Speed bumps on the Tāhunanui Hills will be removed despite successfully reducing crashes and rat-running.
By Max Frethey for Local Democracy Reporting
The 20 speed cushions were installed on Moana and Bisley Avenues by Nelson City Council in early 2024 as a trial after locals sought action on the volume and speed of vehicles travelling through the area.
Speed cushions only occupy part of a traffic lane, allowing larger vehicles to pass largely unaffected, unlike speed humps which stretch across the entire lane.
The trial met its objectives, with data showing that the cushions slowed most drivers by around 10km/h, saw traffic volume fall by at least a quarter, and reduced crash frequency in the trial area from 0.86 per year (10 crashes over five years) to 0.65 (two crashes over two years).
“However, people don’t like them,” said Lyndon Hammond, the council’s manager for transport strategy and planning.
The end of trial survey saw 63% of local residents oppose the measures becoming permanent, with only 23% in favour.
A greater proportion of drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians also reported that they felt less safe because of the changes rather than feeling safer, despite the reduced number of crashes.
The perception was largely attributed to drivers swerving around the speed cushions to avoid having to drive over the top of them.
Jeremy Matthews, representing a group of Tāhunanui Hills residents who were against the measures, asked the council to remove the cushions at its Thursday meeting.
He told elected members that the vibrations and noise caused by heavy vehicles, particularly the city’s buses, driving over the cushions was impacting residents’ quality of life.
“We reserve the right… to see quiet enjoyment of our properties… [it’s] like jackhammers vibrating the ground multiple times, where houses are now physically shaking,” he said.
“The problem that [the cushions] generated is worse than the problem they were sent to solve.”
Later in the meeting, Hammond said that bus drivers had slowed down when travelling the route after being directed to.
But elected members still voted eight to five to remove the speed cushions from Moana and Bisley Avenues during the next road resealing season, which will begin from October.
The four speed humps on Princes Drive that were installed as part of the same trial were deemed to be less controversial and will remain in place.
Elected members who voted in favour of removing the speed humps highlighted the strong community opposition to the cushions.
“This is a simple response to our own survey data,” said Tāhunanui liaison councillor Campbell Rollo.
“It doesn’t mean that this trial has been a failure; it simply means… we need to look for alternative safety solutions.”
Mayor Nick Smith added that while the city’s road network needed to be safe, it also had to facilitate efficient transportation.
“You could put speed bumps on every single road… and you’ll see a reduction in accidents, but nobody would really seriously propose that that would be a sensible response.”
Those who voted to keep the cushions cautioned against the potential negative impacts if they were removed, such as racers speeding to the top of the hills and back, as they have been recorded doing in the past.
“Do we really want… to go back to having it as a high-speed, high-traffic-volume rat-run? Is that a good outcome for our transport network and for our community? I don’t believe it is,” councillor Aaron Stallard said.
Deputy mayor Pete Rainey added that any continued problems with the buses on the cushions could be addressed by greater driver education.
“The alternative, by taking these speed cushions out, is to return back to the bad behaviour that we don’t want in the first place.”
Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting after the decision, Matthews, who lived on the route, welcomed the result.
“It was a worthwhile idea… it just didn't work.”
Nicholas Lunn, one of the residents who has been leading the campaign against the cushions, said the council had made a “very good” decision.
“I’m hoping this is the start of a new era of the residents actually being able to work with council to create a safe road.”
Both men would like to see speed cameras installed to ensure vehicles don’t speed up again once the cushions are gone.
The council does not currently have the budget to install alternative traffic calming measures in the area.
Speed cameras are installed by the New Zealand Transport Agency, and council staff do not believe the agency would prioritise the area.
Government transport rules also prevent the council from lowering the roads’ speed limit.
– Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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