Plans to raise River Rd speed limit debated

Waimakariri District Council staff have received more than 30 submissions on a proposal to increase the speed limit along a truck-laden semi-rural road.

People living along Rangiora's River Rd have given a firm thumbs-down to plans to increase the limit from 50km/h to 70km/h just five years after it was reduced to make the road safer.

The council is seeking public feedback on a suggested increase on the section between Cones Rd and West Belt.

Council roading manager Ken Stevenson said submissions received from residents throughout the district were "certainly a real good mix".

"There are just as many for as there are against," he said.

"We're really quite pleased with the response.

"There's going to be quite an interesting count at the end."

Community consultation on the issue closes this Friday and Mr Stevenson said several people had sent in comprehensive letters with detailed submissions. Others were brief, but to the point.

"The submissions are from a mix of people who live along the road and those who use it."

Mr Stevenson said an assessment of traffic speed taken from a point 200 metres east of West Belt showed that the mean speed was 61km/h and that 85 per cent of vehicles on the road were travelling at 71km/h.

"Even though the speed limit is 50km/h, people are going faster," Mr Stevenson said.

Anecdotal evidence suggested that if the speed limit was "more realistic" motorists tended to keep to the limit.

River Rd residents who spoke to the North Canterbury News last month voiced strong opposition to any increase.

They said the road wasn't wide enough for trucks to pass safely, young people were using the road as a "race track" and faster speeds would endanger people walking dogs and riding horses.