Agenda item

Consider report by Service Director Assets & Infrastructure.  (Copy attached.)

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director Assets & Infrastructure proposing, as part of the fully funded Spaces for People programme, the roll out of an experimental trial of 20mph schemes in 80 settlements where the existing speed limit was 30mph.  The report explained that the Council had successfully bid for £1,200,000 from the Scottish Government’s £30,000,000 Covid-19 related Spaces for People fund which was a, ‘temporary infrastructure programme in Scotland which offers funding and support to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips and exercise during Covid-19’ administered by Sustrans.  A number of temporary measures were planned using Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders, such as temporarily reducing speed limits to 40mph on selected national speed limit roads; reviewing a number of town centres to improve cycling opportunities; temporary closure of certain roads; and the most significant measure being the proposal to change all Council adopted 30mph roads to 20mph as a trial for a temporary period of up to 18 months.  Officers had identified a total of 80 settlements, as listed in Appendix 1 to the report, with Council adopted roads with existing 30mph speed limits and the proposal was to convert all of these to 20mph for a trial period of up to 18 months.  At the time of writing the report this had been with the exception of Trunk Roads as Transport Scotland had been carrying out its own research into the introduction of 20mph schemes on trunk routes.  However, it was noted that Transport Scotland had now indicated their willingness to become involved.  During the trial period, the Council would invite further comment and feedback from Elected Members, the public, and other partners such as Police Scotland, Borders Buses, Community Councils, Access Groups, etc.  To gauge driver compliance with the 20mph pilot it was the intention to appoint Edinburgh Napier University’s Transport Research Department to carry out an independent, rigorous, academic evaluation of the pilot scheme, ensuring a consistent and impartial approach to the evaluation.  The trial would be rolled out in a systematic manner with an incremental approach to the implementation of traffic calming measures; initially baseline data would be collected and signing erected, followed by post survey data collection and analysis and then, where necessary, the introduction of traffic calming interventions, followed by further surveys and analysis.  All surveys and traffic calming would be carried out as part of the pilot and funded by the programme.  A further report would be brought back to Council 12 months from the commencement of the pilot with suggestions on which, if any, schemes were to be retained and which to be removed.  The remainder of the trial would be used to implement any permanent changes.  Ms. Gilhooly, Team Leader – Policy/Road User Management, was present at the meeting and answered Members’ questions.  Members generally welcomed the proposals but Councillor Bell suggested an amendment to the recommendation.

VOTE

Councillor Edgar, seconded by Councillor Tatler, moved the recommendation as set out in the report.

Councillor Bell, seconded by Councillor H. Anderson, moved as an amendment that the recommendation be reworded to read “agree to implement the fully funded Spaces for People programme, and agrees to the experimental trial of 20mph schemes of signage and appropriate infrastructure in up to 80 settlements; on the understanding that some settlements may specifically benefit from infrastructure over and above signage. Periodic reports to members will be submitted on progress of the programme, in addition to those to the full Council.”

Members voted as follows:-

Motion             -           21 votes

Amendment     -           9 votes

The Motion was accordingly carried.

DECISION

DECIDED that, as part of the fully funded Spaces for People programme, the Council implement the experimental trial of 20mph schemes in 80 settlements, as detailed in the report.

ADJOURNMENT

The Convener adjourned the meeting at 1.40 p.m. for lunch and reconvened at 2.10 p.m.