Waka Kotahi taps brakes on plans
New Zealand’s state highway officials have backed away from a region-wide speed limit reduction in Northland, instead proposing to cut speeds in danger areas like around schools.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency opened formal consultation on Tuesday for reduced speeds on 11 state highways in Northland and north Auckland.
Tai Tokerau is the first area in the country to have a region-wide speed review under the agency’s Road to Zero campaign, which aims to cut deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads by 40% by 2030.
However, the agency originally planned to slash all state highway speed limits from 100kph to 80kph – a proposal that drew backlash from leaders fearing congestion and impatience on the roads.
Instead, the proposals released on Tuesday give details for each highway, with small areas of reduced speed limits, such as around schools or busy towns.
The proposals include variable speed limits at schools – notified with electronic signs – at school drop-off and pick-up times. The variable limits are 30kph at schools where students walk along the road, or 60kph where the main risk is turning vehicles.
Northland’s speeds are being addressed first because it is the region with the highest number of road deaths per 100,000 people, the agency’s director of regional relationships Steve Mutton said.
‘‘We definitely need to do something around this,’’ he said.
The speed changes will put the safety of people – including tamariki – first, Mutton said.
‘‘Our technical review shows a reduction in speed at schools and townships will reduce deaths and serious injuries on these corridors.
‘‘We also know that there is a strong desire within local communities to see lowered speeds in areas where there are school students, and in growing towns and villages with increased road and foot traffic.’’
The consultation will also involve collaboration with iwi and hapū on signs to alert drivers to marae.
Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai said she supported the move away from the blanket 80kph speed limit, which she feared would impact freight and tourists coming into Northland.
She supports lower speeds where there is logic for it, such as around schools or very windy areas where people can’t drive fast.
Mai said she was pleased State Highway 1 south of Whangārei – which was originally to be a fourlane highway before the plan was canned by Government – will get safety measures such as median barriers and wider shoulders so it can remain 100kph.
The only reductions planned for SH1 between Whangārei and Auckland’s Te Hana are around Ruakaka School and at Te Hana township.
However, Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Steve Smith said he was still against any speed reductions on state highways, which were essential connections.
Smith said the speed reductions were simply covering up the lack of infrastructure in Northland, such as the slated four-lane SH1, which had stunted the region’s economy.
‘‘It’s a Band-Aid covering up the woeful inadequacies of our roading network.’’
Geoff Upson, from Kaukapakapa, in Auckland, is also against any reductions on main arterial roads, saying the slower speeds add to people’s travel times and frustrations.
Consultation on the proposal runs until June 14, with any reductions expected to be introduced around the end of the year.
Vehicle speeds will be monitored for a year following any changes, to make sure speed limits are working as intended.