Robin May wrote in message ...
Marc Brett wrote the following in:


On 16 Oct 2004 15:09:56 GMT, Robin May
wrote:

If I remember correctly, the A13 from between Canning Town and
Barking and beyond used to have a speed limit of 50mph. Why is it
that after extensive improvements to the road this has gone down
to 40?

To improve conditions for local residents? The quieter road
surface may be a clue. It's not so you can hear the "Today"
program in your already-soundproofed car on your way to work.

I don't drive to work, I take the tube to university. I use the A13
occasionally for getting to Sainsbury's, the A406 or a friend's house
in Barking. I'm not saying this from the point of view of an angry
commuter but simply as someone who doesn't understand the purpose of
this seemingly unnecessarily slow speed limit.

It's so people who LIVE near the A13 (they exist, you know) can
hear themselves think.

But aren't there hardly any of them (people who LIVE near the A13)?

There are a number of houses DIRECTLY facing the eastbound near New Barn Street.

Most of the houses between Canning Town and Prince Regent lane were
either demolished during the improvements or are unoccupied. There are
some houses between Beckton and Prince Regent lane, and they're behind
a noise reducing fence. There's a housing estate a distance off to the
side of the A13 there as well but it's very recently built so they knew
what to expect when they moved in, and anyway the distance is probably
enough that the noise isn't too terrible.

The lower speed limit also helps buses
when they need to pull out into traffic, and makes cycling safer.

No one cycles on the A13 itself (they would be mad to, even with a
limit of 40!) and buses don't stop on it. There is a cycle path along
the side of the A13 but there was a cycle path there before when the
limit was 50.