Why 20 Is Plenty

From Henry's Quest by Graham Oakley

Climate change is on it s way and if that doesn't get us, there's Peak Oil which may or may not be on the way.

We all need to become less dependent on carbon fuelled transportation and getting about in a greener and more sustainable way. Making better use of buses and trains, car sharing and not using aeroplanes is important.

20 Is Plenty

However the greenest method of travel is your own feet, whether in direct contact with the ground or pedalling a bike.

Two things make walking and cycling a pain in England. The first the weather, but there's not much we can do about the first two except learn a bit of resilience. The second is the traffic.

To start things off we want motorists to slow down, at least in residential areas.

The Gory Facts

• Britain has the highest percentage of pedestrians killed in road accidents in Europe
• 2011 saw a 3% increase in road deaths and a 12% increase in pedestrian casulaties

Now The Good News

• 34 local authorities, with a population of 8.4 million people, have adopted default 20mph speed limits on urban streets.
• Portsmouth saw accidents fall 22% when they introduced the scheme

It's Not About Speed Bumps  

One thing we can probably all agreeon is that 'traffic calming' is not great. It delays ambulances, increases traffic fumes and fuel use as cars accelerate between bumps and it really annoys drivers.

For the same money you can make 50 miles of street a 20mph zone, with a much greater overall reduction in speed. Once motorists get used to a 20mph default speed limit they don't need the bumps.

The Transition Perspective

Fewer people killed or injured on the road is a good thing in itself, but Transition Towns would want this to be a first step towards people reclaiming the streets.

We would want to see not only more walking and cycling, but street parties, play streets and more imaginative use of urban space.

Join the 20's Plenty Campaign.