40km Speed Zones

40km speed limits throughout the Central Business District came into force on 27 January 2005.

Coffs Harbour City Council voted last May to improve safety for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists in the CBD by dropping the road speed limits to 40km/h.

These zones were the final stage of the City Centre Redevelopment, part of which was to provide traffic calming measures for all local streets within the city centre.

The 40km/h speed limit program is designed specifically for areas of high pedestrian and cyclist activity such as CBDs and shopping strips, where significant traffic calming devices such as roundabouts and pedestrian crossings are already in place.

To pave the way for the new 40km/h zone, Council had already introduced more traffic calming measures such as blisters, pedestrian refuges and changed traffic lanes.

The 40km/h High Pedestrian Activity Zone includes Harbour Drive to Earl Street, Park Avenue, Gordon Street to Albany Street, Vernon Street, Moonee Street, West High Street to Lyster Street, Elbow Street, Cox Lane, Penny Lane, Coffs Street from the Castle St Roundabout, Duke Street, Castle Street, Riding Lane, Little Street and Dalley Street.

The 40km/h zone is the first step in the process of rationalising the speed zones across the city. In July 2004, the NSW government made the default general urban speed limit 50km/h. Council has also resolved to change the 60km/h speed zones on Orlando Street and Harbour Drive to 50km/h.