Item 5: Amend Speed
Management Plan Timing - Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road
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Council
22 October 2024
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Report
Title: Amend
Speed Management Plan Timing - Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road
Report
Author: Lyndon
Hammond - Manager Transport
Report
Authoriser: Alec Louverdis - Deputy Chief Executive /
Group Manager Infrastructure
Report
Number: R28849
1. Purpose of Report
1.1 To consider and
approve bringing forward the implementation date for lowering the speed limit
on Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road from 14 July 2025 to 29 October 2024.
2. Summary
2.1 During 2023 and
2024 Nelson City Council (NCC) jointly with Tasman District Council (TDC)
developed a Speed Management Plan (the Plan). The Plan included the
following changes (approved 23 July 2024 by the Joint Council Committee):
· lower the
speed limit outside schools with existing variable zones from 40/50km/h to
30/50km/h;
· introduce
new variable 30/50km/h school zones to four schools;
· lower the
speed limit to 30km/h on 17 low volume residential roads that have no
footpaths; and
· lower the
100km/h section of Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road to 80km/h.
2.2 On 28 September
a new Setting of Speed Limits 2024 rule (Rule) was gazetted by Central
Government.
2.3 The new Rule
enables the changes outside schools without the use of the Plan.
2.4 The Rule
doesn’t allow 30km/h on roads with no footpaths as envisioned in the
Plan.
2.5 The Rule allows
the change at Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road but would require Council to
redo the benefit cost calculation and consultation before it was implemented.
2.6 The benefit cost
ratio carried out as part of the Plan found that greatest road safety benefits
are available in the rural environment.
2.7 If the
implementation date of Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road speed limit is brought
forward under our existing Plan and physically implemented before 30 October
2024, this speed limit change can be made. Changing the implementation date by
way of Council resolution is the key discussion and decision sought by this
report.
3. Recommendation
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That the
Council
1. Receives
the report Amend Speed Management Plan Timing - Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa
Road (R28849); and
2. Approves
changing the implementation date of the speed limit change from 100km/h to
80km/h on Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road from 14 July 2025 to 29 October
2024.
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4. Background
4.1 The Plan was
approved by Joint Committee of TDC and NCC on 23 July 2024. The Plan was
started under the Speed Limit Setting Rule 2022 but was amended to align with
draft Speed Limit Setting Rule 2024.
4.2 The proposed
changes in the Plan were generally consistent with the draft Setting of Speed
Limits Rule. However, the final Rule (gazetted on 28 September 2024 and coming
into force on 30 October 2024) has some changes from the draft.
4.3 Based on the
draft Rule, officers had anticipated that speed limits which had been certified
and registered, but coming into effect later, would be allowed to remain.
However, the final Rule only allows those speed limits which are certified,
registered, and in force when the Rule comes into effect on 30 October
2024 to remain. A speed limit comes into force on the implementation date
in the register, and when signs are erected. The speed limit changes were
proposed for Nelson on 14 July 2025, so would not be in force on 30 October
2024.
4.4 At time of
writing, the Plan is with the Director of Land Transport for certification,
with an NZTA staff recommendation that it be certified. Certification is
expected imminently.
4.5 The Plan
resolved for Nelson to:
· lower the
speed limit outside schools with existing variable zones from 40/50km/h to
30/50km/h;
· introduce
new variable 30/50km/h school zones to four schools;
· lower the
speed limit to 30km/h on 17 low volume residential roads that have no
footpaths; and
· lower the
100km/h section of Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road to 80km/h.
4.6 The new Rule
requires the changes outside schools, and this is currently programmed for
implementation at the start of the third school term on 14 July 2025.
4.7 The Rule
doesn’t allow 30km/h on roads with no footpaths as intended in the Plan
but does allow 40km/h. Five of the roads included in the Plan for change
already have a 40km/h limit. The Plan’s cost benefit analysis
showed this to have a low safety benefit but does acknowledge it may have a
mode shift and neighbourhood amenity gain. It is not proposed to pursue
changing the remaining 50km/h roads without footpaths to 40km/h as it would
create further inconsistency and be difficult from a resourcing point of view
to register and erect all the signs in the short time available.
4.8 The Rule allows
a lower 80km/h speed limit on Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road but would
require Council to redo the benefit cost calculation and consultation before it
was implemented because the planned implementation date is after the Rule comes
into force. Changing the implementation date by way of Council resolution
enables the limit to be reduced on this section, meeting the local
communities’ expectations without the need reconsult with that community
seeking the same outcome.
