Safer speeds? What’s happening to speed limits in Papanui?

Update March 2025: the information in the article below was correct at the time of publication (October 2023). The change of central Government that occurred shortly after publication has had a significant impact on the City Council’s speed programme. Specifically, the changes approved for Papanui and Redwood in July 2023 have never been implemented, and the Safer Speed Plan is no longer being considered (see the Council website for details).

October 2023: Speed limits on some Papanui streets were reduced earlier this year, further speed reductions have been approved already and will be implemented soon, and at the time of writing there’s consultation open on a further round of proposed changes. Read on for a recap of what’s already been implemented, and what changes are now on the table.

Lower speed limits: live-saving? Or an excessive extension of travel time?

Simon Kingham is the Chief Science Advisor to the Ministry of Transport and is a Professor of Human Geography at Canterbury University. In an article published on the University’s website he explains the lower risk of injury or death when a person is hit by a slower-moving vehicle, and how greenhouse gas and nitrogen dioxide emissions are reduced at lower speeds.

What about travel times? In the same article, Professor Kingham notes that “lower speed limits in urban areas add virtually no time to journeys“. A presentation by transportation consultancy ViaStrada explains in more detail how a reduced speed limit doesn’t equate to a corresponding increase in travel time.

What’s already changed

The Papanui Slow Speed Neighbourhood was unanimously approved by the Council in July 2022 following a recommendation from our Community Board. As was noted by our Board Chair at the time of the approval, “The consultation feedback on this was very strongly in favour“.

This package of changes illustrates the power of public feedback – the original proposal did not include changes to Sawyers Arms Road, or to Main North Road adjacent to St Joseph’s School, and no changes were proposed between Mays Road & Innes Road. The streets around Paparoa Street School and Christchurch Adventist School were proposed to be reduced from 50km/h to 40km/h:

The Council received 82 submissions on the proposal above. 63 submitters (77%) clearly supported the proposal, and 14 (17%) clearly opposed it. Following this public feedback, and a regulatory change relating to setting of speed limits, the plan taken to the Community Board in June 2022 included 30km/h amendments outside the three schools mentioned above, and the 40km/h zone extended down to Innes Road.

At the Community Board meeting in June 2022 the Board “broadly accepted” the proposed changes, and also recommended: a variable 30km/h speed limit for Main North Road in the vicinity of St Joseph’s School; a greater length of Rutland Street to be set at 30km/h rather than the proposed 40km/h; and that a section of Sawyers Arms Road be set at 30km/h rather than the existing 50km/h. The Board also requested progress towards “the business area of Papanui, Harewood and Main North Roads being reduced to 30 km/h when funding becomes available”, and noted a desire to see further speed reductions in Northcote and south of Harewood Road / west of Papanui Road.

The Board’s recommendations were then unanimously approved by the Council in July 2022. The changes east of Main North Road were implemented in February 2023 and west of Main North Road in May 2023.

[Update March 2025: the 30km/h limit on Claremont Ave is set to be increased – see https://thinkpapanui.nz/archives/6958]

Further changes yet to be implemented

In July 2023 the Council approved an Interim Speed Management Plan, which was focused on speed reductions on streets near schools an in surrounding neighbourhoods. The plan includes changes in Papanui, Northcote, and Redwood, as I highlighted in a post (including maps) on Think Papanui. This decision wasn’t unanimous – three Councillors voted against the plan, including Councillor for Papanui Ward Victoria Henstock.

Public consultation leading up to this decision generated 2,008 comments on an interactive map from 1,139 unique businesses, organisations, and individuals. 458 comments (24%) clearly stated their support for the proposed changes, 230 (11%) clearly stated their opposition, while the remaining 1,320 (66%) were observations or specific requests. Further details can be found in the Council agenda for the meeting (18MB PDF).

Our Community Board submission on the proposal was “generally supportive”, and requested additional changes, including near Papanui Primary School and Redwood School. These requested changes were not supported in the interim plan, but may yet happen following further consultation underway at the time of writing – read on to learn more.

Work to implement the changes approved in July 2023 is expected to start late this year.

[Update March 2025: the changes discussed above have not been implemented, and are no longer planned.]

What else might change – have your say by 25 October 2023

But wait, there’s more! Following the adoption of the interim speed management plan (discussed above), at the time of writing the Council is consulting on a full Speed Management Plan. This has further impacts citywide, and in Papanui Ward picks up requests made by the Community Board following previous public feedback:

• the business area of Papanui, Harewood and Main North Roads is proposed to reduce to 30 km/h
• speed reductions north of Papanui Primary School and south of Redwood School

For full details of proposed changes, see the Council’s Safer Speed Plan consultation page, where you’ll find a consultation document, an online map of the whole city, and also downloadable PDFs of each Community Board area. The downloadable maps include both the proposed changes in the short-term, and also the 10-year vision.

The plan is open for feedback until 25 October 2023, and will be followed by public hearings in late 2023 or early 2024, followed by a Council decision in the first half of 2024.

[Update March 2025: the Safer Speed Plan discussed above has not been progressed, and is no longer being considered.]

Question for readers

What are your thoughts on the changes already approved? On those now proposed? Have you had your say?