The 22 Edinburgh roads where speed limit will be reduced from 40mph to 30mph from next month
Changes designed to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists will involve the speed limit on 22 roads in Edinburgh being reduced from 40mph to 30mph.
Drivers in Edinburgh will face stricter new speed limits across some of the city’s busiest roads from next month as part of long-awaited changes.
The speed limit will be cut from 40mph to 30mph on 22 streets throughout the city, including key thoroughfares such as Queensferry Road and Wester Hailes Road.
The changes, which were first approved more than five years ago, are designed to encourage motorists to drive more slowly and boost the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
Edinburgh City Council will begin implementing the speed reduction measures from June 9. The work to install new speed limit signs will begin at Biggar Road, and run throughout June and July. Once the new signs are in place, the new speed limits will be enforceable.
The other roads impacted by the new lower limit are: Calder Road; Frogston Brae; Glasgow Road (east section) Glasgow Road (west section and Old Liston Road); Gogar Station Road; Hawes Brae and Bankhead Road; Hillhouse Road; Lang Loan (section at the junction with Lasswade Road); Lasswade Road; Milton Road, Milton Road East and Milton Link; Riccarton Mains Road; Sir Harry Lauder Road; Seafield Road; South Gyle Broadway; Straiton Road; and Wester Hailes Road
Stephen Jenkinson, the council’s transport and environment convener, said: “Road safety is a key priority for us and I’m glad that we’re moving ahead with this important process. Whilst this has taken longer than we initially anticipated, I’m confident that these measures will make many of our roads across the city safer.
“The evidence is clear - lower speed limits make roads safer for everyone. A pedestrian or cyclist has twice the chance of surviving a collision at 30mph compared to 40mph. Any action that we can take to make sure all road users are safer is a positive step.”
The changes, which have been supported by Police Scotland, were initially agreed as long ago as February 2020, when the council began the statutory process for what is known as a traffic regulator order to reduce the speed limit on the streets. However, complications brought about by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic led to delays.
More than 100 traffic surveys were undertaken prior to the changes being ratified. A consultation was also held, with 52 responses received, of which 32 were letters of support, with 20 objections.
A consultant was appointed to design the necessary changes to the streets impacted, with road safety audits also carried out once the designs were completed. According to the council, the programme of changes was then passed over to the delivery team in November last year for procurement.
The move meets several policies in the council’s local transport strategy. A map of the roads with new 30mph speed limits can be viewed on the council’s website.
It comes as the council is considering wider changes to introduce 20mph speed limits on more roads across the city. The changes, which are expected to be rolled out from late 2026, are estimated to cost around £850,000.
Here is the full list of roads where speed limits will be reduced from 40pmh to 30pmh
- Biggar Road;
- Calder Road;
- Frogston Brae;
- Glasgow Road (East section);
- Glasgow Road (West section and Old Liston Road);
- Gogar Station Road;
- Hawes Brae and Bankhead Road;
- Hillhouse Road;
- Lang Loan (section at the junction with Lasswade Road);
- Lasswade Road;
- Milton Road;
- Milton Road East;
- Milton Link;
- Queensferry Road;
- Riccarton Mains Road;
- Sir Harry Lauder Road;
- Seafield Road;
- South Gyle Broadway;
- Straiton Road;
- West Approach Road;
- Wester Hailes Road/
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