Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is engaging with the local communities on the review of speeds on State Highways 23, 31 and 39 in West Waikato. Information on our website has just gone live today (Friday 23 October) and we are holding a number of drop-in sessions starting next week, as detailed below.
Raglan Town Hall, Wednesday 11 November, 2-7pm
There have been a high number of crashes on these state highways and locals have told us that speeds on these roads feel too high to be safe. We want to make sure that speeds are safe and right for these roads, so we’re reviewing the current speed limits. Speed increases both the likelihood of crashes and the severity of crashes when they happen. A small reduction in speed can make a big difference, especially when cyclists or pedestrians are involved. Most crashes are caused by a number of factors, but even when it’s not the cause of a crash, speed is most likely to determine whether anyone is killed, injured, or walks away unharmed.
| Road | Crashes | Deaths | Serious injuries |
| SH23 | 381 | 4 | 52 |
While we may have already had discussions with you on the safe and appropriate speeds in this region, we do want to hear what you think about speeds on these roads currently. Do the current speed limits feel safe, or not? What parts of the road do you think are more dangerous than others? Is there anything you think we need to know while we look at the speed limits?
| Location | Current speed limit (km/h) | Average speed (km/h) |
| SH23 – Hamilton West (Dinsdale) to Whatawhata | 100 | 82 |
| SH23 – Whatawhata | 80 | 77 |
| SH23 – Whatawhata to Four Brothers Reserve | 100 | 82 |
| SH23 – Four Brothers Reserve to east of Cogswell Road | 100 | 75 |
| SH23 – East of Cogswell Road to Te Uku | 100 | 77 |
| SH23 – Te Uku | 80 | 82 |
| SH23 – Te Uku to 400m east of Greenslade Road | 100 | 85 |
| SH23 – 400m east of Greenslade Road to Manukau Road | 100 | 72 |
There are three ways you can provide feedback:
On-line by following this link: www.nzta.govt.nz/west-waikato-speed-review
Emailing waikato.speed.reviews@nzta.govt.nz
Attend one of the following drop-in sessions:
Pirongia War Memorial Hall, Tuesday 27 October, 2 – 7pm
Ōtorohanga Countdown, Wed 28 October, 2 – 7pm
Kawhia Community Hall, Tuesday 3 November, 2 – 7pm
Whatawhata Village Cafe, Tuesday 10 November, 2-7pm
Raglan Town Hall, Wednesday 11 November, 2-7pm
The engagement period runs from 23 October 2020 – 16 November 2020. We will consider the feedback provided as we finalise our safety improvement plans and make the decision on whether a speed review will go ahead. If it does, we will then officially consult with the public on these speed limits and at that point you can make a formal submission on any proposed changes to the speed limits.
Otorohanga District Council is reviewing speeds on their local road network and are also engaging with their community at the same time as Waka Kotahi is engaging on speed reviews on the State Highways.