Just how many Kilometres?

[Mom]

I recently asked Harry Dynhoven how many kilometres of WRB of any model are currently installed anywhere on New Zealands roading network and received this answer today in the mail.

..."Transit New Zealand tells me that there is 152 kilometres of wire-rope barrier installed on State Highways. This includes 84.5 kilometres of median barrier and 67.5 kilometres of side-protection barrier. I also understand that there are small amounts of wire-rope barrier installed on local authority roads. I trust this information is useful."


Well about as useful as tits on a bull really. What part of the question did he not understand? Must have been where I asked anywhere on New Zealands roading network I guess.

*sigh*

So people, when you are out and about around the country, can you measure (as best you can by odometer reading) how many K's of WRB you pass in the middle of the road, and post back here your estimates and the road name and location of the barriers.

Lets see how accurate this answer from Mr Dynhoven is.

[MSTRS:Me]

152 kms? There would be more than that on Aucks MW system alone surely?
Mmmm...I asked this question last year (although it was put to him as 'brifen barriers' and the answer came back 124kms. I thought he was playing semantics when he knew what the real question was.

[Mom]

152 kms? There would be more than that on Aucks MW system alone surely?
Mmmm...I asked this question last year (although it was put to him as 'brifen barriers' and the answer came back 124kms. I thought he was playing semantics when he knew what the real question was.

The Auckland motorway is about 84 kms long from Orewa to Bombay, median WRB's on most of it, apart from in the city proper where there are concrete dividers.

Interesting answer though. I am going to get REALLY specific with my next question, I am going to ask him for road names and lengths of WRB not only on the SH network but anywhere on New Zealand roads. I will also ask for the specific brand of WRB used, where and why?

Lets see if I can get him to answer that one properly...LOL

[Katman]

Well about as useful as tits on a bull really. What part of the question did he not understand? Must have been where I asked anywhere on New Zealands roading network I guess.

*sigh*

It looks to me as if he answered exactly the question you asked. What part of his answer did you not understand?

[MSTRS:Me]

This includes 84.5 kilometres of median barrier and 67.5 kilometres of side-protection barrier.

The Auckland motorway is about 84 kms long from Orewa to Bombay, median WRB's on most of it, apart from in the city proper where there are concrete dividers.

There ya go then...

I also understand that there are small amounts of wire-rope barrier installed on local authority roads.

Transit won't know much if anything about roads that are not under their direct control. I doubt that there is any of this shit on non-numbered roads.

[Deano]

Katman - there is a WRB installed on SH1 just North of Peka Peka. It is on the LHS of the road when heading South.

On the other side of the barrier is a ditch, barely a couple of feet deep (1 to 2ft deep) . What on earth is the purpose of the WRB ?

If a vehicle hits the WRB it will be projected back into traffic - personally I'd rather take my chances with the 'tiny' ditch.

Tell me this is not a crazy place to put a WRB ? (With evidence as to why not)

[Katman]

Tell me this is not a crazy place to put a WRB ? (With evidence as to why not)

I'm not denying that in the slightest.

I'm suggesting that those placing themselves at the forefront of the WRB campaign should at least be able to understand basic English.

[MSTRS:Me]

Katman - there is a WRB installed on SH1 just North of Peka Peka. It is on the LHS of the road when heading South.

On the other side of the barrier is a ditch, barely a couple of feet deep (1 to 2ft deep) . What on earth is the purpose of the WRB ?

If a vehicle hits the WRB it will be projected back into traffic - personally I'd rather take my chances with the 'tiny' ditch.

Tell me this is not a crazy place to put a WRB ? (With evidence as to why not)

And that is on a straight section of road. What about all the right-hand bends this crap is being installed on the outside? Sometimes a flat grassy runoff is all that is behind it. Nice move Transit.

[MSTRS:Me]

I'm not denying that in the slightest.

I'm suggesting that those placing themselves at the forefront of the WRB campaign should at least be able to understand basic English.

It's not the basic English in question here. It is the political English that we have trouble with. If not the out and out lies/obfuscations...

[avgas]

what part of the big concrete barrier between auckland city to Albany, auckland city to bombay, Auckland city to New Lynn is WRB.
Sorry im a little confused as you said that most between Orewa to Bombay is WRB?

