Slowing down in London

Could this work in Southern California? Officials in London have proposed a 20 mph limit on all roads in London, citing concerns about safety:

The Greens propose that 20mph would become the "default" limit on all London roads and councils would have to make a special case to exempt strategic routes such as bus routes and trunk roads. The limit would be enforced by new speed cameras. At the same time, thousands of road humps, pinch-points and chicanes would be removed. Ms Jones said: "Making 20mph the normal speed limit would save lives and money and give a major boost to cyclists, who would feel safer." Roger Geffen of cyclists' organisation CTC, said: "20mph makes sense not just for road safety; it also means cleaner air, less congestion and more people taking up cycling and walking. It would cut costs and bureaucracy enormously."

Comments

[gregory kay]

It (once again) is too bad that Los Angeles doesn't have a viable transit alternative to private automobiles. Manhattan is proposing a congestion charge, and I think it has a good chance of being passed into law - mainly because such a charge can hardly be accused of being predatory of the poor, since the poor and working classes use mass transit! Likewise - if it weren't for the fact that everyone who can see over the dashboard either drives or aspires to drive in L.A., we wouldn't be subject to mob rule of the streets - 20mph wouldn't seem so laughable.

[Shaun]

I wish I could go that fast on the 405 during rush hour.

[movielocke]

Right, other motorists get infuriated if someone is going 35 (or god forbid, 30) in a 35 mph zone. I don't think this is feasible without billions and billions in cameras. Then the freeways would become even more clogged, because surface streets would take even longer.

[David in Tarzana]

I realized recently on a bike commute to work that if the current speed limits we have were enforced, we wouldn't have to spend a penny on bicycle lanes and paths. Bicyclists would be adequately safe IF drivers only obeyed the posted speed limits and traffic signals. It's pretty pitiful that as a society no one feels like they have to follow the posted laws. My bike commute is through the Sepulveda Pass and I routinely am passed by cars traveling 50 M.P.H no more than 1 to 2 feet from me. If you think I am exaggerating, I will let you ride along with me some day and find out I'm not. There is no way the drivers of Los Angeles would obey a 20 M.P.H. speed limit. Most of them do that on the way out of their driveways in the mornings.