Safer Speed Areas Get Green Light

Hamilton is to introduce a 40km/h speed limit in eight areas of the city in an effort to make suburban streets safer.

Council’s Strategy and Policy Committee yesterday (21 September) gave their approval to reduce the speed limits as part of a national demonstration project for ‘Safer Speed Areas’.

This follows recent consultation with the community and key stakeholders over four weeks which saw more than 1000 information leaflets distributed and an awareness campaign carried out. In total 20 submissions were received – half in support of and half opposed to the proposal.

Hamilton has for a long time wanted to reduce vehicle speeds around schools and local streets which have a high number of vulnerable road users. Almost every school in the city is now part of a 40 km/hour speed zone and this demonstration project means that Hamilton will be one of the first places in the country to introduce 40 km/h speed limits in areas other than around schools.

The speed reduction comes into effect on 17 October, and signage and road markings will be used to show where the eight demonstration areas are.

The eight areas selected by Council for the demonstration are:
• Barrington (in Huntington)
• McNicol (in Fairfield)
• Ngaere (in Chartwell)
• Willoughby (in Whitiora)
• Lethborg (in Dinsdale)
• Heath (in St Andrews)
• Howell (in Hillcrest)
• Tamihana (in Fairfield)

These areas can be viewed at www.saferspeedarea.org.nz Committee Chairperson Councillor Maria Westphal says: “I’m pleased to see this get the green light as reducing speed limits by just 10 km/h on our local streets will bring significant road safety benefits to all road users particularly children on their way to school, cyclists and walkers, and be a good first step in making these streets available again to the community.

“Council has obtained external funding from the Road Safety Trust to allow this demonstration project to proceed and is grateful to all of the organisations, such
as the New Zealand Transport Agency and NZ Police who have worked with us and shown leadership in road safety.”