Community members packed into the Clifton Terrace School hall on Wednesday to voice their concerns about the speed limit increase on SH6 through Atawhai in Nelson. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
- The government recently announced 38 sections of the State Highway network would be reversed to their previous speed limits by 1 July
- In Nelson, the 1.8km affected section of SH6 has a long history of advocacy from residents for speed limit reductions. In 2020, part of it was reduced to 60km/h.
- The Minister of Transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic, but has provided no further details
Bailey Smith has been shepherding a group of children to Clifton Terrace School on bikes and scooters most mornings along part of State Highway 6, for the last 10 years.
The "bike bus" travels along part of the 1.8 kilometre stretch of road the government wants to increase the speed on, as part of its rollback of speed limit reductions.
Smith was shocked to learn of the reversal and believes it's a bad idea.
"We have had children fall onto the road, luckily no cars were coming at the time but 80km/h is way too fast, it's really not safe."
Clifton Terrace School pupils who bike and scooter to school, with signs protesting the speed limit increase. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Femke Meinderts was also horrified to hear about the speed reversal. Her two children go to Clifton Terrace School and she is part of Parents for Active Transport Atawhai.
"We expected that the section to Blenheim would be increased but we really, in our wildest nightmares, did not imagine that this section would be touched...we really think the government has made a mistake and we hope they will have the guts to rectify it."
Emily Osbourne and Femke Meinderts of Parents for Active Transport Atawhai. R Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Transport Minister Chris Bishop has promised public consultation will take place in some of the affected areas - like Nelson - but Meinderts was concerned there have been no firm details.
"We haven't seen anything in writing and at the moment, as the law stands, or the directive stands, this will be automatically increased to 80 along here, so we would really like to see Chris Bishop actually sign a piece of paper to say that he is serious and he is not just trying to shut us and the kids up."
Parents for Active Transport Atawhai held a community meeting at the school hall on Wednesday night to present a set of resolutions and it was clear there was widespread support for them.
Nelson mayor Nick Smith said he agreed the section of highway should remain at 60km/h, particularly as part of the shared pathway beside the highway was only 1.4 metres wide, with little capacity for two way foot or bike traffic.
He encouraged residents to email NZTA with their concerns, as invited by the Transport Minister.
The agency's web page seeking public consultation on the 49 proposed speed changes acknowledges people "may have views on speed limits not open for consultation" and offers those people an email address to send "feedback".
"I hear you, I understand you want to keep it at 60, I'll be doing all I can as mayor to get the reset and to take the proposal for the 80km/h on that specific Marybank section off the agenda so you can get on with your school year," Smith said.
Some of the parents who are advocating for the speed limit outside the school to remain at 60km/h. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack said her office had been inundated with messages and phone calls about the issue and it was "resoundingly clear" that the community wanted the speed limit reduction to remain.
She had concerns about how any consultation would be carried out and said it was important it occurred to ensure the right result for the community.
Clifton Terrace School principal Rob Wemyss said there had been a noticeable change since the speed was lowered to 60km/h outside the school in 2020.
"There were a lot of people in less of a hurry who made better decisions on the roads.
"One of the biggest problems turning out from school here was facing traffic that was moving quickly and as soon as it came down, it took that risk away."
Bevan Woodward Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Another Clifton Terrace parent Rachael Voyce said her kids felt safer riding to school since the speed limit was reduced and she was shocked to hear of the change.
"Our kids bike, scooter or walk to school every day and it is a big ask for them to do it. They are learning to do it on their own because they are getting a bit older but it is really scary when the cars are whizzing past so fast and with all the road crossings, it's too much to raise the speed."
Sustainable transport advocate Bevan Woodward said it was likely changes to the Speed Rule would be needed to prevent the automatic reversals from going ahead on 1 July.
"It just seems so wrong that a politician sitting in the Beehive in Wellington can tell a little community what their specific speed limit is going to be when to date it has always been determined through a process of assessment, analysis of safety and local consultation and that is all missing from this process."
The three resolutions from the meeting
- To ask the Transport Minister to officially halt the automatic speed increase and formally consult the Atawhai community
- To ask NZTA to reconsider the road classification of State Highway 6 at Marybank (from urban connector to peri-urban)
- Appeal to the Local Roading Authority (Nelson Tasman Regional Transport Committee)
