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Proposed 20mph zone - Eastfields area
Update - January 2010
The representations received on the formal consultation carried out in July 2009 for the proposed 20mph Zone in Eastfields area along with officer's recommendations were presented to the Street Management Advisory Committee on 12 January 2010. The Cabinet Member has agreed to proceed with the implementation of the proposals.
See also
Formal consultation - July 2009
The council has a commitment to manage excessive or inappropriate speeds in residential roads through a programme of 20mph speed limits/zones. This programme is known as the "20 plenty” work programme. As part of this programme, the council has secured funding from Transport for London for the 2009/10 financial year to introduce a 20mph zone in the Eastfields area. The proposed area is bounded by Tamworth Lane (inclusive), Cedars Avenue (inclusive), Commonside East (inclusive) and Grove Road (inclusive).
As part of the traffic data collection exercise for the introduction of a 20mph zone, a traffic volume and speed survey was carried out from 6 July 2009 to 12 July 2009, to determine the actual speed at which drivers travel on some of the roads within the proposed area. Please refer to the newsletter for more details.
In the 3-year period up to 31 December 2008, there were seven recorded collisions, of which six were regarded as slight personal injury accidents (PIAs) and the other a serious accident. Of the seven PIAs, only one involved a pedestrian and this occurred at the junction of Tamworth Lane and Cedars Avenue, when the pedestrian ran into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The serious PIA involved a motorcyclist who lost control when he swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle.
Proposals
Convert the Eastfields area bounded by Tamworth Lane (inclusive), Cedars Avenue (inclusive), Commonside East (inclusive) and Grove Road (inclusive) into a 20mph zone. Current regulations state that a 20mph zone must be self-enforcing, hence the traffic calming measures are required to meet the legal requirements and ensure traffic speeds are within 20mph. As most of the roads within the proposed area have existing traffic calming measures, minor additions will be required for the area to comply with the requirements of a zone. The additional traffic calming measures to be introduced are speed cushions on Cedars Avenue and coloured road surfacing on the other roads.
Advantages of 20mph zone
- Lower speeds reduce the number of accidents, as nine out of ten pedestrians and cyclists fatalities occur in residential areas; hence a lower speed will reduce the number and severity of PIAs.
- At lower speeds, collisions are far less likely to be fatal.
- Lower traffic speeds will encourage more people to walk and cycle.
- Lower traffic speeds allow easier cycle turning manoeuvres. For example, turning right can be difficult when you have to cross a lane of fast moving traffic. If the traffic speed is reduced to 20mph it becomes much easier.
- Enforcement will not be required as traffic speeds will be physically reduced by the use of traffic calming measures.
- Placement of traffic signs associated with a 20mph zone will be limited to the entrances and exits to the proposed zone, hence minimising the number of signs.
Disadvantages of 20mph zone
- Expensive to construct the physical measures.
- Vertical traffic calming features are intrusive to the local environment.
- Can cause drivers to use alternative routes.
- Impact on emergency services’ response time.
- The physical measures cause this discomfort to drivers and passengers.
Advantages of speed cushions
- Effective at reducing traffic speeds.
- Accepted by emergency services and bus operators
- Inexpensive to construct
- No loss of on-street parking
- Cyclists can pass between them.
What happens next?
The Council welcomes your views on the above proposals. A Notice of the Council’s intentions to introduce the above measures will be published in the local newspaper and posted on lamp columns in the vicinity. Representations for and against must be done in writing to the Head of Street Scene and Waste Management Division, Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX by no later than 4 September 2009, quoting reference ES/SGE/EASTFIELDS20MPH.
Officers’ comments and recommendations will be reported to either the Street Management Advisory Committee on 3 November 2009 or, if appropriate to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Traffic Management for a decision.
Please note that responses to any representation received will not be made until a final decision is made by the Cabinet Member for Planning and Traffic Management. The Council is required to give weight to the nature and content of your representations and not necessarily the quantity. Your reasons are, therefore, important to us.
A plan identifying the area affected by the proposal can be inspected at Mitcham Library and at Merton Link, Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey during the Council’s working hours, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.
See also
- Newsletter - Proposed 20mph zone in Eastfields area
- Plan showing proposed 20mph zone in Eastfields area
Contact us
Traffic & Highways
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Telephone: 020 8545 2171
Fax: 020 8545 4865
