Nottingham City Council has launched a formal consultation on a proposed 20mph limit within the city centre as part of plans to make it easier for people to travel sustainably.
In 2015, the council introduced 20mph limits in almost all residential areas, creating lower-speed neighbourhoods. It is now looking at increasing the number of streets with a 20mph limit to include much of the city centre.
Last year, Nottingham City Council received £2m from the UK government’s Active Travel Fund to deliver a range of projects to make walking and cycling easier, encourage more sustainable travel, and support a green recovery from Covid-19. Part of this funding will be used to slow traffic speeds within the city centre, so that cyclists and pedestrians feel safer.
An informal consultation on the scheme ran earlier this year, in which 71% of respondents supported the proposals to make the city centre 20mph. The proposals have now been amended after reviewing feedback to exclude a number of main routes throughout the city. These roads will remain 30mph.
Councillor Sally Longford, deputy leader, Nottingham City Council, said: “We want to create a city that is built around the needs of people, rather than cars. To do this we need to encourage sustainable travel, and make the city a more attractive place to walk and cycle.
“Reducing the speeds of vehicles on more roads will help to make people feel safer, and create a more attractive environment for all.
“More people switching to sustainable travel will contribute to cleaner air, and also help towards our ambition to become a carbon neutral city by 2028.”
