Speed Limits Review: 20mph and Rural Roads

Closed 8 Feb 2023

Opened 16 Nov 2022

Contact

20mph@edinburgh.gov.uk

Feedback updated 20 Dec 2023

We asked

We asked for views on proposals to extend 20mph speed limits in Edinburgh and on introducing lower speed limits on our rural roads.  The consultation ran between November 2022 and February 2023.  At the close of the consultation the 20mph survey received 4,056 responses and the rural roads survey received 1,220 responses.

In addition to the online public consultation, we also carried out market research asking similar questions of a representative sample of Edinburgh residents.

You said

20mph

Public opinion appears to be divided on whether to expand 20mph speed limits.  Responses to the public consultation were much more likely to be strongly in favour or against the current balance of streets.

Key themes and impacts

  • An increase in journey time (58%), was perceived to be the largest impact from the public consultation
  • A safer street environment (54%) was identified as having the largest impact from the market research survey.
  • Increases in congestion (56%) and pollution (48%) were perceived to be key impacts associated with extending 20mph from the public consultation.
  • The impact of congestion (41%) and the impact of pollution (22%) were rated lower in the market research
  • Lack of compliance was identified as having a much higher impact in the public consultation (48%) than in the market research (32%).

Rural roads

  • The most common response to the question about current rural speed limits was that they are ‘about right’. However more respondents felt they are too fast than too slow.
  • Lack of compliance was perceived to be the largest impact in both the public (68%) and market research (58%).
  • Respondents to the public consultation (57%) considered the impact on journey times to be greater than in the market research (32%).
  • The impact on safer conditions for walking, wheeling and cycling was considered to be slightly higher in the market research consultation (38 %) than in the public consultation (33%).
  • There were some notable demographic factors that may have influenced the results, with more than twice as many male than female respondents to the rural public consultation. In general, male respondents were less likely to agree with the proposals (31% vs 38% of female respondents for the consultation, and 51% of male vs 57% of female respondents for the market research)
  • Consultation respondents who lived in the Rural West area were more likely to support some change to rural speed limits (55%) compared to those across the whole city (48%), whilst for market research responses there was minimal difference in support between the two areas (81% for rural west residents’ vs 82% across the whole city).

We did

Responses from the consultation will be used to inform detailed proposals which will be reported back to Committee in early 2024.  The reports will include details on costs, timescales and how the Council would proceed with the formal consultation as part of the Traffic Regulation Order process.

Overview

We are seeking your views on proposals to extend 20mph speed limits in Edinburgh and on introducing lower speed limits on our rural roads. The rural roads are mostly west of the city between Balerno and Queensferry.

Edinburgh’s streets and rural roads are shared by many people and types of vehicle. We want to make our streets and rural roads safer and more pleasant for all, especially the most vulnerable users; those on foot, on bikes or, particularly on rural lanes, on horseback. Higher traffic speeds can put people off walking and cycling, and accidents tend to be worse at higher speeds.

Lower speed limits support the aims of the City Mobility Plan by improving the way residents and visitors can move about and enjoy the city. The proposals fit with wider Council policies around Active Travel, the Vision Zero approach to road safety and achieving our ambition to be net zero by 2030.

View the proposals

Speed Limits Review: 20mph

Speed Limits Review – Rural Roads

Why your views matter

We will use the findings from this consultation to help us understand how people living, working and travelling through Edinburgh view the revised speed limit proposals.  

If you would like support to complete the survey online, please email 20mph@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0800 0029 064 with a name and phone number to request a call back. Paper copies are also available on request.

What happens next

We will use the findings from this consultation to help us understand how people living, working and travelling through Edinburgh view the revised speed limit proposals. Your views will be used to inform the recommendations we make to the Transport and Environment Committee.

Any changes to speed limits would be subject to a formal statutory consultation, allowing public comment before implementation.

Events

Areas

  • All Areas

Audiences

  • Anyone from any background

Interests

  • All interests
  • Cycling and walking
  • Public Transport
  • Roads and pavements
  • Road safety
  • Travel in Edinburgh
  • Community planning
  • Community safety