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Motorway Speed Limit To Be 60Mph In Four Areas


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#1 mab01uk

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Posted 13 September 2020 - 01:09 PM

"The speed limit will be reduced to 60mph on four stretches of motorway in an effort to reduce air pollution.

Highways England is set to introduce the trial by the end of September to improve roadside air quality.

The move targets areas which have been identified as having high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from car engines.

The four locations where trial will take place are the M6 junctions 6 to 7 (near Witton), M1 junctions 34 to 33 (near Rotherham), M602 junctions 1 to 3 (near Eccles) and the M5 junctions 1 to 2 (near Oldbury). Each locations is up to 4.5 miles long and the new speed limits will be operational 24 hours a day. The reduced speed limits will be assessed after 12 months to see if they are having an impact, or if the air quality level is compliant."

https://news.sky.com...-areas-12069957

 

 

 


Edited by mab01uk, 13 September 2020 - 01:09 PM.


#2 MrBounce

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Posted 13 September 2020 - 02:35 PM

I can't see how this will have much effect unless trucks are also targeted. 



#3 Harrison541

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Posted 13 September 2020 - 04:59 PM

They've done some of that around North wales, 70MPH sections down to 50.

If it genuinely makes a difference I'm in favour of it. I just wish they'd make trains and other public transport a better option rather than make car journeys worse!

#4 Cooperman

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Posted 14 September 2020 - 10:12 PM

Absolutely stupid. The 70 limit it already too low in many cases and as for reducing pollution it won't make any difference as it is the trucks and other heavy vehicles which cause most of the pollution.

If the idea is to reduce pollution, then remove the so-called 'traffic calming humps, bumps and chicanes which cause a lot of pollution, especially when there are several HGV's stopped at a 'chicane' with their engines ticking over whilst a string of vehicles, with right-of-way, are going in the opposite direction. I was sat in such a queue recently with one bus and two trucks together with about 6 cars just delayed by an artificial obstruction.

However, this is the thin end of the wedge to reduce all motorway limits to 60, ordinary main roads to 50 and other roads to a max of 40.

It will sure increase journey times for high-mileage drivers. I'm glad I'm retired!



#5 Minigman

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Posted 14 September 2020 - 11:32 PM

If they wanted to measure the effects of slower moving traffic they should have gone to the M25. Nobody has gone over 50mph in years on some sections. Same with the M6.

#6 jonlad

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 09:37 AM

If there's a reduction of emissions in the M6 section I wonder will it be down to more people using the M6 toll.  The cynic in me thinks that's exactly what they want. More income.

 

Doing this for only one section between two junctions will likely catch more speeders. I cant remember if that section of the M6 is in a variable speed limit area but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

The days of getting around our country reasonably quickly feel like they are long gone.



#7 kit352

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 02:22 AM

If there's a reduction of emissions in the M6 section I wonder will it be down to more people using the M6 toll.  The cynic in me thinks that's exactly what they want. More income.
 
Doing this for only one section between two junctions will likely catch more speeders. I cant remember if that section of the M6 is in a variable speed limit area but it wouldn't surprise me.
 
The days of getting around our country reasonably quickly feel like they are long gone.


Interesting little factoid about the m6 toll is that its not government controlled. Its run by a private company with government oversight. Its actually quite an interesting read of how botched a road it is and the way its run. The government allowed a lot of shady stuff to happen so it could be built. Only a small part of the tolls goes to the government, most goes to a company set up to run it.
Another fun fact about it is its not actually a shorter trip that taking the normal m6. When it was built the long lead up to the tolls was built long on purpose and is technically not counted as the m6 toll road proper so the road appears shorter on maps and satnavs than it actually is along with a few other tricks. This was done to increase traffic to the road so tolls revenue can be increased. It didnt go over as planned though and revenue goals were not reached. Various other tricks were employed to get people on to it with varying rates of success. Every see a few road cones on the side on the m6 just randomly out there? Thats to show as construction in the area and suggest the toll road as an alternate path.
It was also one of, if not the first road built with speed cameras already planned in. Originally by law speed cameras were only allowed to be installed in areas with a history of traffic incidents. Despite wide spread belief that they can be put up anywhere the process to get approval to install them was quite lengthy. They truely were an attempt at one point to reduce speeds and increase safety. The m6 toll changed that by having the cameras preplanned on sections that were likely see increased speeds due to layout, not by a proven and documented history of incidents. A lot of arguements were made that several sections were built to encourage speeding so they could be more lucrative in revenue.

The only time the toll road could be considered a viable route is during peak travel times in the morning and in the evening but thats only if there is substantial delays. In just about every other way its not the best option.

I learned more about government misuse working on that toll project than i have anywhere else really. Its quite shocking how a few council members can wield so much power when they have a stake in private projects. You would think conflict of interest would come up more often. I have had brushes with the HS2 project though and that one seems to be on a whole other scale but i dont have enough direct involvement to really dig into it.

#8 unburntfuelinthemorning

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Posted 22 September 2020 - 08:31 PM

The Conservative party have made noises in the past about raising motorway limits to 80mph.  Why does it not suprise me that they're now trialing lower limits?

 

In my view lower limits will cause more accidents due to sheer boredom and the hold ups caused by said accidents won't help pollution levels.

 

I had a brief holiday in Wales this year and did most of the trip from Bedfordshire on the A5.  It took longer but was much more like an old fashioned road trip without any smart motorway nonsense.  More choice for toilet stops too.



#9 l_jonez

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Posted 22 September 2020 - 09:43 PM

They have done it on the M4 down to 50mph for the whole length of Port Talbot steel works... Because obviously it's the cars




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