Update – February 2025
A new speed limit rule came into effect in October 2024, which will see all local streets outside a school required to have a 30km/h variable speed limit by 1 July 2026. In late 2024 we upgraded signs outside local schools to support the rollout of the new variable speed zones. The signs will stay covered until the new speed limit goes live, expected to be in the first half of 2025.
There are currently 14 schools with a variable speed zone of 40km/h that will drop to 30km/h, and another 20 schools that will have new 30km/h variable speed zones. There are eight more schools that will be assessed with an expected variable speed zone of 30km/h that will be in place by July 2026.
The changes to speed limits outside schools is the first step in the delivery of our speed management plan for the city, which Council endorsed in June 2024.
Variable speed zones outside schools
The following schools have existing 40km/h variable speed limits that will be reduced to 30km/h.
- Aquinas College
- Bethlehem College
- Greenpark School
- Ōtūmoetai Primary School
- Welcome Bay School
- Matua School
- Pāpāmoa Primary School
- Tauranga Intermediate
- Bethlehem School
- Tauranga Special School
- Golden Sands School
- Te Kura o Manunui (previously Brookfield Primary)
- Maungatapu School
- Taumata School
The following schools will have new 30km/h variable speed limits in place, except for rural schools where the variable speed limit may be higher.
- Arataki School
- Mount Maunganui College
- Omanu School
- Pāpāmoa College
- Tauranga Primary School
- Tauranga Waldorf School
- Tahatai Coast School
- Tauranga Girls' College
- Gate Pā School
- Greerton Village School
- Ōtūmoetai College
- Ōtūmoetai Intermediate
- Mount Maunganui Intermediate
- Te Akau ki Pāpāmoa Primary School
- Tauranga Boys' College
- Tauranga Adventist School
- Merivale School
- Mount Maunganui Primary School
- Te Manawa ō Pāpāmoa School
- Bellevue School (Tauranga)
The following schools are proposed to have new 30km/h variable speed limits introduced by July 2026, except for rural schools where the speed limit may be higher.
- Te Wharekura o Mauao
- St Thomas More Catholic School
- Selwyn Ridge School
- St Mary’s Catholic School (Tauranga)
- Pillans Point School
- ACG
- Suzanne Aubert Catholic School
- Te Whakatipuranga (Ōtūmoetai TPU)
City centre speed limit change
Council approved a recommendation in June 2024 that the city centre area currently covered by a 30km/h temporary speed limit (between McLean Street and Second Avenue) be included as a permanent 30km/h (this will not include Cameron Road). This recommendation will form part of the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) approval process for the speed management plan before it is finalised.
Marae
Waikari Marae and Hungahungatoroa Marae (Matapihi) requested lower speeds to allow safer connectivity between marae and Te Kura o Matapihi. Council approved a recommendation that Waikari Road, Hungahungatoroa Road, and Matapihi Road (between Waikari Road and Hungahungatoroa Road) have a permanent 40km/h speed zone.
Waimapu Marae (Ruahine) in Hairini requested a speed reduction along the entire length of Waimapu Pa Road. We suggested focusing on compliance within the closest 200m and expanding this approach while improving the infrastructure to support lower speeds. Council approved a recommendation that Waimapu Pa Road have a permanent 40km/speed zone extending 200m from the marae.
These recommendations will form part of the NZTA approval process for the speed management plan before it is finalised.
Speed limit change maps (15.6mb pdf)
Urban fringe
Council approved a recommendation that the proposed changes to speed limits on Domain Road, Tara Road, Te Puke Highway, and Parton Road be deferred until future development changes the current road environment.
The following changes were also approved:
- relocating the urban/rural boundary on Welcome Bay Road, reducing a 210-metre section of Welcome Bay Road from 80km/h to 50km/h. This section of road is near Tauranga Wardorf School.
- consultation with residents and businesses on Truman Lane regarding the implementation of a permanent 50 km/h speed limit between Mangatawa Link Road and SH29. A temporary 50km/h limit has been in effect for several years to reduce risks associated with the high volume of traffic bypassing the Baylink overpass project.
These recommendations will form part of the NZTA approval process for the speed management plan before it is finalised.
Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024
The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024, which came into effect on 30 October 2024, requires us to prepare a Cost Benefit Disclosure Statement for each road being considered for a permanent speed limit reduction. This does not apply for variable school speed zones.
The Cost Benefit Disclosure Statement for the proposed speed limit reduction on 210m of Welcome Bay Road from 80km/h to 50km/h is detailed below.
Welcome Bay Speed Limit Change (1.7mb pdf)
Expected changes to speed and travel time:
- Change in expected mean vehicle operating speed: decrease of 9km/h
- Change in average light vehicle trip time: increase of 2 seconds
- Change in average heavy vehicle trip time: increase of 2 seconds
- Change in average annual aggregate travel time: increase of 1038 hours
Historic average number of crashes per year:
- Fatal crashes: 0
- Serious-injury crashes: 0
- Minor-injury crashes: 0.2 (one every five years)
- Non-injury crashes: 0
Change in expected number of crashes per year:
- Fatal crashes: 0
- Serious-injury crashes: 0
- Minor-injury crashes: 0.2 (one every five years)
- Non-injury crashes: 0
Implementation cost:
Approximately $1000
This data was calculated using the NZTA Cost Impact Analysis Tool.
In summary, a reduction in the speed limit on this section of Welcome Bay Road would result in individual vehicles experiencing an increase in travel time of about 2 seconds per journey. Over a year, this would collectively result in an additional 1038 hours of travel time (based on current traffic volume counts). At the same time, we could expect to see one less crash resulting in minor injuries every five years. The cost of making this speed reduction change is approximately $1000.
Community engagement – April-May 2024
We acknowledge the time and effort our communities and key stakeholders have taken to provide feedback on safer speeds in our city. This feedback was valuable in developing the recommendations for consideration by Council.
In total, 1038 people completed the online survey, we received 23 emails to our project inbox, 60 people attended our community drop-in sessions and there were more than 350 comments on our social media posts.
Read more in our Engagement Summary Report. (2.9mb pdf)
Why do we want to make these changes?
As Tauranga has grown, some higher speed limits are no longer appropriate with the higher density of housing, vehicle volumes, and the mix of cyclists and pedestrians using the streets. Reducing the speed limits on these key roads and around school environments during drop-off and pick-up times will make it safer for the community to move around.
As well as reducing the number of serious injuries and deaths on our road network, lowering speed limits provides access to a range of transport options that make it easy and safe to get around the city and create a healthier environment with lower carbon emissions and improved air quality.
The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 has removed mandatory requirements for local Road Controlling Authorities (RCA), such as Tauranga City Council, to implement speed management plans.
Council decided at a February 2024 meeting that we would continue to develop a speed management plan with community engagement.