Lower speed limits proposed for 800 Auckland roads

Monday, 11 October 2021

Auckland Transport (AT) is asking for feedback on proposed speed limit changes to 800 roads around the region.

The proposed changes involve 462 roads near 57 schools, and 208 rural roads.

They also include roads in Ōtara Town Centre, residential roads in Manurewa, and changes in Ponsonby and Freemans Bay which were requested by their communities.

Last year, AT started the roll-out of lower speed limits on more than 600 roads.

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“AT is legally required to investigate speed limits and, when it finds speed limits are not safe and appropriate, is legally required to make changes,” the organisation said.

AT road safety engineering manager Michael Brown said new limits would support safer travel speeds which were “appropriate for the function, design and use of the roads”.

“Research shows there is strong community support for speed limit changes with 78 per cent of people supporting speed reductions around schools,” Brown said.

Most changes would have “little impact” on motorists’ journey times, with many drivers already travelling much slower than current speed limits on more than “90 per cent” of the roads due to their condition, he said.

He said some proposed changes are on high-risk roads – where there’s a greater chance of deaths or serious injuries occurring.

Between January and August this year, 41 people were killed on Auckland roads.

Speed limits that were too high could become a “target for drivers to aim for” and could prevent police from addressing those travelling at unsafe speeds, he said.

The Ministry of Transport and Waka Kotahi are also expected to introduce new rules governing speed limits nationally later this year.

Brown said he expects the new legislation will make it faster and easier for AT to implement safe speed limits of 30kmh around urban schools.

Current legislation requires AT to implement engineering measures like speed bumps before speed limit changes could be considered, he said.

“Engineering is expensive, disruptive and not practical or appropriate in some locations.”

The public will have until November 14 to give their feedback on the changes.