A PROPOSED roll out of 20 mph zones in Bradford will include two roads near primary schools as well as much of the city centre.

Bradford Council announced it was planning to roll out 20mph zones in most of the streets in the city centre earlier this year, and hinted that more reduced speed zones might be created around schools in the district..

Now it has been announced that Park Lane and Farnham Road will also become 20mph zones.

  • These zones won't stop danger drivers: editor's comment

The proposals will be discussed at the first meeting of Bradford Council’s decision making Executive on January 8, where members will vote for the scheme to move ahead.

The scheme is budgeted at £120,000, much of which is expected to be spent on new signage and road markings.

The Farnham Road 20mph area includes includes Farnham Primary and Horton Grange Primary schools, the Khidmat community centre a playing field, Farnham Road children’s centre and Margaret McMillan children’s centre, as well as 1,100 homes.

The Park Lane 20mph area includes St Joseph’s primary school, the Park Lane centre and nursery and the southern boundary and accesses to St Luke’s hospital, as well as 800 homes.

A report going to the Executive says: “Funding for the progression of schools 20mph zones has been prioritised using the child ward casualty statistics.

“City ward has been identified as having the highest rates of child casualties.

“The schools sites within that ward have been selected based on the highest level of area coverage that could be achieved within the set budget.”

Detailing the need for 20mph zones in the city centre, the report reveals that in the last five years, city centre roads have seen a total of 205 road casualties of which 72 were pedestrians and 17 were cyclists.

The Council hopes the speed limits will make the city centre more attractive to pedestrians and cyclists.

Roads excluded from the city centre 20mph zones include A6181 (Leeds Roads, Hall Ings, Princes Way,

Godwin Street and Westgate) and the A641 (Manchester Road). The COuncil says it “would not be realistic” to introduce a 20mph limit on these main roads, but adds: “longer term plans are being considered for these routes.”

The report also refers to a study into the introduction of 20mph zones in Bristol. It says: “Since the introduction of 20mph zones the average road speed reduced on 94 per cent of the roads surveyed, an estimated four fatal injuries, 11 serious injuries and 159 slight injuries were avoided each year and the cost of injuries was significant. The reduction in injuries was estimated to generate cost savings of £15 million.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “Twenty mile per hour zones are a proven way of making our roads safer and the proposed city centre zone will help make it a safer place for pedestrians and cyclists.

“By including a programme of 20mph zones around these two schools and nearby streets we can make a difference in protecting children from the dangers of speeding and promote responsible driving and road safety across the district.”