Moves by Birmingham city council to impose a 20mph speed limit on all roads, apart from a few major thoroughfares, marks a turning point in transport policy that could and should attract imitators. Remember that in the 60s Birmingham was the city that had a racetrack style networks of roads at its heart, and a tangle of elevated routes and roundabouts that pushed pedestrians underground and ensured no one would be mad enough to try to cycle. Moreover, it was the headquarters of the UK’s car industry, and its roads were designed more as a test track for new models than a way for people to get to the shops.
The emphasis on roads above all else was a deliberate strategy by a city that saw its future inextricably bound up with motoring manufacturers. This ode to the motorcar has gradually been dismantled over the past couple of decades, with the removal of roads turning the city centre into a far more pedestrian-friendly environment. The tram system is being expanded and soon – well actually, not that soon, thanks to endless delays – there will be a new station to accommodate high-speed rail services.
Birmingham has been changing, but this latest move will accelerate the process. The imposition of a 20mph zone throughout the city seals the deal. No longer will the needs of cars dominate.
Instead, walking, cycling and public transport will be the modes of choice, as car travel becomes slower and more of a hassle. The opposition, Conservatives and Reform alike, are already on the warpath, emphasising that this is part of a “war on the motorist” – the cliche brought out whenever any politician attempts to redress the balance between speed and livability in the urban environment. Gradually, far too slowly, they are losing the war, even if they occasionally win the battles: in Toronto, the Ontario governor, Doug Ford, is planning to rip out 19km of cycle lanes.
Diehards such as Ford are on the losing side of history. Birmingham’s shift of emphasis in the urban realm is part of a global phenomenon that is manifested in numerous ways: a pedestrianised main street in Vancouver, a congestion charge in New York City, 500km of new cycle paths in Bogotá and so on. Sadiq Khan has got in on the act with the imminent pedestrianisation of Oxford Street (a measure I advocated in a 1998 Evening Standard op-ed).
Wales has led the way with “20’s plenty”, the brilliant campaign founded by Rod King two decades ago that has influenced policymakers across the country. All Welsh local urban roads were restricted to 20mph in September 2023. Though a few busy streets have reverted to 30mph, by and large the concept has been accepted – and research has shown reductions in road deaths and injuries.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