5. Discussion
Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa
Road Implementation Date
5.1 If Council
implemented a change before the new rule comes into force then it could save
redoing the benefit cost calculation and community consultation.
5.2 During the
engagement on the Plan NCC received the most feedback for a rural road in
Nelson on Cable Bay Road. 27 submissions were received with 96% of those
in favour of lowering the speed limit.
5.3 Cable Bay Road
and Maori Pa Road are both of a lower standard in terms of road width, safety
features such as delineation, barriers and signs than the adjacent State
Highway 6 which has a slower regulatory Speed of 80km/h. The current
arrangement makes little sense to the travelling public, in that you turn off
the high standard State Highway 6 and are encouraged by the regulatory signs to
speed up to 100km/h as you move onto an obviously lower standard road.
5.4 In the last ten
years the crash database shows a total of six crashes on Cable Bay Road and four
crashes on Maori Pa Road. Of these 10 crashes, nine were loss of control /
run off the road crashes typically resulting from driving too fast for the
conditions, with the other crash a head on at a corner.
6. Options
6.1 Three options
are available to Council. Officers recommend Option 1.
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Advantages
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· enables
road safety benefit to be realised
· removes
inconsistency between State Highway 6 and Cable Bay Road
· minimises
NCC and community time and costs
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Risks and Disadvantages
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· NZTA
may not be able to certify the Plan and this change within the short
implementation timeframe proposed
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Advantages
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· enables
road safety benefit to be realised
· removes
inconsistency between State Highway 6 and Cable Bay Road
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Risks and Disadvantages
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· time
to implementation is unknown as a new piece of work would need to be
scheduled into works programme
· time
and expense to redo benefit cost and community engagement
· Community
frustration at redoing a change process potentially for the same outcome
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Advantages
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· Nil
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Risks and Disadvantages
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· road
environment on Cable Bay Road not well aligned by open road speed limit due
to narrow seal width and a high proportion of unfamiliar drivers due to it
being a recreation and tourist destination.
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7. Conclusion
7.1 A change in the
Speed Limit Setting rule has impacted on the decisions NCC has made via the
recently adopted Plan causing it to have no legal standing.
7.2 The changes to
the school speed zones as proposed can proceed without the Plan, however the
lowering of speed on 17 Roads with no footpaths and on Cable Bay Road and Maori
Pa Road cannot.
7.3 There is an
opportunity to lower the speed on Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road, in
accordance with the recently adopted Plan, by bringing forward the
implementation date.
7.4 This enables a
good outcome for road safety and aligns with the majority view of the
community.
7.5 It is
recommended that the implementation date for the speed limit change from
100km/h to 80km/h on Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road be changed from 14 July
2025 to 29 October 2024.
8. Next Steps
8.1 Officers will
update the National Speed Limit Register and arrange signs to be erected.
The Speed Limit of 80km/h on Cable Bay Road would come into force on 29 October
2024.
Attachments
Nil
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Important considerations for decision making
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Fit with Purpose of Local Government
The decision in this report enables decisions on the
setting of speed limits to enable the safe use of roads in Nelson.
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Consistency with Community Outcomes
and Council Policy
The decision aligns with the reducing trend of death
and serious injury crashes sought through the Long Term Plan and Regional
Land Transport Plan.
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Risk
There are a number of crashes where speed was a
factor on Cable Bay Road and Maori Pa Road as detailed in section 5.4.
A lowering speed limit should encourage lower operating speeds which will
reduce or mitigate the crash risk and/or severity.
NZTA may not be able to certify the Plan and this
change within the short implementation timeframe proposed.
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Financial impact
The financial impact of this decision is modest
associated with the install of approximately 8 road signs.
The alternative if a lower speed is sought on Cable
Bay Road and Maori Pa Road sometime in the future will be more significant as
Council will need to redo the cost benefit analysis and community engagement
undertaken earlier this year.
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Degree of significance and level of
engagement
This matter is of low significance because Council
has already resolved to make this change. This report is simply
bringing forward the implementation date.
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Climate Impact
This change will have little
impact in GHG emissions. A minor decrease could be expected due to
slower vehicle speeds using slightly less fuel.
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Inclusion of Māori in the
decision making process
Māori engagement was undertaken in preparing the
Speed Management Plan.
No Maori engagement has been undertaken in preparing
this report.
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Delegations
The Joint Regional Transport Committee has the
responsibility for preparing and recommending to Joint Committee a Joint
Speed Management Plan.
Council as the Road Controlling Authority has the
power to amend the implementation date of the Speed Management Plan.
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Notice of the Ordinary meeting of