Whanganui District Council prepares to reduce speed limits around schools

Variable speed limit signs must be installed by July 1. Photo / NZME

Variable 30km/h speed limits will soon be in place around 33 Whanganui schools, with 237 signs going into the ground.

The project, mandated by the Government, has a budget of $694,000, split between NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA, 68%) and Whanganui District Council (32%).

Council roading manager Mark Allingham said a tender was out for the work, which needed to be completed by July 1.

Variable speed limits are used to manage speeds at certain times, such as school drop-off and pick-up.

Allingham said the council had received feedback from all the schools involved.

“It’s been greeted very, very positively,” he said.

Keith Street School principal Linda Ireton said there had been “quite a few near misses” on the Keith St and Liverpool St intersection.

“We have some cars really speeding along Liverpool because there are no judder bars,” she said.

“People just don’t see the school, I suppose.

“It will be really great to have the signs. It’s very welcome news.”

The council aims to install 51 electronic speed limit signs and 186 static speed signs as part of the project.

At a council operations and performance committee meeting last month, Allingham said the council would look at how it could use the project “more for ourselves”.

“For example, if we can have speed cameras in some signs, it’ll give us more data on the roads and we could have traffic counters put in them.

“But, the first thing for us is to get those signs up as per the NZTA requirement.”

Linda Ireton says there have been “quite a few near misses” on the Keith St and Liverpool St intersection. Photo / NZME

The council voted in 2024 to reduce speed limits around schools, despite there being no Government mandate at the time.

There were 146 public submissions on the council’s plan, with 81% in favour of it.

Churton School principal Cara Barron said the school did not have a pedestrian crossing on Somme Parade.

“It’s a long stretch of road, all the way from the [Aramoho] rail bridge without any interruptions,” she said.

“People take advantage of that and abuse the speed limit, and we’ve got kids on bikes and walking.

“We are very in favour of the reduced speed limit.”

Carlton School principal Gary Johnson said the speed limit reduction was “greatly appreciated”.

He said while the school did not have major issues with speeding, traffic volume and congestion were high.

“We are part of our own problem because 9am and 3pm are the worst on the road [Carlton Ave].

“Lowering the speed limit helps us manage things.”

St Mary’s School principal Jacqui Luxton said the school’s biggest issue was student safety at the start and end of the day.

The school had the additional problem of two roads and a rail crossing that people had to get across, she said.

“When you combine the number of students, parents, scooters and bikes all trying to cross with the current speed limit, it is an accident waiting to happen.

“Any speed limit reduction will be great.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.