More Transit discrimination against bikes. FIGHT BACK

**terbang** · 21st November 2006, 07:54

Originally Posted by Weasel

Everyone is always descriminated against... that's life mate.
I see your point, but from what I read they'll only be having these lanes at like 3 on ramps, so it's not really that big a deal is it?

Weasel, you are truly sounding like a kiwi there.. GST, Helen, MMP, Treaty......

Originally Posted by Ixion

I reckon this could be a bit of an acid test for BRONZ too, it's a nice open and shut case. If they wimp on this one, they're probably a lost cause.

They have been for years anyway.

I also added:

A lot of people ride motorcycles for economic reasons that has a positive impact on our environment especially with regard to fuel usage and emissions. The use of Motorcycles as personal transport also reduces parking and road congestion. This is an initiative that should be encouraged by the likes of Transit by offering benefits for doing so.

**Grahameeboy** · 21st November 2006, 07:55

Originally Posted by Drum

So we're not prepared to give anything new a go? Lets just lambast every new initiative aye? Good kiwi attitude.

These ramp metering signals are installed and working effectively in several US cities, reducing overall travel times. Transit are actually being quite innovative by risking installing them here.

The idea is that traffic flow on motorways can "break down" at a particular traffic volume. When the flow breaks down it is very difficult to get it to start flowing efficiently again. Ramp metering signals are intended to stop the flow reaching this break down point. Detectors on the motorway preceding the ramp monitor the speed of vehicles and when it starts falling the number of vehicles entering the motorway is restricted to keep the flow above the break down threshold.

The Mangere trial was not a fully installed system, and did not have the sensors in the motorway - so do not judge the finished system by the problems there. It was merely to determine the rate of red light running and wether the two lanes of traffic at the lights could merge safely.

They've got it wrong with the bikes though! We should be allowed to use the priority lanes.

In that case sounds at least like a plan so got my vote. If it does not work then they scrap it but guess they are trying and Bikers are not really the ones they are targetting eh as we do not cause congestion problems.......

**Big Dave** · 21st November 2006, 09:00

The idea for BRONZ is that we have a email that we can copy and paste to him - available from the BRONZ site.

Care to draft summat and I'll publish mr ix?

**WRT** · 21st November 2006, 10:09

Good Morning Mr Spies,

I have been listening with interest to the debate surrounding the proposed motorway onramp signalling lights. I am naturally quite pleased that Transit are exploring innovative ways to help reduce the congestion on our motorways, however I would just like to raise a couple of points regarding the suggested Priority Lanes.

It is my firm belief that it is beneficial for all road users to have the Priority Lanes available to motorcycles, as well as trucks and higher occupancy vehicles. In keeping with Transit’s effort to reduce clogging on our motorways, motorcycles have been proven the world over as an effective tool to combat congestion. They are a far more efficient use of the available space on our motorways than cars, and can navigate through clogged traffic much faster, in effect getting out of the way of larger vehicles quickly and freeing up more space for other road users. They also have the added benefits for the environment of producing fewer emissions and burning less fossil fuel.

The other point I would like to raise is that it is detrimental to have motorcycles sitting in queues of traffic with other cars. From a safety aspect, a motorcyclist is more vulnerable to rear impact crashes than a driver sitting in a car. From a mechanical aspect, motorcycles are not designed to be stationary in traffic for extended periods of time, they are prone to over heating (especially air cooled models) and unlike a car it is quite difficult to manoeuvre a motorcycle at low speed in stop start traffic. In stark contrast to cars, they are at their most unstable at low speeds, and also are almost exclusively equipped with manual gearboxes, making it harder to move with traffic that just inches forward one car length at a time.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my submission, and hope that you will give it serious consideration as I feel the inclusion of motorcycles for the Priority Lanes will help with the success of Transit’s proposed Ramp Signalling project.

Kind Regards,

Just sent to Mr Spies.

