‘20’s plenty where people live’

Tring Living Magazine 20mph zone

It’s been a long time in the planning and consultation stages, but the new traffic calming measures in Tring may soon be due to come into force.

Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) have carried out informal consultations on the new measures, which include a proposed 20mph zone across many of Tring’s main roads, as well as what are known as sinusoidal speed humps along Christchurch Road, in an effort to reduce speeds even further.

‘If it goes ahead then there will be five new speed humps along Christchurch Road,’ explains Herts County Cllr, Nick Hollinghurst. ‘These humps are a new design, right across the width of the road with spaces at the sides for cycles to pass easily, shallower and broader than earlier designs and with smoother profiles. They will be reminders to drivers that they are in a 20mph zone area, rather than being so obtrusive as to make speeds above 20mph impossible.’

The idea is to slow speeds on the roads down, and make it safer in residential and retail areas.

‘The desirability and effectiveness of these 20mph limits has now been extensively reviewed in the Atkins Report in November 2018 for the Department for Transport, which endorses 20mph limits as best practice and the right speed for areas where vehicles mix with pedestrians and cyclists,’ adds Nick.

Just before we went to press, it was revealed that there had been some objections to the proposed scheme. ‘The County Council will be writing to the objectors to address their concerns,’ says Nick. ‘As the scheme has proved to be very popular, especially with parents of young children, it would be most disappointing if it could not go ahead.’