God bless Transit NZ and all that sail in her...

**Krayy** · 27th September 2004, 10:13

So when the word went out that they were going to building bus lanes on the Northern Motorway in Auckland, I got excited. Why? Because in Auckland City. motorbikes are given free reign to ride in the bus lanes on Dominion Rd, Great North Rd, Great South Rd etc (bless 'em). So I made some enquiries about whether we'd be afforded the same privledges on the motorway bus lanes and the response came back in the negative.

The reason? Apparantly Transit NZ believe that motorcycles would "slow the bus lanes down". Whether this indicates pure speed or the time taken to merge at the city end was not stated.

All I can say is "Fear the bus driver who drags off motorcycles".

**Skyryder** · 27th September 2004, 10:19

Not too sure of all the details but as I drive busses my advice is to stay well clear of them.

Skyryder

**Magua** · 27th September 2004, 10:20

Go transit nz

, well atleast I still have the Onewa transit lane.

**vifferman** · 27th September 2004, 10:39

Originally Posted by Magua

Go transit nz

, well atleast I still have the Onewa transit lane.

Do you use that, Magua? Give me a toot / wave if you see me some morning. I generally go down there sometime between 7:55 and 8:15; how 'bout you?

**Mongoose** · 27th September 2004, 10:40

Originally Posted by Magua

Go transit nz

, well atleast I still have the Onewa transit lane.

Ahhhhh the joys of living in a place that only has school busses and Intercity busses. Rush hour traffic that lasts for 10(yes ten) minutes at a time. I am so jealous of you folk up there

**Krayy** · 27th September 2004, 10:45

Originally Posted by Mongoose

Ahhhhh the joys of living in a place that only has school busses and Intercity busses. Rush hour traffic that lasts for 10(yes ten) minutes at a time. I am so jealous of you folk up there

Hell, it only takes 10 minutes to change the broken down wagon's wheel? That's pretty quick!

**vifferman** · 27th September 2004, 10:47

Originally Posted by Mongoose

Ahhhhh the joys of living in a place that only has school busses and Intercity busses. Rush hour traffic that lasts for 10(yes ten) minutes at a time. I am so jealous of you folk up there

Actually, it's usually pretty good. I live 15 minutes from work, and I've done the trip in less than that, although generally it takes about 20 minutes via my scenic back road route. Worst time? 90 minutes in the car (when my bike was at the doctors), with 60 of those being the time it took to travel 1 km down Onewa Road in the non-transit lane, with all the feckin eeedjits that do it every day, 1 person per car. First and last time for that, as I sat there thinking, "Phark this is stupid! I could've walked / cycled / crawled / bussed / pogo-sticked faster than 1 km/hour!" So I took the bus the rest of the week - 25 minutes.
Now if I need to not take the bike, I load the wife's car up with passengers and go in the transit lane.

**Magua** · 27th September 2004, 10:50

Originally Posted by firestormer

Do you use that, Magua? Give me a toot / wave if you see me some morning. I generally go down there sometime between 7:55 and 8:15; how 'bout you?

I'm heading down that way Wednesday, I've got work experiance at an engineering firm in the city. Keep an eye out for a miss matching Fzr without any side fairings. I think I'll be heading down around 7:40.

**Mongoose** · 27th September 2004, 10:53

Originally Posted by Krayy

Hell, it only takes 10 minutes to change the broken down wagon's wheel? That's pretty quick!

Wheel, whats that boss, the wagons around here is on skids and are hauled by oxen

**ManDownUnder** · 27th September 2004, 11:04

Would that be Auckland, or North Shore?

Sure Tranist can say what they like, but I understood the use of bus lanes to be enshrined in law (local body law) so it's the council I'd be ringing personally...

I rang ACC to establish the use of bus lanes by motorcyclists about a year ago and they quoted me chapter and verse on it (I can remember which chapter, and the verse is in the same boat) but I'm sure you could try!
MDU

**Krayy** · 27th September 2004, 11:25

Originally Posted by ManDownUnder

Would that be Auckland, or North Shore?

Sure Tranist can say what they like, but I understood the use of bus lanes to be enshrined in law (local body law) so it's the council I'd be ringing personally...

Problem is that the motorway is govt owned and not covered under local ordnances and bylaws even though it runs through them.

**ManDownUnder** · 27th September 2004, 11:40

Originally Posted by Krayy

Problem is that the motorway is govt owned and not covered under local ordnances and bylaws even though it runs through them.

Gotcha...

Bugger...

**sAsLEX** · 27th September 2004, 13:14

and intersections are goverened by transit and not the local council that controls the bus lanes going through them!

**Krayy** · 27th September 2004, 13:30

Originally Posted by sAsLEX

and intersections are goverened by transit and not the local council that controls the bus lanes going through them!

Now theres something I didn't know. I suppose thats why the (slippery) green paint stops at the intersection.

PS. Hands up whos gone down Chinamans Hill (Gt North Rd coming down to Western Springs from Grey Lynn) in the bus lane in the rain without shitting themselves?

**ManDownUnder** · 27th September 2004, 13:48

Originally Posted by Krayy

Now theres something I didn't know. I suppose thats why the (slippery) green paint stops at the intersection.

PS. Hands up whos gone down Chinamans Hill (Gt North Rd coming down to Western Springs from Grey Lynn) in the bus lane in the rain without shitting themselves?

I can relate to that one! The gentle right hander (heading uphill), camber completely wrong, car yards just there watching and waiting, looking down on the death trap.

NOT good.