Call for views on Banks Peninsula speed limits

A proposed plan to lower speed limits on Banks Peninsula – including Akaroa and Lyttelton – is now open for public feedback.

Residents can have their say on the draft plan, including the proposed 40km/h speed limits for sections of the two main townships, and Cass Bay.

The proposal also includes a 40km/h limit in Waipapa Avenue Diamond Harbour, and significantly lower speeds – from 100km/h to 60km/h – along many winding rural roads.

Christchurch City Council Head of Transport Richard Osborne says that by lowering the speed limits across areas of Banks Peninsula, “we can create safer roads for all users”.

“Speed dictates both crash probability and severity,” Mr Osborne says. “The higher a vehicle’s speed, the greater the risk of a crash and the bigger the consequences on impact.

“Whether drivers and passengers can walk away – or are carried away – from a crash largely comes down to how fast their vehicle has been travelling.

“Banks Peninsula has a complex network of winding roads and steep inclines, adding an extra hazard layer for motorists,” he says. “These roads can be challenging for even the most experienced drivers, along with those who take major risks to pass trucks, caravans or cars pulling trailers.

“By cutting speed limits, we can make major safety gains, including in Akaroa and Lyttelton, which are attracting more holidaymakers and day-trippers.

“Accident figures show that there are significant benefits from reducing speed limits from 50km/h to 40km/h in townships.”

In the next month or so, the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will also be seeking input from the community, asking for people’s views on highway speeds from Christchurch to Akaroa – from the intersection of Blenheim Road and State Highway 73 (at the Curletts Road overbridge) to the entrance to Akaroa township.

“We need to match the correct speed to the section of road across the whole area,” Mr Osborne says.

“We propose to correct the speed limits on Banks Peninsula to ensure that they are most appropriate to the varying sections, taking into account the ‘difficulty’ of the often winding rural roads with steep gradients.

“Road network safety remains a major focus for the Council and targeted, lower speed limits underpin our commitment to those all-important continuous improvements.”

Among the proposed changes are lower speed limits – from 100km/h to 60km/h – for the Purau to Port Levy route and parts of Pigeon Bay, Puaha Valley, Little River, Okuiti Valley, the Southern Bays and Birdlings Flat.

People can provide feedback on the proposed changes via the Council’s Have Your Say webpage, with the deadline for submissions Thursday, 25 February.

If approved, the speed limit changes are expected to be in place by the middle of this year.