Review Recommends Speed Limit Changes

Dunedin (Friday, 27 June 2014) – A review of speed limits throughout Dunedin has identified several roads and school zones where changes are being recommended.

DCC Transportation Engineer Diana Munster says the objective of the review was “to recommend the most appropriate safe speed limit for each road, taking into account the level of use, roadside development and surrounding environment, as well as being credible to road users and nationally consistent”.

As a result of the review the DCC has identified 12 roads where speed limit changes are recommended. They are: John Wilson Ocean Drive, Logan Park Drive, Magnet Street, Factory Road, Wingatui Road, Rutherford Road, Portobello Road, St Ronan's Road, Rosehill Road, Bruce Road, Friends Hill Road and Halfway Bush Road.

In addition, five schools have been identified that could benefit from a 40km/h variable speed limit before and after school. They are: Carisbrook School, King's High School, Queen's High School, Kaikorai Valley College and Wakari School.

“We work closely with schools and Police to ensure the road environment around schools is safe by using appropriate safety measures, such as parking, traffic calming, safe crossing places and active warning signs.

“We have also recognised schools where the speed is a little high and the other measures on their own are not enough.”

All the review’s recommendations fit within the Government’s Safer Journeys initiative.

Any alteration in speed limit requires a change in the relevant Dunedin City Council bylaws so the next step is to seek public feedback on the proposed changes. The DCC has already begun contacting residents on the roads where the speed limit changes are proposed and has been working closely with the five schools where a variable speed limit is proposed.

Meanwhile, a request to reduce the Blackhead Road speed limit from 80km/h to 50 km/h has been turned down because it fell outside the scope of the review. It will be looked at again after a Government review of speed limit setting legislation is completed in late 2014/early A request for the speed limit section of Main South Road between Sunnyvale and Fairfield to be reduced from 70km/h to 50km/h has also been turned down because the current speed limit is considered appropriate for the current layout and use.

Further information on the review and its recommendations, as well as submission forms, can be found from tomorrow at www.dunedin.govt.nz/consultation.

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