Lower Vehicle Speeds Might be Coming to Waitara High School

Waitara High School is a step closer to having a variable speed limit outside its gates.

Tonight (Wednesday) NPDC’s Monitoring Committee recommended that a 40km/h variable speed limit be created on Princess Street outside the school, between Bayly St and Clifton Dr. The recommendation will be considered by the full Council at its meeting on 7 August.

Manager Roading Assets Max Aves says the electronic speed limit signs will remind drivers of the presence of a school and its students, and of the need to reduce speed during certain times on school days.

“The New Zealand Transport Agency’s crash analysis system has recorded 30 car crashes in this section of Princess Street since 2007 – six of them nose to tail crashes involving vehicles queued at the pedestrian crossing,” says Mr Aves.

“We believe that having a lower speed limit during certain times will make the presence of the school more obvious to drivers will increase the safety of both drivers and students.”

It is proposed that the 40km/h speed limit on Princess Street would operate on school days from 8.15am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 3.30pm; and for 10 minutes at any other time when at least 50 children cross the road, or enter or exit vehicles at the roadside.

If approved, this would be the fourth variable speed limit outside a school in the district, following Woodleigh, Highlands and Vogeltown schools in New Plymouth city.