Bl***dy crap NZ roads

[diggyduo]

Why are our roads built so poorly? The very time the weather heats up into perfect biking weather, our roads turn into treacle with gravel on top, mixed in with flat shiney bits that are slippery as hell. It's not like we are in a heat wave. It seems to happen as soon as the temperature heats up above 24 degrees.

I know it's possible to build roads that sustain these almighty NZ temps - I spent a couple of summers in Texas where it was routinely in the high 30's and low 40's but their roads stayed like normal, not turning into horrid falling-apart stuff like ours.

Surely melted roads must account for a decent proportion of motorcycle accidents. I'm not suggesting we should be tearing around like Valentinos, even riding at normal car pace (once in a cue behind a campervan) I've had a couple of slides when I haven't been able to avoid the melted bits.

I guess it must come down to cost - perhaps using a mix that can withstand an average NZ summer is just too expensive for our Safety Authorities to justify....

[Str8 Jacket]

Motorcycling is survival of the fittest.....

[R6_kid:Me]

Ride to the conditions, and realise that hot sunny days aren't perfect motorcycling days in NZ, cool overcast days are - that's why autumn and spring are so great!

[colsan1]

I've riden sports bikes for 30 years and brought one to nz when i moved here.
The shite roads here really shocked me, definately the worst i've riden on.
I dumped the sports bike and not wanting to give up 2 wheels i now have a cruiser.
Tarmacadam is the answer, its used everywhere else in the world even the hot earopean countrie
who's summers make nz's look tame.
It doesnt melt, it doesnt crack and it doesnt need fecking loose stone chips scattered all over it twice a year.

[diggyduo]

Ride to the conditions, and realise that hot sunny days aren't perfect motorcycling days in NZ, cool overcast days are - that's why autumn and spring are so great!

Yep, you are right of course. But isn't it frustrating it has to be that way in NZ? Guess we can't have a perfect country afterall!

In all seriousness, I don't think it particularly responsible of Land transport (or whomever sorts the roading contracts) to happily accept hot mix that disintegrates at the first hint of summer when there are solutions that are presumably fairly simple to implement.

It's not just motorcycling that it affects either. I have shaken my head many times when I see the gouges melted chip seal creates in the chain stays and forks of road treadlies, not to mention the time it takes to clean the tar off.

For sure riding is survival of the fittest, and perhaps we should just accept it and move on. But (not wanting to sound pessimistic) sometime, somewhere, some unfortunate person going to loose the front when braking to avoid Mr 'Pull Out Infront of You person' because of melted tar and suffer an otherwise avoidable accident.

Friday night isn't really the time for negativity, and I always think we shouldn't complain unless we are willing to put pen on paper and send it to those that that have influence (where it can be filed in cabinet 13 no doubt). Sounds like a job for Monday

[Ixion]

I guess it must come down to cost - perhaps using a mix that can withstand an average NZ summer is just too expensive for our Safety Authorities to justify....

Exactly . cost and nothing else. There ar evarious grades of bitumen mix. They melt at different temperatures. The low melting ones are the cheapest.

Transit are aware of this. BRONZ has repeatedly drawn their attention to it. They know it has killed people. Their response: they have commsisioned three studies into it . And, a quote, from an email from Joanna Towler of Transit , to me

At the NZTA we maintain our roads to try and avoid bleeding and flushing, however funding is limited

And that's before we take into account the well known (but universally denied of course) practice of the contractor throwing a few bucketfulls of kerosene into the bitumen mix. Kerosene is real cheap.

[Motu]

I've had a couple of slides when I haven't been able to avoid the melted bits.
.

Look at that as a positive,I do.

Of course it's just a matter of cost,and that's an easy fix.Just jump personal tax up to 50%,increase fuel tax,increase rego costs.I'm sure we will all be prepared to pay the extra just for better roads.

Personally I'm happy with the roads as they are...more than happy,I love them.

[The Everlasting]

Yeah the roads certainly were sweating today,I just take extra care whenever i spot some melted stuff on the road.

It was particularly bad going out and back to Piha today...good ride tho..

[varminter]

Contractors, there's the answer of course, do it once, in summer it all falls off, or gets ripped off by trucks, viola, they get to do it again,( insert cash register noise here)

[diggyduo]

Of course it's just a matter of cost,and that's an easy fix.Just jump personal tax up to 50%,increase fuel tax,increase rego costs.I'm sure we will all be prepared to pay the extra just for better roads.
.

What about more speed cameras? That might help!

[Ixion]

Look at that as a positive,I do.

Of course it's just a matter of cost,and that's an easy fix.Just jump personal tax up to 50%,increase fuel tax,increase rego costs.I'm sure we will all be prepared to pay the extra just for better roads.

Personally I'm happy with the roads as they are...more than happy,I love them.

I'm not. I'd rather have gravel than crappy tarseal. At least it's predictable. And it improves when it's wet. There is far too much money wasted putting cheap crap-as tar seal onto minor back roads that should be left as gravel.

[diggyduo]

Sounds like you have been around the bush on this one. Is there a site/resource that holds the recent history on this? Any data is good data.

Exactly . cost and nothing else. There ar evarious grades of bitumen mix. They melt at different temperatures. The low melting ones are the cheapest.

Transit are aware of this. BRONZ has repeatedly drawn their attention to it. They know it has killed people. Their response: they have commsisioned three studies into it . And, a quote, from an email from Joanna Towler of Transit , to me



And that's before we take into account the well known (but universally denied of course) practice of the contractor throwing a few bucketfulls of kerosene into the bitumen mix. Kerosene is real cheap.

[Motu]

I'm not. I'd rather have gravel than crappy tarseal.. There is far too much money wasted putting cheap crap-as tar seal onto minor back roads that should be left as gravel.

Oh,for sure.These minor roads were gravel roads that were just graded,rolled...then sprayed with tar and spread with gravel.Never made or intended for high traffic flow,or loadings.In the last 10 or 15 years the public has become much more mobile,they are out there on rural roads in huge numbers never seen before.There is a huge work load required to bring these roads up to any decent sort of standard.I for one am not prepard to pay for it,I'll ride them as they are....and save my money.My father worked for Bitumix in the '50's,and an uncle for NZ Roadmakers at the same time....the talk was all the same,it's the same technology today...no advancement at all.

[stify]

There is far too much money wasted putting cheap crap-as tar seal onto minor back roads that should be left as gravel.

State Highway 2 really should be upgraded then...one of the most crap as patched up backroads I have the displeasure of riding everyday....

[wynw]

You want dodgy seal, head north and try some of ours!