Suggestions range from increasing the speed limit in George St to 30kmh to making 30kmh the maximum speed for the entire city.
Appropriate traffic speeds will be explored at a hearing today about the Dunedin City Council’s interim speed management plan.
The plan would mostly adjust the rules around schools, proposing some 30kmh permanent zones and others where the limit would apply at school pupil pick-up and drop-off times.
A 30kmh limit is also proposed at four urban centres — Caversham, Mornington, Maori Hill and in the tertiary education precinct.
The council received 188 submissions.
More than 60% supported proposed changes for 30kmh limits around schools.
Most submitters who responded to questions about the urban centres supported 30kmh zones there.
The council said 19% asked for proposed school zones to be extended, but 10% wanted them reduced to ensure better compliance.
In her written submission, City Rise co-founder Liz Angelo said she saw dangerous vehicle and pedestrian movements daily.
She was one submitter who favoured permanent 30kmh limits around all schools.
Associate Prof Alex Macmillan, from the University of Otago, would like the whole city to be a 30kmh zone.
"As a public health doctor and researcher with expertise in the links between transport and health, I strongly support lowering vehicle speeds in the city," she said.
It was also not OK for footpaths to be blocked by people’s rubbish, recycling bins and bags one in every five school days, Prof Macmillan said.
University resource planner Kevin Wood said most of the university’s students lived and studied in the tertiary precinct and he suggested expanding the proposed 30kmh zone into wider North Dunedin and part of North East Valley.
"Pedestrian movement in this area is the predominant transport mode for residents."
Lyndon Weggery, unconvinced about the merits of a 10kmh limit in part of George St, suggested extending a 30kmh zone from Princes St into George St, as far as Frederick St.
"Redesign of George St as a shared space should be determined by a reasonable speed limit and not the other way round," he said in a submission apparently written before the council abandoned attempts this year to revise the design.
The design in the completed Farmers block, between Moray Pl and St Andrew St, "determined an unworkable speed" of 10kmh and was causing traffic delays, he said.
Mr Weggery was recorded as being from the Dunedin Ratepayers and Householders’ Association, which is a detail that may need amending, as he has lately been leading a similar group, the Dunedin Area Citizens’ Association.
The Abbotsford School board of trustees drew attention to two incidents in North Taieri Rd in recent months.
One crash, in October, resulted in critical injuries for an 8-year-old boy.
"Both accidents occurred outside of school hours, hence we support the [30kmh] zone being permanent," a submission under the name of school principal Stephanie Madden said.
Geraldine Stratton said speed zones around schools should be 20kmh, which would be the same as passing a school bus.
Jacqueline Jensen observed drivers in New Zealand were distracted, aggressive and drove "way too fast" for the road conditions.
