[sustran] Re: Graz 30/50 speed limit etc and cycling

[Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory]

Hi,

Just a little information so no one starts making generalisations about 
social acceptability of 50km/h speed limits in Europe...

In cities in the new EU states a 50km/h limit is still socially 
acceptable but of course not obeyed. One part of one district in Prague 
- perhaps not coincidentally the first one with a shared bike system - 
has a 40km/h limit but the only reason it has it is because it has no 
main transit roads, only very local streets. No transit streets - and 
these might still just be two lane roads going through neighbourhoods 
with no signals, no stop signs - are allowed to have less than a 50km/h 
limit.

But the most interesting thing is that the traffic safety division of 
the Ministry of Transport recently STOLE the main idea of recent 
campaigns in Germany to change speeds form 50 to 30... and used its 
aesthetics, comparisons of risks and so on to compare 60km/h (the old 
speed limit many years ago) to 50km/h.

- T

Eric Britton (Fr) wrote:
>
> *From:* Michael Yeates [mailto:michael at yeatesit.biz]
> *Sent:* Thursday, June 07, 2007 2:39 AM
> *To:* NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups. com
>  
>
> *
> RE: Local cycling environment indicators: More on ... *
>
>
>   *Following my comments about slower speeds and in particular
>   reference to Graz, I have done a GOOGLE using < Graz 30km/h > .
>   There is a lot there including some rather big MB files ... too big
>   for my access account.
>
>   However I selected a few references (including one of mine as it
>   turned out) to give a flavour of the support for the ideas being
>   implemented in Graz.
>
>   I must say I am delighted to find that Graz is still experimenting
>   (trialling? demonstrating? developing? "reinventing"?) in
>   "integrated transport policy".
>
>   If I recall correctly, this is the term in English that
>   describes/translates one of those wonderful Austro-German combined
>   words that is used in the Graz policy and promotional material.*
>
>   I have also emailed Prof Sammer to see if he has papers available in
>   e-format that I might distribute.
>
>   regards
>
>   Michael Yeates
>
>   SLOW DOWN! NOW!
>
> *A 20-km/h speed limit reduction makes a big
> difference: fewer and less serious accidents happen.
> *Lower speed means less traffic needs less space and causes less 
> noise: it improves the quality and livability of urban space.  A lower 
> general speed encourages walking and cycling, and thus supports an 
> active and healthy lifestyle.The  European Cycling Federation (ECF) 
> strongly recommends the introduction of 30 km/h as a general speed 
> limit for all built up areas.
> *50 is out
> *The general urban speed limit of 50 or 60 km/h, introduced in most 
> European countries in the fifties and sixties, is no longer socially 
> acceptable.  International experience shows
> that an urban speed limit of 30km/h is not only better for road safety 
> and noise, but also gives smoother traffic flow and improves the 
> quality of urban life.
>
>
>   *Slow is in*
>
> Lower speeds have a great positive impact on road safety. While 
> collisions between cars and unprotected road users will result in at 
> least 40% fatalities at 50km/h, this falls to only 5% at 30km/h, and 
> injuries are significantly less serious.
>
>
>   *Positive experience over 30 years*
>
> During the last 30 years, experiments and experiences with 30 and 
> 40km/h zones have proven the numerous benefits of lower speeds in many 
> European countries.  While the increase in driving time is hardly 
> noticeable, lower speeds bring a significant improvement in road 
> conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.   International studies have 
> shown that between 80 and 90% of the urban road network is suited for 
> reduced speed.  This comprises roads in residential areas as well as 
> shopping areas.  Only main arteries and road without buildings at the 
> roadside are suitable for 50km/h. For this reason it would be simpler 
> and more efficient to introduce30km/h as a general speed limit in 
> urban areas instead of continuing to establish single 30km/h islands.
>
>
>   *Successful: 30 km/h as urban speed limit*
>
> . Since Graz Austria, introduced a general speed limit of 30 km/h for 
> all but the major roads (where 50km/h remained) in 1992, the number of 
> accidents has decreased by 15%.
> Over 75% of the road network are subject to the lower speed.
>  
> *150,000 less injuries
> *The consequences of a general 30km/h speed limit in urban areas can 
> be illustrated by a few accident figures.  The 21 European countries 
> recorded in the IRTAD (OECD) database
> suffered about 20,000 fatal and almost 1,000,000 injury accidents on 
> roads in urban areas in 1998.  A 15% saving -like in Graz- would 
> save150, 000 injury accidents-each year.
>
>
>   *Increased cycle use*
>
> Positive effects on noise and a general improvement of the Speed 
> makes the difference: A cyclist or pedestrian being
> hit by a car with speed 60km/h is like throwing oneself out a window 
> from the fifth floor.
> Livability of cities is a bonus, on top of the accident savings. 
> Especially for cyclists, car speeds have a great effect not only on 
> actual but also on the perceived safety.  Using a bicycle
> under a 30km/h is much more pleasant than at 50km/h.  Such a change 
> would encourage walking and cycling, which would mean more physical 
> exercise and better long-term public health..
>
>
>   *Encourage healthy lifestyles*
>
> A general 30km/h limit is completely in line with the WHO Charter on 
> transport, environment and health, signed by
> European ministers in June 1999.  In this charter the ministers have 
> committed themselves to create supportive conditions
> That permit and stimulate a substantial increase in the number of 
> short trips undertaken by these physically active modes of
> transport (walking and cycling).  The introduction of 30km/h as the 
> general speed limit for built-up areas would contribute  to these 
> targets and would thus be a good step in the right direction.
>
>
>   *Overwhelming benefits*
>
> **The evidence and positive experiences with 30km/h as a general 
> speed limit in urban areas are so convincing that there is no reason 
> to wait any longer.  says Horst Hahn Klockner, ECF president.  Via 
> its member organizations,
> ECF asks the national governments in Europe to introduce 30km/h as the 
> general urban speed.  We also ask the European Commission to establish 
> this as one of its road safety priorities
> And to recommend it to the member states.
>                                                                        
>         Thomas King , Ursula Lethner 
>                    *European Cyclist  3.2000
>                                                                     g
> * [ the above was sourced from* 
> *http://home.connect.ie/dcc/newsltrs/spokes2001/cs-autumn2001.doc ]
>
>
> Also you can see how a city with up to 70% or more of its streets and 
> roads having a 30km/h speed limit can then encourage other 
> 'integrated' changes such as increasing other-than-car travel to 
> school (and elsewhere) and use of much smaller, lighter and less 
> environmentally damaging cars as shown in 
> http://www.stockholm.se/pages/352574/Trendsetter_pres_english.pdf
>
> also see 
> http://www.pimms-eu.org/downloads/newsletters/PIMMS_newsletter_2.pdf
>
> also http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/trs/roadsafety/sub15.pdf
>
>
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--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Director
Green Idea Factory

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