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Waikato District Council - Te Kaunihera aa Takiwaa o Waikato

Birchwood Lane vehicle speed reduction trial

 

As a result of the trial being installed with no forewarning to the community and various discussions that have occurred since, the Tamahere community is invited to attend a community meeting regarding the trial on Tuesday 3 June 2025 at 6pm at the Tamahere Community Centre.

The trial was 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.

At the community session, you will hear the reasoning for the method of the trial, pros and cons of other trial options and the speed data behind the need for the trial.

We also want to hear your thoughts on the trial.

Should the trial continue, then the site will be monitored and adjusted as needed.

Speed data and formal community feedback via way of a simple survey will be collected in August, after drivers have had time to adjust, which will help to determine any sort of permanent measure to reduce speed on Birchwood Lane.

For more information please see the FAQs below.

 

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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