**Drunken Monkey** · 21st November 2006, 10:13

Originally Posted by Drum

These ramp metering signals are installed and working effectively in several US cities, reducing overall travel times.

...reducing the overall travel times for people already on a motorway/freeway maybe!

Have you used the traffic slow signals installed at Mangere? All it has done is moved the queues further back down the road. It MAY* be fine if you're coming in from the Southern link or Airport through to Queenstown Rd, but if you're coming from Otahuhu or Mangere Bridge, it 'sucks the big proverbial biscuit'.

*In my humble/personal opinion I did not notice any difference in my travel times before or during the trial. This was not scientific (I wasn't logging things to the second and comparing averages or anything), I agree, but I would have thought an effective tool would mean an immediately noticable difference to road users (in the order of at least 2-3 minutes reduced travel time).

**Ixion** · 21st November 2006, 10:17

Originally Posted by Big Dave

The idea for BRONZ is that we have a email that we can copy and paste to him - available from the BRONZ site.

Care to draft summat and I'll publish mr ix?

Wot Mr WRT sent looks pretty good.

**WRT** · 21st November 2006, 10:24

Cheers Ixion, feel free to copy.

**Ixion** · 21st November 2006, 10:27

A born diplomat. But prolly more subtle at this stage than my natural incliantion of "hey y'w**nking bastige wot the f**k are y f**king us about for"

**terbang** · 21st November 2006, 10:35

Originally Posted by spies

Your message has encountered delivery problems to the following recipient(s):
peter.spies@transit.govt.nz
Delivery failed
550 5.7.1 This system has been configured to reject your mail.

He's cheating... I had to go through the transit web site to deliver my message..

**Ixion** · 21st November 2006, 10:38

Hm. And the Transit web site one will almost certainly be configured to trash the message- after replying with some meanngless PR waffle.

Looks like it's time to get nasty.

**Karma** · 21st November 2006, 10:42

Originally Posted by terbang

Weasel, you are truly sounding like a kiwi there.. GST, Helen, MMP, Treaty......

You sir, have insulted me.

All I'm saying is look at the waterfront stadium as an example...

Virtually everyone in Auckland is shouting their asses off about not wanting some crappy stadium there, but I'd lay a good amount of money on the fact that the government will stick their fingers in their ears and go ahead and build it anyway.

**terbang** · 21st November 2006, 10:45

Oh don't call me sir. I work for a living.

**Drum** · 21st November 2006, 10:48

Originally Posted by Drunken Monkey

...reducing the overall travel times for people already on a motorway/freeway maybe!

Have you used the traffic slow signals installed at Mangere? All it has done is moved the queues further back down the road. It MAY* be fine if you're coming in from the Southern link or Airport through to Queenstown Rd, but if you're coming from Otahuhu or Mangere Bridge, it 'sucks the big proverbial biscuit'.

*In my humble/personal opinion I did not notice any difference in my travel times before or during the trial. This was not scientific (I wasn't logging things to the second and comparing averages or anything), I agree, but I would have thought an effective tool would mean an immediately noticable difference to road users (in the order of at least 2-3 minutes reduced travel time).

As I said........The Mangere trial was not a fully installed system, and did not have the sensors in the motorway - so do not judge the finished system by the problems there. It was merely to determine the rate of red light running and wether the two lanes of traffic at the lights could merge safely.

**Ixion** · 21st November 2006, 10:48

Hm. Interesting. the contact details came from
http://www.transit.govt.nz/news/Medi...aRelease-10559

But you can't access this through their web site any more, only by going direct to it.

Has Mr Spies pulled up his draw bridge?

**Ixion** · 21st November 2006, 10:49

Originally Posted by Drum

As I said........The Mangere trial was not a fully installed system, and did not have the sensors in the motorway - so do not judge the finished system by the problems there. It was merely to determine the rate of red light running and wether the two lanes of traffic at the lights could merge safely.

So in fact this scheme has NEVER been tested in NZ? Despite which , they are proceeding with a full blown implementation?