'Russian Roulette': Action on speed limits demanded
Hampden's location on the state highway makes it an ideal stop-off for truckies and tired motorists, but with the busy road cutting the township in half, it is a big safety worry for residents.
The situation with double-stop trucks, low visibility and speeding vehicles (across three speed limits) is getting so bad, Hampden Constable Neil Rushton says it makes him "cringe" regularly.
"It's like Russian Roulette," he said.
Motorists travelling south on State Highway 1 through Hampden township experience three different speed limits: 80kmh for about 450m at the northern end of the town; then 60kmh for about 1km in the township itself; then 70kmh for about 450m at the southern end of the town.
"Motorists travelling north through Hampden experience these speed limits, but in the reverse order," resident Kerry Stevens said.
"For motorists travelling through Hampden on a regular basis and who forget to pay close attention to the speed limit signs each time, the changing speed limits are unnecessarily confusing."
Residents also have safety concerns around pedestrians emerging from between parked vehicles on to a road with a high volume of traffic travelling at 60kmh, and the safety of children walking to school each day.
A group of about a dozen residents and local business-owners met with Waitaki MP Miles Anderson on Monday to present a letter asking for speed limits to be reduced from 80kmh down to 70kmh at the northern end of the town; and from 60kmh to 50kmh within the main part of Hampden.
The main part of the township sits on the crest of a hill, and is home to the township's library, several shops and cafes. It is also the site, outside the township's police station, where a woman was knocked over and killed in 1999.
Resident Jennifer Black said the community had tried several times to push for the change, but had been met with too much bureaucracy.
"We've got this ... section at the top of the hill here where there's nil visibility. It's become a much more active business area with the very busy cafe. The hall is regularly used, the library is used most days of the week. We've got this very important police station here and, of course, the takeaways."
Waihemo Community Board chairwoman Heather McGregor also agreed it was time for action.
"Road safety concerns in Hampden have been a concern for many years, particularly with the three different speed limits through the township.
"Pedestrians trying to cross the road between parked cars and trucks and turning into streets in Hampden is very risky.
"A speed limit reduced through the township would lessen this risk."
Waitaki MP Miles Anderson said he was supportive of the suggestion, and would take the issue up with the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi in the first instance and then the transport minister.
"More often than not, when I come through here, there's two trucks at least parked along here and then there's traffic shooting past people trying to dash across the road, that sort of thing. No zebra crossing or anything like that."
He said he was also supporting similar efforts around Duntroon and Glenavy.
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