5-year plan to improve Edinburgh's traffic network announced

Date: 22/1/2013

A number of main roads are among those included in a plan to cut 40 mile per hour zones in Edinburgh down to a limit of 30 miles per hour.

Scottish transport chiefs have put the proposals forward in order to help protect pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and are part of a five-year blueprint to improve the city's traffic network.

This should lead to safer roads, less congestion and better air quality in Edinburgh, but all ten key policies on the agenda are brand new, reports the Scotsman.

They include closing the streets with schools on them during rush hour and setting up low emissions zones for less polluting vehicles.

More frequent bus services are to be funded with the fines collected through bus lane cameras, with extra buses supplying new routes, such as the 18 and 38, which go to and from Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Around 25 roads around the city are under review to have their speed limits reduced to 30 miles per hour, including Telford Road in north Edinburgh and Seafield Road in east Edinburgh, as well as Comiston Road in Morningside.

The main arterial routes into the city, such as Queensferry Road and Calder Road, would continue to have 40 mile per hour limits.

Two public consultations are to be carried out and proposals firmed up by August, with measures likely to be introduced in December this year.

Lesley Hinds, City Transport Leader, told the news provider: "We want the main arterial routes like Queensferry Road to stay 40 miles per hour because traffic needs to flow. But in built-up areas we need to change drivers’ habits in terms of speed.

"We want people to enter a residential area and automatically think 20 miles per hour. You only have to look at the statistics from the government on someone being hit at 40 miles per hour to know the lower the speed, the better the chances of survival."

Meanwhile, in parts of England, such as Brighton, local authorities are bringing in 20 mile per hour speed limits in the city centre.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

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