20mph limits proposed for seven Birmingham roads to improve safety around school - here's where
Speed limits of 20mph are being proposed for several Birmingham roads in a bid to improve safety around a school.
The city council has this week launched a public consultation on plans to introduce numerous measures to tackle road safety concerns in the area around Chilcote School in Hall Green.
These include bollards to prevent vehicles from mounting the pavement and double yellow lines to restrict parking.
The local authority is also proposing to implement 20mph speed limits on the following roads near the school:
Baldwins Lane (between Gracemere Crescent eastern junction and Primrose Lane).
Barton Lodge Road (between Baldwins Lane and Scribers Lane).
Scribers Lane (between Baldwins Lane and Barton Lodge Road).
Hilton Avenue, Morris Field Croft, Chilcote Close and Barton Croft.
In a letter to residents, the council said the Chilcote Safer Route to School scheme forms part of Birmingham’s broader transport plan, which seeks to “meet the demands of the future by prioritising people over cars”.
“This scheme is being proposed to address road safety concerns in the area along and around Chilcote School,” it read.
“This project is funded by the Local Improvement Budget – Transportation and Highways Fund, which seeks to address minor transport issues that are identified at a ward level.”
The letter continued: “After the consultation closes, we will review all responses and make any necessary changes to the scheme.
“Should the decision be made to proceed with the scheme, the 20mph proposals will be implemented under a Traffic Regulation Order (the legal document needed to make changes on roads).”
The other proposals would include the installation of:
Pedestrian refuges to improve crossing movements for people walking.
Refuges to provide waiting areas when crossing wider roads.
Speed cushions to slow down vehicles.
Additional school warning signs to alert drivers to the presence of children and school crossing points.
Residents have until January 9 to respond to the consultation, which can be found on the Birmingham Be Heard website.
‘We must change travel habits’
The city council’s broader transport plan says “fundamental changes” are needed to the city’s transport network to tackle the climate emergency.
“Private cars will never be able to match the capacity of mass public transport for getting people to where they want to go,” the plan says.
“We need to work with our partners to secure investment and make Birmingham a place where walking, cycling and using public transport are the best and preferred modes of travel for most people.
“Even then, we must all fundamentally change our travel habits, and reduce the overall amount we travel by car.”
Earlier this year, the UK’s first road safety commissioner backed 20mph limits in Birmingham – and said he would like to see speed limit cuts on more city streets.
This came after the city council confirmed towards the end of last year that it was exploring the possibility of introducing more 20mph speed limits on city roads.
City transport boss Coun Majid Mahmood said at the time that slower speed limits on appropriate roads would reduce collisions and save lives.
“For this reason, our Birmingham transport plan sets out that 20mph should be the speed limit in residential areas and where footfall is high,” he said. “Other types of roads will remain unaffected.”
He continued: “Approximately one third of the city’s roads are already subject to a 20mph speed limit.
“We would like to expand the number of roads subject to this speed limit where appropriate and are currently exploring opportunities to carry this out.”
It’s an approach backed by Mat MacDonald, an NHS doctor appointed road safety commissioner by West Midlands mayor Richard Parker.
At a meeting this year, he argued 20mph zones had a “significant impact” on reducing collisions and serious injury and death rates.
Any plans to introduce more 20mph limits in Birmingham would have to go through consultation first.
