Survivable speeds planned for Te Atatū South
Auckland Transport will make streets in Te Atatū South’s residential area safer for all road users by installing speed-calming measures that will help to slow vehicles. The area will also be subject to a future lower speed limit of 30km/h.
AT is seeking feedback on its proposal, which includes installing speed tables, speed humps and raised intersections. The area is southwest of the Northwestern Motorway, bounded by Te Atatū and Edmonton Roads to the south, and Central Park Drive and Henderson Creek to the west.
Have your say at the Auckland Transport website. Feedback is open until Sunday 18 November.
A drop-in session to find out more about the plans will be held on Saturday 10 November from 12.30pm to 2.30pm at the Te Atatū South Community Centre, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South.
Reducing death and injury
The project is part of AT’s commitment to reducing death and serious injuries on our roads by 60 per cent in the next 10 years.
Randhir Karma, AT’s Group Manager Network Management and Safety, says the proposal will improve road safety for everyone.
“If a person is hit by a vehicle travelling at 50km/h, the risk of death is 80 per cent. If they are hit at 30km/h, that risk reduces to 10 per cent,” he says.
“We want to create a slower speed environment in Te Atatū South based on what our analysis of local crash data and vehicle speeds is telling us, the number of schools, parks and shops in the area, and safety concerns from residents.”
Feedback on the proposal will help to confirm the locations of traffic calming measures, including speed tables and humps. Construction is expected to be complete in mid-2019.
Investment in road safety
The residential speed management programme is part of AT’s $700 million investment in improving road safety and is part funded by the Regional Fuel Tax.
Waitākere Ward Councillor Linda Cooper is supportive of making residential streets safer and slower.
“Safety for road users, pedestrians and cyclists is a top priority for Auckland Council,” she says.
“These improvements in Te Atatū South are part of a wider programme of safety-related investments across Waitākere and the Auckland region. The community has recently experienced the death of a local cyclist and we don’t want to see another family go through the pain of that terrible loss.”
Henderson-Massey Local Board Chair and Te Atatū South resident Shane Henderson also welcomes the proposal.
“Anyone who lives in this area will know that speeding vehicles are a real issue and pose a significant danger to pedestrians and other vehicles, so I encourage as many people as possible to provide feedback on this proposal.”
