Division over speed cuts as rule change looms

Tuesday, 30 April 2024

A range of speed limit reductions are proposed for urban and rural roads, including 30kph outside urban schools, and 30kph-60kph at rural schools. (File photo)

Proposed blanket speed limit cuts across the region should be put on hold until after a Government rule change, the Automobile Association says.

In a submission to the joint Nelson Tasman Regional Transport Committee on Tuesday, AA Nelson council chair Kyle Lightfoot said the Government had indicated it would change the rule under which councils set speed limits on urban and rural roads.

“Our members request that city and district councils put speed limits on hold until the Government releases its new land transport rule,” he said.

The joint committee was hearing presentations from 60 submitters on Monday and Tuesday to its Draft Speed Management Plan that proposes to reduce limits across the region to improve safety.

The draft plan proposed eight options. For urban roads the options were the minimum of establishing 30kph zones outside schools, with other options extending 30kph or 40kph limits to other town or suburban areas, including tourist areas.

The draft speed management plan for Nelson Tasman includes an option for 30kph limits on urban streets.

On rural roads, the options were the minimum of reducing speeds outside schools to between 30kph and 60kph and reducing 70kph limits to 60kph. The other options had further restrictions, including 50kph-60kph limits in rural residential areas and 80kph for other roads.

In a report to the committee, staff said the National-led coalition Government had indicated it would amend the rule around setting speed limits to consider economic impacts, including travel times, and the views of road users and local communities, alongside safety.

The new rule would be part of the Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport due to be finalised in July.

Of the 2247 submissions received by the joint committee the options for the minimum speed cuts on urban and rural roads received the most support.

Lightfoot told the committee that AA members supported variable speed reductions around schools and maraes and on roads where evidence showed safety issues with existing limits. Members did not support blanket speed cuts.

However, a number of other submitters supported the strongest options in the proposed speed management plan - reducing speeds to 30kph on all urban roads and 50kph-80kph on rural roads.

John Paul-Pochin strongly supported the 30kph urban limit, saying it would make little difference to travel times, and would reduce injuries and greenhouse gas emissions.

It would also encourage a shift to cycling without the expense of separated cycleways.

“It’s a win for everybody,” he said.

Among submissions on Monday, Belinda Crisp from the Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust said the trust supported the lowest speed limit possible in areas where the Great Taste Trail was on or beside the road, or where riders had to cross the road.

The trust was particularly concerned about the trail section being built alongside the 100kph Motueka Valley Highway between the River Haven Café and the Peninsula Bridge, a section that included Ngatimoti School. Riders would have to cross the highway to get to the school or café.

The trust supported a 30kph road limit for the section.

The joint transport committee is due to hold its deliberations meeting on the speed limit changes in June.