Speed limits to be reduced on four Whanganui rural roads

Whanganui District Council's policy and bylaw committee has voted in favour of reducing speed limits on roads in Otamatea. Photo / Bevan Conley

Speed limits will reduce for four roads in the Whanganui suburb of Otamatea.

Public submissions and Whanganui District Council officers' review of limits for Pickwick Rd and the intersecting Dickens Lane, recommended lowering the permanent speed limits on the two roads from 100km/h to 50km/h.

The officers also recommended that the 70km/h limit on nearby Mannington Rd and Kingston Way be reduced to 50km/h.

The officers conducted the reviews under the Speed Limits Bylaw 2017 and the council is obliged to comply with the Land Transport Rule to set safe and appropriate speed limits on roads under its controls.

Residents in both areas were consulted this year and a formal public consultation was held during April and May.

The council's policy and bylaw committee heard submissions on Thursday and voted for 50km/h speed limits on all four roads.

Bill Simmons presented a submission on behalf of 38 residents recommending a 60km/h speed limit for the four roads, saying the council's preferred options were "arbitrary and unfounded".

Simmons argued that a 50km/h speed limit would "urbanise" the rural area.

"Rural roads are not a pedestrian precinct," he said.

"A 50km speed limit is an indelible icon of urbanisation."

Simmons said the council's preferred limit would conflict with the District Plan objectives for the zone and would compromise its rural "character and amenity".

Councillors commended Simmons on the amount of work that had gone into the submission which included photos, diagrams and empirical data but questioned whether the signatories had been given accurate information.

Submitter Murray Hughes said he would prefer a 40km/h option for the area but was happy to support the proposed 50km/h limit.

Hughes' submission stated that some signatories of the 60km/h petition had been led to believe that a 50km/h limit would require the council to install footpaths and lighting.

"Fox Rd and Portal St have 50km/h speed limits and don't have footpaths or lighting," Hughes said.

Councillor Kate Joblin said she understood the council budget had no money for new footpaths and questioned council senior policy analyst Justin Walters who said decisions around the installation of infrastructure were not related to speed limits.