Phased rollout of 20mph speed limits on 3800 Glasgow streets begins next week
The phased rollout of 20mph speed limits across Glasgow begins next week with Govan the first city neighbourhood to see the change.
Glasgow City Council says the move aims to cut collisions, reduce injury severity and help create £calmer, safer streets - especially for people who walk, wheel and cycle”. Govan will be the first city neighbourhood to see the change. A legal order coming into force on 4 June will enable speed limits to be reduced from 30mph to 20mph on 194 streets or street sections in the area.
Installation of new signs and road markings will then follow over a four-week period. The new 20mph speed limits will apply once the signage is in place.
In total, around 3,800 streets or street sections across Glasgow will move to a lower 20mph speed limit as part of a wider rollout. There will be no change to roads with a current speed limit of 40mph or above.
Glasgow City Council says: “Glasgow's 20mph rollout follows a detailed assessment of the city's road network and supports national strategy on safer speeds in built‑up areas.”
Citywide delivery of the programme will be carried out across six phases, “with prioritisation based on collision data - particularly incidents involving people who walk and cycle”.
After Govan, the rollout will progress through Southside Central, Calton, East Centre and Shettleston in the first phase of the rollout. The timeline for the remainder of the plan has not been specified but geographically it will progress through these areas of the city.
Phase 2 covers Drumchapel/Anniesland, Hillhead, Maryhill and Partick East/Kelvindale.
Phase 3 covers Cardonald, Pollokshields and Langside.
Phase 4 covers Anderston/City/Yorkhill, Victoria Park, Garscadden/Scotstounhill and Dennistoun.
Phase 5 covers Linn, Newlands/Auldburn and Greater Pollok.
Phase 6 covers Canal, Springburn/Robroyston, Baillieston and North East.
Cllr Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport and Climate welcomed the start of the 20mph rollout saying: "This is an important step towards creating safer, calmer streets across Glasgow.
"Introducing safer speed limits is part of a wider effort to reduce the number and severity of road casualties - with lower speeds leading to calmer, safer and more liveable streets.
"We've already seen how effective this can be. Since Edinburgh brought in its default 20mph limit in 2018, collisions dropped by 30%, while default 20mph limits on residential streets are shown to have minimal impacts on overall journey times. Now as part of the ongoing national rollout of these default speed limits, we hope and expect that Glasgow will see similar progress."
New 20mph speed limits in Glasgow are being introduced using Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders, which remain in place for up to 18 months: “Physical traffic‑calming measures, such as speed cushions, are not part of the initial rollout. These may be considered later if speed monitoring data shows that additional measures would further support compliance with the signed 20mph limit.”