Falkirk Council: Here's all you need to know about the 20mph pilot being introduced in Airth

The 18-month pilot scheme will allow Falkirk Council officers to collect and analyse information on vehicle speeds before and after the introduction of the speed limit change, and monitor the impact it is making.

The road through the village is used by HGVs among other traffic and local councillors have long campaigned for action to slow traffic down.

From early April this year the council will start to collect data on the general speed of traffic at the moment.

Later in the month, 20mph signs will be put up across Airth, with further speed surveys a couple of weeks later.

The pilot will help traffic officers understand if signage on its own is enough to significantly reduce speeds or if further work would be needed.

The decision to look at introducing 20 mph to appropriate streets across Falkirk district was made by councillors in 2022, but then delayed while the Scottish Government developed national guidance.

While the government did consider making all urban roads 20pmh by default, it eventually chose to support local authorities to expand 20mph speed limits on their road network where they felt them to be appropriate.

A consultation carried out in in February with Airth residents showed strong support for a 20mph speed limit:

• 70.9 per cent strongly or partially supported a 20mph speed limit in built up residential areas
• 90 per cent strongly or tended to agree that speed limits should be implemented where safety is an issue.

Introducing the proposal, SNP councillor Paul Garner, said it “will help make these roads safer for all road users”.

He said: “Evidence shows that if you hit a pedestrian at 30 mph, they are seven times more likely to die than at 20 mph. Let me just repeat that – seven times more likely not to survive!

He added: “It is hoped the change will also improve perception of road safety, encouraging people to walk, wheel and cycle more, thereby improving health, promoting active travel and creating more pleasant areas in which to live.”

Using information from the pilot scheme, the scheme could then roll out quickly to a further 16 areas: Allandale, Avonbridge, Blackness, California, Dunmore, Fankerton, Glen Village, Limerigg, Muirhouses, Shieldhill, Skinflats, South Alloa, Standburn, Stoneywood, Torwood and Whitecross.

Councillor Garner stressed that all of these villages residents will be consulted before any work begins to implement the speed reduction.

He highlighted that 20mph zones had already been successful in reducing speed for Highland Council and the Scottish Borders.

While the pilot work is underway, Falkirk Council will continue to review other urban streets in the area and decide if a 20mph limit would make them safer.

While opposition councillors were supportive, the Labour group leader, Councillor Anne Hannah, did question the lack of funding available from the Scottish Government.

Last year, a Conservative amendment to the budget meant the council allocated £500,000 to fund works that would allow 20mph speed limits to be introduced.

However, the report to councillors suggests that 20mph signage at required locations would cost £1.2 million while traffic calming measures could cost £21 million.