News on 20mph Faversham

Please keep your suggestions coming for making Faversham better for cycling and walking and ask your friends and neighbours to contribute at https://20mphfaversham.commonplace.is/ .

Among concerns about the 20mph scheme, three questions are frequently raised:

How will people comply with the new speed limit work?

• Most people comply within a few mph of speed limits. Even on the (atypical) streets selected by the Dept for Transport, average speeds on 20mph streets are 5mph lower than on 30mph streets. Most 20mph streets have even lower average speeds.

• New technology, compulsory on all new models from 2022, will increasingly ensure that speed limits are adhered to.

• If more of us act as ‘pace cars’, others will also comply, helping to gain acceptance that 20mph is the right speed limit where people and motor vehicles mix.

• We are looking to improving the scheme with additional traffic calming measures where possible. Tell us your specific issues here .

• Community Speedwatch is a great way of the community helping to educate drivers about the new speed limits.

• The police will enforce where there are specific issues. Please add your particular areas of concern at https://20mphfaversham.commonplace.is/ .

Emergency response times

20mph speed limits have been found to make no material change. Transport for London reports that emergency response times of 5m and 13 seconds are unchanged in 2019 from 2005, before 20mph zones were introduced. The 2 miles between Love Lane and West Faversham Community Centre takes about 8 minutes, an average speed of 16mph.

Cyclings on pavements and cycling in pedestrian areas

The Town Council shares these very real concerns and is doing its best to discourage this, although it is not permitted to enforce laws.

Finally, for all questions on 20mph, this report to the Welsh Government is an excellent read.

Next week: look out for a summary of last week's webinar on 20mph Faversham