Traffic in parts of Dublin city centre will be restricted to 30km/h from today. The councillors who pushed for the change say it will save lives. Is it a good move or will it slow everything down?
from Irish Times:
"The Irish Times - Monday, February 1, 2010
Motorists and environmental groups differ on reduced city-centre limit
TIM O'BRIEN and FRANK McDONALD
AS
EXPECTED, motorists have criticised and environmental groups have
welcomed the extension of the 30km/h speed limit zone in Dublin city
centre.
The AA has described the move as a “misapplication” of
speed limits that it said other cities had primarily restricted to
residential areas. The Dublin Business Association expressed concerns
about car-borne shoppers going elsewhere.
However, the Irish
Environmental Network (IEN), the umbrella group for national
environmental organisations, commended Dublin City Council for its
initiative, saying it “points the way for other city and town councils”.
The
Dublin Cycling Campaign noted that the areas affected by the new speed
limit were “rich in pedestrians, shoppers, children and, at night,
revellers”; in some places, pedestrians often well outnumbered
motorists.
The campaign cited a study published recently by the
British Medical Journal which found a reduction to a 20mph
(32km/h) limit led to a 40 per cent fall in casualties and collisions
over a 20-year period to 2006.
But the campaign also said
motorists could benefit from the change: “When 30km/h zones were
introduced in Germany, car drivers on average had to change gear 12 per
cent less often, use their brakes 14 per cent less often and required
12 per cent less fuel,” it said.
A drive around Dublin city
centre yesterday revealed motorists having little difficulty with low
speeds in some areas, while in others attempts to travel within the
speed limit provoked considerable ire, including that of bus and taxi
drivers.
The first new speed limit sign encountered was on the
corner of Tara and Pearse streets at the entrance to the lower speed
limit zone. Driving within the new speed limit caused other vehicles to
move out from behind and overtake, but in light traffic this seemed not
to present a difficulty.
On the city quays westbound, however,
other motorists appeared impatient to get to red lights quickly and
there was little evidence of the council’s promised “green wave of
traffic lights”. It was difficult to restrict speed to what appeared to
be a funeral pace, as the impression that one was in the way was keenly
felt.
On Wellington Quay a white “ghost bike” was chained to the
railings, a pertinent reminder of the numbers of cyclists who have been
killed in city centre collisions. A taxi driver behind flashed his
headlights and ultimately moved out and overtook.
The car
speedometer was calibrated both in kilometres and miles per hour and it
was difficult to get used to the idea that while travelling at 20mph,
the car was over the speed limit.
City-centre bound from Heuston
Station, a large illuminated sign on Wolf Tone Quay warned motorists of
the impending restriction. All traffic zoomed past on the way to
O’Connell Street, most of it ignoring the restriction sign.
On
O’Connell Street, realising the bus lane operates on a seven-day basis,
we signalled and pulled in front of a foreign-registered car. The
driver’s hands weaved as we immediately reduced speed to 30km/h.
Everything behind us was doing 30km/h or less, but traffic ahead
receded into the distance. It was like driving a hearse.
Parnell
Square and O’Connell Street southbound presented no opportunity to
travel at speeds above the limit. But on the southside at Kildare
Street, few if any vehicles were travelling at 30km/h. It is to be
hoped nobody speeds out of Leinster House."