60km/h speed limit road sign. Photo: 123RF
The great slowdown of the region's roads continues with Masterton District Council's new draft speed management plan proposing slashed speed limits around schools, marae, and on "high-risk" roads.
Residents will be consulted over the next month on the plan, should the consultation document be approved on Wednesday by elected members.
It outlines a 10-year-vision and three-year implementation plan for "a whole of network approach to speed management" and involves a changed speed limit on 75 sections of Masterton's roads.
This follows Waka Kotahi's speed management guide and aims to provide safer roads.
The first priority in the plan is reducing speed limits near schools.
The current speed limit on roads in the vicinity of urban schools and marae is either 50km/h or 40km/h, and either 70km/h or 100km/h rurally.
By 2027, the council will be required by the government to have reduced the limit around schools and marae to a maximum of 30km/h in urban areas and 60km/h in rural areas.
"For locations that are on through roads with higher speed limits, we propose utilising variable speed limits, as they protect pedestrian activity during high-use times while helping ensure driver acceptance and compliance," the council's consultation document states.
It proposes a 30km/h permanent speed limit at Chanel College, Douglas Park School, Masterton Intermediate School, Opaki School, and Tinui School; and a 30km/h variable speed limit at Lakeview School, Masterton Primary School, Makoura College, Solway School, and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Wairarapa.
Mauriceville School would have a 40km/h limit, Rathkeale College a 60km/h permanent speed limit, and Wainuioru School a variable limit of 60km/h.
"There is one area where we are taking a slightly different approach," the council's consultation document states.
"This is Pownall St, where Wairarapa College and St Matthew's Collegiate are located.
"We propose a permanent speed limit of 40kmh from south of Wairarapa College to north of St Matthew's Collegiate.
"The intention of this change is to improve safety outside these schools and the surrounding area, without having multiple speed limit changes within a short distance."
As part of the draft speed management plan the council reviewed crash data for roads within the Masterton District for 2012-2021.
Travel speed was indicated as being a contributing factor in 35 percent of all fatal and serious crashes on the local road network in that time.
The council said this indicated that inappropriate speed [not necessarily above the speed limit] played a significant part in the number of crashes in this district.
Roads that have had three or more serious or fatal crashes in this period have been considered high-risk roads.
The council does not propose to make changes to high-risk roads before 2027, unless there are significant changes to the road conditions and assessed risk.
The following "high-risk" roads are proposed to have speed limit changes: Akura Rd, Gordon St [urban growth area], Kibblewhite Rd, Ngaumutawa Rd, Te Ore Ore-Bideford Rd, Paierau Rd, Lees Pakaraka Rd, Te Whiti Rd, and Masterton-Castlepoint Rd.
The section of Akura Rd that is 70km/h would drop to 60km/h and the 100km/h section would drop to 80km/h, while the adjoining Kibblewhite Rd would also drop from 100km/h to 80km/h.
Three sections of Ngaumutawa Rd will have a reduced speed limit, and one section is increasing from 50km/h to 60km/h.
Te Ore Ore-Bideford Rd would drop from 100km/h to 80km/h, as would Paierau Rd and parts of Te Whiti Rd.
Lees Pakaraka Rd would drop from 80km/h to 60km/h.
Gordon St would drop from 80km/h to 60km/h.
Parts of Masterton-Castlepoint Rd would also be reduced to 80km/h and 60km/h.
Should the council approve the consultation document on Wednesday, feedback will be open until 1 May, and a hearing held on 17 and 18 May, with deliberations on 7 June.
The council is currently set to adopt the plan on 28 June, with Waka Kotahi certification following in July.
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