The controversial move to reduce the speed limit in Dublin city centre from 50- to 30km/h has failed to reduce traffic speeds, yet is likely to be extended according to a report in the Irish Times this weekend.
Introduced in 2006 by Dublin City Council, the lower limit originally applied only to shopping and business areas within the city, but has slowly expanded to include major thoroughfares like O'Connell Street, Dame Street and both the north and south quays.
According to the most recent speed measurements from the council the 30km/h limit has not brought about any reduction in traffic speeds, but next week Niall Gormley, senior executive engineer with Dublin City Council, will bring a proposal to councillors that aims to make 30km/h the "default urban speed limit" in residential areas. With much of the area outside of the current zone being residential this would lead to a 30km/h limit being imposed throughout the city centre.
Such a limit is currently in place in a large number of British and European cities where it applies to residential and shopping areas, but not main traffic routes such as the quays.
With the lower limit not working there are suggestions that the expansion move is little more than making the duck-hunting barrel bigger, but the Council maintains that the lower limit was introduced in the interests of road safety and to make the city centre more attractive to pedestrians and cyclists alike. Councillors have also voted in the past to remove the restriction of certain roads on which the 30km/h limit was being ignored by the majority of motorists.