Reduced speed limits in Tallinn

Yet another city announces 30km/hr.with the beautiful historic city of Tallinn in Estonia joining other enlightened cities like Paris who wan to make their streets safer and ecologically better. The maximum speed allowed will be 30 km/h on a number of inner district roads and 40 km/h on some of the larger streets in the city centre.

New plans for the city will categorise the city’s streets and roads into nine categories as shown.

Deputy mayor Andrei Novikov said a precondition for lowering the speed limit in the city centre is the reconfiguration of the traffic light programmes, but this may take longer than planned due to a shortage of specialists. “Lowering the speed limits without reconfiguring the traffic lights will not achieve the desired result,” he said.

Eliisa Puudersell, CEO of the non-governmental organisation, Elav Tänav, (or Lively Streets – check this link too) welcomed Tallinn’s decision to join the ranks of cities that are reducing the harmful effects of car traffic by lowering speeds.

“Lowering the speed of car traffic will reduce the number and severity of accidents, free up space for other road users, alleviate Tallinn’s noise problem, and make driving more sustainable and smoother,” she said.

Tallinn is also installing 28 new road thresholds to calm traffic and reduce traffic.

Read more here: https://news.err.ee/1608630265/center-of-tallinn-to-become-30-km-h-zone-under-new-plans#

All we can say is “WELL DONE TALLINN” because we can’t say that about our cities’ plans for safer roads in Australia. Whilst we are making comparisons, Estonia’s population is only about 1.3 million, and Tallinn is home to nearly 500,000.

If they can do it, why can’t we here in Australia?