Rural roads set for slow down

BY PIERS FULLER

Several rural roads in Masterton District are to have their speed limits lowered in an effort to improve safety and curb the behaviour of boy racers.

Masterton District Council is proposing to lower the speed limit to 70kmh on sections of 15 different roads, including popular recreational routes such as Lees Pakaraka Rd east of the Ruamahanga River.

MDC councillor David Holmes, who lives on Lees Pakaraka Rd, has long campaigned to have the road designated a recreational trail and have its speed limit lowered, along with Willow Park Dr, which leads to Rathkeale College and is quite densely populated.

He says he is delighted council has finally decided to move to slow down vehicles on these roads, because many people regularly run, walk and ride along some of them and it can be quite dangerous if people are driving up to 100kmh. "I think they've really listened to the public, particularly with Lee Pakaraka Rd and Willow Park Dr."

Mr Holmes believes the speed restrictions could prevent crashes on Lees Pakaraka Rd.

"The locals know this road very well.

"The fear is that someone from out of town, someone that doesn't know the road very well, coming to grief because they are going too fast," he says.

Boy racers often use that road to do a circuit from Masterton, and lowering the speed limit will increase their penalties if they get caught going too fast.

Other affected roads include sections of Te Whiti Rd, Ngaumutawa Rd, Chamberlain Rd, West Bush Rd, Akura Rd, Boundary Rd, Donalds Rd, Solway Cres, and the entrances to Henley Lake and Memorial Dr.

Te Whiti road leads from the eastern side of Masterton past the Transfer Station and towards Gladstone.

It is proposed that the speed limit be restricted for around two kilometres from the edge of town, past the tip and around the bends to the cool store, where it would become 100kmh again.

If people want to make a submission on proposed amendments for the consolidated bylaw they need to get it to council by Monday, April 12.

A copy of the bylaw is available from the Masterton District Council office at 64 Chapel Street.

- Wairarapa News