Proposed Speed Limit Changes Proposed Speed Limit Changes

Proposed Speed Limit Changes Phase Two - Feedback report

Public feedback September - November 2021 (PDF 3.5MB)

Feedback reports by local board area 

Feedback Report - Local Board - Albert-Eden

Feedback Report - Local Board - Aotea Great Barrier

Feedback Report - Local Board - Devonport-Takapuna

Feedback Report - Local Board - Franklin 

Feedback Report - Local Board - Henderson-Massey

Feedback Report - Local Board - Hibiscus and Bays 

Feedback Report - Local Board - Howick

Feedback Report - Local Board - Kaipātiki

Feedback Report - Local Board - Māngere-Ōtāhuhu

Feedback Report - Local Board - Manurewa

Feedback Report - Local Board - Maungakiekie-Tamaki

Feedback Report - Local Board - Orakei

Feedback Report - Local Board - Ōtara-Papatoetoe

Feedback Report - Local Board - Papakura

Feedback Report - Local Board - Puketapapa

Feedback Report - Local Board - Rodney

Feedback Report - Local Board - Upper Harbour

Feedback Report - Local Board - Waiheke

Feedback Report - Local Board - Waitākere Ranges

Feedback Report - Local Board - Waitematā

Feedback Report - Local Board - Whau

Maps of proposed changes around schools

• ACG Parnell College
• Auckland Girls Grammar
• Auckland Normal Intermediate
• Avondale Intermediate School
• Arohanui Special School
• Balmoral School (Auckland)
• Balmoral Seventh Day Adventist School
• Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ
• Chaucer School
• Clendon Park School - a map will be provided soon, please search for the road name via this link in the interim.
• Diocesan School For Girls
• Finlayson Park School - a map will be provided soon, please search for the road name via this link in the interim.
• Freemans Bay School
• Glenbrae Primary School
• Glendene School
• Good Shepherd School (Balmoral)
• Hauraki Primary School
• Henderson South School
• Kingsford Primary School
• Konini Primary School (Auckland)
• Long Bay College
• Long Bay Primary School
• Mairangi Bay School
• Marist Catholic School (Herne Bay)
• Marist College
• Manurewa West School - a map will be provided soon, please search for the road name via this link in the interim.
• Matua Ngaru School
• Maungawhau School
• Meadowbank School
• Mt Albert Grammar School
• Mt Albert Primary School
• Mt Carmel School (Meadowbank)
• Murrays Bay Primary School
• Newton Central School
• Oaklynn Special School
• Opaheke School
• Otahuhu Intermediate
• Pasadena Intermediate
• Ponsonby Intermediate
• Remuera Primary School
• Reremoana Primary School
• Rise Up Academy
• Riverina School
• Rowandale School – a map will be provided soon, please search for the road name via this link in the interim.
• Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate School
• St Mary's Catholic School (Papakura)
• Stanmore Bay School
• Sunnynook School
• Tangaroa College
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manurewa
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Nga Maungarongo
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Moananui-a-Kiwa
• Tirimoana School
• Verran Primary School
• Waatea School
• Waterview Primary School
• Wesley Primary School

Background 

The speed limit changes on these roads form part of our Safe Speeds Programme. We are currently working through a programme to review speed limits on all roads across our network to identify where changes are needed. Speed limit changes on other roads around Auckland will be considered in the future. 

Auckland Transport is taking a Vision Zero approach to road safety. That means we are striving to have zero deaths or serious injuries on our transport system by 2050. Ensuring speed limits are safe and appropriate across our road network supports our Vision Zero goals. 

Our approach to road safety aligns with directives from central and local government, including the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS), Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP), the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) and the Ministry of Transport’s Road to Zero 2020–2030 strategy. This set a target to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 40%, equivalent to approximately 750 fewer deaths and 5,600 fewer serious injuries, over the next decade and, “…requires us to establish safe and appropriate travelling speeds across our road network”.

Investigating speed limits around schools is a directive from the Ministry of Transport and is one of the key actions in Road to Zero: NZ’s road safety strategy 2020-2030.

In Auckland, there are 561 schools with current speed limits that do not make walking, cycling and scooting appealing modes of transport, both for children and their parents. Speed limits around these schools require changes to ensure safe and appropriate speeds by 2030 as per guidance from the Road to Zero strategy.

