St Asaph St speed limit under review

Christchurch City Council will consult with the public in the new year about lowering the speed limit on St Asaph Street to 30kph.

A 30kph speed limit sign.

St Asaph Street was designed to be a slow street but last year the Council decided to hold off lowering the 50kmh speed limit.

However, today the Council voted to instruct staff to initiate consultation on lowering the speed limit.

They also approved a number of minor layout changes to St Asaph Street to improve its safety and functionality.

“One of the goals of An Accessible City was to create a more friendly pedestrian core and one way we can do that is by lowering speeds on a number of key streets,’’ says Cr Pauline Cotter, Chair of the Council’s Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee.

“When the traffic engineers were designing St Asaph Street they intended it to have a 30kmh speed limit and for it to be an attractive pedestrian-friendly street, hence the high number of trees and build-outs.

“The time is right to talk to the community about making the speed limit change so we can get their feedback and make a decision on whether to proceed with the change,’’ Cr Cotter says.

The minor layout changes to St Asaph Street approved today include:

Modifying the parking bays so they are easier to get in and out of.
Installing extra loading zones for goods vehicles.
Installing additional cycle parking.
Modifying the tree pit kerb design so they cause less damage to car wheels.
The Council has also asked staff to ensure that all practicable steps have been taken to address the concerns raised about the safety of St Asaph Street.

Council Transport Operations Manager Aaron Haymes says a review to identify whether there are any other safety improvements that should be made will begin straight away.

“The work on the minor layout changes approved by the Council today will get under way early in the new year and should take around six weeks to complete,’’ Mr Haymes says

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