Adelaide residents slam proposed changes to cap speed limits to 30km/h

A proposal is being introduced to slash the speed limit in Adelaide’s CBD to 30km/h, which some locals are labelling “ridiculous”. On Tuesday, councillors from Adelaide City Council met to discuss three proposed changes to speed limits in the city streets, which aims to create a “safer urban environment” and “help support businesses”. The first proposed change is a blanket 30km/h for city streets, 40km/h for most other streets and a top speed of 50km/h on the remaining arterial roads. Currently, there are varying speed limits throughout the city; roads on the council border have a 60km/h limit, whereas most of the roads through the Adelaide Parklands have a speed limit of 50km/h. There are currently only three roads in Adelaide with a 30km/h speed limit. Since 2019, there have been 2,400 road crashes in the area, four of which were fatal. Of those incidents, 211 people suffered serious injuries, and 658 reported minor injuries. “What we don’t want to do is make it difficult for people who need to come into the city, but at the same time, we have to balance safety,” Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith told the Adelaide Advertiser. While the mayor added it was “just the beginning of the conversation”, she noted “over the decades, generally speed limits have been reduced”. Despite the push for reduced speed limits, some residents have slammed the proposed changes, labelling it “madness”. Ben Kelly, owner of the Havlock Hotel told the Adelaide Advertiser the changes were “ridiculous”, and wouldn’t help promote heavier foot traffic in the city. “We’re trying to bring more people into the city,” he said. “This city is trying to grow. Reducing speed limits (will) create further congestion within the city.” NewsWire has contacted the council for comment.