21 May 2014

Community to have say on reduced speed limits

Rotorua District Council is now accepting public submissions on proposals to reduce speed limits on six roads across the district. They are:

• Fenton Street: from 60kph to 50kph (Sala St to Malfroy Rd).
• Tarawera Road: from 70kph to 50kph (from Te Ngae Rd roundabout to just past Lynmore Ave)
• Tarawera Road: from 100kph to 50kph (Blue Lake - past DOC entrance to just past Okareka Loop Rd)
• Hamurama Road: from 100kph to 80 kph (200m west of Kaska Rd to 100m east of Waerenga Rd)
• Otamarae Road: from 100kph to 50 kph (Maniatutu Rd – 1060m south of Vercoe Rd)
• Wharenui Road: from 100kph to 50 kph (to end of Porikapa Rd)

The proposals all relate to areas where traffic speed has been identified as a concern in terms of community safety.

Council Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee chair and People Strategy lead, Councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, said Council has listened to the community’s concerns, and its roading engineers have done a lot of work investigating options, including discussions with NZ Transport Agency officials.

“Before we finalise anything we need to consult with our community as well as NZ Police, the Automobile Association and NZTA.”

She said the council has a statutory role to set speed limits on roads under its jurisdiction; however changing a speed limit isn’t a simple process and requires a legal bylaw change.

“Councils can only make changes if they meet the criteria set at national level and comply with the NZTA’s Speed Limit Setting Rule.”

Online submissions forms are available on the RDC website rdc.govt.nz. Copies of the submission forms can also be picked up from the council Civic Centre, District Library and City Focus.

Submissions close at 4pm on Friday 27 June.

ENDS

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