Lower speed limits around Timaru District schools looming

Speed limits around most schools in the Timaru District are in for a shake up as the effect of new national regulations are felt.

The proposals, which will see speed limits set as low as 30kmh, are in a report on the Interim Road Speed Management Plan 2023 being presented to the Timaru District Council’s (TDC) infrastructure committee meeting on Tuesday.

“The proposal has a high level of significance because the change in speed limits will affect road users using the roads defined in the plan,” the report, written by the council’s land transport manager Susannah Ratahi, says.

The Land Transport Rule Setting for Speed Limits 2022 is the new law and speed limits were transferred to a national register administered by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

READ MORE:
* Palmerston North prepares to put the brakes on speeds around schools
* How’s your driving? If it’s anything like ours, not great

The report says while the new rule also changes the way speed limits are set or reviewed, there is provision for council to continue to have input into setting speed limits through the following:

• Develop interim speed management plans for local roads.
• Encourages the territorial authority (TDC) to review and set speed limits on roads outside schools.
• Defines the speed limit around the school into Categories 1 and 2. Category 1 schools are urban schools and speed limits for roads outside these schools must be 30kmh (permanent or variable). Category 2 schools are rural schools and speed limits for roads outside these schools should be reduced to 60kmh or less (permanent or variable).

“The benefit of a speed management plan is that it allows the territorial authority to make subsequent speed limit changes without needing public consultation provided that the speed limit change aligns with the adopted speed management plan,” the report says.

“Council officers will be able to recommend changes to speed limits through a committee reporting and approval process to make improvements to the roads safety more rapidly compared to the previous rule.

“The previous rule dictated that every change in the speed limit required public consultation before it could be implemented. Under the previous rule speed limit changes for roads was very resource intensive.

“With the new speed limit rule it is proposed that an interim management plan will be developed initially to focus on high priority speed limit changes.”

This will include setting speed limits in:

• Reducing speed limits to 30kmh on roads surrounding schools which is a legislative requirement.
• Reducing speed limits on urban area fringes where urban and industrial development growth has extended the urban nature of the road and the rural speed limit is no longer appropriate.
• Reducing speed limits in some high use active transport areas to promote a safer environment for users.

“The proposal is being developed with feedback from stakeholders including Waka Kotahi, iwi, schools and police.

“It also includes previous requests for speed limit changes from customer service requests or submissions.”

The work completed to date has identified 26 proposed speed limit changes attached to the report which includes the following schools – Arowhenua Māori, Barton Rural, Beaconsfield, Bluestone, Craighead Diocesan, Geraldine’s high and primary, Gleniti, Grantlea Downs, Highfield, Mountainview, One School Global, Opihi, Pleasant Point, Christian, St Joseph’s, Timaru Boys’, Waihi, Waimataitai, Winchester Rural and Woodbury along with Heaton and Hayes streets (Timaru), Peel Forest Settlement, Seadown Rd and Woodbury Settlement.

The report recommends the committee proceed to develop, with stakeholder and public consultation, an interim speed management plan.

“Council would receive the proposals for the interim speed management plan for priority local roads in the district and proceed with public consultation for the interim speed management plan,” the report says.