The criteria for reviewing speed limits 

When reviewing speed limits, there are a number of things we have to consider. The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017 requires AT to review speed limits to ensure they are safe and appropriate with regard to all of the following: 

• The characteristics of the road and roadsides – e.g. Is the road sealed? Are there sharp bends? Are there blind corners? Is there a central median strip to provide a buffer zone between oncoming traffic? 
• The crash risk for all road users.
• The number of deaths and serious injuries.
• The function and use of the road – this includes things like who uses the road and the speed vehicles travel at.
• Traffic volumes.
• Nearby land use.
• The number of intersections and property accessways.
• Planned modifications to the road – things like raised tables, median strips or barriers to separate oncoming vehicles.
• The views of interested people and groups.
• Information and guidance on speed management from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

Options considered

We have reviewed the existing speed limits for each of the approximately 800 roads identified and found they are not safe and appropriate for the function, design and use of the roads. This means we are now legally obligated to improve the safety of the roads. Retaining the existing speed limit is not a legal option. This means we are required to either:

• Set a new safe and appropriate speed limit, or
• Install engineering measures to improve the safety of the road, like road widening, sealing, resurfacing, barriers, road markings, speed humps etc.

We consider that it isn’t viable to ‘engineer up’ these roads to support their existing speed limits due to their physical nature and the corresponding costs involved. 

• Based upon assessed economics from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, typical engineering costs for rural roads are:
• Median and roadside safety barriers - $2m to $5m per km
• Median barrier only - $1m to $4m per km
• Wide centreline - $250k to $1.5m per km
• Targeted shoulder widening - $200k to $450k per site

For these reasons, engineering measures are typically reserved for state highways, expressways and key freight routes that have a strong case for investment in order to bring the road corridor up to the required standard to enable safe travel speeds at the current speed limit.

Setting safe and appropriate speed limits is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways of reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. We are therefore proposing new safe and appropriate speed limits for each of these approximately 800 roads.

Why these roads were selected 

Watch the New Zealand Sign Language version

The current speed limits on these roads are not safe and appropriate for the function, design and use of the roads. 

This negatively impacts the safety and efficiency of our transport network. 

Many of the rural roads in this proposal are twisting, have sharp bends and are hilly with narrow unforgiving lanes that pose challenges to even the most experienced drivers. The consequences of small driver errors on such roads can be fatal. 

And the urban roads in this proposal are places where people live, walk their dogs, kids play in driveways and walk to school. 

Over 90% of the roads, we propose changing the speed limits of are ‘self-explaining roads. This means drivers already travel at a slower speed due to the road conditions. In rural areas, this could be due to the road being narrow, windy or hilly. And in urban areas, it could be due to the residential environment and things like speed bumps. 

We are introducing safe and appropriate speeds across areas rather than individual roads. 

Some of the reasons we are proposing new speed limits on these roads include:

Deaths and serious injuries have occurred on many of the roads we proposed changing the speed limits of. Reducing the speed limits on these roads is likely to prevent people from getting seriously hurt or killed.  

ABOVE: This section of Paparimu Road, Mangatāwhiri, currently has a speed limit of 100 km/h. Our assessment found this is not a safe and appropriate speed limit. The average speed vehicles travel on this road is 86 km/h between Moumoukai Road and Ararimu Road and  76km/h between Ararimu Road and 2500m south of Paparata Road (Waikato District boundary). We propose changing the speed limit to 80km/h between Moumoukai Road and 2500m south of Paparata Road (the boundary of Auckland).

Common features of unsealed roads include: 

• Narrow road with no road markings 
• Poor surface conditions 
• Inconsistent driving conditions for motorists 
• Typically, the types of crashes which occur on unsealed roads tend to be loss of control crashes on bends and head-on collisions. 
• Driving at a slower speed on unsealed roads helps motorists to maintain control of their vehicles and improve their stopping distance when braking. 

ABOVE: This section of Ardmore Quarry Road, Ardmore, is unsealed and currently has a speed limit of 100 km/h. Our assessment found this is not a safe and appropriate speed limit. The average speed vehicles travel on this road is 45 km/h. We propose changing the speed limit to 40 km/h.

Narrow roads without any road markings require drivers to be more cautious which typically results in vehicles driving at slower speeds. 

ABOVE: Hilltop Road, Pukekohe, currently has a speed limit of 100 km/h. Our assessment found this is not a safe and appropriate speed limit. The average speed vehicles travel on this road is 50 km/h. We propose changing the speed limit to 60 km/h.

Narrow roads with narrow shoulder widths (the strip of road running along the outside of each lane) offer very little forgiveness if a driver makes a mistake when taking a corner. 

