In our recent Your Street – Your Views survey of Gosforth residents, poor air quality, traffic noise and dangerous driving were the 2nd, 3rd and 4th greatest issues for Gosforth High Street. All three can be made better through a reduction in the speed limit, which the Council are now proposing.
You can comment on the proposals on the Let’s Talk website up to Tuesday 7 May. We have included some extracts of the proposal below.
We have blogged about speed limits on Gosforth High Street before, and noted that if we want it to thrive as a family destination and the businesses to prosper, then we need to make the High Street a safe environment where parents are happy to window shop with their children.
| 20 mph – the right speed for Gosforth’s children |
New speed limits won’t be sufficient by themselves but will be a good start.
The speed limit will also be reduced on parts of The Great North Road. In a collision between a person walking or cycling and a vehicle, the chances of serious injury or death (KSI) increases dramatically with the speed of the vehicle.
| Car Speed | All adults KSI% | 70 year old KSI% | Stopping distance |
| 20 mph | 17% | 30% | 3 car lengths (12m) |
| 30 mph | 40% | 70% | 6 car lengths (23m) |
| 40 mph | 80% | 90% | 9 car lengths (36m) |
As the mother of cyclist Daniel Rushton, who was killed on Newcastle’s Great North Road, says a speed limit change could save lives.
Newcastle City Council’s Proposal
Starting at the north end of the Great North Road by the A1, the speed from the A1 to just north of Brunton Lane will be 40mph, shown in green. From Brunton Lane south, the speed limit will be 30mph.
The 30mph speed limit will continue until just north of the shops on Gosforth High Street. From there the High Street will become 20mph. The 20mph limit will also extend west to Hedley Street and east just past the Moor Road North traffic lights.
The road will become 30mph again just south of Elmfield Road, which will continue past the Blue House roundabout. After that it becomes 40mph again right up to the junction with Claremont Road outside the Civic Centre.
Our Response
In the SPACE for Gosforth response we have supported the proposal and also asked for:
- Consideration of extending the 20mph zone up to Gosforth Academy, or temporary speed reductions when children are arriving or leaving the school
- Extending the 20mph zone west to the Gosforth Traders roundabout for similar reasons. This area is busy with children travelling to and from Gosforth Junior Academy and Archibald First school.
- Extending the 20mph zone further south so it starts before The Grove so it covers the pedestrian crossing.
- A review and redesign of the Gosforth High Street shopping area so that people driving through intuitively understand that 20mph is the right maximum speed rather than just relying on new signs.
- Ensuring residential streets parallel to the Great North Road / High Street are not used for through-traffic.
Agree speed limit of 20. Too many cars and buses on Gosforth High Street.
Concerns about traffic, noise and air pollution. And as a resident of Garden Village, please keep Salters Bridge closed because of the same concerns.
This road should reopen, it will reduce congestion on Church Road.
Hi Emgee,
Worth looking at this blog if you haven’t already.
https://www.spaceforgosforth.com/roadworks-air-quality/
If reducing congestion is your preferred objective then the only really effective way of doing that is via some form of road pricing. https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2011/10/only-hope-reducing-traffic/315/
Opening Salters Bridge is unlikely to make much difference as it will just increase overall traffic levels.
Stop all buses going down the High Street – terminate at Region Centre metro to transfer passengers on to the metro
Whatever the speed limit their are an additional 8000 houses being built north of Gosforth- with only two routes into town – Gosforth High Street or Ponteland Road- so the pollution levels are going to rise
Broadway West and Kenton Road is the the third route into the City Centre, with the sole focus on the high street, I agree all other routes will suffer. Let’s look at this city wide not just focus on one road.
I agree with Alison Taylor’s comment on Salters Bridge it must be closed permanently to prevent the high levels of pollution on Hollywood Avenue,caused by the thousands of vehicles using it daily as a rat run.Speed reductions on Gosforth high street and surrounding area is also a good idea.
I disagree I often use Gosforth High Street as a pedestrian and find the speed limits fine. One of the main problems is cars stopping to park on the high street and this adds to the congestion and danger. There are pedestrian crossings for pedestrians. So use them.
As a bus user taking buses out of the High Street will make the High Street inaccessible, especially for people with reduced mobility. This will decrease the footfall on the High Street.
Reduction in speed limits would be brilliant, but please extend it beyond The Grove, and up to Gosforth Traders roundabout to cover the schools. But cars are getting bigger, easier to drive, more homes being built and public transport infrastructure around Newcastle is declining…so I believe investment and planning is required to re-design the way the roads work in conjunction with better tram/ metro systems. People, bikes and trams over cars please. The buses are terrible- noisy, polluting and mostly empty, pls NCC look at this. Putting more 20mph signs up is only a short term fix…but at least a start, in the right direction.
A tax or levy on car usage has to be the way forward- the fact that it is unpopular proves it will produce the results.
I am confused by speed limit from Gosforth park through to Regent centre, I have tried driving 30 as the sign shows when you hit the main rd alongside Brunton &Melton park, cars are constantly travelling in excess of 30. In the future are there going to be relevant signs to show new/correct speed.
Thanks
Hi Shirley, thank you for driving at a legal speed. If only more people would do the same, the roads would be much safer.
The new permanent limits aren’t yet in place but once they are there should be clear signage for them.
I would like Salters Bridge to remain open. I live on Salters Road and my vet is on Longbenton estate at the Salters Bridge end. Residents of Hollywood Avenue nearest to Salters Bridge must be annoyed at having to go all the way up to Asda, then along the High Street to get to Killingsworth Road. CRAZY. At least erect speed cameras.
I don’t know why you are using Hollywood Avenue. It’s actually longer than going via Haddricks Mill and no quicker according to Google Maps?