Since October 2022 we have been campaigning for a Default 20mph speed limit in the Whitby urban area. This would typically mean that all residential areas as well as an expanded town centre would be made 20mph. This change in speed limit would ultimately provide a much safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists, less pollution, less road noise, as well as vehicles using less fuel, and whilst doing all of this not making a major impact on journey times.
We are pleased to say that at the 20th December 2022 meeting of the Town Development and Improvement committee of Whitby Town Council (WTC) they voted unanimously in favour of Default 20mph for Whitby. Thank you to WTC for seeing the clear benefits that your residents would gain from this measure, and we look forward to North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) implementing this asap in our town, with the involvement of WTC.
RESOLVED that the Council:
- Supports the 20’s Plenty for North Yorkshire campaign;
- Calls on North Yorkshire County Council to work in coordination with Whitby Town Council to investigate a scheme to implement 20mph in Whitby; and
- Will write to North Yorkshire County Council to support any neighbouring authority requesting 20mph speed limits on streets throughout North Yorkshire where people live, work, shop, play or learn, with 30mph as the exception on those roads, where full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit.
This means that WTC is the 141st town / parish council in the NYCC area requesting default 20mph, representing nearly 43% of the population.