The Sydney suburbs where drivers will need to slow down

Drivers will be forced to slow down in the inner suburbs as the City of Sydney cuts the speed limit to 40km/h on local and regional roads across the area to improve safety for pedestrians and motorists.

The council is dropping the speed limit on roads that have a default speed limit of 50km/h in Glebe, Forest Lodge, Beaconsfield and Waterloo. The reduced speed limit will also apply to sections of roads with a current 50km/h speed limit in Annandale, Redfern, Alexandria, Zetland and Woolloomooloo.

The council says the changes will improve safety in inner suburbs, including Glebe. Credit: Dean Sewell

Bourke Street in Waterloo, Mitchell Road in Alexandria, and St Johns Road and Wentworth Park Road in Glebe are among the roads where motorists will need to slow down.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said cutting the maximum speed for motorists would make the inner city safer to walk, cycle and drive.

“When people drive at safer speeds it reduces the number of crashes and their severity, improves safety for people walking and riding and helps to support better place-making,” Moore said.

“Not only will our streets be safer as a result of these important changes, they’ll be quieter and have less exhaust emissions.”

The move reflects a wider push to reduce speed limits in NSW. The Inner West Council, which adjoins the City of Sydney, voted to drop speed limits to 40km/h on built-up streets in March.

Moore said studies had shown that the survival rates for pedestrians who were hit by a vehicle “drastically” improved at lower speeds.

In a crash between a car and a pedestrian, there is a 90 per cent chance that a pedestrian will survive at 30km/h, 60 per cent chance at 40km/h and a 10 per cent chance at 50 km/h.

Most roads in the City of Sydney already have a 40km/h speed limit, and the majority of motorways and state roads will continue to have speed limits above 40km/h. Moore said the council was working with the state government to reduce speeds on those roads.

Moore said 75 per cent of local and regional roads in the City of Sydney had a speed limit of 40km/h or lower, up from 5 per cent in 2004.

An NRMA spokeswoman said the motoring organisation did not support arbitrary cutting of speed limits across council areas.

“Speed limits should be evidence-based, regardless of whether it is increased or decreased, and should be based on the performance of individual roads and factors such as traffic volumes, crash history and engineering.”

The council plans to install signs that reflect the new speed limits in the next few weeks. Temporary electronic signs will alert motorists to the new 40km/h speed limits for at least two weeks.

The City of Sydney has long pushed to slash speed limits in the CBD to discourage drivers and create a walkable city.

Moore said: “We will continue to work with Transport for NSW to reduce speed limits to 30km/h in the city centre and other high-activity areas, where there are lots of people walking and riding.”

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.