Rennes: Starting in September, you’ll be driving at 30 km/h!

The city of Rennes continues its trajectory towards promoting soft mobility by implementing 30 km/h speed limits.

The Brittany prefecture aims to improve residents’ quality of life by changing its speed limits. Starting September 4, 2023, most streets will be limited to 30 km/h. Exceptions will exist for entry and exit routes of the city.

The city seeks to create calmer traffic zones and encourage soft mobility. This is not the first measure Rennes has taken on this subject. Since February, the city has a Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) in the historic center.

This zone prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians, who can move with less danger. Drivers are limited to 20 km/h within this zone.

Thus, Rennes hopes to encourage residents to adopt soft mobility options such as cycling, public transportation, or e-scooters for their daily trips.

30 km/h Limit, a Public Safety Choice

Rennes justifies its decision to limit to 30 km/h by citing safety concerns. According to the metropolitan area, a pedestrian has 9 times more chances of dying if struck by a car at 50 km/h than at 30 km/h.

The 30 km/h speed limit on roads allows for “making the speeds of different modes of mobility compatible.” Indeed, drivers are slowed down. This reduces their braking distance and widens their field of vision. Rennes theorizes that their attention is increased, which further improves the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

https://twitter.com/metropolerennes/status/1658199396205436931?s=20By traveling at 30 km/h instead of 50 km/h, you won’t lose much time on your journey. Just turn on the radio during peak hours to see that the roads are still congested. Rennes will also need to impose a Low Emission Zone (ZFE) by 2025.

This initiative will ultimately enable better sharing of the road for residents of Rennes and nearby municipalities, who also wish to participate in this speed limitation in their streets!

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