Under the new regime the speed limit on Zürich city's Höschgasse is 50km/h during the day but only 30km/h during the night, i.e. from 10pm until 6am.

This is no small thing because 16-20km/h above the limit in a 30 zone is beyond the range of an ordinary fine, and 21km/h above or more comes with at least 1 month driving permit suspension.

So far the new regime applies to one road only, to Zürich's Höschgasse. But unless this idiocy is stopped more are guaranteed to follow, Rykart is quoted by the Tagesanzeiger with "This will definitely not remain the only such road, or the last."

This is what the new signposts look like (no, the Vollpfosten on the right is not it), don't be surprised if the slow-speed times for other roads differ.

interesting. but wouldn't it make more sense to have a sound limit rather than a speed limit?

It's probably difficult to make those over-sized engined German cars make too much noise between 0-3km/h but much easier up to 50km/h.

We've got a few neighbours up the road like that. Rather than make so much noise when they drive, why don't they just have "knob" tattooed on their forehead.

They'd save petrol money and the end result to the casual observer is the same.

Albistrasse in Zurich as you leave Wollishofen where the tram finishes by the Shamrock Irish pub has had something similar in force for at least the last 6 months or so...though haven't driven along it for a few weeks so don't know if it's still in force.

Will end the same as what they are doing now in Lucerne: perfectly fine (and wide enough) streets suddenly get a 30 sign...........


You get what you vote for.

Encountered a few roads in Fribourg with these night limits since last year.
the whole story at the bafu website about noise reduction from vehicle traffic https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/ho...e-vitesse.html

The issue is that noise is measured at the street level. It doesn't matter if houses have the best isolating windows, the noise is measured at the roadside not in the rooms where people sleeps. I'd guess the 30 km/h limit may be an overkill for people with good windows while insufficient to people that like to sleep with the window open or older windows.

With my 1983 Porsche 911, I would stay in 2nd gear so 30KM so way noisier than a higher limit, same with many motorbikes.

And electric cars may be able to travel at 50 within the same noise limit.

Most of my bikes will do 90kph just fine in 1st!

The problem to go that slow will be that I will need to keep slipping them into neutral and blip the throttle a lot to clear their throats!

Tom

Then again, our house is positioned above the road and our bedroom is at the back of the house and we still hear some cars going through the village faster than the 50kpm - and that's with the windows shut.

They did this to roads in Basel. What had been 50 limits suddenly became 30. Many people got stiff fines. It's particularly egregious since, as Urs Max points out, driving at the old limit puts you in a world of pain immediately.

In ZH they like the revenue from fines, and most people follow the rules. Therefore they have no choice but to change the rules

It's all due to rich old expats and young hormone-riddled posers.



I live next to a road with a 30km/h speed limit and yes, it does help lower the noise.

Next step is then to add big concrete blocks right in the middle of the street, like they have done here for all 30km/h zones, if possible just before a hilltop.

And remove all road markings etc , I’d like to see them do that for a couple of hours every night

Trade your Porsche or motorbike in for an e-bike. The you can smugly drive in the middle of lane in the 30km/zone -problem solved

Perfect

Cars in dense cities just don't work for commute .
I have a car myself but would dare to drive it within Zurich. There is tram and bike for that. Part of city life

We have those 50/30 kmh signs in Germany a lot and I got furious about it. However no way round. Noise disturbance is worse than smog for humans. Ideally all cars are banned during night time. And the tofftoff as well

Jestetten (Germany) has this since like for ever.
I crept through that town at 30km/h for months until I finally bothered to take a look at the writing beneath the sign, that gave night-times.

Bet the inhabitants love me.

Actually not necessarily. Apart from the cars driven by the knobs referred to earlier, at 50 KmH much of the noise comes from the tyres.

I wonder what is the point of putting signs like this? "No turning right" in very big sign, and then "only for trucks" in a much smaller sign beneath it (e.g. in Renens), or this one in Jestetten (I had seen a similar one in Lausanne's Avenue Vinet before so didn't "fall" for it ).

Don't they cause confusion?

By the way, they have this in Austria by default in Autobahns (110 vs 130), and again there are signs by the side of the highway with a big "110" on them :-|