Board bridles at further speed feedback

Rodney Local Board members expressed frustration at having to provide further feedback on the latest speed change proposals for Auckland at their monthly meeting on April 19.

The Katoa, Ka Ora Speed Management Plan 2024-2027 asked members to provide views on five different developmental approaches for the plan, which was in addition to formal feedback already provided last year and followed on from a workshop in March.

Members were asked to select one out of three statements for each approach, two of which required consistency across all local board areas and three that would allow a tailored approach for each local board.

Chair Brent Bailey said it wasn’t a great report in his view.

“It’s like they’re asking us the same question again and again, as if they’re trying to get us to say something different. I’m a bit disappointed in it,” he said. “Why is it somewhat haphazard when you could have a consistent approach across all of Rodney?”

As an example, Bailey questioned why rural children were treated differently than urban kids outside schools, since urban schools had fixed 30km/h limits while for rural schools, it was more variable.

He said it should be easy for drivers to tell the speed limit just by where they were driving, such as 30km/h outside a school or 110km/h on a divided highway. “What we want is them to stop mucking about and deliver speed reductions across the whole of Rodney,” he said.

Members voted to reiterate their views on supporting the review of speed limits in locations including:

1. Schools, requesting a maximum speed limit of 60 km/h outside all Rodney schools with a lower variable speed limit of 30 km/h during pick-up and drop-off times;

2. Town centres;

3. Unsealed and non-exit roads, ensuring all road users are considered when deciding appropriate speed limits;

4. Sealed rural roads, requesting consistent speed limits between main and feeder roads, ensuring all road users are considered when deciding appropriate speed limits and ensuring that unitary plan zoning is considered when analysing appropriate speed limits;

5. New development areas, including intersections surrounding new Rodney urban areas.

Board members Geoff Upson and Tim Holdgate abstained from voting.

The Katoa, Ka Ora Speed Management Plan 2024-2027 for Auckland is expected to go out for public consultation mid-year.