Redbridge has told residents it wants to make all Wanstead streets 20mph zones, in line with many other London boroughs.
The proposal has an inevitability about it – the case made for reducing accidents is a strong one, however much motorists might get frustrated by the limits.
While most of the roads in the new zone are residential streets, the limit will be felt more on more major roads like New Wanstead, Hermon Hill/Chigwell Road and the High Street.
But some Hermon Hill residents will be among those cheering the proposal most loudly – we have documented a number of serious prangs in the past few years where cars have gone off the road, most recently this.
The proposal includes speed humps on Hollybush Hill, Spratt Hall Road, Nutter Lane, Rutland Road, Grove Park, and Elmcroft Avenue, and speed cushions on Chigwell Road, Hermon Hill and New Wanstead.
Wansteadium’s only thoughts are – whether this is a real consultation at all, and whether the decision has actually been made. And secondly, well even if it has, it’s nice to be asked. We’re not always extended that courtesy. The consultation is online here.
I’d be grateful to travel as fast as 20 MPH on most of the main roads. In rush hour you are lucky if you can reach 10 MPH
Over the years I have lived on New Wanstead I’ve witnessed and experienced numerous incidents of speeding traffic. It is a residential road, there are lots of parked cars so vision is not always clear, as a pedestrian you need to be fast on your feet to cross the road, which many people aren’t. The saddest thing was watching an ambulance crew trying to save a young off duty policeman who had been knocked off his motorbike – they kept going for a good 45 minutes but he didn’t make it. I so hope we do get the 20mph limit, it is definitely needed.
This is great news for the residential roads (apart from the speed cushions). I doubt that there are many opportunities to reach 20mph on the High Street, but cars are frequently going at crazy speeds on the side roads.
Perfection would be stopping some of the rat-running – like Woodbine Place/Spratt Hall Road.
The reckless drivers that speed in 30mph zones are just as likely to speed in 20mph zones.
However, the average speed across London is less than 15mph. Often cited as the most congested city in Europe..