TfL proposes to introduce 28km of new 20mph speed limit within the boroughs of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Haringey and Tower Hamlets
Lower speed limits play a critical role in the Mayor’s Vision Zero plan to eliminate deaths and serious injury on the transport network
People hit by a vehicle at 20mph are around five times less likely to be fatally injured than at 30mph
The project is part of the TfL’s commitment to lower the speed limit by 10mph on 220km of the TfL road network by 2024
Transport for London (TfL) has launched a consultation on plans to introduce 28km of new 20mph speed limit within the boroughs of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Haringey and Tower Hamlets. Lowering speed limits is a key part of the Mayor’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate death and serious injury from London’s transport network and to enable more walking and cycling in the capital.
The new speed limits would help to make a large area of London safer and more attractive for people in these communities to live, work and play, encouraging more people out of their cars and to walk, cycle and use public transport more often. Enabling more people to use healthier and more sustainable forms of travel will be vital to reducing congestion and air pollution.
The proposed changes would mean that almost all the roads in Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Haringey will have a consistent 20mph speed limit on both the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) and borough network. A 20mph limit would be introduced on sections of the A503, A501, A41, A1, A10, A11 and A1203. Subject to the consultation, works to introduce the new speed limits could begin in February 2023.
The new speed limits would be supported by new signs and road markings, and TfL would work closely with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to ensure that drivers understand and comply with the new lower speed limits. Banners attached to streetlamps in the new 20mph areas would also be put in place to increase driver awareness of the new speed limit. Following the initial implementation, TfL plans to carry out monitoring to determine whether further measures to further reduce vehicle speeds are required.
Collision data from around the world shows that the speed at which people are driving or riding is the single most important factor in whether a collision takes place and how severely people are injured. The police reported speed as a contributory factor in almost half of fatal collisions in 2020 – which have a devastating impact on local communities.
TfL is working with the Met Police to increase the capacity to take enforcement against drivers and riders who speed and are on target to take action on a million speeding offences by 2024. In 2021/22, the Met enforced 476,685 speeding offences – an increase of 72 per cent compared to the previous year.
In March 2020, TfL introduced a 20mph speed limit on all of its roads within the central London Congestion Charging zone as part of its Vision Zero commitment and 80km of its roads are now 20mph. TfL is now working to lower speeds on 220km of its roads by 2024 in inner and outer London and launched 13.7km of new lower speed limit schemes in February 2022
Penny Rees, TfL Head of Healthy Streets Investment, said: “We are determined to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from London’s roads in line with our Vision Zero goal. Ensuring the safety of Londoners and visitors is paramount, which is why we are proposing to introduce 28km of new 20mph speed limit within the boroughs of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Haringey and Tower Hamlets. The introduction of 20mph speed limits would not only save lives but also encourage Londoners to travel in more active and sustainable ways. Making London’s streets safer for people walking and cycling is our top priority and 20mph speed limits significantly reduce road danger. We really value people’s feedback on our proposals and I’d encourage everybody to use this opportunity to have their say on our plans.”
Jeremy Leach, London Campaign Coordinator for 20’s Plenty for Us said: “Vehicle speeds have a huge impact on how safe it is to walk and cycle and, just as importantly, how safe walking and cycling feel. Having a consistent 20mph limit on almost all of the TfL roads across these five boroughs will help enormously in bringing vehicle speeds down on these roads and making them safer and more attractive for everyone who uses them.”
