Today a city strategy meeting of City of York Council was set to discuss 20mph zones for residential areas, without humps.

Recommendations are for a South Bank scheme for streets with speeds currently under 24mph. This approach lacks conviction. Portsmouth’s results indicate “total 20” is warranted across a borough. Assessment schemes simply “tinker”.

In Portsmouth they achieved a 7mph reduction on average speeds where before they had been 25-29mph. When implemented on an area-wide basis you are rewarded by the largest speed reduction on the roads which need it most.

I don’t support isolated schemes and would prefer to see a York-wide policy of 20mph for residential streets. Disadvantages are small. Twenty’s Plenty slows drivers by a tiny fraction of their total journey time, which is mainly on trunk roads.

Just over £300 per street, as in Portsmouth, is justifiable on health economic grounds. Extra signs would be minimised.

Regarding the council’s suggested criteria for prioritisation of future petitions, which are:

• At least 50 per cent of households within the street signing the petition is ridiculously stringent. Revise it to at least 50 per cent of respondents surveyed on the 20mph zone issue in a street

• The occurrence of an injury accident in the previous three years. On non-trunk roads pedestrian and cyclist injuries are random and cannot be predicted, yet were cut by 15 per cent when Twenty’s Plenty was implemented in Portsmouth

• Average speed on the road must be 24mph or below is an inefficient way to use resources, as the most benefit is on streets with before speeds of 25-29mph where cuts in speed of 7mph are achieved

• Where wider benefits associated with increasing walking and cycling could be expected, eg cycle facilities are available or planned. Again ridiculous. Most residential or mixed priority roads have no planned walking or cycling facility improvements.

Anna Semlyen Twenty’s Plenty York co-ordinator, Grange Street, York.