Northernmost planter boxes gone, but Waipawa’s main street measures bring staggering speed reduction

Waipawa's northern-most main street planters are on the move.

A safety audit has found the average speed in Waipawa’s main street has plummeted 20km/h since traffic interventions have been in place, but public dissatisfaction expressed in submissions has resulted in the removal of planter boxes at the northern end of High St.

The community-led Streets for People project, which features a combination of two extra pedestrian crossings, a roundabout and planter boxes outside the shops in Waipawa on State Highway 2 has had the desired effect — calmed the traffic and helped keep our children safer, says Deputy Mayor Kelly Annand.

“The community should be very proud. They have driven this project right from the beginning with a petition to NZTA which 630 members of the community signed,” Annand said.

“Keeping our children and other road users safe has always been the purpose of this mahi.”

While most of Waipawa's traffic-calming measures are working, the northern planters will be replaced with road markings.

Before the traffic-calming measures were put in place on SH2 near the Waipawa shops, the average speed travelling south was 56km/h, and the average speed travelling north was 49km/h.

The safety audits found the average vehicle speed was 20-30km/h during peak hours.

The results were lower speeds than expected for an urban highway in that environment.

“What we are talking about in real terms is an extra 26 seconds on the journey. We know that if there is an accident, the speed the vehicle is travelling at determines how badly a person is hurt.

“And as we are nearing summer when the children are going to the swimming pool, keeping the speeds low in the areas they will be walking is so important.”

There was widespread dissatisfaction in the public submissions with the planter boxes that were placed further north on SH2 by the 70km/h-to-50km/h speed change, Annand said.

“We heard you. We’re repurposing those planter boxes.

“It’s still an important area for getting vehicles to slow down. Transport Recovery East Coast will be resurfacing the road and painting road markings.

“We will relook at the area when that’s happened. We’re committed to reducing speed.”

On October 17, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council will decide whether to make the changes in the shopping area permanent.