Reduced speed limits proposed for central Nelson

Thursday, 2 July 2020

Though the limit is 50kmh, the average speed of cars on inner-city streets in Nelson is just 30kmh. (File photo)

Reduced speed limit proposals for Nelson’s city centre and some residential streets will be sent out for public feedback.

Nelson City Council's infrastructure committee voted on Thursday for the public to be consulted on proposed lower speed limits in the CBD - mostly down to 30kmh or even potentially 20km. Slower speeds are also proposed on 36 residential streets with no footpaths.

Changes to speed limits around Nelson are already potentially on the cards as the council is working on a new regional speed management plan, set to be introduced early next year.

However, the council has a pathway to some “quick wins” by making changes under the current Speed Limit Bylaw, possibly as soon as October this year.

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The committee voted to go out for public consultation on proposed changes, such as lowering the speed limit for city centre streets from 50kmh to 30kmh, excluding ring-roads; reducing the speed limit on Selwyn Place to 40kmh pending interim data-gathering; and reducing speeds on 36 residential streets with no footpath on at least one side from 50kmh to 30kmh.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, speed limits for streets in the CBD were lowered to 30kmh under emergency management laws. With social distancing rules no longer in place, the speed limit has returned to 50kmh.

Data presented to the council showed that the risk of serious injury or death for pedestrians hit by cars increases sharply between cars going 30kmh and cars going 50kmh.

Depending on public feedback, the council could keep all current speed limits, or reduce some or all streets to 40kmh, 30kmh, or 20kmh limits. Any change to the Selwyn Pl speed limit is also dependent on further data-gathering.

Deputy mayor Judene Edgar spoke in favour of including Selwyn Pl in the public consultation, despite some councillors raising concerns that it risked delaying some “quick wins”.

Councillors Tim Skinner, Trudi Brand, and committee chair Brian McGurk were all opposed to the addition of Selwyn Pl, which was not initially included in the proposals. The debate on whether to include Selwyn Pl, and exactly what changes were legal to propose, took several hours.

Council staff said there was not enough recent data on current speeds and safety at Selwyn Pl, since data-gathering had not taken place since the pedestrianisation of upper Trafalgar St.

Skinner said he was concerned that including Selwyn Pl could lead to delays in the process, defeating the purpose of the “quick wins” proposed.

“I don't want to scuttle the gains we're trying to capture here,' Skinner said.

“There is potential that if this is challenged, or the knock on effects of including it in this consultation, we could lose the whole lot … if we're going to make those changes [to Selwyn Pl], we need to make them proper, first time, done right.

“Let's not get a half-arsed 40kmh, let's get a 30kmh done right.”

However, deputy mayor Judene Edgar said the council was not yet making any decisions other than to allow the public to give feedback.

“What I'm asking for today is to let the public have a say … I'm saying let's put this out for public consultation, let's get the data, and see if it backs up what we think and what the public say.”

The public consultation will open on July 13 and run until August 14. If the public feedback is positive and the council ultimately approves speed limit reductions, they could be in place by October this year.