Portsmouth to become 'tortoise town'

[smeggy]

From local rag:

The News said:

EVERY residential road in Portsmouth is to become a 20mph zone in a bid to cut accidents and save lives. But opponents have warned the new limits will turn Portsmouth into 'tortoise town'. The 20mph decision was made as councillors voted last night to agree the city council's local transport plan, which included a £250,000 fund to reduce the speed limit in residential streets. The move will be brought in street by street – and only major routes like Copnor Road, London Road, Northern Road and the motorway will be exempt. Tory councillor Malcolm Hey, who went into the chamber brandishing a plastic tortoise, said: 'Instead of flagship city we are in danger of becoming tortoise town, with travel only slightly faster than a snail's pace. We get enough practice at moving at 20mph in traffic jams. When we can move safely at 30mph let's do so.'

www.thenews.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=455&ArticleID=1423412

If Queen Street can be reduced to 20 then I think all roads will be at risk.

Note, the motorway was reduced to 50mph 6 months ago - for no actual reason!

[jaybee]

"We get enough practice at moving at 20mph in traffic jams", when does he do this?

This is ludicrous. It's bad enough them turning dual carriageways into single lanes, and ridiculous speed bumps I can't get over.

The have the audacity to say Copnor Bridge is open early, no that'll be three years late.

M275 speed limit has been reduced in preparation for the new junction at Tipner. How come it's safe one day to 70, then the next it's 50?

Trouble is, with Portsmouth being an island you need a council that fully understands our unique traffic issues. We certainly haven't got that.

[smeggy]

jaybee said:

M275 speed limit has been reduced in preparation for the new junction at Tipner. How come it's safe one day to 70, then the next it's 50?

The real kick in the balls is that there has been no roadworks, none at all, done for this supposed new Tipner junction since the M275 limit was reduced 6 months ago!

I've just scoured the Portsmouth websites, the news report is entirely correct.

Delivering the integrated strategy will ensure that the individual
programmes of work are co-ordinated fully under an overall objective of
designating residential areas as 20mph zones, and to reduce,
wherever feasible, the speed limits within the city to 20mph. The
result of adopting this approach will be that Portsmouth will ultimately
become a 20mph city-wide zone, thus fulfilling the goals of both saving
accidents and improving the environment and quality of life for both
residents and visitors to the city.

www.portsmouth.gov.uk/media/tt20040930r3app_part7.pdf

[jaybee]

smeggy said:

fulfilling the goals of both saving accidents and improving the environment and quality of life for both residents and visitors to the city.

Permanent Gridlock, yeah let's keep cars from moving and decrease their efficiency. That's the best way of "improving the environment and quality of life for both residents and visitors to the city"

Yes, it's dangerous to drive at 30mph down narrow side roads, but this is madness.

[splatspeed]

truevelo coming out of portsmouth

and a police car sometimes on the way in as you come over the hill on the 275 they sit ther in the 30 limit as you come over the brow

and a long line of bikes wiating to empty your wallet

i hate lefties we aint even allowed to electrocute ourselves now

we need to get an electrician in

all this health and safty nonsense

natural selection is being reduced to a trickle

i used to love the darwin awards

the only people having children are teenage morons that cant understand the instructions on a condom or want a council house

this nanny state is destroying this country

[magic torch]

splatspeed said:

a police car sometimes on the way in as you come over the hill on the 275 they sit ther in the 30 limit as you come over the brow

This is normally the number plate recognition stuff.

[__lee__]

Its probably to try and cut down on the amount of drunken sailors that get run over!

I was once pulled near pompey dockyard for going too slow! The female officer that stopped me said that she thought I may have stolen the car and was going slow to avoid attention!

It really is hard to try and drive everywhere at that 20mph though, if anyone has tried to obey the speed limit on the big open roads on the dockyard they will know what I am talking about! I think another problem with this is, people will be constantly watching their speedo to try and avoid getting clocked over 20mph.

Surely making everyone do 20mph will cause more traffic jams as the traffic hemorrhages in the centre?

[Bob the Planner]

Everyone in 2nd will not add to the pollution either - much. Fkin daft idea if you ask me - it may not make too much difference during the school run times but the rest of the time it will cause mayhem.

[GTWayne]

'Tortoise town',is this twinned with 'Hare village'?.I don't mind whos's coat I wear,so just pass me any one and I'll be off.