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Introducing Katoa, Ka Ora – Speed management plan Introducing Katoa, Ka Ora – Speed management plan

Introducing Katoa, Ka Ora (PDF 4.8MB) details why we are making a speed management plan for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. It is a conversation starter with you to explain what’s at stake, share the facts and evidence behind our decision-making and provide the costs of the alternatives. It spells out our rationale for creating a speed management plan.

Auckland Transport takes a holistic approach to improving road safety by investing in improving the quality of our roads and working with partners and communities to improve driver behaviour. An important component of the Safe System is managing speed limits.

Auckland Transport’s Safe Speeds programme has set safe speed limits on 1500 km of roads since 2020. We have more to do on setting safe speed limits across our region, as part of our shared vision to keep everyone safe, healthy, and well on our roads and streets.

Market research completed since the first speed limit changes in June 2020, shows that the overall level of support towards the speed limit reductions on Auckland roads remains stable at one person in every two.

Read the full Kantar market research document (PDF 916KB).

Independent economic assessments of four proposed safe speed limit approaches around schools reveal that up to 539 lives could be saved over ten years and deliver a benefit: cost ration of 9.0.

Read the full High Level Economic Assessment report.

Auckland Transport invites you to partner with us as we work on making a speed management plan for Auckland.

Progress on developing the Speed Management Plan 

We engaged early with our treaty partners, and 21 Auckland Local Boards.

Technical workshop sessions were held both online and in person during four days in early June 2022. The workshops were an opportunity for key stakeholders and other interest groups to actively contribute to the content of the speed management plan. Attendees could share their views and participate in the development of the plan.  

Participants included members of the AT Board and executive leadership team, elected members, and technical subject matter experts. Discussion and feedback centred on the draft principles and shortlist options.

Key themes from the workshops:

  1. General support for the approach of Auckland Transport to achieve Vision Zero / Road to Zero and desire for ongoing collaboration including communications and monitoring.
  2. Need for strong evidential data and insights to inform decision making.
  3. Safety for all addressing equity and our most vulnerable community members to harm from speed especially children, youth, pedestrians, cyclists, those using micro mobility and residents.
  4. High appetite to focus on schools, Kōhanga Reo and early childhood centres and other community gathering places i.e. Marae, faith based places of worship.
  5. Importance of targeted education, communications, safety and health promotion to achieve a social license and behaviour change.
  6. Consistency of language and meaning in ongoing communications and engagement.
  7. Consideration of all risk factors in a complex systems approach.
  8. Balancing safety interventions and infrastructure with impact on journey times for commuting, commercial interests, freight movement and maintaining response times for emergency services.
  9. Balancing investment in design, deterrence, and enforcement.

Read the full Key Themes document and the AT Response (PDF 128KB).

Read the full Technical Workshop Report (PDF 2.9MB).

Read the full Local Board Feedback Report (PDF 2.5MB). 

Draft Working Principles:

The draft working principles are intended to remain consistent across the interim and 10-year plan. They have been updated twice. Once following Treaty Partner and Local Board feedback and again, following the Katoa, Ka Ora Conversations technical workshops, where feedback requested the principles in plain English, so they are easy to understand. 

  1. Tiakitanga. The top priority of speed management is to keep people safe and alive on Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland’s roads.
  2. Easy to understand. Speed limits are a critical part of an integrated safe road system; we will ensure they are easy to understand for all.
  3. Safe kids. Safe speeds around schools will ensure the safety of children (and all road users).
  4. Safe speed limits. Speed limits align with government guidance. We consider complex factors ranging from the function of our roads and streets* to how many people travel outside of vehicles.
  5. Safe infrastructure. Investment in engineering and safety improvements will be prioritised on roads that have high risk of death or serious injury.
  6. Partnership. We work with our Te Tiriti/Treaty of Waitangi and other partners in governance, design, delivery, education, communication, enforcement, and monitoring. 
  7. Healthy environment. Speed management benefits our communities; it helps with climate change, can improve people’s health and leads to safer communities.
  8. Measure results. We constantly monitor the roads to evaluate any changes required to make the road even safer.

*AT’s Future Connect and Roads and Streets Framework tools to be used.

Next steps for Katoa, Ka Ora

Over the coming months, the project team are focused on the following:

  • Hui with Mana Whenua and Maataawaka to get views and input on further development for Katoa, Ka Ora.
  • Mapping work by local board areas, considering feedback received from both elected member and public workshops.
  • Internal AT review of a draft plan.