Speed limits in local community boards? hands
By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward
The power to recommend changes to local speed limits has been vested to community boards.
Petone Community Board Chairman Gerald Davidson says the boards have been delegated power by a decision made by the last government to allow local government to decide on speed limits.
?The laws have been changed to allow council authorities to set their own speed limits,? he says.
The law has been put to effect in other parts of the city such as Newtown where the limit has been dropped to 40km/h and Lambton Quay where the limit is 30 km/h.
?It?s a good thing, and there will need to be training from the Council for the boards? before they can exercise the powers.
?For making changes and requests for speed limits there is a legal process you have to follow,? Mr Davidson says.
In Petone no specific areas are up for consideration says Mr Davidson, as Jackson Street is already slowed up by pedestrian crossings and lights.
?There is no way you could do 50km/h there, and the Esplanade is also slowed up by crossings.
?We are not expecting to make changes,? he says.
The de facto speed limit for most of the areas busiest streets is less than 50 says Mr Davidson, and although roads near schools are a possibility for speed reductions, the traffic there often crawls before and after school. He says one pedestrian crossing on Jackson Street need to be reviewed as buses are obscuring drivers from seeing when people are crossing.
Eastbourne Community Board deputy chairman Derek Wilshere says the process of being able to recommend speed limits for the area ?has been frustrating?.
?The Hutt City Council has made the recommendation we have the power to set speed limits.
?It has put us back to square one ... some associations have wanted the limit down to 50km/h [around the Harbour],? says Mr Wilshere.
The state highway will be excluded from the law change.
