Paisley would be the first town in Renfrewshire to get new 20mph speed limits on its residential roads, under proposals for a phased rollout across the area.
The programme is estimated to cost £1.85 million. No start date has been set yet, as talks continue over funding from Transport Scotland. Councillors on Renfrewshire Council's Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board will consider the report on Wednesday 4 November.
When each area would follow
Under the plan, Johnstone, Elderslie, Brookfield and Kilbarchan would follow three months after Paisley. Renfrew would come in at six months, with Inchinnan, Erskine, Bishopton and Langbank at nine months. Howwood, Houston, Crosslee, Bridge of Weir and Lochwinnoch would be included at 12 months.
Council officers used vehicle speed and collision data to decide the order, starting with the areas where they found the greatest road safety risk.
A trial period, then a decision
Each phase would be brought in through an 18-month temporary traffic order. Residents would be invited to give their views during the first 12 months, and that feedback, along with the speeds actually recorded, would help decide whether each limit is made permanent, changed, or partly or fully returned to 30mph.
Any permanent order would go out to a further 28-day public consultation before coming back to the board for a final decision. The whole programme, including the steps to make limits permanent, is expected to take around two and a half years.
Cheaper than first thought
The first estimate for the work was £4 million, but a closer look at the road network and signs has brought that down to £1.85 million. Existing signposts and lighting columns would be reused where possible, and the new limits would be marked with signs only, without matching road markings.
Councillors are being asked to approve the phased approach, subject to Transport Scotland confirming the funding.
Photo: 20 mph sign by Richard Sutcliffe, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Library image.