research by scientists at Royal Holloway has shown children under 11 cannot reliably judge the approach speeds of vehicles over 20mph as their visual systems have not fully developed.

Halving vehicle speeds would make it twice as easy for pedestrians to cross safely, and also reduce the kinetic energy (the kind that kills and injuries people) by a factor of four. Setting 20mph as the default speed limit in urban areas will reduce the dangers imposed on society by motor vehicles. As the campaign points out: “20’s Plenty, 30 hurts me.”

A Step in the Right Direction

Thanks to Councillor Ian Davey for this story from the Brighton Argus on 12.1.12 about the rollout of more 20mph zones in Brighton and Hove (principally, on this occasion, Portslade). Here’s hoping that this is the first of many, which will eventually be joined up to give the city a 20mph default speed limit.

20’s Plenty for Brighton and Hove

Rod King from 20’s Plenty gave a talk at last week’s meeting of Brighton and Hove Strategic Transport Partnership on the rationale for, and results of, a 20mph default speed limit in urban areas. It’s the nearest thing to a low cost silver bullet for encouraging modal shift, which in turn will cut road deaths and injuries, begin to tackle obesity as more people walk and cycle, reduce harmful pollution, and make Britain’s urban areas nicer places to live in, work in, and visit. It’s commonplace in the rest of Europe (30kph), and now seems to be taking off in the UK, where the 20mph limit will be in place in areas where about 7million people live. Brighton and Hove has taken the first steps towards extending 20mph speed limits, hopefully the prelude to a 20mph default across the city. Click here for a link to arguments and research that Rod used in his presentation.