Whanganui District Council told raised crossings should accompany proposed speed limit reductions

A raised pedestrian crossing outside Whanganui East School. Photo / Bevan Conley

Proposed speed reductions around Whanganui schools could give pedestrians a false sense of security, an engineer says.

Whanganui District Council is proposing to drop speed limits outside rural schools at Okoia, Mangamahu, Kaitoke and Brunswick from 100km/h to 30km/h and those around most urban schools from 50km/h to 30km/h.

Chris Miller, a director of Red Jacket Engineering, said his company undertook a lot of roading work in Whanganui, including traffic impact assessments and road safety audits.

“Aged-care homes and school zones are typically where we have our most vulnerable road users,” he said.

“At school during peak times when you’ve got kids rushing around, poor decisions can be made, whether it’s crossing the road or getting out of parked vehicles.

“That can lead to quite severe consequences.”

Miller presented a submission to the council this week supporting its proposal but said there was a difference between a lower posted speed and operating speed.

The historic use of the road meant some users would continue to drive at higher speeds regardless of the new 30km/h speed signs.

“This effectively gives pedestrians a false sense of security,” he said.

“These reductions should be coupled with traffic calming measures to make sure the operating speed matches the posted speed limit.”

They could include lane narrowing, plantings and raised tables and bumps.

Miller said recent studies had shown raised safety platforms were very successful in reducing speed.

“They are typically used as pedestrian crossing points - a raised concrete platform approximately 100mm high.

“They are being used all around the country at the moment.”

Councillor Glenda Brown said another submitter had questioned whether traffic calming measures and reduced speed limits “negated each other”.

It was almost more important to have the calming measures in place, Miller said.

“You get the outcome you want without going through the process of changing the speed and people feeling they can get tickets.

“I see where they are coming from, but we’ve got to look at that end outcome - getting the operating speed lower to protect vulnerable road users.”

Councillor Kate Joblin asked how well measures such as speed bumps were accepted by the public.

Last week, Whanganui Hospital replaced the speed bumps on one of its drives after years of complaints.

Miller said there was generally a positive reaction from those who lived on the particular street or in the area, but it was important to factor in arterial routes and slowing people “getting from A to B”.

“When you have quite abrupt, high-profile speed bumps, you will negative feedback on those. Those are the ones you want to put down the bottom of the list.”

Under the previous government, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi required speed reductions around 40 per cent of all district schools before June 30 this year, and all schools by 2027.

New Transport Minister Simeon Brown then wrote to councils saying the deadlines no longer applied as the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits was being reviewed.

However, the council chose to continue the consultation process.

Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and 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.