Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is reminding people that the consultation and engagement period for the State Highway 5 (SH5) and 51 (SH51) speed review is closing on Sunday 6 June.
Speed limits are being reviewed on State Highway 51, between Waipatu in Hastings and Marine Parade in Napier, and the winding section of SH5, from Rangitaiki to Esk Valley, in an effort to save lives and prevent serious injuries from crashes along these high-risk roads.
“Improving safety on New Zealand’s road is the top priority for Waka Kotahi. We want everyone who uses our roads to get to where they’re going safely,” Director of Regional Relationships Linda Stewart says.
“Even when speed isn’t the direct cause of a crash, it is the single biggest factor that determines whether a person is killed, seriously injured, or walks away from a crash unharmed. That’s why we are proposing safer speeds for SH5 and SH51, along with safety improvements.”
The consultation and engagement period was extended by four weeks, following concerns about the calculation and presentation of likely travel time increases related to lower speed limits on SH5. The updated travel time information is available on the SH5/51 speed review webpage.
SH5/SH51 Hawke's Bay speed review webpage
“Consultation for any proposed speed changes is about much more than asking if people are ‘for or against’ the proposal. It’s about seeking valuable and practical input from locals, industry and people who use the road regularly, so that we can consider wider factors and context into our decisions,” Ms Stewart says.
“We’ve been really pleased with the level of engagement from the community on the speed review so far. The feedback will be considered by Waka Kotahi before we make decisions on the proposed speed limit changes.
“For those who haven’t yet had their say, you still have until this Sunday to tell us what you think about proposed speed limit changes for SH51 from Marine Parade to Waipatu, and on the middle section of SH5 from Rangitaiki to Esk Valley.
“We also want to understand how people feel about speeds on SH5 along the Rangitaiki Straights and around Eskdale to help us decide if we should propose new speed limits here in the future too.”
The consultation and engagement period closes at 11pm on Sunday 6 June 2021.
The introduction of safer speeds is part of the Road To Zero strategy developed in partnership with NZ Police, Ministry of Transport, local government and WorkSafe that adopts Vision Zero and sets a target to reduce deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand’s roads, streets, cycleways and footpaths by 40 percent by 2030.
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