Push to reduce speed limit in Sydney CBD to 30km/h

Peak bodies want to reduce the speed limit in Sydney CBD to 30km/h in a push for increased safety and to bring the city in line with other parts of the world.

Transport for NSW reduced the limit to 40km/h in the city more than five years ago, and the last remaining local roads were changed to reflect the new speed in July last year.

But the authority encourages a 30km/h limit in high pedestrian areas, such as CBD zones and small suburban shopping strips, to support the state government's aim for zero fatalities on the roads.

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Advocates say lowering the limit even further makes sense, with the CBD attracting high foot and vehicle traffic.

"It's the position of Transport for NSW that we should move to 30km/h zones in areas of high pedestrian activity," Pedestrian Council of Australia CEO Harold Scruby said.

"And we're doing it in places like the whole beachfront at Manly are now 30 and you get a much better environment, not just for safety, but you get more commerce because it's, it's much more inviting to shop."

The reduced speed limit would also protect cyclists, Bicycle NSW CEO Peter McLean said.

"Vehicles and bicycles would be able to sort of coexist together at lower speeds," he said.

"You're reducing that differential significantly, which obviously increases safety, but in saying that, it doesn't really disadvantage drivers that much.

"With parked cars and various other obstacles, and particularly during peak hours, cars aren't doing even 30km/h."

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore formally requested that Transport for NSW reduce the speed to 30km/h in the CBD, where she says more than 92 per cent of trips are made on foot, but it refused.

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She says a lower speed limit would also bring Sydney in line with other parts of Australia and cities around the world.

"It is being implemented across Australia, from inner Melbourne to Manly and increasingly across NSW," she said.

"Tokyo, London and Paris also have a 30km/h limit to make their cities safe, vibrant and economically competitive."

Transport for NSW reviews and assesses speed zones according to factors such as crash history, crash risk, road characteristics, road function, roadside development, traffic characteristics, at-risk locations and the presence of vulnerable road users.

But, it said, it had "no plans" to reduce the limit in the CBD.

"Transport looks at each request on a case-by-case basis but has no plans to implement a 30km/h zone across Sydney's CBD," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

Transport for NSW declined to answer why it would not consider lowering the speed limit.

A spokesperson for Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison reiterated Transport for NSW's statement, adding that the speed zone assessments were carried out in accordance with the NSW Speed Zoning Standard.

"The Minns Labor government has been very transparent about the speed zoning standards and more information about the standards can be found on our websites," the spokesperson said.

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Premier Chris Minns last year dismissed the move, saying: "You could walk quicker than that."

Advocates, however, argued that lowering the speed limit would be a win for everyone.

"It essentially protects all vulnerable road users, whether it's pedestrians or less-abled or bicycle users and everything in between, which is really, really good," McLean said.

"It'll make it much safer for everyone," Scruby said.

"Lowering the speed limit will ultimately reduce the risk for people walking or riding, who are more vulnerable to vehicles travelling at higher speeds," Moore said.

"Speed reduction is the quickest, most cost-effective and least inconvenient way of flattening the growth in injuries and deaths on our roads."

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