20s Plenty for North Yorkshire is working with the not-for-profit Crowd Wisdom Project in Harrogate inviting local residents to take part in a survey on 20mph limits and vote using Polis with a view to sharing the results with candidates across the County in the run up to local elections in May. Polis is an online system for analysing and understanding what large groups of people think about the issues that matter to them.
Residents can respond to each statement in the poll, either Agree, Disagree, or Pass/Unsure. They can then if they wish add their own statement or statements for others to vote on. The group stress they want to encourage a range of views to show that all parts of the community can have the opportunity to put forward their views on this issue and respond to other, alternative, views. A moderator ensures that no unsuitable statements are added.
20s Plenty is planning on following this with a series of Hustings events around the County on ZOOM to encourage candidates and the public to engage with this issue, and ask candidates how they can help communities to get 20mph where they request it, as the new North Yorkshire Unitary authority is set up following Local Government reorganisation.
Malcolm Margolis, from 20s Plenty for North Yorkshire, who has collaborated with Andrew Gray, the Harrogate lawyer behind the Crowd Wisdom Project on this consultation, says:
I am delighted that 20s Plenty can use this this online engagement tool to explore our aim of making our communities better places to live, which 20mph limits have already brought to millions of people across the country.
A variety of statements, for and against, have been inputted, and people can add their own, so it is a genuine consultation whose results can inform the democratic process.
I’d say yes with the proviso that it must be policed. We’ve had 20 mph around where I live for a couple of years now and 90% of people ignore it. Distressingly the biggest culprits are people in four by fours taking the kids to school !!
A daft idea! One of the problems is that cars produce more pollution at such slow speeds. Also there is research which shows that accident rates increase in 20 m.p.h. zones.
I totally agree with 20mph speed limit in built-up areas which are dangerous for pedestrians due to badly parked cars at junctions and places where people cross the road.
Disagree.
20mph is fine around schools-30
mph in a built up area is fine.
You are lucky to get anywhere near 20mph on most roads in Harrogate, let alone 30. Some areas ie schools, colleges etc yes to 20mph but on the whole I disagree.
Leave it as it is, I live just off Panal Ash Road which has 20 mph speed limit and other drivers very often just pull out in front of you because you are going so slow, This notably does not happen in the 30 MPH zones.
Here again we have people with limited experience who just want to change things for changing sake.
IF IT AINT BROKE DON’T FIX IT
Knaresborough is really bad regarding speeding, 20mph would be great
Banking madness. 20mph by schools etc but not everywhere. Rod King has overshot with his enthusiam for 20mph