Speed limits may be reduced in Western Bay

Colin Adams, 70, wants to see the speed limit dropped to 50km/h along Rogers Rd, Otamarakau. Photo / George Novak

Speed limits could be lowered on 10 Western Bay roads - some by up to 50km/h.

Western Bay District Council Operations Committee has recommended the changes after Opus was commissioned to undertake speed limit surveys and road reviews on roads in seven locations.

Speed reductions are recommended on roads in Te Puna, Katikati, Oropi, Paengaroa, Otamarakau and Whakamarama, and speed limit extensions on two roads in Te Puke and Katikati. The speed limit on Rogers Rd in Otamarakau could be cut from 100km/h to 50km/h.

Rogers Rd resident Colin Adams said he had written to the council asking for the speed limit to be dropped because of safety concerns.

Rogers Rd comes off State Highway 2 heading perpendicular towards the coast before a sharp left turn into a residential area. There are about 20 houses near the beach front.

The council has recommended the speed be reduced from 100km/h to 50km/h from 80m south of the stop sign at the beach-end of the road.

Mr Adams said locals drove slowly along the residential area of the road because they knew there were children around, but newcomers were often unaware of the danger. "The key thing is that there's no footpath so you have to walk on to the road ... we tend to get people rubber-necking, coming down to see the beach and they whizz along."

Mr Adams said he did not think a 50km/h change was too much as he believed it matched other rural residential areas.

There have been no crashes on Rogers Rd in the past five years. However, the review did not propose changes in the speed limit on two other roads, including Te Puna Station Rd, which have had numerous crashes in the past five years.

The council's Transport manager Alex Finn said while the curves on Te Puna Station Rd had been identified as a "black spot" and had been included in council's maintenance invention plan for further investigation and upgrade.

Bay of Plenty road policing manager Inspector Kevin Taylor said he was happy with the investigation process and the outcome of the proposed changes.