As we were turning out of Ferry Road this week a strident cyclist headed straight for us. She had cycled through a red light. I, personally, can’t tell the difference between a strident cyclist and a strident motorist. Both ends of the transport spectrum dominate the debate on transport. I have difficulty telling the difference between a fundamentalist cyclist or motorist.
Both types are strong on rights and weak on responsibilities.
We had a Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, who shares a fundamentally self-centered approach. He decided to raise speed limits. With no evidence to justify his decision.
Financial cost of increasing Speed Limits – $3.5M
We are told that the cost to CCC for raising speed limits is $3.5 million. Scroll down to read:
- Who voted for this – including those councillors regularly bleating about Rates rises.
- What the cost and implications for safety might be
What strident speed increasing advocates ignore is that science isn’t on their side:
Recently a 15-year-old young man I know well was cycling, with his ear pods on, and decided that he was on the wrong way to his gym. So, he turned. Without looking or thinking. A boy of his age only thinks about what he can eat in the fridge.
The car which hit him was, fortunately, complying with a 30km/h speed limit. My young friend escaped with only broken bones. Look at the table above and consider if the car was doing 60km/h. We could be now standing over our precious young friend’s grave.
In the Press on Saturday in this story https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360647222/music-therapy-provides-connection-couple-after-bike-accident it was reported:
Chrissy Law will never forget that phone call to say her husband Mitch had been in an accident.
It was a sunny day and Mitch, then 50, had been training for a charity bike ride when he was hit by a car driven through a give-way sign in 2016.
Mitch, now 60, was left with a permanent traumatic brain injury, relies on a wheelchair to get around and struggles to speak and move.
In the Press on Saturday there was also a gut-wrenching photo of a bike crushed under a truck.
The Government recently ruled that a few Christchurch speed limits needed to be raised. In an inexplicable majority decision, the Christchurch City Council rolled over and gave into the Government and raised the speed limits in several parts of Christchurch.
I challenge you as you next drive down the road to look at your Speedo and probably observe by following the car in front of you there you are travelling up to 10 kilometres per hour higher than the authorised speed. So 50km/h will be more than likely 60.
These following councillors chose to raise our speed limits:
Councillors Aaron Keown, Sam MacDonald, Andrei Moore, Mark Peters, Kelly Barber, Yani Johanson and Mayor Phil Mauger.
The following counsellors voted against raising the speed limits:
Councillors Jake McLellan, Melanie Coker, Celeste Donovan, deputy mayor Pauline Cotter, Tyler Harrison-Hunt and Sara Templeton.
The following counsellors abstained for some weird reason:
Councillors Tyrone Fields and Tim Scandrett.
One counsellor James Gough was not in the room for the vote.
The streets to have their speed limits reversed are:
- Western Valley Rd between Christchurch Akaroa Rd and 72 Western Valley Rd
- Gloucester St between Linwood Ave and Woodham Rd
- Ruru Rd between Hay St and Maces Rd
- Claremont Ave between Paparoa St and Tomes Rd
- Rose St between Hoon Hay Rd and Barrington St
- Lyttelton St between Sparks Rd and Rose St
- Colombo St between Hunter Tce and 129 Colombo St
Thinking about my young friend on his bike the dreadful part of the Councillors, and Mayor’s, decision is that the speed limits have been raised outside the following schools:
- Western Valley Rd (Little River School),
- Rose St (Cashmere High School) and
- Lyttelton St (Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Whānau Tahi.
What made the majority of the Mayor and Councillors (here I include the fence sitters who abstained) decide to vote the way they did staggers me. What we need is a safe city. Not a rush to get everywhere city. We all need to respect each other as pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle drivers.
If I thought the Government had a rational reason for raising speed limits thereby making our roads more dangerous, I would seriously consider it. However, they have not been consistent. They have been more flexible in other places. Especially if the ruling put a National Party seat at risk. Think about Rakaia, where the local National Party MP is listening to local feedback. Or Whanganui as reported in this article:
Or elsewhere as reported in this article Waka Kotahi puts the brakes on reversing some speed limits | RNZ News
I personally urge the Mayor and Councillors to reconsider this matter.
To revoke the decision which they passed and to demonstrate a commitment to their stated values of making this a safe city. Or is their driver a doctrinal commitment to supporting the National Party? Did they not think through their actions and only listen to the loud voices of a minority of speeding motorists and an inexperienced Minister, and not balance this up and consider the safety of our more vulnerable citizens, who walk, bike and drive around this great city?
Yeah it’s nuts. Except possibly on some motorways. Mind you some punters will be speeding at 115 to 120 then when the limit is raised to 110. Which brings me to the point that 100 is TOO FAST for many narrow country roads (say in mid Canterbury) & especially where there is zero shoulder. Cars pass in opposite directions going 100 with less than 2m between them. A head on collision is equivalent to hitting a stationary car at 200!! You will DIE. These NZ roads are plain dangerous (where 80 would be plenty fast enough limit).
Mike Stockwell,
4 Le Cascina Lane, Riccarton.