We asked for feedback from communities about safe and appropriate speeds for the open road between Gisborne and Te Puia Springs. We formally consulted with you and used the feedback provided to recommend what speed limits are best for this road.
We know there is an issue with current speed limits on State Highway 35, particularly in certain sections of the route. Technical safety assessments have found most parts of the corridor do not have a safe and appropriate speed limit.
There are tight and difficult corners along parts of the route, and the road is built on challenging, highly erodible geology that is constantly moving.
There are many different users on this stretch of state highway, including regular commuters, heavy vehicle operators, tourists wanting to take in the scenery and cyclists.
State Highway 35 is in the country’s top 10 percent for deaths and serious injuries. Between 2009 and July 2019 there were 377 crashes between Gisborne and Te Puia Springs, with nine people killed and 46 people seriously injured.
Speed limits need to reflect the risk on a road: speed increases both the likelihood of crashes and the severity of crash outcomes, regardless of what causes a crash. A small change in speed makes a big difference.
We reviewed speed for the entire State Highway 35 corridor. This included townships, and open/rural roads. We ran a consultation on our proposal to reduce speed limits around townships between Gisborne and Te Puia Springs, though we also wanted to know what you thought about speed limits on the rest of the corridor.
SH35 Gisborne to Te Puia Springs, townships and beaches speed limits
