New speed limit plan for schools and rural roads

Speed limits around all local schools and colleges will be reduced to 30km/h at least at drop-off and pick-up times if a new draft speed management plan for Auckland gets the go-ahead after public consultation next month.

Katoa, Ka Ora, which means all will survive, focuses on implementing safe speed limits around more than 350 Auckland schools, but it will also mean speed reductions on many more rural roads in the Rodney area if approved.

Rodney Local Board has long advocated for speed limit parity between urban and rural schools, so welcomed the proposal to implement variable limits that would bring all roads outside schools down to 30km/h at key times.

Deputy chair Louise Johnston, whose ward includes a primary school on the busy Dairy Flat Highway, has spearheaded calls to quash higher speed limits outside some rural schools and bring them into line with the rest of Auckland.

“We urgently need to roll out safe speeds outside of our rural schools,” she said. “We can’t have different standards between urban and rural schools. These are our most vulnerable road users and it is our job to protect children.

“Regardless of the reason for a vehicle crash, the speed limit will determine the outcome. This is just physics and you can’t argue with science.”

The Katoa, Ka Ora three-year speed management plan aims to meet Waka Kotahi’s requirement for safe and appropriate speeds outside all schools by December 2027, though the draft proposals are still subject to public consultation in July and confirmed funding.

If adopted, the plan will also see speeds on many rural Rodney roads that are currently 100km/h reduced to 80, 60, 40 or even 30km/h.

These proposals are in response to local board or community requests, or are designed to “even out” areas where there are currently frequent changes in the speed limit. They will also be applied to roads that “already look and feel like a slower speed”, that have lots of walkers and cyclists, and on roads used as rat-runs, Auckland Transport (AT) said.

A spokesperson said Katora, Ka Ora was the latest in a series of speed plans and changes and it would complement speed limit changes that have already been made elsewhere in the district.

Although costs will not be finalised until after public consultation and will depend on the number of electronic signs, raised speed tables, other signage, and so on required, AT said implementation of the plan could cost between $40 million and $70 million over three years.

“The previous speed management plan had a benefit-cost ratio of 9.4 – for every $1 invested, there was $9.40 given back to Aucklanders in terms of socio-economic savings,” the spokesperson said.

AT will apply for co-funding of 51% from Waka Kotahi and 49% will be funded by Auckland Council.

“We’ve already set safe speed limits for more than 3000 roads, or almost 40% of Auckland’s road network,” AT said.

“The evidence is clear that safe speeds save lives. Data from the first phase of speed limit changes in Auckland showed a 30% reduction in deaths and a 20% reduction in serious injuries in the 24 months after safer speeds were introduced in June, 2020. In comparison, across Auckland roads where speed limits were unchanged, road deaths increased by 9% in the same period.”

Rodney has the highest number of road deaths and serious injuries in Auckland.

Katoa, Ka Ora – Auckland’s draft speed management plan for 2024-27 will go out for public consultation in late July.

The draft speed limits implementation plan includes the following roads, in part or in full, for proposed speed cuts:

100km/h 80km/h

Mangawhai Road; Ocean View Road, Te Arai; Port Albert Road; Wharehine Road; Wellsford Valley Road; School Road and Silver Hill Road, Wellsford; Whakapirau Road, Te Hana; Wayby Valley Road; Waiteiti Road; Tomarata Valley Road; Whangaripo Valley Road; Woodcocks Road, Kaipara Flats

100km/h 60km/h

Lanes and unsealed roads in a number of rural areas, including west of SH16 north of Kaupapapapa; west of Wellsford; between Te Hana and the Kaipara Harbour; east of Te Hana; north east of Wellsford; south east of Wellsford; east of Wellsford; Tomarata; Te Arai; and Whangaripo

100 km/h 50km/h

Ahuroa Road; Wellsford Valley Road

100km/h 40km/h

Clague Road, Wellsford; Ogle Road, Mangakura; Cames Road, Mangawhai; Waiwhiu Road, Kraack Road, Conical Peak Road and Christine Place, The Dome; Golf Road and Valerie Close, Warkworth; Billing Road, Puhoi

100km/h 30km/h

Journeys End and Birds Beach Road, Tapora; Naumai Road, Tauhoa

50km/h 30km/h

Warkworth town centre; Matakana town centre