Speed limits on nine sections of Wairarapa roads could be slashed from 100kmh to 40kmh if a proposed speed review is adopted.
The Interim Speed Management Plan for Carterton and South Wairarapa District Councils, produced by Tonkin and Taylor, is included in tomorrow’s Carterton District Council meeting.
Overall, hundreds of rural roads stand to see speed limit reductions, with a proposal to drop dozens of 100kmh stretches to 80kmh or 60kmh.
The council is due to receive the paper, adopt the principles and priorities of the plan, and note a public consultation will take place.
The report set out a proposal to slow driving speeds across the Carterton and South Wairarapa districts.
The report said the plan followed the Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency [NZTA] speed management guide and would provide an implementation plan related to safer speeds.
It said the development of a full-speed management plan would begin in early 2023.
The interim plan proposed to introduce 40kmh speed limits to nine sections of Carterton and South Wairarapa roads that currently have speed limits of 100kmh.
In Carterton, Hilton Rd from 35 metres southeast of Madison St to Marshall Rd would drop from 100kmh to 40kmh.
All of Portland Rd would see the same reduction.
Richmond Rd from 40m northwest of Rutland Rd to Marshall Rd would drop from 100kmh to 60kmh.
Rutland Rd would also reduce from 100kmh to 60kmh.
In Greytown, Hupenui Rd would drop from 100kmh to 40kmh.
Bidwills Cutting Rd from 240m south on Bidwills Cutting Rd to Kemptons Line would slow from 70kmh to 30kmh.
The section of Bidwills Cutting Rd after Kemptons Line would reduce to 80kmh.
Featherston’s biggest speed reduction would be on Underhill Rd from 740m northeast on Underhill Rd to 775m northeast on Underhill Road, falling from 100kmh to 40kmh.
Boundary Rd from State Highway 53 to 100m northeast of the intersection would slow to 60kmh from 100kmh.
In Martinborough, sections of Jellicoe St, New York St, Ponatahi Rd, Puruatanga Rd, and Todds Rd would all see speed reductions from 100kmh to 40kmh.
The out-of-action Hinekura Rd was set to see a speed reduction from 100kmh to 60kmh.
For some roads, the speed reduction reflected a point where the road went from sealed to gravel.
The agenda said the councils were at stage two of eight, seeking feedback from stakeholders about priorities and speed concerns.
The final step was to implement the plan.
The interim plan said there had been seven speed-related fatal crashes in the Carterton and South Wairarapa districts since 2012.
Data from the NZTA’s crash analysis system showed there had been a total of 22 fatal crashes over the same period.
The interim plan listed a further 18 speed-related crashes that were not fatal but caused serious injuries.
It said travel speed was among the top three contributing factors to fatal and serious injury crashes in the Carterton and South Wairarapa districts.
Travel speed was a factor in 27 per cent of fatal and serious injury crashes, poor handling made up 29 per cent, alcohol made up 27 per cent, and poor observation contributed 27 per cent.
