Roads outside of schools are prioritized for 30 mph zones across Trafford and residents can apply for zones in their area.
Trafford City Council announced last night that it would push for low-speed areas across the district and prioritize roads outside of schools, parks and retirement homes first.
Residential groups can request that the roads in their area be limited to 20 miles per hour, but they must meet a number of criteria to be eligible.
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The new criteria were set out in a report presented to the Trafford Board of Directors meeting yesterday evening.
Roads are more likely to be prioritized for a new 20 mph limit if any of the following apply initially:
- There is plenty of parking on the street
- A school is on the way
- There is a history of fatal / major / minor collisions on the road
- Along the street are community centers, places of worship, bus / tram stops, local shops, kindergartens, nursing homes
- There’s good community support for a 20 mile zone there
A petition has been launched calling for a 20-mile zone to keep children safe in the area
(Image: Alice Richardson)
Cost and profitability estimates are then assessed before the council decides whether or not to introduce a 20 mile zone for a particular area.
Transport for Greater Manchester has given the council new funding to support road safety outside of schools.
On May 21, TfGM announced that it would be offering up to £ 50,000 to districts through its Active Travel Fund to manage road safety on school roads.
(Image: ABNM Photography)
It is estimated that £ 50,000 would allow for traffic calming measures along five streets with schools across Trafford.
There is currently no budget in Trafford City Council’s budget this year to fund new 20-mile zoning programs, but the allocation of funds will be “considered” for the next fiscal year starting April 2022 after residents’ requests are considered.
Trafford currently has 26 existing 20mph zones, all of which were implemented in the 1990s and funded by central government contributions.
There are several active requests for the introduction of new 30 km / h zones across the district that are currently being considered by the council – including areas of Altrincham.
These and any new applications will be considered and an application will be made for funding as part of the agency’s budget next year.
Conservative members expressed disappointment with the scope of the plans during the board meeting last night, saying the Greens’ original proposals last year were “much more ambitious”.
Coun Michael Welton, Altrincham Green Councilor, originally proposed a motion in September 2020 calling for 20-mile zones in the county’s residential areas.
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He said, “There is some progress being made, but I find it difficult to understand how anyone can make decisions based on this report and the blatant omissions it contains.
“I have a lot of questions about this very conservative report. Why is there no overarching political ambition to move to spacious 20 mile boundaries at Trafford? We see it in so many other places, in so many cities. “
(Image: ABNM Photography)
Coun Stephen Adshead, Executive Member for the Environment, said, “We have been hired to look at how we can introduce more 20-mile zones to more of our residential streets, and we have done just that and I am very pleased with it.
“This builds on previous work, the already 26 zones, and we would like that to be expanded. That was achieved through special funding, these pots are no longer there to do this kind of work. “
Coun Adshead stated that simple systems with some signage can cost up to £ 10,000 and interventions like speed bumps can add significantly to that cost.
He added: “We have to consider what we can do within the budget. We want the priority to be close to schools, parks and retirement homes. There is clearly a need in these areas. “
