County's 20mph zones programme to be accelerated

Tina Walker from Stevenage Cycle Hub says the 20mph zone has made Bedwell Crescent safer for cyclists

A scheme to introduce 20mph zones in places where people want them is being accelerated.

The project in Hertfordshire has already created 23 zones and there are plans for another 84.

Hertfordshire County Council said it was reflecting the demand for greater speed restrictions in residential areas.

So are the zones getting a smooth ride in the places that have them, and are some communities still missing out?

Deborah Johnston says the 20mph zone is making drivers impatient

New 20mph signs went up in Bedwell Crescent in Stevenage in February.

At first, they brought confusion because no-one removed the old 30mph signs.

Once that problem had been sorted out, some people got used to them quite quickly but others rushed to condemn them.

Local resident Deborah Johnston said: "People struggle to go at that speed - it's dangerously slow, I think.

"It's backing up traffic now and people get impatient."

Will Maddox does not think he will exceed the 20mph speed limit in his 8mph scooter

Will Maddox jokes that he cannot exceed the 20mph limit in his wheelchair, but "I do think that it frustrates a lot of motorists so they're going to do more than twenty".

"Also, I think the emissions will be there in that road longer," he added.

Tina Walker says drivers are now less aggressive in Bedwell Crescent

One person who has welcomed the limit, without any backpedalling, is Tina Walker who manages the Cycle Hub in Stevenage.

She said Bedwell Crescent "used to have a really aggressive feel about it from the drivers".

"You could feel the aggression, you could feel the revs, pushing you to get out of the way.

"Once it changed, it all relaxed and that's very visible."

Elizabeth Stone, 96, says she was knocked off her scooter in Benslow Lane

Over in Hitchin, 20mph has been the going rate in parts of the town since last year, and people outside the zone think they also have a strong case for slowing the traffic down.

Residents of Benslow Lane, despite its name, say it attracts fast drivers even though it is narrow, on a hill and usually has cars parked on both sides of the road.

At the top of the hill, there is a hospital and two schools.

Elizabeth Stone, who is 96, said she was knocked off her mobility scooter by a car.

She said she was "stationary at the time - you can't see, the cars and getting bigger and it's very difficult for an elderly person to get about".

Kerrie Reynolds says drivers speed up to try to get through a gap in the traffic

Kerrie Reynolds lives a few doors down and says the narrowness of the road with cars parked either side does not stop drivers trying to push ahead.

She said: "Because we're on a hill, and there's only room for one car at a time, if someone sees a gap, they put their foot down to get to the top."

She added that "everyone on the road would be really quite happy" with if a new limit were imposed.

Jodie Trowsdale has been campaigning for a 20mph limit in Benslow Lane, Hitchin

Jodie Trowsdale, who lives with his family in Benslow Lane, has organised a petition and even printed bin stickers to try to get a coveted 20mph zone for his street.

He said: "It's quite confusing for people in Hitchin that half the town's a 20 mile-an-hour limit and half of it's 30.

"My concern is that one of my kids will be knocked over or, even worse, there'll be a fatality if people drive faster than 20 miles-an-hour down this road."

Paul Zukowskyj says the county council is determined to get the zones "right first time"

Hertfordshire County Council is determined to increase the number of 20mph zones where residents want them.

Paul Zukowskyj, the executive member for transport on the Liberal Democrat-led authority, said: "We're reflecting a large proportion of our community who think that 20 mile-an-hour zones are the right thing to do."

Zukowskyj accepts 20mph zones have not been a total success in places like Wales, but says his council is "paying really close attention to what's happening in other places to make sure that, in Hertfordshire, we get it right first time".