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Waikato District Council - Te Kaunihera aa Takiwaa o Waikato

Birchwood Lane vehicle speed reduction trial

In May 2025, temporary chicanes were installed on Birchwood Lane in response to a community concerns, including a number of customer complaints via council’s customer service system regarding the speed of vehicles on Birchwood Lane. 

Traffic speed data collected supported these concerns.

A trial was considered to be the most cost-effective way of engaging with the community as it allows users to experience the arrangement in a temporary form, rather than guessing how it would impact them based on a drawing.

But we acknowledge that the community was not adequately advised about the timing of the installation.

Community meeting update - 3 June 2025

Thank you to everyone who attended the community meeting on Tuesday 3 June and to those who have reached out with their feedback following the event.  

The meeting was well attended and included a range of views. Some people supported the trial; others had concerns and many shared ideas for improvement.  

Here’s a summary of the key points we heard: 

  • Some people felt the 50km/h speed limit is too slow for this road and would like to see it increased. 
  • Most people agree something needs to be done to slow traffic down, but there was strong opposition to the use of “hit sticks" or chicanes. 
  • We received feedback that some of the chicanes were creating a hazard and increasing the risk of a crash. 
  • Several people were concerned about the visibility of the chicanes during high fog and certain times of the day when sun impacted visibility. 
  • Suggestions to improve safety included:  
  • painting speed limits on the road,  
  • adding more speed signs,  
  • planting trees to make the road feel narrower,  
  • strong support for adding a pedestrian crossing,  
  • and continuing the wide centre line. 
  • There was concern about how safely residents can access the shared path across the road. 
  • Comments were made on the general condition of the road and potholes. 
  • There are mixed views about whether opening Newell Road would help ease traffic on Birchwood Lane and Alfred Main Drive. 

After the meeting, more feedback came through to Council staff and the Tamahere Community Committee (TCC).  Some supported the trial and Council’s approach but didn’t feel comfortable speaking up at the meeting. 

New Zealand Police have confirmed 50km/h is the safe and appropriate speed limit for this road, so the limit will stay.  

  • There was strong feedback during the meeting that the traffic calming devices at the brow of the hill created a hazard with limited visibility of oncoming traffic. This device was planned to be removed but has since been done by members of the community. 
  • Two chicanes that were initially removed will not be reinstalled. 
  • The chicane closest to Devine Road will remain in place for the rest of the trial.  
  • Traffic counters (that also record speeds) will be installed from the week of 9 June 2025.  These will capture data to inform how effective the chicane and wide centreline installations have been.  This data, along with feedback during the trial, will be summarised in August and reported in September.  
  • We’ll be adding more speed limit signs and painting 50km/h on the road at suitable locations. 
  • Future option to extend the wide centreline at the north end of Birchwood Lane will be considered following analysis of the traffic count data. 
  • We’re still looking into planting trees, but this will be considered later once we have more data collected. 
  • Potholes that have been reported have been programmed to be fixed.  
  • We’ll continue investigating the best option for a safe pedestrian crossing. A simple zebra crossing isn’t suitable for this kind of road as it’s been proven to create more risk to children when used alone on a road like this. A raised platform crossing with lighting and signage may be possible and would need to be fully funded by WDC as there are currently no funding subsidies available.   
  • Opening Newell Road won’t be considered as part of this project. It’s a much bigger decision and would need to be made by NZTA. We’re happy to support those conversations if they go ahead. 

Your feedback

In September 2025, we’ll be asking residents and road users to share their views on this trial through a survey on the Waikato District Council website. We’ll also share the traffic data we’ve collected so far to help inform your feedback.  

We are aware of a community survey which is currently underway.  We have been in contact with the residents who are running this survey and will continue to work collaboratively with them to get a good outcome. Please note that whilst the information collected in this survey will be considered, official collection of data will be via our website. 

A reminder from Council and NZ Police – Please share the road with care, drive to the conditions and stick to the speed limit to help keep everyone safe. 

FAQs

Waikato District Council has installed temporary traffic calming chicanes on Birchwood Lane as part of a trial to reduce speeding. The trial is expected to run until September 2025. 
Monitoring showed that many vehicles were speeding on Birchwood Lane, which is a residential 50km/h road. In fact, 80 percent of vehicles were travelling 20 km/h or more above the speed limit. Some were recorded driving over 100 km/h. This trial is a response to both this data and ongoing community concerns about road safety. 
The chicanes are designed to slow down traffic by requiring drivers to give way and move around the devices. When used properly, they encourage safer speeds by creating a need for greater attention and caution when travelling along the road. 

The Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 establishes the rules for how traffic operates on roads and applies to road users and to vehicles on roads.

Part 2 Section 2.3 gives direction of the use of traffic lane with subsection 2 stating the following:

(2) A driver, when driving on a road marked in lanes,-

(a) must drive as far as practicable entirely within a lane except when complying with subclause 2.1 (2) or when changing lanes; and

(b) must not move from a lane until he or she has first ascertained that the manoeuvre may be made safely.

Should two vehicles approach the chicanes, or road narrowing's, at the same time then both drivers have a responsibility to ensure that they can safely move through the device. 

Therefore, if a crash happens then both drivers would be at fault as neither driver had made sure that they could complete their manoeuvre safely.

Chicanes provide the best reduction in vehicles speeds over the greatest length of road. Using road marking to change traffic direction will slow people down and change driver behaviour rather than speed bumps.  

Speed humps and raised platforms were discounted due to noise issues and difficulty securing funding for any future permanent installation.  Due to the speed that vehicles can pass over them (50km/hr) they are unlikely to have any significant effect on vehicle speeds. 

The trial is scheduled to run until September 2025. At the end of the trial, Council will review the results of new speed surveys and collect feedback from the community. This information will help inform any decision about permanent measures. 
Council has kept costs down by using recycled materials from other projects. The estimated cost of the trial is still being confirmed. A project budget of $50,000 has been allocated and may not reflect the actual cost of the trial. Council will clarify costs as more information becomes available. 
No, as this is a trial the community were not consulted. However, Council apologises for not engaging with the community before installing the chicanes. Moving forward, Council will work with the community to gather feedback before making any further decisions about the trial or any permanent changes. 

Even though formal traffic monitoring using tube counters hasn’t been carried out since 2022, the issues on Birchwood Lane clearly persist. Councillors and staff continue to receive regular complaints from residents about speeding. 

Council monitored speed on this road in 2022, using tube counters placed across the road. In addition, several formal complaints have been received about speeding, noisy vehicles, and requests for speed reduction measures. The issue has also been raised with Councillors and staff by local residents. 
Council does not operate speed cameras. The Police have carried out some enforcement activity on Birchwood Lane at Council’s request. However, the volume of traffic on this road is too low for speed cameras to be installed under current national guidelines. 
No. Birchwood Lane is a residential road with a 50 km/h limit, which is consistent with surrounding streets. The road has been designed and built for a 50km/h speed limit and should be used accordingly. Council has reviewed the speed limits in this area twice since 2018, and at no point was a request received to raise the speed limit. 
Other tools, like electronic speed feedback signs and increased police enforcement, were tried but did not result in long-term behaviour change. Speed humps were also considered but were ruled out due to their higher cost and potential for creating noise and vibration issues. 
After the trial finishes in September 2025, Council will carry out more speed checks and ask residents for feedback. This process will help decide whether to remove, adjust, or make the traffic calming measures permanent. 
You can contact Waikato District Council through our usual customer service channels or speak with your local ward councillor. The Tamahere Community Committee is also helping to gather community views and share feedback with Council. 

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