A 20mph speed limit is set to be introduced across a swathe of central Bishop’s Stortford.
The restriction proposed by highways authority Hertfordshire County Council would apply to central residential areas of the town including Apton Road, Portland Road, Newtown Road, Castle Street, Bartholomew Road, Jervis Road, Nursery Road, Trinity Street and Trinity Close.
As a consultation on the move was launched on Monday (Feb 21), Conservative Cllr Alastair Ward-Booth, who represents the Bishop’s Stortford West division at County Hall, said: “The county council is proposing to introduce a 20mph zone covering to support the existing lower speed environment already in place and aims to make the central residential areas of town more pedestrian-friendly, and will also lower vehicle speeds around St Michael’s VA Church of England Primary on Apton Road.
“The consultation is now live and I would encourage residents to provide their comments on the proposed scheme.”
Cllr Ward Booth has supported the bid with funding from his highway locality budget.
The council has measured average speeds in the proposed restricted zone and concluded that additional traffic-calming measures were not required, except in Apton Road, where road humps or speed cushions would be installed on a short stretch.
Existing signs indicating the advisory 20mph speed limit in Apton Road, either side of St Michael’s, will be removed if the zone is implemented and replaced with standard school signs, but the flashing school lights will remain.
The public engagement exercise is the first part of a two-stage process. Comments from residents will help the county council finalise the proposal before formal consultation on the scheme.
For the scheme to move forward, a 20% response rate to the public engagement exercise will be required and, of those, 60% must be in support.
To take part in the survey, see www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/BSW20. Residents can also email tro@hertfordshire.gov.uk or write to Herts Highways, County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford SG13 8DN.
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