Four Cardiff Roads to Revert Back to 30mph Speed Limit
In a recent announcement by Cardiff Council, changes are set to take place that will see the speed limits on four major routes in and out of Cardiff revert back to 30mph. These changes come following a public consultation on new 20mph restrictions, and will be implemented once a legally required Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) is completed.
Last year, the Welsh Government provided local councils with more flexibility to assess specific routes, leading to Cardiff Council conducting a four-month consultation to gather residents’ opinions on which roads should return to 30mph. The council’s review involved input from the public, bus companies, local councillors, MPs, MSs, and other city stakeholders, with a total of 933 residents responding to the consultation.
The four roads set to revert to a 30mph speed limit are Newport Road, excluding a section outside St Illtyd’s Catholic School; a section of Western Avenue west of the Taff River Bridge up to the junction with Cardiff and Llandaff Road; Ocean Way from Beignon Close to Rover Way; and Hadfield Road between the junctions with Leckwith Road and Penarth Road.
Cllr Dan De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Transport, and Climate Change, expressed Cardiff Council’s support for the Welsh Government’s 20mph policy, which has been in place in the city since 2014. He highlighted that the decision to revert the four roads back to 30mph was based on the principle that higher speeds should only be allowed where strong evidence supports their safety.
The council’s reassessment of 192 roads in Cardiff using revised Welsh Government guidance led to the justification for reverting the four roads back to 30mph. These roads were deemed essential as they act as main routes into and out of the city, aiming to reduce congestion and maintain consistency with adjoining roads and ongoing routes.
To implement these speed limit changes, the council must complete a Traffic Regulation Order, a process that typically takes up to six months. Once the TRO process is finalised, the new speed limits will officially come into effect.
Overall, these changes highlight the importance of balancing speed limits with safety considerations and community feedback. By reevaluating and adjusting speed limits on specific routes, Cardiff Council is striving to enhance road safety, reduce congestion, and create a more consistent traffic flow throughout the city.
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