I recall all of this simply because i cant see the cars on the other side on occasion

I would put Mr Transit NZ calculations about correct

[avgas]

Katman - there is a WRB installed on SH1 just North of Peka Peka. It is on the LHS of the road when heading South.

On the other side of the barrier is a ditch, barely a couple of feet deep (1 to 2ft deep) . What on earth is the purpose of the WRB ?

That is a bit silly - but to be highly expected when you let morons make the world safer for us.
Blaming the tool however gets us nowhere - it is people who are accountable really.
Would you blame the hammer if you hit yourself on the thumb?

[MSTRS:Me]

That is a bit silly - but to be highly expected when you let morons make the world safer for us.
Blaming the tool however gets us nowhere - it is people who are accountable really.
Would you blame the hammer if you hit yourself on the thumb?

You are correct. And it is the people behind the decisions to use this crap that we are trying to 'reach'.
FYI a Transit official I have had reason to speak to directly about the subject tells me that he "will not have this shit in his region on his watch, but is more than his job is worth to openly support us tho". That tells you that there is an agenda in high places.

[avgas]

That tells you that there is an agenda in high places.

No it doesn't - it just tells you that some moron graduate roading engineer got it wrong.....again.
There is no plan, no scheme - Transit is not out to "get us"
I mean think about - why spend money on a redundant resource? to be scornful.

You sir obviously have not dealt with the morons that were given the pen before the shovel. They are everywhere (and some have been in their respective industry for over 20 years)

If you have friends in the industry and want to kick up a stink about it - do it right, get someone with qualifications to state why a particular site is a HAZARD.
H&S 1992 states that all Hazards should be contained, removed or sign posted.

I'm so sick of the Keyboard heroes that email stating "We are angry because the whole road is build wrong" - realistically it is impossible to make this scale of changes by just saying "Its wrong, change it".
If you want to get them - tell them why "site a" is bad, get your evidence accredited - nail them to the fucken wall and they will shift the blame to the project engineer, designer......the guy that made that decision.

Once that site has been cleaned up - move on to another.

[Deano]

Blaming the tool however gets us nowhere - it is people who are accountable really.
Would you blame the hammer if you hit yourself on the thumb?

When did I blame the WRB ?

I said it was located in a stupid place. It obviously didn't put itself there.

FFS - Keep it real.

[MSTRS:Me]

No it doesn't - it just tells you that some moron graduate roading engineer got it wrong.....again.
There is no plan, no scheme - Transit is not out to "get us"
I mean think about - why spend money on a redundant resource? to be scornful.

You sir obviously have not dealt with the morons that were given the pen before the shovel. They are everywhere (and some have been in their respective industry for over 20 years)

If you have friends in the industry and want to kick up a stink about it - do it right, get someone with qualifications to state why a particular site is a HAZARD.
H&S 1992 states that all Hazards should be contained, removed or sign posted.

I'm so sick of the Keyboard heroes that email stating "We are angry because the whole road is build wrong" - realistically it is impossible to make this scale of changes by just saying "Its wrong, change it".
If you want to get them - tell them why "site a" is bad, get your evidence accredited - nail them to the fucken wall and they will shift the blame to the project engineer, designer......the guy that made that decision.

Once that site has been cleaned up - move on to another.

Are you for real? What is so hard to understand about what we are asking for? We do not want to deal site by site. It is a worldwide problem, that some countries have recognised and have done/are doing something about. But some prat(s) in this country have decided this WRB shit is the shizz and should be installed all over the place, needed or not. And I do mean 'or not' - refer Deano's post re Pekapeka. We are not up against an engineer...we are up against a taxpayer-funded organisation, with blind deaf idiots making decisions on our behalf.
Talked to the people who install/repair this shit? ...I have, and 9 out of 10 just shudder...they hate it, but need the wages.
Talked to people who have a few engineering clues?...I have and they know how to fix things.
Talked to truckies? ...I have and they know this shit is useless in stopping them.
Talked to anyone who knows the circumstances around Daniel's tragedy? ...thought not.
I resent the implication of 'keyboard heroes'
124 or 156 kms of this shit...the amount, in a lot of ways, doesn't matter. If you run into it on your bike, you are likely to be sliced'n'diced.