ALMOST half of Manchester could be covered by 20mph speed limits, if new plans are given the go ahead.
"We are delighted that Manchester City Council is joining the growing list of our iconic cities who are rejecting the national 30mph speed limit as being not ‘fit for purpose’ for their residential streets."
As part of the second phase of a road safety initiative, 20's Plenty For Us, hundreds more streets across Manchester will be covered under the new limits to make roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and children.
You can see maps of the proposed 20mph areas here.
The plans aim to not only reduce accidents, but also encourage more cycling and walking in residential areas where cars would be deterred from using streets for short cuts from busy main roads.
The new proposals, part of a wider campaign to see all the city's residential street fall under the new laws, will take the total city area covered under 20mph limits to 46%.
Earlier this year, through public health funding, the City Council created three 20mph areas covering stetches of south and east Manchester on non-major roads in Gorton, Miles Platting, Newton Heath, Ancoats and Clayton as well as parts of Hulme, Moss Side and Fallowfield.
Now the City Council is set to receive another £500,000 funding from Transport for Greater Manchester to create 20mph areas across even more residential streets.
The new limits, in areas including Chorlton, Didsbury, Fallowfield, Burnage and Levenshulme, will connect those large areas which were created earlier in the year, meaning 20mph limits will be in place across most of central, east and areas of south Manchester.
The proposals will not see major roads such as Princess Parkway, Stockport Road or Upper Brook Street affected, and a public consultation will be held before any final decisions.
Police using speed gun
Councillor Lutfur Rahman, Manchester City Council’s lead member for the new 20mph areas, said: "We’ve been talking to people across the city and found huge support for this scheme, particularly from parents and schools who really wanted us to create reduced limits in their areas.
"Other residents have been calling for reduced limits in their areas, and it’s brilliant news that we’ve now got access to more funding meaning other neighbourhoods will benefit.
"These new proposals mean nearly half of the city will be covered and marks a big step towards our goal of making sure every residential street is made safer by having a reduced limit."
Rod King MBE, Founder and Campaign Director for 20’s Plenty for Us, said: "We are delighted that Manchester City Council is joining the growing list of our iconic cities who are rejecting the national 30mph speed limit as being not ‘fit for purpose’ for their residential streets.
"The ‘one size fits all’ 30mph policy of the pre 1990s was first complemented with isolated 20mph zones but now default 20mph and targeted 30mph policies are becoming the norm."
The new 20mph areas will include the following wards:
Ancoats and Clayton; Ardwick; Part of Burnage; Bradford; Chorlton; Chorlton Park; City Centre; Part of Didsbury West; Part of Didsbury East; Fallowfield; Gorton South; Hulme; Part of Levenshulme; Longsight; Moss Side; Old Moat; Rusholme; Withington and Whalley Range.
