Council moves forward with consultation on school speed limits
Published on 28 November 2023
Whanganui District Council councillors have agreed to go ahead with a public consultation on whether speed limits will be changed around Whanganui schools, as part of a Speed Management Plan.
Launching in February 2024, the consultation will focus on reducing speed limits around the district’s schools. The decision was made at the council’s Strategy and Policy Committee meeting early today (28 November 2023).
“The council, along with Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency), has an important role to play in delivering safer speeds around all schools,” says Damien Wood, the council’s Transportation Manager. “We share a vision where no one is killed or seriously injured in road crashes.
“Currently the speed limits around our schools do not ensure optimal safety for tamariki and rangatahi travelling to and from school. Other towns and cities around the motu have already implemented safer speed limits around their schools, and we aim to follow suit.
“The consultation will be an opportunity for the community to let us know if we’ve got it right when it comes to the district’s speed management.”
As a road controlling authority, the council is required by Waka Kotahi to reduce speed for 40 percent of local schools before mid-2024, with a goal to establish speed limits around all schools by the end of 2027. The council is also obligated to develop and consult on a Whanganui District Speed Management Plan, outlining its strategy for managing speed limits from the present through to June 2024 and then to 2027.
“The proposed speed limits around schools range from between 30km/h to 70km/h, depending on the type of road the school is on. Westmere School is presently the only school in Whanganui with appropriate speed limits in place,” says Damien Wood.
The development of the Speed Management Plan will look at various approaches to achieve safe speeds around schools. Additionally, several other minor proposals are also being put forward following calls for change from the community, as well as some locations where the posted speed does not align with the current legislation and bylaws. These are existing situations that require formalisation.
Dates for the consultation will be notified to the Whanganui community in February 2024.