Speed Management Plan adopted to keep Taupō District road users safe
Taupō District Council has adopted an interim speed management plan aimed at keeping road users safe.
One of the actions in the council’s 2020 Transport Strategy was to create a speed management plan with a focus on speed limits around schools, walking and cycling routes, town centres, and high-risk rural roads.
While many of the speed limit changes proposed in the draft Speed Management Plan 2022 will go ahead, others will remain unchanged following community feedback. Consultation was held between March and May this year and 249 submissions were received.
In the Taupō District, the road network includes rural roads that are winding, hilly and usually two-lane, and urban streets; from central city shopping streets and local residential neighbourhoods to those that move traffic around the district. There are also many different road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, horses, campervans and tourist vehicles, agricultural vehicles, and heavy vehicles.
Some of the feedback specifically asked Council not to lower speed limits on rural roads and that has been taken into consideration, with the current speed limits on Poihipi Road, sections of Broadlands Rd and Mapara Road remaining unchanged.
The interim speed management plan outlines a list of priority one speed limit changes which were approved by full Council on Tuesday. They will be implemented over 2022 and 2023.
The focus for priority 1 changes (within the next two years) are:
- streets arounds schools.
- town centres, including Tūrangi town centre and Kinloch.
- setting speed limits on new or unclassified roads (including in new subdivisions).
All schools zones on local roads will be reduced to 30km/h. Some schools on busier roads will be 30km/h only at the start and end of the school day while others will be permanent. Schools on state highways still require Waka Kotahi to change the speed limit.
As part of the Taupō Town Centre Transformation Project, the speed limit in the new waterfront precinct of Roberts Street will be reduced to 10km/for pedestrian safety. The speed limit on other town centre roads will be reduced to 30km/h.
The changes will begin to be implemented later this year.
For a full list of the changes which will be made as part of the Speed Management Plan open the PDF below.
