Hutt City Council is seeking feedback on proposed changes to speed limits in Lower Hutt, to improve safety as part of the Government’s nationwide ‘Road to Zero’ campaign.

The Government requires councils to review speed limits as part of speed management plans, which are updated every three years.

Council is proposing to reduce speeds around the city to help reduce fatal and serious injury crash rates and make the streets safer for all road users. Proposed changes include reducing speeds to 30 km/h in the city centre, 30 km/hr in neighbourhood centres, 40 km/hr in the Western Hills, and 50 km/hr on selected connector roads.

Head of Transport Jon Kingsbury says the changes are aimed at making Lower Hutt’s roads safer. "Our aim is for a safer, more integrated transport network for all road users. Whether people are walking, cycling, scooting or driving, they should feel safe when they are travelling on, or crossing our roads.

"We know reducing speed limits helps improve the safety of our roads. So, we’re consulting on areas where people congregate or go the most, such as shopping and community centres and marae."

Data shows that speeds of less than 30 km/h increase the chance of survival in a collision. The likelihood of a pedestrian or cyclist being severely hurt or killed in a crash with a car travelling at 43km/h is 35%. That likelihood rises to 80% if the car is travelling at 50km/h.

The consultation opens today and runs until 5 June. The proposed changes can be viewed online via our interactive map, and more information is available on our website. Council will be scanning public feedback and adding updated information throughout the consultation process.

The public may submit feedback by email to roadsafety@huttcity.govt.nz or via post to Hutt City Council, Private Bag 31-912, Lower Hutt 5040.

Data on injury crashes in Lower Hutt:

- Since 2011, 87 deaths and serious injury crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists have occurred in the Hutt Valley.

- In 2021, there were 21 reported crashes that involved serious injuries on the local road network.

- In the five-year period of 2017-2021 there were 843 reported crashes with injuries. The severity of injuries in these crashes would have been reduced if the travel speed at impact was slower.

- There were at least 2,517 crashes in school zones on weekdays in the same period. 451 of them occurred during 8:00am-9:00am and 2:30pm-3:30pm.

- Pedestrians and cyclists are over-represented in Lower Hutt’s crash data, accounting for 29% of all deaths and serious injury crashes since 2011 compared with 21% nationally.

- Crash data indicates most pedestrian crashes occur within key activity centres such as Hutt Central, Petone, Wainuiomata, Waiwhetū, Naenae and Taitā. Key crash locations involving cyclists include The Esplanade, Gracefield and Waiwhetū, Hutt Central, Naenae, High and Daysh Streets.

- The Western Hills has a higher-than-average number of injury crash rate with 33 minor injury and two serious injury crashes in five years (2017-2021). Many roads in the Western Hills have tight winding corners with restricted visibility at intersections and driveways, and greater safety risk from an infrastructure perspective due to cliffs.

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