Eastbourne Community Board
27 January 2017
File: (17/87)
Report no: ECB2017/1/19
Proposed School Zones 40km/h Variable Speed Limits 2016/2017
Purpose of Report
1. The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s approval for the installation of four School Zone 40km/h Variable Speed Limits for St Oran’s College in Hutt Central, Avalon Intermediate School, Wellesley College in Eastbourne and Naenae Primary School.
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Recommendations That the Traffic Subcommittee recommends that Council: (i) notes the specified parts of High Street and Ropata Street (for St Oran’s College), High Street and De Menech Grove (for Avalon Intermediate School), Marine Drive and Ferry Road (for Wellesley College), and Waddington Drive, Burke Grove and Cole Street (for Naenae Primary School) meet the New Zealand Transport Agency warrant conditions for 40km/h Variable Speed Limits in School Zones; (ii) notes the results of the submissions process referred to in the report; (iii) resolves that in accordance with s7.2(3) of the Land Transport Rule – Setting of Speed Limits 2003 (the “Rule”), and after taking account of section 6 of the Rule and submissions received, and for the periods of operation stipulated in the New Zealand Gazette, 21/4/2011, Nº55, p1284 – Variable Speed Limits in School Zones, that 40km/h variable speed limits be set from 13 February 2017 for areas around the following schools: (a) St Oran’s College, attached as Appendix 1 to the report; (b) Avalon Intermediate School, attached as Appendix 2 to the report; (c) Wellesley College attached as Appendix 3 to the report; (d) Naenae Primary School attached as Appendix 4 to the report; and (iv) requests officers to undertake all necessary actions to give effect to these resolutions under the provisions of the Rule. |
Background
2. School Zone 40km/h variable speed limits are an approved New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) safety measure to reduce the likelihood and consequences of crashes involving children arriving or leaving school. They provide a safer road environment outside schools and reinforce driver expectations of the likely presence of children.
3. Section 6.1 of the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003 Rule 54001 (the “Rule”) required that NZTA approve a variable speed limit before road controlling authorities could set such a speed limit under their Speed Limits Bylaw. In accordance with this requirement NZTA published a notice in the New Zealand Gazette (the Gazette) on 2 June 2005, and updated on 21 April 2011, approving a variable speed limit of 40km/h in school zones and setting out the warrant and conditions for those speed limits.
Warrant for School Zone 40km/h Variable Speed Limits
4. A road controlling authority may only set a 40km/h variable speed limit in a school zone under the following conditions:
a. There is a high level of school-related activity on the road outside the school with at least 50 children crossing the road or entering or leaving vehicles at the roadside; and
b. The traffic on the road outside the school meets at least one of the following conditions:
i. The mean speed of free-running vehicles is greater than 45km/h;
ii. The 85th percentile speed of free-running vehicles is greater than 50 km/h;
iii. There have been speed related crashes in the previous five years; or
iv. The school-related activity in condition (a) occurs on a main traffic route.
Periods of Operation
5. National and international use of school zone variable speed limits show that they are effective in reducing speeds but have the support of drivers only if there are children present when the speed limit is operating. Therefore, the times the variable speed limit is activated must be tightly controlled to match, as closely as possible, the times children are crossing the road or are gathered on the road side. These times vary from school to school and from time to time.
6. The maximum periods of operation on school days are set out in The Gazette notice as follows:
a. 35 minutes before the start of school until the start of school
b. 20 minutes at the end of school, beginning no earlier than 5 minutes before the end of school; and
c. 10 minutes at any other time when at least 50 children cross the road or enter or leave vehicles at the roadside.
7. The variable speed limit is controlled by electronically operated signs on main roads and fixed signs on adjoining low volume roads. The school year timetable is pre-programmed in advance and the electronic signs are automatically turned on and off, at the start and end of school. In addition the Principal can manually introduce the variable speed limit for those periods covered in 6 (c) above, but the system will automatically turn the signs off after the stipulated 10 minutes.
Provisions concerning the setting of speed limits
8. The Subcommittee must ensure that it applies the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003 (“the Rule”) when it recommends a speed limit to Council.
9. The Rule provides that:
a) The Council must consider the safe and appropriate speed limit for a road with regard to the function, nature and use of the road, its environment, land use patterns and whether the road is in an urban traffic area or rural area;
b) Council must set or review speed limits in accordance with the Rule (section 2.6 of the Rule); and
c) Section 6.1(3) of the Rule allows Council to set a variable speed limit under its Speed Limits Bylaw subject to approval by NZTA.
