Issue - meetings

This report advises Members of the receipt of a petition requesting the introduction of a 20mph speed limit on seven roads in the Fishergate Ward, on a similar basis to the scheme implemented in Portsmouth.

Option one – The Council introduce a 20mph scheme addressing the roads that are the subject of the petition.

Option two – The Council introduce a 20mph limit on residential roads across the city on a similar basis to the Portsmouth city council model. This could be based on a review of the speed management plan map that was developed in 1997 to help develop a framework for implementing traffic measures on different road categories. The current categories are: traffic routes, where no vertical traffic calming measures are implemented; mixed routes, where targeted traffic measures could be introduced at specific locations and residential routes, where if it was appropriate vertical traffic calming measures could be introduced. A city wide scheme would ensure consistency of dealing with speed issues in residential areas and requests for speed reduction measures.

Option three – The Council continues to consider speed issues as part of its existing speed management plan process where priority is given as set out in the table below and reviews the policy when the outcomes of the Portsmouth scheme are made available.  Under the current policy measures required for category 1 and 2 take priority for funding within the capital programme.

Option Four – That officers identify a suitable location to conduct a 20mph speed limit trial to run in parallel with the Portsmouth scheme. This would enable to Council to identify how transferable any acknowledged benefits of the Portsmouth scheme would be to York.

 Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to:

(i)                 Implement a 20mph zone on Grange Street, Grange Garth, Rosedale Street, Levisham Street, Hartoft Street, Farndale Street and Lastingham Terrace in Fishergate;

(ii)            Request Officers to undertake the necessary work to trial this scheme and addresses the Portsmouth issues.

(iii)            Continue to address speed management issues under the current policy.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:            To ensure that speed issues are addressed through a data led process that targets LTP resources at casualty reduction but considers whether 20mph limits are appropriate and beneficial within York.

Consideration was given to a report that advised Members of the receipt of a petition for a 20mph speed limit to be introduced on seven roads in the Fishergate Ward on a similar basis to the scheme implemented in Portsmouth.

The report looked at the background to the Portsmouth scheme, casualties in York and the options for delivering a similar scheme in York. The report concluded that it would be possible to implement a 20mph speed limit scheme in Fishergate but such a scheme would be contrary to the current data led speed management policy which targeted resources at reducing casualties. The report recommended that a trial site should be identified for a 20mph speed limit area to identify whether such a scheme was appropriate and beneficial within York and that the current speed management plan continued to be implemented to target casualty reduction until such time as the outcome of the trial and the Portsmouth scheme were known.   

Officers confirmed that two speed surveys had been carried out in 2003 in Grange Street and Rosedale Street and the results had shown that both roads average speed was 22mph. They stated that there were other areas of the city with greater problems and that the roads in the Fishergate Ward were closed streets mainly used by residents. It was also reported that the trials in Portsmouth had recently commenced and Officers were awaiting further information on the results, which would be reported back in March 2009. It was felt that the Portsmouth had used a blanket approach to educate residents and they were doubtful that this scheme could be transferred to York.

Members stated that a strategic approach was required and that a trial scheme needed to be able to be replicated elsewhere in the city

Other Members stated that there was a need to provide a safe environment for residents and this was a local issue that needed addressing rather than waiting until March for the results of the Portsmouth scheme. They pointed out that this would not be the only trial scheme that there would be others on different types of roads in other areas of the city.

Consideration was then given to the following options:

Option one – The Council introduce a 20mph scheme addressing the roads that are the subject of the petition.

Option two – The Council introduce a 20mph limit on residential roads across the city on a similar basis to the Portsmouth city council model. This could be based on a review of the speed management plan map that was developed in 1997 to help develop a framework for implementing traffic measures on different road categories. The current categories are: traffic routes, where no vertical traffic calming measures are implemented; mixed routes, where targeted traffic measures could be introduced at specific locations and residential routes, where if it was appropriate vertical traffic calming measures could be introduced. A citywide scheme would ensure consistency of dealing with speed issues in residential areas and requests  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23