[k_g_b_]

https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking/ 30 km/h is equal to 20 min/10km, 50 km/h is 12 min/10km.

So Helsinki city center is at 21km/h travel speeds, metro area at 31km/h. A speed limit of 30 km/h doesn't really affect these travel times much.

I can't find 2023 data to compare, however by other data on the net these are very common average speeds for any city in Europe even those with plenty of 50 km/h speed limits.

If more people take up public transport, bikes or scooters in fear of an average travel speed reduction of 1-2 km/h - that is a total win for everyone involved including drivers.

[mikkom]

I live in helsinki and nowhere it is 20 kmh that I know of. Might be some random streets in center. And 30km/h streets are smaller living streets that driving that speed comes almost automatically.

Major ringways and main roads are 80 kmh btw

I have driven in many many countries - Helsinki does not feel slower than any place I have driven, faster in fact because there rarely are traffic jams

[jonasdegendt]

I reckon he means that the average speed when driving through the city centre is 21 km/h, given that you’re stopping at lights and stuff.

[1718627440]

Average speed means you have both above and below speeds? When you lower the speed limit, the average will also go down?

But yes, in a city cycle time of traffic lights has a larger effect than max speed.

[zahlman]

> When you lower the speed limit, the average will also go down?

Yes, but by much less than OP might naively expect.

[mike-the-mikado]

The Tom Tom data is interesting, but time taken for 10 km is not really an appropriate metric. In a more densely populated city, journeys are likely to be shorter.