The 20mph revolution rolls on with two of Britain’s cities taking steps towards more bike-friendly streets.

This week sees large swathes of inner Manchester become 20mph zones, including Hulme, Rusholme, Ancoats, Miles Platting, Longsight and Gorton. Manchester City Council says the scheme is designed to “encourage more cycling and walking in residential areas, where cars would be deterred from using streets as short cuts from busy main roads”.

Maps of the affected streets can be downloaded from the Manchester City Council website. In a creative move, the council is also asking local residents to show their support for lower speeds by printing out a poster and displaying it in their windows.

Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, the City Council is proposing to impose the lower speed limit on almost all the city’s streets. It explains:

“We are proposing 20mph speed limits for a large area of central Edinburgh, all main shopping streets and residential streets throughout the city. Streets with a high level of pedestrians and cyclists are also included. Calmer  road speeds help to make walking and cycling more attractive options.”

If local people agree to the proposals, the speed limit will be introduced from autumn 2015 onwards “over a period of months”.

The City of Edinburgh Council says the limit will apply to cyclists, despite recent concerns that 20mph limits are not enforceable for bikes:

“If a road has a 20 mph limit on it then this would be the legal speed limit for all vehicles using that road. People on bikes can be prosecuted for dangerous cycling if they are caught going over the speed limit.”

The Edinburgh proposals are open for consultation until 17 October.