Birmingham City Council is proposing to reduce speed limits on major roads in the city to a consistent 30mph. The initial consultation on this plan is on the BeHeard page and closes on the 19th November 2023.

Push Bikes has written this response as an organisation but it would be good if members sent in their own individual responses as well. You can if you wish just endorse the Push Bikes response or link to the good response from Better Streets for Birmingham.

We have seen responses to this consultation on social media that criticise it for wasting money when Birmingham is going through significant financial difficulties. These criticisms are not well founded though. Yes, there is a cost to carrying out the consultation and then carrying out the transport regulation order, but the only cost after that is the labour cost of removing speed signs from their current locations and then reusing the 30 mph signs at the appropriate places. In the long run, this consultation will reduce maintenance costs because there will be fewer speed signs to keep clean and replace periodically. There is no significant upfront cost to these proposals, and long term savings to be made. Please do not be put off these proposals because of worries about how Birmingham City Council is using their budget.

Push Bikes discussed these changes at our November Committee Meeting. We strongly support the proposals, which are in line with Birmingham's Transport Policy and commitments made at recent meetings in response the epidemic of road deaths and injuries in the City. The Leader of Birmingham City Council Cllr Cotton, Cllr Liz Clements Transport Lead, Mayor Andy Street, WMPCC Simon Foster and Chief Constable Craig Guildford have all responded positively to the Saver Streets Now Campaign. Reducing speeds on all of these major roads and seeing them enforced will be a major step forward in reducing road danger.

We have seen the benefits of these reductions on the A38 where a consistent 30 mph limit in South Birmingham is working. Motorists exceeding these speeds now stand out amongst the traffic flow and can be more easily caught and fined. Consistent 30 mph speeds limits make travelling in the city easier for people cycling, walking, crossing roads and accessing public transport. They also benefit drivers with a safer and less threatening road system. We are in full in support of the submission from our partners at Better Streets for Birmingham.