Speed status quo applauded

The decision to keep rural stretches of State Highway 2 around Te Puke at 100km/h is being lauded as a victory for the people.

On Wednesday, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council refrained from reducing the rural stretches of State Highway 2 between Papamoa and Paengaroa to 80km/h - much to the delight of the majority of the community.


Photo: File.

And one group instrumental in helping voice the public's concerns on the speed limits, road naming and future needs for SH2 was the Te Puke Economic Development Group, who submitted a 1064-strong petition.

Te Puke EDG managing director Mark Boyle says common sense won on the day in what is a victory for the people of Te Puke.

'Businesses, schools, farmers, the kiwifruit industry at large, community groups, sports clubs and everyday folk from both town and country were united in sending a strong and consistent message to the council,” says Mark.

He says the submission to council was critical, so as to ensure transport efficiencies are maintained and identity and a sense of place preserved.

Some small tweaks to 80 and 70 km zones have been made for safety reasons, but the overall effect of councils resolution means it is business as usual, says Mark.

'We congratulate the council on their decision and for having listened to the people,” he adds.

Councillors said they had heeded the overwhelming opposition expressed through more than 400 submissions on the proposal to drop the open speed limit, along with the petition.

It was the New Zealand Transport Agency's preference to have speed reduced on rural stretches of SH2 between Papamoa and Paengaroa to 80km/h in an attempt to save lives and prevent serious injury.

NZTA's Bay of Plenty highways manager Niclas Johansson says this section of SH2 was a high-risk road and dropping the speed to 80km/h would have reduced death and serious injury crashes by half.

According to NZTA a four-to-five per cent reduction in speed could result in a reduction of fatal crashes by 20-to-50 per cent, and serious accident crashes by 10-to-20 per cent.

Niclas acknowledges that council took safety into account by changing the boundaries of the 70km/h sections of the road, and he welcomed the decision to review speed limits in two years once the TEL was open and safety works were completed prior to ownership of the road being transferred to the council.

Looking ahead, Mark says the Te Puke EDG will now turn its focus to future needs surrounding roading and infrastructure.

The group will continue to push the need for new roundabouts and access systems at No 3 Road and Te Puke Quarry Road, Washer Lane, Collins Lane, No 1 Road Te Matai Road and the planned new Rangiuru Business Park.

'It is also important that passing lanes and passing bays be considered due to the high content of agricultural machinery, rural school buses and trucks and trailers servicing our local economy,” says Mark.

'We have also developed ideas for the better functioning of our town centre and we will continue to lobby council to allow us to trial our town centre parking, local and through lane plan after the TEL opens.”

Along with the speed limits, two new stretches of road have been renamed – from Domain Road to Te Puke Quarry Road (Western end) and from No 1 Road to the intersection with SH33 at Paengaroa (Eastern end).

Councillors unanimously agreed that both stretches of road will be named Te Puke Highway, opting against such names as Long Swamp Road, Packhouse Road, Goodness Highway and Te Kapua Road

Jellicoe Street, from Te Puke Quarry Road through Te Puke to No 1 Road, will not be changed.

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3 comments

Well done WBOPDC

Posted on 24-04-2015 10:39 | By mutley

and b******s to NZTA. Where do they get these half brained theories about 80 km/h being so much safer ? Do they factor in driver boredom ? Why not reduce the speed limit to 4 km/h so that it is faster to walk and that way there won't be any risk of car crashes.


Automation

Posted on 24-04-2015 12:39 | By Conzar

Sorry mutley, your proposal is unreasonable. Autonomous cars are reasonable and are the most efficient and safest means possible for automotive transportation. NZTA should be investing their resources into developing a nation wide infrastructure for safe autonomous driving. This system should be implemented in the next few years. Once fully implemented, human drivers will be barred from driving on public roads as humans are responsible for the vast majority of accidents.


Nothing

Posted on 24-04-2015 16:04 | By NZgirl

changes and how much did all that cost????


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