Discussion
10. The school zones generally meet the warrant conditions set by NZTA in paragraph 4 above as per the table below:
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NZTA Warrant |
No of children crossing/entering/leaving vehicles >50 |
Mean Speed >45kph |
85th % ile speed >50kph |
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St Oran’s College High Street |
141 |
46 |
51 |
|
Avalon Intermediate High Street |
110
|
49 |
58 |
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Wellesley College Marine Drive |
145
|
48 |
56 |
|
Naenae Primary School Waddington Drive |
94
|
49 |
55 |
Options
11. The options are to leave the areas as they are and accept that the safety concern will remain, or install the proposed changes attached as Appendices 1 to 4 to the report to improve safety for children and traffic in the area.
Consultation
12. Before setting a speed limit, Council must consult with affected persons and organisations in accordance with s7 of the Rule. When deciding to set the speed limit Council must take account of submissions received during consultation (s7.2(2) of the Rule).
13. Consultation letters and plans were delivered to all households and businesses within the specified parts of the roads.
14. Consultation letters and plans were also posted to 7 organisations affected by the proposed speed limit changes (being New Zealand Police, New Zealand Fire Service, Wellington Free Ambulance, New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), Automobile Association, Valley Flyer (NZ Bus) and the Lower North Island Region – Road Transport Association New Zealand).
15. The results of the consultation are summarised below:
· The proposal is supported by all four schools: St Oran’s, Avalon Intermediate School, Wellesley College and Naenae Primary School.
· For the St Oran’s College 40km/h Variable Speed Limit School Zone, 85 consultation letters were delivered and 13 replies were received all in support of the proposal.
· For the Avalon Intermediate School 40km/h Variable Speed Limit School Zone, 51 consultation letters were delivered and 14 replies were received 13 in support of the proposal and 1 objecting.
o The reason for the objection was the placement of one of the electronic sign directly outside the lounge window.
§ In response, Council re-consulted the affected residents on the relocation of the proposed sign location , 15 consultation letters were delivered and 7 replies were received 6 in support of the proposal and 1 objecting
· The reason for the objection was the placement of the pole was now to close to the driveway and there were concerns of obstruction.
· For the Wellesley College 40km/h Variable Speed Limit School Zone, 15 consultation letters were delivered and 3 replies were received all in support of the proposal.
· For the Naenae Primary School 40km/h Variable Speed Limit School Zone, 30 consultation letters were delivered and five replies were received all in support of the proposal.
· The consultation letters to the seven organizations were posted on 20th December 2016 and NZTA, Automobile Association and Road Transport Association responded to the proposal in support. There were no other responses received from any of the other organisations by the due date for this report. Any responses subsequently received will be tabled at the meeting.
Legal Considerations
16. The process for the determination, setting and approving of speed limit is set out in Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003 Rule 54001 and the Hutt City Council Speed Limits Bylaw 2015.
17. Following review and consultation, Council must set a new speed limit if it decides that the existing speed limit is not the safe and appropriate speed limit for that particular road (s7(2)(3) of the Rule).
18. Under The Rule, the NZTA is empowered to audit Council for compliance with the Rule and issue directions to review or change the speed limit, or any of its procedures to set speed limits.
Financial Considerations
19. The cost of supplying and installing the signage can be funded by existing 2016/2017 budget for new School Speed Zones.
Other Considerations
20. In making this recommendation, officers have given careful consideration to the purpose of local government in section 10 of the Local Government Act 2002. Officers believe that this recommendation falls within the purpose of the local government in that it provides a safe speed limit in school zones to improve safety for all road users. It does this in a way that is cost-effective because it meets current NZTA conditions for variable school zone speed limits and uses the latest technology in electronic signage.
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No. |
Title |
Page |
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1View |
St Orans College Proposed School Zones 40km/h Variable Speed Limit 16/17 16/1432 |
19 |
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2View |
Avalon Intermediate Proposed School Zones 40km/h Variable Speed Limit 16/17 16/1432 |
20 |
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3View |
Wellesley College Proposed School Zones 40km/h Variable Speed Limit 16/17 16/1432 |
21 |
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4View |
Naenae Primary Proposed School Zones 40km/h Variable Speed Limit 16/17 16/1432 |
22 |
Author: Zackary Moodie
Traffic Engineer
Reviewed By: Sylvio Leal
Traffic Engineer
Approved By: John Gloag
Divisional Manager, Road and Traffic