Enhedslisten proposes 30 km/h speed limit across Copenhagen

Enhedslisten in Copenhagen has proposed lowering the speed limit to 30 kilometres per hour across almost the entire city, DR reports. The proposal excludes major state roads leading into the capital.

Line Barfod, the city’s mayor for climate, environment and technology, says the measure would make cycling safer and encourage more people to use bicycles.

“It will make cycling feel safer, and when people can see that cars are travelling more slowly, they will also feel more confident about cycling,” Barfod said.

The proposal is one of several measures Enhedslisten will bring to the initial budget negotiations in Copenhagen City Council this week.

The Conservative Party opposes the plan. Jakob Næsager, the city’s mayor for children and youth, called it “completely insane” and said it would severely restrict traffic flow in Copenhagen.

Although traffic is often slow during rush hour, Næsager said many roads allow speeds of 50 or 60 kilometres per hour outside peak times.

“If the speed limit is lowered to 30 kilometres per hour, it will take even longer to get through Copenhagen,” he said.

Jens-Kristian Lütken, the Venstre mayor for health and care, described the proposal as “a direct attack on ordinary Copenhageners”. He said many people would waste time because they would suddenly be limited to 30 kilometres per hour on roads with relatively little traffic.

SF, the largest party in Copenhagen, also does not support the proposal in its current form. The party says it goes too far and lacks nuance, but supports lowering speeds by 10 kilometres per hour, particularly on residential roads.

According to Copenhagen Municipality, cycling has become safer even as bicycle traffic has increased since the 1990s. Nearly eight in 10 Copenhagen residents feel safe in traffic, according to the municipality’s Mobility Report 2026. However, half of parents in another survey said they considered routes to schools in Copenhagen unsafe.

Jeppe Rich, a traffic researcher and professor at the Technical University of Denmark, said lower speed limits were not the most important measure for improving cyclists’ sense of safety.

“There are many problems around intersections. That is where almost all accidents happen, so safety is largely a question of infrastructure design,” Rich said.

He called it “slightly unfortunate” to focus narrowly on speed limits, arguing that the main problem lies elsewhere.

Barfod rejected the idea that a lower speed limit would create problems for drivers. Many motorists already travel below 30 kilometres per hour during rush hour, she said, adding that the proposal also aimed to reduce noise and pollution.

Any decision by a municipality to lower local speed limits on its roads must ultimately be approved by the police. Cyclists are subject to the same speed limits on cycle paths as those applying to the road.