Citywide Mandatory 20mph Speed Limit

The speed limit on the majority of Glasgow streets is set to be lowered to a mandatory 20mph.

The proposed changes, which follow an in-depth analysis of the city's road network, support the National Strategy for 20mph which will see the rollout of this safer speed limit in built up areas across Scotland.

With 340km of streets including Glasgow city centre already assigned a 20mph limit, a wider lowering of vehicle speeds is expected to make our roads safer and encourage more walking, wheeling and cycling in quieter and less congested neighbourhoods.

Following an analysis to national guidelines of 5,740 streets with a 20mph or 30mph speed limit, it is proposed that:

• 3,868 streets currently assigned a 30mph speed limit should be reduced to 20mph.
• 1,400 streets currently assigned a 20mph speed limit should all remain at 20mph.
• 472 streets currently assigned a 30mph speed limit should remain at 30mph.

In 2020, the council approved a policy that would see a mandatory 20mph speed limit become the standard for all residential streets, the city centre, other main shopping areas or where there are high levels of walking, wheeling or cycling. Other streets in the city would generally remain at 30mph.

At local level, the move to a lower 20mph speed limit is a key strand of the council's Road Safety Plan (PDF, 14 MB)(opens new window). It also ties in with Glasgow's Transport Strategy which supports road safety and active travel, as well as creating people-friendly public spaces and transport decarbonisation.

A widespread 20mph speed limit would bring Glasgow in line with many other towns and cities and help to reduce the risk of accidents and the severity of injuries sustained.  

Revised legislation and guidance on 20mph limits have also opened up the potential to introduce widespread 20mph restrictions without costly physical traffic calming measures. A signage and road markings approach has already been adopted in our city centre and is also used widely by other councils.

Alongside capital funding, the delivery of the scheme is being supported by a grant from Places for Everyone, an active travel infrastructure fund backed by Transport Scotland and administered by Sustrans.  

Next Steps

The implementation of new 20mph speed limits in Glasgow is expected to be phased in on a zonal basis - each requiring the promotion of a Speed Limit Order. This follows a statutory process and can generally take between 12 and 18 months to complete.

The extent of the zone areas and a delivery timetable will be finalised following completion of the technical design work. This will look at signage requirements and any additional speed restriction measures that might be necessary.

Once implemented, there will be a period of monitoring to determine effectiveness.

You can find out more about the progress of Glasgow's 20mph roll-out by reading the April 2024 update report to our Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods Committee.

An interactive mapping tool which highlights the proposed 20mph speed limits across the city is also available by clicking on this weblink.

Related Content

Related articles

• Glasgow 20MPH Citywide Roll-Out - Frequently Asked Questions
• Glasgow's Transport Strategy
• Active Travel Strategy

Related documents

• Road Safety Plan (PDF, 14 MB)(opens new window)

Related links

• 20mph Update Report - Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods Committee (April 2024) (opens new window)
• Proposed 20mph - Mapping Tool (opens new window)
• FAQs for Scotland’s National Strategy for 20mph Speed Limits (opens new window)