Proposed 20mph roads in central Birmingham

See which city-centre roads would change speed limit, and which strategic routes would stay at 30mph.

Orange roads are where the limit would change from 30mph to 20mph. Blue roads are the A38 Queensway and would stay at 30mph. The shaded area is the proposed zone.

Speed limits changing

Birmingham City Council proposes a 20mph zone in the city centre from 6 April 2027.

Orange roads on the map would drop from 30mph to 20mph. Blue roads are the A38 strategic routes and would stay at 30mph. The shaded area is the proposed zone.

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Scheme details

• Status: Proposed
• Reference: BCC/ETRO/2026/118
• Scheme: City Centre Safer Speeds experimental traffic order
• Highway authority: Birmingham City Council
• Changes start: 6 April 2027
• Experimental order until: 5 October 2028
• Decision on making it permanent: January 2029

The new 20mph limit would be enforced from 6 April 2027. The A38 Queensway would stay at 30mph.

Proposed speed limit changes

Road	Classification	Current limit	Proposed limit	When it changes
New Street	Local city-centre street	30mph	20mph	6 April 2027
Corporation Street	Local distributor	30mph	20mph	6 April 2027
Colmore Row	Local distributor	30mph	20mph	6 April 2027
Broad Street	Local distributor (A456 in part)	30mph	20mph	6 April 2027
Bull Street	Local street	30mph	20mph	6 April 2027
Dale End	Local street	30mph	20mph	6 April 2027
Smallbrook Queensway	City-centre distributor	30mph	20mph	6 April 2027
Moor Street Queensway	City-centre distributor	30mph	20mph	6 April 2027

Strategic routes that would not change

Road	Classification	Speed limit	What happens
A38 Suffolk Street Queensway	Strategic A-road	30mph	Stays at 30mph. Shown in blue on the west side of the zone.
A38 St Chads Queensway	Strategic A-road	30mph	Stays at 30mph. Shown in blue on the north side of the inner ring.

If you cannot use the map

This section describes the same roads shown on the map, including where they are, which limits would change, and which strategic routes would stay the same.

What the map shows

The image of the map uses the same colours as the interactive map. Orange roads are the ones changing. Blue roads are the A38.

Map key

On the map	What it shows
Orange shaded area with an orange outline	The proposed 20mph zone covering central Birmingham, including New Street, Corporation Street, Broad Street, Colmore Row and the streets around the Bullring.
Orange line	A road where the speed limit would change from 30mph to 20mph. These are the highlighted roads on both the interactive map and the static image.
Blue line	A strategically important route on the A38 Queensway. The speed limit would stay at 30mph so through-traffic can still use the inner ring road.

Where the roads are

• The shaded area is the city centre of Birmingham, around New Street station, the Bullring and Victoria Square.
• New Street runs east to west through the shopping core, from High Street towards Victoria Square.
• Corporation Street runs north-east from New Street towards Old Square and Aston.
• Colmore Row runs along the north side of the core, past the Town Hall and St Philip’s Cathedral.
• Broad Street is shown on the west side of the zone, from around Centenary Square. Only this city-centre length is in the order.
• Bull Street and Dale End sit east of Corporation Street, between the retail core and Moor Street Queensway.
• Smallbrook Queensway and Moor Street Queensway form the south and east edges of the zone, next to New Street station and the Bullring.
• The blue A38 Suffolk Street Queensway runs north–south on the west side of the zone. St Chads Queensway is the blue road on the north side. These are the strategic inner-ring routes and are not dropping to 20mph.

Strategic routes that would not change

• A38 Suffolk Street Queensway remains 30mph. It is the strategic north–south route through the city centre and is shown in blue.
• A38 St Chads Queensway remains 30mph. It carries through-traffic on the north side of the inner ring and is shown in blue.
• These roads stay at 30mph so buses, coaches and through-traffic can still use the Queensway without entering the 20mph streets.

Contact Birmingham City Council

Use these details to comment on the experimental order or to ask about signs, dates and enforcement. Quote BCC/ETRO/2026/118.

Traffic and road safety

• Amrit Kaur, Birmingham City Council
• Quote BCC/ETRO/2026/118
• Email: amrit.kaur@example.com
• Telephone: 020 7946 0500
• Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except public holidays)

Find out about call charges

Comment on the order or report a highways fault

Comments on the experimental order

• Traffic orders team, Birmingham City Council
• Email: traffic.orders@example.com
• Telephone: 020 7946 0501
• Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Quote BCC/ETRO/2026/118.

Faults, signs and temporary closures

• Highways control room, Birmingham City Council
• Email: highways@example.com
• Telephone: 020 7946 0502
• 24 hours a day for dangerous defects. Use the daytime number for this scheme.