Years of delay and inertia over lowering speed limits in Martinborough were nearly at an end – then central government overrode months of public submissions, proposals and plans to slam the brakes on the reductions taking place.
Instead of some roads having maximum speeds lowered from 100 kilometers an hour to 80 kph, 70 or even 60 kph and others from 70 kph to 50 kph, the government’s late 2023 override returned speedometers to the former speed levels across
the town.
In mid-2023 South Wairarapa District Council had agreed Puruatanga Road’s speed limit should be lowered to 60 kph.
The road, which accesses the town’s Winery Row of cellar doors and vineyard eateries, is known as a multi-use route.
Almost every week scores of people walk the two kilometre stretch – particularly at weekends – travel by cycle or multi-bike, drive their vehicles and park at the dozen venues dotted along it.
Buses, trucks, stock trucks, tractors and vineyard machinery are also regular users of the route between Princess Street and Hinekura Road. Some do the “full monty” 100 kph speed trip.
Then the fatal bike vs car accident on Puruatanga Road jolted the community and visitors alike after one tourist died at the scene and three other people were seriously injured.
Police said earlier that enquiries into the circumstances of the fatal crash were ongoing and it was “not possible to speculate on any charges at this stage” over the woman cyclist’s death.
Despite “speed kills” warnings, the coalition government had reversed the speed limit reductions on streets, arterial roads and state highways across the country. The 100 kph speed level was again mandated for Winery Row.
While visitors to Martinborough and locals noted an initial bout of calming and hesitance among drivers in the immediate aftermath of the crash, there have been few indicators of real, likely or possible change.
Deputy mayor Melissa Sadler-Futter used a Facebook post to give a discreet signal there would “no doubt come a time to reflect, review and
consider possible changes to avoid a repeat of this terrible tragedy.”
Others may think there’s no time like the present, or even strike while the iron is hot.
After all, four days after the fatal crash, a lime green low-slung squarish Holden-style car with no muffler, a blaring manifold pipe and driving at high velocity rushed down lower Jellicoe St, down Ferry Road and along White Rock Road in a series of speed runs. Three young men were in it. Further runs followed over the next days. The current speed limits don’t contain or control some driving behaviour.
Reflecting on the nexus between speed and injury and on the many users and uses of Puruatanga Road/Winery Row could give a hint of what action the Martinborough community should take to ensure its tourist-and-entertainment friendly reputation
is maintained.
So what are the options – and how far can the community go to ensure it’s road safety needs are addressed – and secured? Not over-ridden.
One set of options was put to SWDC by proactive business and vineyard owners.
Nothing happened. (See P1).
Green Jersey Cycles operator Joe Howells said a public meeting on the issue at the time raised good ideas on “making this a bike-friendly village and creating signage as you enter town and in certain places on the roads – creating an awareness we’re a cycle-friendly town and please be careful.”
He said by comparison, cycling in France showed
“a culture that was very, very cycle-friendly.”
A bike accident he witnessed during one ride there saw a French motorist – despite heavy traffic – “stop, put her (emergency) blinkers on, busy, busy road – people are honking, she’s helping (the rider) out of
a bush even though it was nothing to do with her … but she was so worried about the safety of that cyclist. We had a number of examples of things like that while we were in France.
“But it doesn’t happen here – it’s the opposite almost.”
