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Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
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F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
[
7 February 2023
Leon Salter
[FYI request #21455 email]
REF: OIA-11734
Dear Leon
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email
of 19 December 2022 requesting the following information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
…can I please have all information which led to a decision not to consult on a speed
limit reduction on this section of SH2 [Kaitoke to Te Mārua and Brown Owl]?
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency uses a tool called MegaMaps (Road to Zero edition) to
inform decisions for speed reviews. The safe and appropriate speed (SaAS) identified by
MegaMaps for the section of State Highway 2 (SH2) between Kaitoke and Te Mārua is
80km/h the current posted speed. As the SaAS is the same as the posted speed, no further
investigation was undertaken, and the corridor has not been included in the Interim State
Highway Speed Management Plan. Waka Kotahi does not consider 70km/h is appropriate as
an alternative speed limit.
The SaAS identified by MegaMaps for each corridor considers a number of factors. This
includes the function and use of the road, crash and injury risks, characteristics of the road
and roadsides, the number of intersections, the mean operating speed of the road and traffic
volumes. A desktop investigation against the speed management guide criteria is then
undertaken, which deemed that the environment would not support a lower speed limit on this
corridor.
The SaAS is reassessed if there are changes to these factors. For example, the section from
Twin Lakes Road to Brown Owl will be reassessed for the 2024-27 State Highway Speed
Management Plan as we are aware of potential infrastructure works that may influence the
SaAS.
The Plateau School on Molloys Road did not influence the assessment of this corridor of SH2
as its zone of influence does not include any part of the corridor. The school is situated some
distance from the state highway and on a local road. For students needing to cross the state
highway, there is an underpass that enables safe crossing of the corridor.
If you would like to discuss this reply with Waka Kotahi, please contact Ministerial Services by
email at [NZTA request email]
Yours sincerely
Vanessa Browne
National Manager Programmes and Standards
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