Driving through town at 20mph feels a lot slower, especially down Prince of Wales Road, Ber Street and Rouen Road where it is possible to swiftly climb up to 30mph when the traffic is clear.
That was the experience when travelling through the city on a busy summer's afternoon yesterday.
Creeping towards rush hour, the first three-mile lap of the city at the faster speed took about 22 minutes, taking in Rouen Road, Prince of Wales Road, Magdalen Street and back through town past the cathedral.
There was a lot of speeding up and slowing down as traffic lights approached, but on empty stretches of road, 30mph makes the journey a lot quicker.
The 20mph lap took an extra five minutes. But this was 25 minutes later than the faster lap and at 5pm, the beginning of rush hour.
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Surprisingly, with fewer stops and starts, 20mph hour feels like a slow cruise, but frustrating at times when the road is emptier.
Driving up Magdalen Street it was difficult to reach more than 20mph even on the 30mph lap, but on the clearer stretches of road, 20mph did feel painfully slow.
Do you think the speed limit should be lowered to 20mph? Write, including your name and full contact details, to eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk
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