Islington a 20 mph borough – but time to introduce it on main roads too
Thanks to the tireless capaigning of former Green Party councillor Katie Dawson, residents in Islington’s smaller streets will soon enjoy improved safety as the result of slower moving traffic. However, for those living on principal roads, no such relief is in sight.
As the last Islington residents receive notification of the implementation of 20mph limits, Jenny Jones, Green London Assembly Member, visits the borough to see the scheme in action.
The collision data for Islington shows clusters of serious collisions along the principal roads. The most cost effective measure the Council could take to improve road safety and quality of life for Islington residents would be to introduce 20mph limits on the main roads.
Islington Green Party call on the Council to trial 20mph on the Borough Principal roads and Transport for London to trial it on their network. The data gathered would demonstrate the effects on journey time, safety and levels of walking and cycling. This would enable future decisions on speed limits in heavily built up areas to be made on the basis of evidence.
Transport for London have designated 2011 as THE YEAR OF WALKING. One legacy could be safer and more people-friendly, main roads throughout the capital.
Katie Dawson, Former Green Party councillor “Getting 20mph limits introduced to every residential road in Islington is one of my proudest achievements as a Green councillor. I hope to see the benefits of slower moving traffic extended to the main roads so that all Islington residents, wherever they live, can walk or cycle to their local shops, place of work or school in safety”
Caroline Russell, local pedestrian campaigner, “No one designing a City from scratch would allow the streets to be so desperately traffic dominated. Most drivers understand the safety benefits of slower speeds, they might even find their journey times improve”.