Speed limits slashed as 40km/h becomes the new norm in City of Sydney, may go even lower to improve urban safety

The City of Sydney council has been slowly reducing speed limits of high foot-traffic roads to 40km/h to enhance local safety.

The 10km/h lower limit will now become the standard on regional and local roads within inner-city suburbs of Glebe, Forest Lodge, Beaconsfield and Waterloo.

Illuminated electronic signs will be put in place in affected areas for a minimum of two weeks after the new limits become law.

Suburbs further out with existing 50km/h limits including Annandale, Alexandria, Redfern Woolloomooloo and Zetland will also have some speed limits lowered to 40km/h.

The City of Sydney's eventual goal is to implement more 30km/h zones in high pedestrian and cyclist areas.

“It is everyone’s responsibility to make our roads as safe as they possibly can be for people walking, riding and driving,” said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

“Currently, 75 per cent of local and regional roads in our area already have a 40km/h speed limit or lower. That’s up from just five per cent in 2004. This has been achieved through our work with the NSW Government, which is funding the latest round of speed limit changes," she added.

50km/h speed sign in Sydney (image: Richard Berry)

Myriad studies have shown a 10km/h reduction can benefit both pedestrian and vehicle safety in built-up areas.

This latest reduction will only apply to local and regional roads. Motorways and State roads are spared.

It is not all speed reduction in New South Wales, with the M4 motorway's WestConnex tunnel having its limit raised from 80km/h to 90km/h in March. Perhaps surprisingly, that speed limit increase was also for safety reasons.

The number of deaths on NSW roads continues to climb despite newer, safer cars and generally lower speed limits. So far, 181 lives has been lost on roads in NSW compared to 165 in the same period last year.