Auckland Transport Board approves more speed reductions to save lives Auckland Transport Board approves more speed reductions to save lives
Safe speeds are saving lives and more are now on the way for Tāmaki Makaurau.
The AT Board approved the proposed roads from the tranche 2A consultation yesterday, which was publicly consulted on between September and November 2021, and had a significant focus on safe speeds for rural roads and near schools.
AT received 8,413 public submissions on the proposal – covering 804 roads.
The AT Board has approved all proposed roads from the consultation and, following the review of individual submissions, some additional changes have been made to the proposal.
These changes are a result of community and local board feedback.
The AT board has acknowledged the feedback from the Franklin Local Board in respect of changes to speed limits in Franklin.
While AT is obliged to change speed limits on roads where the existing speed limits are not found to be safe and appropriate, the AT Board has asked AT to work with the Franklin Local Board to see whether, on a small number of roads, economically viable engineering changes might enable speed limits to be reconsidered in the future.
Rural roads where speeds were changed on 30 June 2020 have seen a 71 per cent reduction in deaths and more than a 25 per cent reduction in serious injuries.
The new speed limits will come into effect from June/July this year. In total there will be 611 km of new, safe speeds all over Auckland.
Auckland Transport’s Chief Executive Shane Ellison says it’s another important milestone in the Safe Speeds programme.
“We’ve got clear evidence that backs up our Vision Zero principles, and the message is simple: safe speed limits are saving lives. Since June 2020 there has been a 47 per cent reduction in deaths in areas that were covered by Auckland Transport’s speed reductions. This clearly shows what we are doing is working.
“By approving another 804 roads for safe speeds, there will be fewer deaths and serious injuries on our network in the future. We will never compromise safety, and I’m really proud of the work we’ve done to make a significant change in Auckland.”
“We simply don’t have the funds to engineer our whole transport system to the safety levels required. So this is one of the most simple and effective things, as a community, that we can do to prevent serious injuries and save lives.”
As a result of the AT Board approval, there will safer speeds at 463 roads near 57 schools, 208 rural roads, residential roads in Manurewa, Ponsonby and Freemans Bay – as well as a safer environment for the Ōtara Town Centre.
The public summary report from the consultation will be available on the project page in the coming days - with the themes, feedback and key findings from the consultation.
Auckland Transport is also currently consulting on Phase Three of its Safe Speeds Programme, with 1,646 roads proposed for reduced speeds. This consultation concludes on Sunday 3 April, with the final recommendations to be implemented by November/December 2022.
In 2020, safe and appropriate speed limits were introduced on approximately 828 km of roads across Auckland. This included our city centre, high-risk rural roads, residential areas and the town centres of Ōtāhuhu, Orewa, Mairangi Bay and Torbay.
Between 2014 and 2017 the number of deaths and serious injuries (DSI) on Auckland’s roads increased by approximately 78 per cent - more than five times the rate of the growth in vehicle kilometres travelled. In areas where speed limits were changed on 30 June 2020, road deaths almost halved (down by 47 per cent) in the following 18-month period[1].
To provide a submission on the current Phase Three consultation, please visit: https://at.govt.nz/about-us/have-your-say/proposed-speed-limit-changes-phase-three/
AT’s Safe Speeds programme supports its Vision Zero goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on Auckland’s roads by 2050. For more information on the Safe Speeds programme, click here.