ABOVE: This section of Clevedon-Kawakawa Road, Clevedon, currently has a speed limit of 100 km/h. The average speed vehicles travel on this road is 76 km/h. We propose changing the speed limit to 80 km/h.

Road markings can significantly improve the safety of roads by giving drivers a better understanding of road alignment. Centrelines, the lines which run down the centre of the road to divide oncoming traffic, are used where a road is greater than 5 metres wide and also have more than 250 vehicles per day. If a road is less than that, it does not have a centreline but may have edge lines to show the road alignment. The lack of a centreline typically results in vehicles driving at a slower speed. 

ABOVE: Heald Road, Hunua, currently has a speed limit of 100 km/h. The average speed vehicles travel on this road is 70 km/h. We propose changing the speed limit to 60 km/h.

Many of the roads we propose setting new safe and appropriate speed limits for are winding with lots of twists and turns for drivers to negotiate. Some roads have signage advising drivers of the speed they should travel the bend at (i.e. 25 km/h). 

The twisting nature of these roads contributes to the current speed limits not being safe and appropriate. 

ABOVE: Monument Road, Clevedon, currently has a speed limit of 100 km/h. The average speed vehicles travel on this road is 59 km/h. We propose changing the speed limit to 60 km/h.

Roads are for people, however, they choose to travel. People not in cars are most vulnerable to getting hurt on our roads because they have no physical protection like people in vehicles do.  

ABOVE: John Walker Driver, Manurewa, currently has a speed limit of 50 km/h with a 40 km/h school zone. The average speed vehicles travel on this section of road is 32 km/h. This is due to the speed bumps in this residential area with schools, kindergartens and people who walk and ride their bikes. We propose changing the speed limit to 30 km/h 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.

Safe speeds around schools 

We are proposing speed limit changes on roads around 57 schools under this current tranche of the Safe Speeds Programme. The proposed changes will apply 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.

The internationally recognised safe and appropriate speed in areas with people walking and on bikes, like around schools, is 30km/h. All of these 57 schools are located in residential areas where the actual speeds that vehicles travel at (operating speeds) are already low. Therefore, the changes we propose will simply bring the posted speed limit in line with the speed vehicles are already travelling at.

As part of this proposal, we have prioritised the roads which already have road safety engineering measures like speed humps, or they already have low operating speeds and don’t require them.

We are taking an area-based approach so we’re proposing speed limit changes on surrounding roads, not just the roads the schools are on.

These proposed changes will make kids safer when travelling to school and give parents more confidence to allow their children to walk or cycle to school. It will also support safety for travel and recreation by local residents outside of school times.

Why some neighbouring schools weren’t included  

In some instances, there are schools close to the proposed changes but we do not propose changes on these roads at present. That’s because, under current legislation, the roads near these schools would need engineering measures (like speed humps) to bring vehicle speeds down before speed limit changes can be considered. In these instances, we could look to do one of the following options:

design, consult and install engineering measures to lower vehicle speeds to a safe level but require time to do this, or

await new legislation which we expect to be implemented in the near future which will no longer require engineering measures in some locations and make it faster and easier for us to implement safe speed limits around schools.

This new legislation is expected to introduce targets requiring 30km/h or 40km/h speed limits to be set around all schools across Aotearoa within set timeframes over the next ten years.

We are already bringing a focus around schools into our Safe Speeds Programme, with speed limit reviews around other schools across Auckland to be worked through as part of future tranches.

We are committed to improving the safety of Auckland’s roads, particularly around schools. But this process will take time. There are 561 schools in Auckland with surrounding roads that need new speed limits implemented. As outlined above, we are legally required to follow strict guidelines and legislation. We thank you for your patience while we undertake this process.

Want more details?  

To understand the reasons we’re proposing speed limit changes on each road, please view the interactive map and click on your chosen road.

Alternatively, for more detailed information on why these roads were selected and to view the papers presented to the AT Board on 28 June 2021, please view the files below: 

Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 (Tranche 2A) Final

Attachment 1a - Process Summary, Glossary and Assessments for Tranche 2A Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 (Tranche2A) Final

Attachment 1b - Process Summary, Glossary and Assessments for Tranche 2A Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 (Tranche2A) Final

Attachment 2 - Proposed Auckland Transport Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 Final

Attachment 3 - Statement of Proposal Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 (Tranche 2A) Final

Attachment 4 - Schools by Local Board area Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 (Tranche2A) Final

Attachment 5 - Safe Speeds Tranche2 - Communications, Engagement and Consultation Strategy Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 Final

Attachment 6 - Attitudes towards Speed Reductions Survey May-21 Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022(Tranche 2A) Final

Attachment 7 - Tranche 1 - Key road performance Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 (Tranche 2A) Final

Attachment 8 - Technical peer review Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 (Tranche 2A) Final

Attachment 9 - Safe Speeds Programme history Proposed Speed Limits Amendment Bylaw 2022 (Tranche2A) Final

The Speed Limits Bylaw 2019 with the Urban Traffic Area maps (PDF 15.6MB)

Safe speeds save lives

We’re all human, and we all make mistakes.

