It is welcomed that Transport for London ( TfL ) are going to have a trial reducing the speed limit to 20 mph on some of the busiest roads in London along their red routes as illustrated above. But why is there not any trials along the red routes going through the City of Westminster at all?
After all we must have the greatest concentration of red routes in the City of Westminster with the highest levels of road fatalities and casualties. Drawing on (TfL) statistics, far more people are killed or injured on Westminster streets. The borough had 1,732 road casualties — including 177 fatalities or serious injuries — in 2013, the latest year for which full figures are available.
Its clear to me that Westminster needs 20 mph speed limit to cut road deaths and if the council is not going to do it on its own streets than it would certainly help if TfL did so, on its red routes going through the borough. That is why it is important we have some of these 20 mph trials along streets like Baker St, Gloucester Rd, Marylebone Rd, Park lane etc as soon as possible to see if it has an effect in reducing the number of road casualties. TfL should consider including some of these red routes going through Westminster for a trial of the 20 mph trial.