The City of Sydney will soon introduce a 40km/h speed limit on all “local and regional roads” in a bid to improve pedestrian safety, with the changes to come into effect in the coming weeks.
Certain roads in Glebe, Forest Lodge, Beaconsfield, Waterloo, Annandale, Redfern, Alexandria, Zetland and Woolloomooloo will have their posted speed limits reduced from 50km/h to 40km/h.
However, the speed reduction won’t impact motorways and roads which are controlled by the New South Wales Government, though the City of Sydney says it’s working with the state’s lawmakers “to prioritise speed reduction on these roads too”.
It won’t be a drastic change from what motorists travelling through the City of Sydney will be accustomed to, as 75 per cent of the area’s local and regional roads already have a 40km/h speed limit or lower, up from five per cent in 2004.
Image credit: Chris Southwood/City of Sydney
There’s no specific start date for the 40km/h limits to be introduced, however the City of Sydney says it “expects to install signs that reflect the new speed limits in the coming weeks”.
“Key locations” on some of the roads in the aforementioned suburbs will also feature temporary electronic signs to alert motorists to the new 40km/h speed changes for a minimum of two weeks.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to make our roads as safe as they possibly can be for people walking, riding and driving,” said Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore.
“Studies have shown that the survival rates for people hit by a vehicle drastically improve at lower speeds like 40km/h.
“When people drive at safer speeds it reduces the number of crashes and their severity, improves safety for people walking and riding and helps to support better place-making.
“Not only will our streets be safer as a result of these important changes, they’ll be quieter and have less exhaust emissions.”
While the new speed limit is the City of Sydney’s latest attempt to improve pedestrian safety, it’s not letting up in its pursuit of a 30km/h speed limit in “high activity” areas near and within the CBD, continually engaging with the State Government to implement the change.
“We will also continue to work with Transport for NSW to reduce speed limits to 30km/h in the city centre and other high activity areas where there are lots of people walking and riding,” said Ms Moore.
Earlier this year, Sydney’s Inner West Council – which encompasses Annandale, Ashfield, Dulwich Hill, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Marrickville, Newtown and Petersham – voted to introduce 40km/h speed limits on certain streets, however it’s not known when this will be implemented.
