The council's main Labour Group opposition today launched a campaign to reduce the speed limit in residential areas of the city to 20 mph. It is hoped the campaign will culminate in the council agreeing to follow the lead of councils like Portsmouth and Norwich.

Labour spokesperson for City Strategy, Coun. Ruth Potter said of the campaign:

"We have spent a number of months looking at the research and evidence of what it means to lower an urban speed limit to 20mph. The facts speak for themselves, and a 20 mph will lead to lower levels of serious injury and fatality. It must be borne in mind this limit would be for residential areas and not for main link roads between different parts of the city".

Labour councillors will be out and about collecting signatures for its petition to reduce the city's speed limit to 20mph in the coming weeks. They will be at Acomb shops on 8th October, Bishopthorpe Road shops on 1st November and Haxby shops on 15th November. They will also be present on a number of dates during October and November in the city centre.

And the public will be able to sign the petition online at the York Labour Party website (details below).

"The speed limit reduction we are calling for will bring countless benefits to the city, many of which will be difficult to measure", said Coun. Potter.

"Certainly it will improve traffic flow and reduce pollution with less starting and stopping. What will also make this appeal to the public is that it does not require traffic calming measures such as road humps and chicanes which are unpopular.

"The British Social Attitudes Survey suggested 72% of drivers questioned support a 20mph speed restriction in residential areas, and I think this is because they recognise it represents a small part of any single journey of any distance, and makes these areas safer places for cyclists and pedestrians, including children.

"I hope this is the kind of support we get from the public for our campaign, and that ultimately, we can achieve the goal of improving road safety in our city".