Auckland speed limit cuts: Decision imminent on plan to reduce road deaths

Monday, 21 October 2019

Too fast? A 100kmh speed limit on open roads without median barriers is asking for trouble, a report suggests. (First published in April, 2018)

Speed reductions on around 700 Auckland roads, will be decided on Tuesday afternoon.

Auckland Transport's board is being left a 'clear mind' on whether to make the cuts, with staff deliberately not recommending what to do.

The directors will choose between implementing all the cuts considered, moving on just the roads considered the highest risk, or the unlikely option of doing nothing.

Auckland Transport chair Lester Levy backs the speed limit plan, and his term ends this month

A survey earlier this year on AT's plan, aimed at cutting death and serious injury, found members of the motoring organisation the Automobile Association had differing views on the cuts on mainly rural and city centre roads.

**READ MORE:

How Aucklanders viewed proposals to cut speed limits on 700 roads

* Auckland's most dangerous roads and how to fix them

* Auckland speed reductions: Decision looms on proposal to cut limits on 700 roads

A summary of 11,000 submissions on lower speed limits in Auckland

* Speed limit changes: The slower Auckland Transport goes, the bigger the mess

* Auckland Transport may scrap plan to lower speed limits on nearly 800 roads**

Of 1000 respondents, 46 per cent were largely or completely opposed to the proposed changes, 32 per cent were largely or completely in favour, and 21 per cent described themselves as somewhere in the middle.

'What the survey results highlight, is that AA members are open to speed limit changes on high-risk roads, but the changes have to be targeted and they have to be credible. In general, that's not what AA members are seeing enough of in rural Auckland,' said spokesperson Barney Irvine.

AT had consulted with the public, prompting more than 11,000 submissions which slowed down the process, and some recommended cuts in addition to those the agency had considered.

Opposition came from courier firms NZ Post and Freightways, which argued the reductions across the city centre could lead to a 48 per cent increase in delivery times, needing 20 per cent more vehicles on the road, and higher costs.

'Delivery costs are estimated to increase by 30 per cent, which will inevitably be passed on to customers,' said the firms in a joint submission.

An AT analysis of the submission, which had included GPS data on vehicle movements, had found the firms' conclusion 'unfeasible.'

'It is considered highly likely that impacts to journey times will be negligible through the CBD, as these are on average already below (the proposed) 30 kmh,' said AT.

Separately, Stuff inquiries found Dairy Flat Highway, Old North Rd in Rodney, and Whitford Rd are among Auckland's most dangerous roads. Sixty-three deaths and serious injuries have occurred on them in the last five years.

The roads are being targeted by AT, which has a wider goal of no deaths or serious injuries on the region's roads by 2050.

Joining them are Hobson St, Karangahape Rd and Symonds St, where 23 deaths and serious injuries have occurred.

'Inappropriate speed' was said by AT to have contributed to 20 per cent of the 58 killed and 595 seriously hurt in Auckland last year.

Lowering limits had been strongly advocated by the outgoing AT chair Lester Levy, whose last board meeting will be the one making the decision.