Drop-in sessions for residents to have say on speed limit changes

Palmerston North City Council is seeking feedback on proposed reductions to speed limits in some parts of the city.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency requires each council to produce a speed management plan every three years.

The council is proposing to lower the speed limit to 30km/h in the central city, encompassing all streets within the inner ring road, Broadway Ave down to Ruahine St and the streets around The Square.

The speeds are already low most of the time on most of these streets, so the proposed changes are not major, but will help reduce the severity of any accidents involving pedestrians, chief planning officer David Murphy says.

In areas where speeds are higher, like Broadway Ave between Princess and Ruahine Sts, the council will monitor compliance with any new limits to determine if it needs to install infrastructure to slow vehicles, such as speed humps or raised platforms.

The council is proposing speed limit reductions in Milson Line, Summerhill

Drive, Kahuterawa Rd and Turitea Rd.

These roads have experienced a high number of accidents, indicating the need for lower speed limits that better match their surrounding environment, Murphy says.

The council plans to introduce intersection speed zones at Valley Views/Turitea Rd and No 1 Line/ Rongotea Rd. These intersections will have electronic signs to lower the speed limit on the main roads when traffic from the side roads is approaching.

Waka Kotahi requires the council to review all roads with a 70km/h speed limit. It is proposing to reduce speed limits on Kelvin Grove Rd, Te Wanaka Rd, and Gillespies Line.

There was a drop-in session on Tuesday and another will be held on on Saturday, October 21, 11am, at Central Library.

Submissions can also be made online or in writing.

Elected members will make a final decision on which speed limits are implemented after hearing community feedback. The plan will then be sent to Waka Kotahi for certification.

“This is the second part of our speed limits review. We consulted on the first part, which proposed changes to speed limits around schools, earlier in the year,” Murphy says. “The council will be considering its final decision about school speed limits soon.”

For more information, or to make a submission, visit pncc. govt.nz/saferspeeds2024. Have your say by 4pm on Tuesday, October 31.