20mph Speed Limit for March

24 May 2016

A 20mph speed limit campaign for all residential roads has been launched in a bid to make March town a more pleasant place to live. A petition has been started to request Cambridgeshire County Council introduce a default 20mph limit. This is in conjunction with the nationwide group '20s Plenty For Us', which has nearly 300 local campaigns already set up across the UK.

Local campaign co-ordinator Andrew Crawford says that this is as much about improving the quality of local peoples lives, as it is about road safety:

"The introduction of 20mph speed limits in other areas has shown an increase in levels of walking and cycling by making the roads more hospitable to use. More walking and cycling can lead to better health and higher fitness levels. Children who walk to school tend to be more alert when they arrive, which is better for their education."

"Slower traffic speeds have other benefits to the local community too, such as noise reduction, reducing stress while driving, and improving road safety. Crossing roads becomes easier, especially for children, the elderly, and those with disability. This all adds to making a more pleasant place for everyone".

The campaign does not support physical calming measures such as chicanes and speed humps.

"Chicanes and humps can be counter productive to the flow of traffic. They force vehicles to slow down, but then after the obstacle, they speed up again. This causes noise pollution and lowers air quality and does little for overall speed. They are also expensive to implement."

The campaign has the full backing of Fenland Green Party.

For further information or to help with the campaign, please contact:

20 For March: http://20formarch.org.uk/