SH6 Hope to Wakefield speed review engagement summary

Too many people are being seriously injured in crashes on State Highway 6 between Hope and Wakefield, so Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has been looking at whether different speed limits could make the road safer.

To help us fully understand the issues, we asked locals to give us their views about current speed limits on this road, and anything else we should consider.

What we did

We delivered flyers to homes and businesses, and we held pop up events and community meetings in Hope, Brightwater and Wakefield. We spoke to people face to face, over the phone and invited people to give feedback online.

We also talked to residents living on the road, businesses and organisations including the AA and Road Transport Association.

What we heard

We had many useful conversations, and received almost 700 pieces of feedback. That feedback raised a large number of issues, and covered a broad range of opinions.

The main themes were:
Speed limits
› Many people told us they were concerned about speeding and speed limits, particularly though built up areas. 
› People wished to see more consistent speed limits along the route.
Safe access on and off the road
› There were many comments about safely accessing the state highway from intersections and driveways.
Dangerous driving
› Many people commented on dangerous driving by other drivers. 
Road conditions, signage and other improvements
› Other issues raised issues included flooding on the road, road width, and a need for more stop signs at intersections.

You can read the full engagement summary here.

What happens next

We’ve read all the feedback and we are using these insights, along with our technical analysis, to identify safe and appropriate speed limits for this road.

We will be coming back to the community in the near future to formally consult on proposed safer speed limits.

The formal consultation will cover off what the proposed safer speed limits are and give people the opportunity to let us know if there are any other factors we should consider when making our decision.

We will be in touch once again when we are ready to begin formal consultation. 

More information

For more information on the SH6 Hope to Wakefield speed review project, visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/hope2wakefield