Will proposed 20kph limit for Wellingtons Golden Mile improve safety?

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D1023319

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#109770 26-Sep-2012 10:04

The Council is proposing to reduce the speed limit from 30kph to 20kph.

See
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7728737/Brakes-on-Wellingtons-Golden-Mile

what do you think?

to me its dumb and is only one more speed reduction away from having someone with a red flag walk in front of each vehicle.

The slow vehicles and buses go - the more pedestrians are encouraged to j-walk dangerously.
Whats worse is, as police accept this behavious on the golden mile, people are now starting to do this on Jervious Quay where it is really dangerous. Will the block of this street next?

Also the bus review has identified the golden mile as been a choak point for public transport ( too many buses with restricted traffic flow) so I see this will only make it worse.

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#691561 26-Sep-2012 10:15

Pedestrians may well cross without looking at all thinking that any vehicle travelling at 20k will be able to stop easily so they don't need to really look out for them. They'll think they can dash across in front of any car travelling at that speed.

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Zeon

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#691568 26-Sep-2012 10:25

Probably should be increased. If pedestrians are too dumb to look before crossing the road then isn't that survival of the fittest?

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allan

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#691577 26-Sep-2012 10:34

To my mind the whole issue is related to reduction in width of the street through the "golden mile" area, with the deliberate pushing out of the footpath width and the corresponding restriction of the street width. Look at the width through the old Manners Mall area, there is barely enough room for buses to pass each other.

So now people have a mind set of "that's not very wide, I'll just dash across there". I personally don't think the reduction in speed to 20km/h is going to make the slightest difference to pedestrian behaviour. It might reduce what would have been deaths to severe injuries instead, but until pedestrians (myself included) start taking responsibility for their own behaviour, nothing will change.

sbiddle

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#691595 26-Sep-2012 11:24

The simple problem is that here in Wellington people are terrible at jaywalking, something while not completely illegal, is illegal if you're near a crossing.

It's amazing to compare Wellington to a city like Melbourne where virtually nobody crosses the street illegally or against cross signals.

To be honest I think any changes are going to make bugger all differences. Darwin was right on many things.

Bung

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#691606 26-Sep-2012 11:41

allan: So now people have a mind set of "that's not very wide, I'll just dash across there".

How many of the pedestrians that got hit even looked at the vehicle that got them? On crossings I regularly see pedestrians just turn and walk without looking back to check for cars.

1080p

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#691610 26-Sep-2012 11:43

I hate cars in the central city. Anything to make them slow down is a good thing.

geekiegeek

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#691615 26-Sep-2012 11:57

make it a mall.

edge

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#691621 26-Sep-2012 12:09

sbiddle: The simple problem is that here in Wellington people are terrible at jaywalking, something while not completely illegal, is illegal if you're near a crossing.

It's amazing to compare Wellington to a city like Melbourne where virtually nobody crosses the street illegally or against cross signals.

To be honest I think any changes are going to make bugger all differences. Darwin was right on many things.

+1

I work in Wgtn a few days a week and occasionally get into CBD. It's all about engaging the brain - as noted elsewhere, speed limit change might change extent of idiot pedestrians' injuries, but that's about all. Although ... I think I read in the DomPost that police were suggesting that vehicle speed was mostly around 20kph already (can't remember exact wording) - so, limited effect??

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Jaxson

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#691622 26-Sep-2012 12:12

Is there a curb between the sidewalk and the road?
Like have they blurred the lines between walkway and road somehow? These things don't seem to happen where it's clear that you're now walking in the middle of the road... (perhaps having car parking offers the buffer between sidewalk and road in most cases?)

lchiu7

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#691627 26-Sep-2012 12:23

Though I am often guilty of it myself, maybe the answer is to make jaywalking illegal. Punish the pedestrian, not the driver. The number of times I have seen pedestrians cross the road in front of cars walking diagonally away from the car with their heads not looking at oncoming traffic astounds me.

Give the meter wardens something else to do rather than focus on cars overparked by 5 minutes!

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gkjb

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#691634 26-Sep-2012 12:35

Decreased speeds will not stop people from being hurt, killed maybe, but not hurt. A bus travelling at 20km/h will still seriously injure someone.

The only ways I see making a difference are:
- make jaywalking illegal (as mentioned above). I jaywalk but, seemingly unlike the majority, I check both ways multiple times
- remove all traffic from the Golden Mile which has been proposed before but is not likely to happen
- let people get hit. Put the honus on them instead of wrapping them in cottonwool. There are always people complaining about the nanny state so let them be responsible for themselves.

The truth of the matter is a car is often big, a van is bigger, a truck is bigger yet and then a bus is enormous. If you can't see it coming you are either blind (and shouldn't be jaywalking anyway) or worthy of the Darwin award.

richms

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#691635 26-Sep-2012 12:42

Put a fence down the middle of the road so they cant cross it would sort it out?

Richard rich.ms

old3eyes

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#691638 26-Sep-2012 12:45

sbiddle: The simple problem is that here in Wellington people are terrible at jaywalking, something while not completely illegal, is illegal if you're near a crossing.

It's amazing to compare Wellington to a city like Melbourne where virtually nobody crosses the street illegally or against cross signals.

To be honest I think any changes are going to make bugger all differences. Darwin was right on many things.

That was one of the first things I noticed when i moved to wellington in the mid 1970s that people jawalked in front of anything anywhere.. Coming from Auckland at the time when people used the crosswalks I was surprized that not more people weren't knocked down. I think it's time for the WN council to educate the pedestrians rather than a nanny state approach of cut the speed limit again knee jerk reaction..

Regards,

Old3eyes

vexxxboy

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#691643 26-Sep-2012 12:48

its quite simple really , if every pedestrian obeyed the rule that is taught to you from the day you can walk ie:
Look right , then left and then right again before you cross the road, then there would be no problem of people in danger of being run over , and if your not bright enough to do it , then Darwin takes over .

Common sense is not as common as you think.

sbiddle

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#691650 26-Sep-2012 13:00

Jaxson: Is there a curb between the sidewalk and the road?
Like have they blurred the lines between walkway and road somehow? These things don't seem to happen where it's clear that you're now walking in the middle of the road... (perhaps having car parking offers the buffer between sidewalk and road in most cases?)

Along virtually all of the route there is a curb.

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