Auckland Transport authorities have yet to convince everyone that a blanket 30km/h speed limit across the city’s CBD is justified.
Mayor Phil Goff spoke for many when he said he expected AT to make decisions on speed limits which are evidence-based.
Presumably that means decisions backed up by evidence they will bring down the road toll. There is now widespread acceptance of the traffic light system at motorway on-ramps to slow down and filter traffic joining State Highway 1 through the city. The traffic signals definitely help keep traffic flowing.
Lower speed limits on busy streets like Ponsonby Rd have also helped traffic flow, although whether they are adequately policed is questionable. If speeds on the few roads that currently have lower limits can’t be effectively policed, how will they operate effectively across the CBD?
Read more: Auckland Transport want CBD speed limit dropped to 30km/h
No one argues against the aim of reducing the road toll and AT’s target is the elimination of road deaths across Auckland.
But, a blanket reduction of speed limits to 30km/h on four-lane, one-way central city arteries such as Hobson and Nelson streets doesn’t make any sense.
Sure, they are often clogged with traffic during peak periods, and the hope of even reaching 30 km/h is impossible, but outside peak periods they usually flow smoothly with traffic moving much faster.
To impose lower limits in a blanket fashion may appeal to some bureaucrats, but would merely provoke scepticism among frustrated drivers.
If we’re not careful we will end up with the speeding equivalent of the ‘driving while on the cellphone’ debacle, surely the most abused law in the land.