Be aware about using bus lanes

[enigma51]

Got this from a friend this morning

Transit New Zealand
Auckland Regional Office
25 February 2005

Media Release
Motorcyclists and cyclists reminded not to use motorway bus lanes

Transit New Zealand wishes to remind cyclists and motorcyclists that they are not allowed to use any bus lanes on Auckland's motorways even when the new traffic rules announced by Land Transport NZ come into force on Sunday (27 February).

Transit New Zealand regional manager (acting), Richard Hancy, says the new rules, which will allow cyclists and motorcyclists to use bus lanes on other roads, do not apply to bus lanes on motorways. 'Motorways are governed by Transit Bylaw 2002/19 which only allows motorway bus lanes to be used by 'timetabled passenger service vehicles'. This bylaw overrides the new traffic rules,' he says.

Mr Hancy says that at present bus lanes on motorways are in effect 'emergency shoulder lanes' that are converted to bus lanes between 6.30am and 9.30am to accommodate morning peak periods.

'Motorcyclists cannot use these emergency lanes, even when they are temporary bus lanes, because the motorway is a high speed environment and the risk of a motorist pulling off to the side in the event of a breakdown makes it even more dangerous,' says Mr Hancy.

'As far as cyclists are concerned, like pedestrians, they have never been allowed to use the motorways and this remains unchanged.' We are, however, incorporating special cycleways off the motorways whenever possible into all our new projects. We already have a cycleway that runs alongside the causeway of the Northwestern Motorway.

Special signs reinforcing the message that the emergency lanes are for buses only in morning peak periods will be erected along the motorways.

[Waylander]

My suggestion, don't use the bus lanes at all. How can you tell wich one is controlled by wich group? I think it's just another reveniew (sp im really tired right now) gathering oportunity for them. Even if you think it's safe to ride in the bus lane don't cause you could be wrong or come across a cop on a power trip.

[sAsLEX]

Mr Hancy says that at present bus lanes on motorways are in effect 'emergency shoulder lanes' that are converted to bus lanes between 6.30am and 9.30am to accommodate morning peak periods.

'Motorcyclists cannot use these emergency lanes, even when they are temporary bus lanes, because the motorway is a high speed environment and the risk of a motorist pulling off to the side in the event of a breakdown makes it even more dangerous,' says Mr Hancy.

Special signs reinforcing the message that the emergency lanes are for buses only in morning peak periods will be erected along the motorways.

ah so the bus lanes that aint in emergency stopping lanes are open game then according to this reason, only one i know of is heading sout on the bridge after shelly beach road off ramp though, but it is handy to use!!

had to follow a cop in to uni today and no filtering made the commute so slow! until he stopped :niceone:

[sAsLEX]

My suggestion, don't use the bus lanes at all. How can you tell wich one is controlled by wich group?

thats why they passed this new law to put all bus lanes under the same jurisdiction, just after the fact they relised they kinda missed the fact the dont want us on the motorway ones so had to say the other bylaw held true, rather than incorperating it in the new law!

[bear]

I think that even using the bus lanes in the cities is a bit dodgy from people pulling out from car parks and the like. They're probably only looking for buses, not bikes.

[Waylander]

I should also say that the only bus lanes I have seen in auckland are the redish ones and I would drive in those things even in a car. To much crap that could blow a tire or get caught up in the spokes. No thanks I'll take my chances with traffic.

[Jantar]

Transit have made a BIG mistake. The priority of laws is that Statute has priority over government regulations over bylaws.

A bylaw cannot take predence over a statute or regulation. Therefore feel free to ride in the bus lanes. You are allowed to.

[inlinefour]

As I'm just ever passing through to get up north or back home I never end up on that side of the road. Bit crappy though that they are segregating though...

[Lou Girardin]

There's some serious misinformation happening here. There is no new law, just an erroneous ad from LTNZ saying that bikes could travel in all bus lanes.
We aren't allowed in TransitNZ controlled lanes, eg. m/ways. We are allowed in Auckland City and I assume other Auckland bus lanes.
If Jantar is right that'll be great. but I don't want to risk $500 on being wrong.
Which brings me to the smart arse cager who thought he'd use the bridge bus lane this morning and barge into the other lanes. Too late though, Mr Plod saw him. But Mr Plod had his bike parked in the bus lane at 45dgrees to the traffic, I couldn't help wondering what he'd do if a bus came thundering around the bend.

[Ixion]

I actually spent much time on the phone with the Traffic Strategy Manager for Transit NZ (or some such title) about this.

