Slippery slide for scooters

[kevie]

Tribune Sunday May 7th:

Theres a front page article in this weeks Palmerston North 'TRIBUNE' with Alan Kirk from 'Megarider' commenting on the councils persistence in 'cross hatching' (slippery paint) road markings at Palmys intersections. He says it is posing a real hazzard for the many people that are turning to motor scooters. As many of these riders are novices and combined with slippery road markings we are seeing many more 'offs' and statistics from police show scooter accidents are on the increase.

He made the comment " Motorcyclists are Independant, stubborn and risk takers but scooter riders are new to the game and many dont have a clue about how dangerous wet roads can be"

It is suggested (these markings) be replaced by the green 'slurry' paint, Spokesman for council stated the 'non skid' paint loses its quality after a short time and to date they have had no complaints regarding the road markings.
Palmerston North has the green slurry paint on some of the well used 'cycle lanes' but motorcyclists are prohibited from using these.

But I think bottom line is ......... us 2 wheel motorists need to be aware of the dangers of wet weather riding. All very well blaming a painted line but the end responsibility should be on the rider to ride defensively........ its a good point for the novices joining this site tho.

Take care in the wet.

>>>>>>>> *remembers wet weather spills as a new rider back in the late 60s*

[Sketchy_Racer]

Spokesman for council stated the 'non skid' paint loses its quality after a short time and to date they have had no complaints regarding the road markings.

BULLSHIT!

just about every biker i nkow bitched and moans about the paint on the road.

The council are just to slack to do anything about the slack buggers

[VasalineWarrior]

Whats his email address? How many complaints do you think his inbox can handle?

[kevie]

Whats his email address? How many complaints do you think his inbox can handle?

hehehe Im not sure of his email addy but the guy is JOHN LIESWYN Acting transport manager for Palmerston North City Council. A call to council will get you his email addy.


A point to comment on ... is on South Maririkiri road they have marked 'STOP AHEAD' right on the righ hand bent preceeding the Wellington road/Makirikiri road intersection, you hit that paint at a lean, almost been caught a couple times by it before I changed my riding approach to it..... another few metres further on and thay would have had the paint on a strait bit of road.

>>>>>>>>> wanders off to ring council and Land transport.

[James Deuce]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=28972

[ManDownUnder]

And the highly technical solution of mixing sand into the paint is too hard??

[crashe]

Palmerston North has the green slurry paint on some of the well used 'cycle lanes' but motorcyclists are prohibited from using these.

Move to Auckland, cos up here ALL motorbikes are allowed to ride in this section of the road... it is open to Buses, pushbikes and also Motorbikes.

[kevie]

Ok heres the acting transport managers email address for you if you wanna comment on the paint on roads in Palmy area.


its john.lieswyn@pncc.govt.nz

I'd recomend you get a copy of the article (Ithink its too long quote in full on a forum here) in the Tribune Sunday May 7th 2006 (its Manawatu's free paper)

I rang The Rangitikei council about the paint on the corner on Makirikiri and they're sending out a engineer to look at it They said they havent experienced any problems with it and I asked them if they wanna try comming across it on my big cruiser at about 90km/h in the wet at a lean lmao

[MikeyG]

I learnt about slippery pain the hard way last week. Only my third day commuting on the bike and I ended up with the back wheel out the side and me drifting the bike along the road. Needed clean pants when I got to work.

Thats the last time I slow down while changing lanes.

[sunhuntin]

that green paint is slippery too isnt it? ive never actually ridden on it, but read somewhere it can be. wonder if they think us big bike riders actually enjoy sliding on that white stuff? must be the palmy scooter riders are pansys? P/T

and yes, that white paint is a mother.....love how they put a maze of white paint and manhole covers right on corners....thanks guys.
turn into my street youve got a "waiting bit for turning" in the middle of the road, made of course of white paint, and a selection of about 4 manholes halfway into the turn and also on the otherside of it. my back tyre has caught that a number of times, but never hard enough to throw me......yet.

[Drum]

The color of the paint has nothing to do with it, however a silicone substance - similar to sand, but not sand - can be mixed with the paint to increase the friction properties.

Sounds simple, but it can be difficult finding and transporting appropriate material (you dont just grab it off the beach) - and the cost of the paint is increased four fold. When you think of how many kilometers of of paint there are, it all adds up.

In a previous life I was a roading type engineer, and a non-biker, and we never even considered motorcyclists when locating paint markings. None of the marking manuals even mention bikes. This is not a problem with individual engineers, rather it is a systemic problem. Dont blame the guys and gals who are just doing their job!

[Ixion]

..
In a previous life I was a roading type engineer, and a non-biker, and we never even considered motorcyclists when locating paint markings. None of the marking manuals even mention bikes. This is not a problem with individual engineers, rather it is a systemic problem. Dont blame the guys and gals who are just doing their job!

So who do we talk to to get the system changed and "Think about motorcycles, chaps" added to the manuals ?

[sunhuntin]

never even thought of blaming the guys laying the paint.....just who sent them to do it. ixion, good q.....that paint can be bad even to cyclists.

[Drum]

So who do we talk to to get the system changed and "Think about motorcycles, chaps" added to the manuals ?

Could try a letter to the editor of Roundabout magazine. This magazine is read by most of the roading types around the country:

http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenztg/rdabout.htm

All the markings and signage manuals (and more) are all viewable on line:

http://www.transit.govt.nz/technical...=1&action=edit
http://www.transit.govt.nz/technical...15&action=edit
http://www.transit.govt.nz/technical...34&action=edit

[Ixion]

Aha!

This is the man we want The man in charge of the manuals.

For more information contact:
Brian Zemanek,
DDI phone number: +64 4 496-6695,
Email: brian.zemanek@transit.govt.nz

Lets get the email engines going folks. Tell this guy just how ratshit that white paint is. I'll post an example for the inarticulate ones tomorrow.