The speed limit outside all schools should be reduced to 40km/h as part of the Auckland Speed Management Plan, Franklin Local Board says.
Providing feedback to Auckland Transport on the plan, part of AT’s moves to achieve a Vision Zero goal of no road deaths by 2050, the board said the limit at schools should be 40km/h regardless of location to support consistent driver behaviour.
Board chair Andy Baker says the board has called for proposed to be informed by the speed most users travel – ‘self-explaining speeds’ unless there was community support for lower speeds, such as at schools.
“Part of our feedback has been that no limit should be reduced by more than 20km/h without consideration of other safety measures like re-engineering, maintenance solutions, or without local demand demonstrated via consultation.
“We’ve also said speed changes shouldn’t be made without visits to roads, because making decisions based on desktop analysis isn’t enough.
“Changes in rural areas also need to consider restrictions elsewhere on the network imposed by neighbouring authorities such as Waikato District Council, and shouldn’t be put in place without an opportunity for input from affected residents and users.”
As part of its submission, the board identified roads that should be reviewed as a priority because there had already been community concerns, including those within Pukekohe’s town centre ring road and the Papakura-Clevedon Road, with a view to lowering speeds to support pedestrian safety.
Other roads identified included routes used by quarry, logging and other heavy vehicles; roads on the Āwhitu Peninsula that were frequently driven by visitors unfamiliar with the conditions; Whitford-Maraetai Road between Beachlands and Maraetai; and Beachlands Road.
“There are peculiarities we deal with being such a large area, and one that still contains a lot of rural roads and the traffic associated with them,” Baker says.
“We are concerned that an urban lens is being put on speed limits when many of our roads are rural.”
He says the pending Government requirement for regional councils to create regional speed management plans could create a risk to a localised approach in Auckland.
“Auckland is a varied region with both urban and rural considerations. The government’s requirement might envisage generic principles, but we would urge Auckland Transport to take a balanced and potentially bespoke approach.”
