Pursuant to clause 6.1 of Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003 and a delegation from the NZ Transport Agency, I, Glenn Bunting, Network Manager, approve variable speed limits in school zones in accordance with the conditions set out in this notice.
Conditions
1. Variable Speed Limit
A road controlling authority may set a speed limit of
40km/h that operates in a school zone during the periods specified in condition 2 of this notice. At all other times, the speed limit is the permanent speed limit for the road.
2. Periods of Operation
The 40km/h speed limit may operate for a maximum period of:
(a) 35 minutes before the start of school until the start of school;
(b) 20 minutes at the end of school, beginning no earlier than 5 minutes before the end of school;
(c) 10 minutes at any other time when children cross the road or enter or leave vehicles at the roadside.
3. Signs
Signs that comply with Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004 must be installed to mark the beginning and end of the variable speed limit in the school zone as follows:
(a) At least one R1-6 "School zone variable" sign at each end of the variable speed limit on the main road outside the school, facing road users travelling towards the variable speed limit; and
(b) at least one R1-6 "School zone variable" sign facing road users travelling towards the variable speed limit on each side road that intersects with the school zone, where that side road is a major road; and
(c) at least one R1-6 "School zone variable" sign
or R1-6.1 "School zone fixed" sign facing road
users travelling towards the variable speed limit on each side road that intersects with the school zone, where that side road is a no exit road or is a minor road controlled by Give-way or Stop signs at the intersection with the school zone; and
(d) at least one R1-7 "School zone ends" sign at each end of the variable speed limit on every road, facing road users leaving the variable speed limit.
4. Length of Variable Speed Limit
A variable speed limit in a school zone must be a minimum length of 300 metres, unless this condition is impractical, but should not be longer than 500 metres. The length of variable speed limit on side roads that intersect with the school zone may be shorter than 300 metres.
5. Warrant
A road controlling authority may set a variable speed limit in a school zone that meets the requirements in (a) or (b) as follows:
(a) There is school-related pedestrian or cycle activity
on the road outside the school, which exceeds approximately 50 children crossing the road or entering or leaving vehicles at the roadside, and traffic on the road outside the school meets at
least one of the following conditions:
(i) the mean speed of free-running vehicles is greater than 45km/h (measured when the 40km/h variable speed limit is not operating); or
(ii) the 85th percentile speed of free-running vehicles is greater than 50km/h (measured when the 40km/h variable speed limit is not operating); or
(iii) there have been pedestrian, cycle or
speed-related crashes near the school in
the previous five years; or
(iv) the school-related activity in condition 5(a) occurs on a main traffic route; or
(b) there is school-related pedestrian or cycle activity
on the road outside the school, with children crossing the road or entering or leaving vehicles
at the roadside and safe and appropriate traffic engineering measures are installed so that the mean operating speed of free-running vehicles on the road outside the school does not exceed 40km/h when the 40km/h variable speed limit is operating.
6. Bylaw
A road controlling authority must set a variable speed limit in a school zone by making a bylaw in accordance with Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003.
Revocation and Replacement
The notice dated the 31st day of May 2005, and published in the New Zealand Gazette, 2 June 2005, No. 86, page 2051, relating to variable speed limits in school zones is hereby revoked and replaced by this notice.
A 40km/h variable speed limit in a school zone that was set in accordance with the conditions of the notice published in the New Zealand Gazette, 2 June 2005, No. 86, page 2051, is considered to be set in accordance with the conditions
of this notice and remains in force until amended or revoked in accordance with Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003.
Definition:
School zone means a length of road outside a
pre-school, primary school, intermediate school or secondary school.
Signed at Wellington this 19th day of April 2011.
GLENN BUNTING, Network Manager.