Speed limit change plan for York

Transport bosses actually want to shrink 30 mph areas, in the hope that if drivers can see a reason to slow down they are more likely to ease off the accelerator and obey the limits.

Next a senior councillor will be asked for permission to move speed limits on Common Lane, Dunnington, Hopgrove Lane, and Tadcaster Road Copmanthorpe, with changes in Murton possible after an initial trial. A report prepared for Cllr Ian Gillies, who is responsible for transport, shows staff in the highways department want to see whether putting 30 mph signs closer to built-up areas will bring average speeds down.

“All the sites have the existing 30mph limit starting at a point where there is no obvious change in the nature of the environment, such as the presence of houses. Also, they only have a footway on one side and have few, if any, pedestrian crossing movements,” the document says.

“The speed of traffic reflects the nature of the road and in all these locations tends to be nearer 40 mph than 30 mph. These high speeds are then carried into the built-up residential area, where they pose more risk linked to people crossing the road and vehicles being manoeuvred in or out of driveways. “With the speed limit signs remote from the start of the housing, drivers do not get a prompt to reduce their speed as they enter the more sensitive build-up residential areas.”

By putting speed limit signs closer to houses, transport engineers hope drivers will be prompted to slow down so roads through the villages will in fact become safer. Some parish and city councillors support the idea, but in Copmanthorpe the parish councillors have said they are not convinced and in Dunnington the parish council is worried about speeds actually getting higher on the stretch of road that is no longer included in the 30 mph limit. If Cllr Gillies agrees the trial the three new speed limits will be tried under “emergency traffic orders” which can last for up to six months and then be made permanent or abandoned.