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Auckland Transport (AT) will impose dramatic reductions in speed limits on Mahurangi roads to try to slash road deaths.
AT spokesperson Joanna Glasswell says the speed reductions are part of an Auckland-wide effort to reduce deaths and serious injury on Auckland roads by 60 per cent within the next 10 years.
The first Mahurangi roads affected in the scheme will be around Matakana, the Tawharanui Peninsula, Mahurangi West, and a cluster of unsealed rural roads at the south end of Warkworth.
Several hazardous roads in these areas will have their speed limits reduced from 100km/h to 40km/h.
In Matakana, these include Smith Road, Ward Road and Govan Wilson Road. In Tawharanui, they include Baddeleys Beach Road, Bishop Lane, and Whitmore Road.
It’s expected the new limits on these roads will be imposed sometime during November and December.
In a letter, sent to residents on or near the affected roads, AT says many of the targeted roads are unsealed, windy, narrow and often with unsegregated lanes.
“Even the most alert and experienced drivers can make mistakes. The consequences of small errors can be devastating,” the letter says.
Meanwhile, AT is considering further speed reductions, beyond those already identified, in rural areas around Warkworth, Mahurangi East, Matakana, Omaha, Leigh and Pakiri.
The speed reductions can’t come soon enough for Matakana resident Terry McCathie, who says they are vital, especially with the growth in new housing and visitors to the area with associated massive increases in traffic.
“The corners, camber and narrowness of the roads were never designed for high speed or high volume traffic,” he says.
“We live on Tongue Farm Road and find it a nightmare exiting or entering Tongue Farm Road because of the increased volume of speeding traffic on Leigh Road.”
Mr McCathie says Tongue Farm Road is itself extraordinarily dangerous. The road is part of the Matakana cycle trail to Omaha and Point Wells and attracts numerous pedestrians and cyclists.
Several times in recent months, Mr McCathie has had to help pedestrians out of roadside drains where they have jumped to avoid motorists speeding around corners at 100km/h.
He has asked Auckland Council to look into the matter before someone is seriously injured or killed.
As went to press, AT could not confirm whether Tongue Farm Road would definitely be among those to have its speed limit reduced, but anticipated the speed limit on Leigh Road would eventually be brought down. This would prompt a review of the limits on adjacent roads.
Roads to have their speeds reduced during November/December 2018
Mahurangi West
40km/h: Opahi Bay Road, Barr Road, Jamieson Road, Rangi Road, Mahurangi West Road (applies to last 50m at eastern end, adjacent to Jamieson Road.)
Warkworth
40km/h: Hepburn Creek Road, Wilson Road (from Hepburn Creek Road to the eastern end of Wilson Road), Edwards Road, Hodgart Road.
Matakana
40km/h: Govan Wilson Road, Smith Road, Ward Road.
60km/h: Matakana Valley Road (from Smith Road to about 960 Matakana Valley Rd).
80km/h: Matakana Valley Road (from existing 50km/h zone to Smith Road), Matakana Valley Road (from 2720m southeast of Pakiri Road to Pakiri Road).
Tawharanui
40km/h: Buckleton Road, Bishop Lane, Clinton Road, Kookaburra Drive, Pigeon Place, Campbell Road, Baddeleys Beach Road (from 100m north of Clinton Road to the southern end of Baddeleys Beach Road). Whitmore Road (from 1.2km north of Bishop Lane to Buckleton Road).
60km/h: Haywood Lane, Takatu Road (from 2km east of Baddeleys Beach Road to Tawharanui Regional Park). Whitmore Road (from Takatu Road to 1.2km north of Bishop Lane).
80km/h: Baddeleys Beach Road (from 100m north of Clinton Road to Takatu Road) Takatu Road (from Leigh Road intersection to 2km east of Baddeleys Beach Road).
