A trail 20 mph zone in a Dundee community could be made permanent if councillors give it the green light.
Traffic in and around the Glens and Johnston Avenue has been subject to the 20mph maximum for 12 months in the interests of road safety and to create a safer environment.
Now after reviewing the volume and speed of traffic in the area roads chiefs are recommending the reduced limit stays.
Mark Flynn depute convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said: “When we did the city-wide consultation more than 95% of residents in Johnston Avenue who responded were in favour of making it a 20mph zone.
“Throughout the trial we have been monitoring road safety, traffic movement and pedestrian access balanced with the need to keep the city safely on the move as effectively and efficiently as possible.
“What it showed was that in the Glens average vehicle speed stayed below 20mph before and after the limit was introduced, but in Johnston Avenue it dropped from 29mph to 26mph.”
The speed limit’s introduction was based on a signage only proposal without extensive traffic calming measures and cost in the region of £16,000.
In the three years before the limit was reduced there were no accidents resulting in an injury in the Glens. There was however a fatal accident at the mini-roundabout at Strathmore Avenue/Johnston Avenue/Brantwood, but it is not in the limited area and was not speed related. In the trial period there were no accidents in the Glens or Johnston Avenue.
Vehicle volumes in Johnston Avenue went down by around 4% after the 20mph zone was brought in.
Alan Ross convener of Dundee City Council’s community safety and public protection committee added: “It is important that residents feel safe in their own communities and reducing speed limits can play an important part in that.
“Most of the vehicles in the Glens are driven by residents or visitors and they have clearly been sticking to safe and sustainable speeds around their homes.”
If the 20mph zone is made permanent the council will continue to monitor speed, volum of traffic and accidents.
The city development committee meets on Monday (May 13).
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
