Challenge to Transit re mway bus lanes...

[Devil]

I think we need this man's email address...

let's see how quickly we can fill his inbox.

*ahem*
clive.fuhr@transit.govt.nz

Keep it civil people if anyone emails him. These are stubborn bastards remember.

[twinkle]

from the busway website:

In October 2000, a six-page double-sided newsletter was mailed to every resident and ratepayer on the North Shore about the BRT (bus rapid transit) and HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) project. Attached to the newsletter was a postage-paid feedback form that included the opportunity to request further information.
Newsletter feedback forms – results
A very good response of more than 3,000 feedback forms was received. An analysis of the first 2765 forms indicated a very high level of support for the general concept (85%), with a 57% support for the design as proposed, and a further 29% support for the design, with conditions.
Potential users were calculated at 61% in comparison with the 36% who currently use public transport.

how many of us filled this in? I didn't live on the shore at that time so i didn't get one.

[twinkle]

Emailed Clive about the busway to see what the story was:


I noticed that motorcycles are not included on the list of vehicles allowed
to use the busway when it is completed.

I was wondering why this would be the case as the reasons for motorcycles
not usually being allowed to use the buslanes (surfaces at different
levels/different skid resistances/merging with traffic/emergency shoulder
etc) don't seem to apply to the northern buway.

It would be very beneficial to the safety of motorcyclists if they were able
to use these lanes rather than ride between traffic on the motorway.

Could you also please tell me which national motorcycle body was consulted
regarding the busway.

thanks
*****



*****,
The Busway scheme has been designed for buses with some limited use by 'High Occupancy Vehicles'. These HOV will be restricted to a volume that does not cause delay or inconvenience to buses. The Busway is first and foremost a public transport facility. Motorcycles do not usually carry 3 or more people and therefore do not meet the proposed HOV criteria.
It is possible that HOVs will be registered as there will need to maintain a strictly controled speed environment, particularly through the Busway stations.

A motorcycle driven safely and allowed safe space by other vehicles, requires almost as much road space as a car, and as such the Busway is not intended to provide a road for single occupancy vehicles, such vehicles will need to travel on the general traffic lanes. In terms of your comments I am not sure that it is permitted for motorcyclists to be driving between vehicles in the motorway traffic lanes.

The Busway scheme with the access proposals was publicly notified at the time the statutory aprovals were sought. There were approx. 2,400 submisions to the initial Hearings. Motorcycle groups and associations were able to make submissions at this stage.

Regards,
Clive Fuhr




I don't know if any biking organisations made any submissions 6-odd years ago but i'm guessing if we had of been organised back then and had every rider we knew make a submission(auckland or not wouldn't matter its numbers we need) we would have been able to get some concession for bikes. That 2400 submissions could have been matched by motorcyclists alone.

damn



btw how many members does BRONZ have?

[Bevel]

The Busway scheme has been designed for buses with some limited use by 'High Occupancy Vehicles'. These HOV will be restricted to a volume that does not cause delay or inconvenience to buses. The Busway is first and foremost a public transport facility. Motorcycles do not usually carry 3 or more people and therefore do not meet the proposed HOV criteria. Clive Fuhr

Then change the HOV criteria so that motorcycles qualify. Secondly a motorcycle will not hold up a bus unless it is gutless moped and slow vehicles like that are outlawed on motorways anyway.

A motorcycle driven safely and allowed safe space by other vehicles, requires almost as much road space as a car, and as such the Busway is not intended to provide a road for single occupancy vehicles... Clive Fuhr

It appears the issue is not about safety after all.

The Busway scheme with the access proposals was publicly notified at the time the statutory approvals were sought. ... Motorcycle groups and associations were able to make submissions at this stage. Clive Fuhr

It's all so about beurocracy. It's only too late if we roll over for them. This is bullshit. I'm emailing Clive.

[twinkle]

yeah apparently everyone is going to love taking a bus so much that the new busway is going to be choca full of busses when its done!
So the question now is how many busses does it take to fill up a bus lane?

Motorbikes don't hold up traffic much anyway... when traffic stops bikes just go around. No way there is enough busses leaving the city to fill up the whole busway, maybe one day, but not any day soon.


oh by the way here is a feedback page for the busway http://www.busway.co.nz/feedback.html if anyone wants to feed something back to transit...

and here's a pic of what the bus stations will look like, you can see why they don't want cars or bikes flying through make it a 40k zone through the station

[Magua]

from the busway website:


how many of us filled this in? I didn't live on the shore at that time so i didn't get one.

Damnit! I couldn't legally hold a liscence in 2000.

How about the day of the opening we stage a ride along the busway.
Not without first trying to solve the issue through more diplomatic means first.

[The Pastor]

Damnit! I couldn't legally hold a liscence in 2000.

How about the day of the opening we stage a ride along the busway.
Not without first trying to solve the issue through more diplomatic means first.

Thats excatly what I said. LETS DO THIS PEOPLE! either that or bun down a bus station.

[gunnyrob]

Heck yeah, let's DO IT! (Don't know what's involved in bunning down a Bus Station tho)

[Filterer]

Heck yeah, let's DO IT! (Don't know what's involved in bunning down a Bus Station tho)

Well im in for the ride down a bus lanes, as for "burning" down a bus station as renegade master said

[twinkle]

They need to build the stations before you can burn them down

[The Pastor]

ive sent mytmessage to clive

[matdebat]

after getting let off 2 weeks ago for using the Esmonde Rd bus lane by a bike cop when I showed him all the LTSA print outs I carry in my jacket pocket, I got a letter from another cop who says he saw me last week and that I'm getting a ticket in the mail. When I rang and explained the legal perspective he said tell the court and he will watch with interest. Not really the outcome I was looking for but I'm to see it through because its fairly black and white to me. A simple sign saying "no motorcycles" is all it would take to clear it up, but also add about 20mins to my "get to work" time of course

[Jantar]

after getting let off 2 weeks ago for using the Esmonde Rd bus lane by a bike cop when I showed him all the LTSA print outs I carry in my jacket pocket, I got a letter from another cop who says he saw me last week and that I'm getting a ticket in the mail. When I rang and explained the legal perspective he said tell the court and he will watch with interest. Not really the outcome I was looking for but I'm to see it through because its fairly black and white to me. A simple sign saying "no motorcycles" is all it would take to clear it up, but also add about 20mins to my "get to work" time of course

The first step is to write to the Police Infringement Bureau, and I suspect the case will be dropped at that point. If the police don't drop it then defend it all the way, the court must dismiss it because the signage doesn't specifically exclude motorcycles.

[Skyryder]

If you realy want to know why bikes are not allowed in bus lanes get a P class licence and drive a bus full of passangers. As an ex bus driver believe me you do not want to use these things. They may look safe and no doubt most of the time they will be. But.................if shit turns to the loose stuff through driver error you are going to get slam dunked big time.


Skyryder

[Big Dave]

If you realy want to know why bikes are not allowed in bus lanes get a P class licence and drive a bus full of passangers. As an ex bus driver believe me you do not want to use these things. They may look safe and no doubt most of the time they will be. But.................if shit turns to the loose stuff through driver error you are going to get slam dunked big time.


Skyryder

Still have to be safer than lane splitting on the freeway?