20 MPH Speed Limits Might Become the New Normal in Scotland

The "20's Plenty" movement may be on the verge of a new milestone in Scotland.

Throughout the UK, the nonprofit 20's Plenty has built support for default 20 mph speed limits in cities and towns. The message is simple: Children should have more freedom to walk and bike, and everyone should be able to enjoy their neighborhood without fear of speeding traffic. The first 20's Plenty campaign launched in the English town of Warrington in 2004, and there are now active chapters in more than 400 municipalities in the UK.

With all this action at the local level, 20's Plenty set out to achieve a national 20 mph speed limit in urban areas. In Scotland, it could happen ahead of schedule. Sandy James at Price Tags reports that there's momentum in the Scottish parliament for a bill to set the default speed limit at 20 mph "in any village, town or city":

In the United States, a few cities have recently lowered their default speed limits, but only Portland has gone so far as to set the default at 20 mph on all residential streets.

More recommended reading today: The Natural Resources Defense Council reports that Trump's pick to head the NHTSA is -- surprise! -- an opponent of fuel efficiency standards. And Bike Portland has an update on a recent bike-share promotion that's widely viewed as a trial run for the introduction of dockless bike-share services.