Mr Jantar is correct. But wrong in his conclusion. The Transit NZ "bylaws" cannot override statute law.

Problem is, that the motorway "buslanes" are not actually buslanes in law. They are simply an emergency stopping shoulder, which Transit have agreed to allow buses to drive on as a "special arrangement" (in effect buses just get exempted from the general bylaw that makes it illegal to drive on them)

So they are not legally buslanes therefore not covered by the new rule.And Transit are totally uninterested in anything positive for motorcycles, which they make fairly clear they would like to see removed from the roads completely. So I can't see them having a change of mind on the "buslanes" .

What is positive is that LTSA now control buslanes (all "real" buslanes) not the councils in whose area they are. So there will be no more variation from one council to another .

[T.I.E]

so we are allowed on the green bus lanes in auckland?

but not on the motorway. how do bikes get to travel on the motorway bus lanes?

do we need to get a bunch of names down?

and why can't we have the bus lanes on the motorway?

they want it for buses and emergency problems?

the traffic does not move much, and i can't see bikes riding at fast speeds down them next to cars that could pull out at any time.
maybe they should speed rate the lane. for bikes and buses
what ya reckon 50kph or 70kph?

if somone pulls out infront of a bike well excuse my french but what is fucken new anyway.we get it on the motorway anyhow.

let bikes take the lane, give it a speed limit. and limit those dam buses too. yeah sure i have seen those buses do some pretty quick speeds.

does not make sense.

[Ixion]

so we are allowed on the green bus lanes in auckland?

but not on the motorway. how do bikes get to travel on the motorway bus lanes?
..
let bikes take the lane, give it a speed limit. and limit those dam buses y too.
does not make sense.

Yep, allowed on buslanes everywhere except Transit controlled. Which for practical purposes = motorways.

According to Transit the buses are limited to 50kph on the motorway "buslanes" . Yeah, right.

No chance at all of getting the position changed, as I said, reading between the lines, Transit would really like bikes banned completely.

I never said it made sense. It was devised by the governement. What makes you imagine that sense was part of the brief.

[Marc]

'Motorways are governed by Transit Bylaw 2002/19 which only allows motorway bus lanes to be used by 'timetabled passenger service vehicles'. This bylaw overrides the new traffic rules,'

Seems we missed the chance on this one. I recently got the same response when a "bus lane" at the Fanshawe on-ramp was changed to a "bus-only lane" and I enquired as to why. Apparently it was always illegal for motorbikes in the lane, despite the fact that the lane leading up to it was "bus lane" we were allowed in. But the wording above and the general dislike of bikes means we shouldn't have been fighting the fight. We should be getting video of the shuttles and such which love using bus lanes. They aren't "timetabled" so they aren't allowed in the lane. Let the shuttles fight the fight for us. I've seen them in the busway as well, which should be illegal too, right?

I love how everything is about safety. Who is less safe if there are motorcycles in the busway? Are the motorcycles safer lane splitting? Or are busses unsafe if those motorcycles are near them? Seems to me that there is a net safety gain to have motorcycles in the northern busway and other bus lanes.

Regards,
Marc

[Madness]

Holy thread dredge, Batman! :clap:

[Maha]

Holy thread dredge, Batman! :clap:

Hope it doesn't bring back Ren and Stimpy...:girlfight:

[Crasherfromwayback]

Hope it doesn't bring back Ren and Stimpy...:girlfight:

You called?

[GerryAttrick]

ah so the bus lanes that aint in emergency stopping lanes are open game then according to this reason, only one i know of is heading sout on the bridge after shelly beach road off ramp though, but it is handy to use!!

had to follow a cop in to uni today and no filtering made the commute so slow! until he stopped :niceone:

Pity NZ hasn't yet decided to copy the Aussies. They are looking at encouraging "filtering" to ease congestion and encourage more travellers on to bikes & scooters

http://tinyurl.com/8b3d6gc

It must be one instance where someone actually had a good idea. Maybe its something that BRONZ etc need to push for here? After all our bureaucrats don't seem to have any ideas of their own

[Lozza2442]

Pity NZ hasn't yet decided to copy the Aussies. They are looking at encouraging "filtering" to ease congestion and encourage more travellers on to bikes & scooters

http://tinyurl.com/8b3d6gc

It must be one instance where someone actually had a good idea. Maybe its something that BRONZ etc need to push for here? After all our bureaucrats don't seem to have any ideas of their own

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/21150-Lane-splitting-filtering-the-legal-and-commonsense-answers?highlight=lane+filtering
This is already all geezy in NZ.