But those mistakes shouldn’t lead to someone dying or being seriously hurt – often with debilitating and life-long consequences.

Sadly, that’s what can happen when people make a mistake, particularly when driving at higher speeds. Speeds that some roads just aren’t built for.

At Auckland Transport, we are working with communities to make our road network more forgiving of the mistakes we can all make.

That can involve things like road maintenance, signage, road markings, driver education and engineering measures like speed bumps.

But it also involves setting safe and appropriate speed limits. That’s because no matter what the reason is for a crash, research shows that speed determines whether or not people survive.

The table above illustrates that even a slight reduction in speed greatly increases the chance of someone surviving being hit by a vehicle.

AT is committed to making our roads safer for all road users and these proposed changes will help improve safety for people walking and for people on bikes - including school children.

What methodology has been used to prioritise schools for speed limit reviews?

AT plans to review and ensure that safe and appropriate speed limits are in place around all of Auckland’s schools. We are starting with schools where safer speeds can be put in place now without the delay required to design and implement speed calming measures like speed humps. These are residential roads that have a speed limit close to or below 30km/h – which is the survivable speed recognised as being appropriate near schools. 

We are already investigating the next group of schools where we may need to complement a speed change with speed calming or other safety measures. 

What legislative changes are expected that will change speed limit setting around schools?  

Current legislation (the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017) doesn’t have special rules for setting speed limits around schools.  supports speed limits of 30km/h around schools where the average driver is travelling close to (within 10%) of the new speed limit. 

The Ministry of Transport and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (as the national regulator) are proposing to introduce new speed limit setting legislation and accompanying guidance for road controlling authorities across NZ, including Auckland Transport. 

This new legislation is expected to come into force in 2022 and (if enacted as proposed) will introduce specific rules for setting speed limits around schools (with maximum limits of 30km/h (or 40km/h in certain circumstances) for urban schools and 60km/h for rural schools).  The new rules would allow us to move to implement safer speed limits around more schools faster, as potentially less speed calming may be required. 

We are already investigating the next group of schools where we may need to complement a speed change with speed calming or other safety measures. 

When will the speed limits change for this selection of schools that have been identified for the October – November 2021 consultation? 

Between 31st May and 30th June 2022, subject to public consultation and subsequent approvals. 

Will the new speed limits be enforceable by NZ Police?

Yes, any new speed limits implemented will be enforceable by NZ Police once signposted.  

Will my school get speed calming measures to make the speeds slow?

For the first group of schools, there won’t be any additional speed calming measures considered at this stage as the areas proposed for a change to 30km/h are expected to operate close to that speed without further engineering. 

For school speed limit changes, we will be installing new signage and potentially gateway treatments (such as red pavement markings) for road users entering the area. 

Will the new speed limits only operate just before and after school? 

No, the speed limit changes proposed will (if implemented) be permanent 30km/h and apply at all times. 

Will the new speed limits around schools have electronic speed signs? 

No, the proposed new speed limits will be permanent so electronic signs will not be required – those are only required for variable speed limits which change at different times of the day (e.g. at the start and end of the school day).  However, where electronic variable speed limit signs are already in place, these may be retained to be used as repeater/reminder signs - these will be assessed on a case by case basis. 

What support will AT provide us for informing our parents of the speed limit changes? 

Auckland Transport Engagement lead staff will be contacting all schools in this programme and offering a package of resources that schools are able to use to promote the proposed speed limit changes to their school communities and encourage feedback here.

When will the next group of schools have speed limit reviews be notified? 

AT is working through its next tranche of speed limit reviews, including around some schools.  Any changes proposed as a result of those reviews are expected to be proposed for public consultation in early 2022.  

When will speed limit reviews be completed for all schools? 

If the new speed limit setting legislation (referred to under 2 above) comes into effect as proposed, it will require speed limits outside all schools to be reviewed in compliance with it by the end of 2029. However, AT is already working to ensure that there are safe and appropriate speed limits around all schools in Auckland with the aim to complete and implement such speed limit reviews as early as possible subject to resourcing and funding.