Wellington's proposed 30km/h road speed reductions should cover the entire CBD and inner suburbs, environmental groups and cycling advocates say.
Photo: 123RF
The proposals are part of the first wave of measures as part of the Let's Get Wellington Moving.
Plans to reduce the speed limits of the majority of roads have been open to public submission since February, with the City Council engaging with hearings today and yesterday.
Nearly two thirds - 64 percent - of the more than 1700 submissions either approved or strongly approved of the measures, while just 34 percent said they disapproved.
Some who approved of the plans said however they did not go far enough. While most roads will be reduced to 30km/h speeds, the main arterial routes - including Jervois Quay, Cambridge and Kent Terrace, and Vivian Street - will not.
Millions of Mothers environmental group co-founder Alicia Hall said that was not good enough.
"The evidence very strongly shows, globally and in New Zealand, that we need to have a blanket 30 [km/h], for everybody," she said.
She said coverage should be expanded to include all the arterial routes and the inner suburbs as well.
"It'll make a vast difference, not only for the elderly and the disabled, but children, being able to navigate their way around our cities, and our suburbs," she said.
"Slower traffic would mean more families can bike and walk to school. Kids gain confidence and they can navigate their own way around, and then there's less congestion around schools. And it's little impact on journey times - that's been proven as well."
Cycling Action Network project manager Patrick Morgan said slower streets would also improve safety for cylists, encouraging more people to cycle into town rather than drive, which would have knock-on effects for businesses.
"The increased foot-count is good for retailers and business. Many studies show that people who travel by foot and bike shop more often and spend more."
Councillor Jenny Condie, who is chairing the hearings on the proposals, said they would not be able to expand the limits immediately.
"We aren't able to expand the proposed area until after we've completed the consultation. We could make the area smaller, but we can't make it larger," Dr Condie said.
"That said, this is not the end of this process. It's absolutely the intention of this Council for other areas in our central city to become safer speed areas."
She said it was encouraging to see how many people responded to the proposals.
"Anything to do with our streets is something that gets Wellingtonians involved because it affects all of us."
