Upcoming Law Change - Bus Lanes, Us, Yes :)

[Sheep Dags]

i agree.
i'm gonna be taking advantage of this new law whenever i can.
awesome!

[ManDownUnder]

Hey guys - I can see we have diffrerent understandings on this one - all I can say is your research differs to mine and I suggest you contact Transit NZ and confirm M/C eligibility to use bus lanes on Morotways and proceeding through intersections using the green "B" light.

As much as I enjoy being right on these issues I also have a concern for fellow M/Cists getting snapped for stupid rules being in place they're not aware of.

Just my 2c worth...
Cheers
MDU

[ResidentAngel]

After reading it it looks like we'll be allowed on them on the motorway, it hasnt said we cant...however, knowing transit they'll probably stick up signs saying motorbikes cant

I just rang the Ministry of Transport in Auckland (someone called Nick) , and they say "YES motorcycles CAN use the bus lanes on the motorway, and also transit lanes ..."

If this gets motorcycles out of the general traffic flow, then in my view its about the best law change they could have made for us in Auckland ....

[sAsLEX]

a point that bykey cop can prob give us some info on is that those lanes are generally filled with debris from the other lanes and you become prone to puctures etc

Will make commute so boring not splitting the 20 odd k to uni

[mouldy]

After reading it it looks like we'll be allowed on them on the motorway, it hasnt said we cant...however, knowing transit they'll probably stick up signs saying motorbikes cant

WE,LL JUST TAKE THEM BACK DOWN THEN.HOPEFULLY IF ALL CAGED IDIOTS ON AUCKLANDS CROWDED MOTORWAYS SEE US WHIZZING UP THE BUS LANES MAYBE A FEW OF THEM WILL GET ON BIKES

[ManDownUnder]

I'm really looking forward to using the bus lanes on the NWestern MW...

On the way into town there's that really short one starting at Lincoln Rd, then the 2nd half of it starting after that stupid little bridge... then the next bit WAY down the road for a wee bit (stopping at Te Atatu I think), then the last bit down by Patiki...

All up it must be about 2km of bliss on 15km of MW?!?

I shouldn't complain - on the way out of town it's a different story... NO F*CKEN BUS LANES AT ALL!!!!!!

Can we use the cycle lanes? We ride cycles do we not?

[avgas]

Dont do it people, when they changed the law up here - i was the first to fall for it.
Just had everthing fixed on my bike - then she was all ritten off.
For those of you who think the bus lane is a safe, my titanium enhanced leg says otherwise. Had i been cutting through traffic, getting noticed this would not have happened.
The pics are quite deceptive, but in reality there were relatively few straight peieces of metal left on her. And all in all i was only doing 30k's in the bus lane before the car took me out.
Click here if you dont believe me -> bus lane 101

[vtec]

This sucks, I'd be too scared to use the bus lanes on the motorway, the law is very ambiguous, and I doubt that any of the cops will have been told about it, would also piss off everyone else on the road to see us using the motorway bus lanes. All in all they need to make it clear, and make it known before I'm going to start using the bus lanes. I'm sick of cops who get all righteous on you even when they are wrong (please note this is generally cop specific and not the fault of all "officers of the law").

[ManDownUnder]

This sucks, I'd be too scared to use the bus lanes on the motorway, the law is very ambiguous, and I doubt that any of the cops will have been told about it, would also piss off everyone else on the road to see us using the motorway bus lanes. All in all they need to make it clear, and make it known before I'm going to start using the bus lanes. I'm sick of cops who get all righteous on you even when they are wrong (please note this is generally cop specific and not the fault of all "officers of the law").

Well I, for one, am happy about it. If a cop was wrong and ticketed me about it I'll happily go back to them and point it out... no big deal.

I tried them out this morning on the way to work... what little there is of them.

The one under Patiki Road onramp (Aucks) is pretty good.. just be careful merging in and out of traffic. If only I did more lane splitting... I'd be better practiced...

[sAsLEX]

Well I, for one, am happy about it. If a cop was wrong and ticketed me about it I'll happily go back to them and point it out... no big deal.

I tried them out this morning on the way to work... what little there is of them.

The one under Patiki Road onramp (Aucks) is pretty good.. just be careful merging in and out of traffic. If only I did more lane splitting... I'd be better practiced...

got ticketed for going through a bus only intersection and got off the ticket with a supperbly written letter by engineers writing standard

[Lou Girardin]

I've got a copy of the LTNZ ad run in various papers about the new rules. It clearly says that m/cycles can use bus lanes. I know that ignorance is no defence, but incorrect info (if that's what it is) certainly must be. Transit NZ won't be happy about having to redo all their m/way bus lane signs to exclude bikes, will they?

[Cajun]

Offences that carry demerit points:

Failing to drive as near as practicable to the left of the roadway: 20
Unsafe passing: 35
Impeding vehicle when passing: 35
Failing to allow impeded traffic to pass: 20
Passing at school crossing point or pedestrian crossing: 20
Passing to right of no-passing line: 35
Driving in emergency stopping lane: 10
Failing to comply with hand-held stop sign: 20
Failing to comply with school patrol sign: 20
Not stopping at stop sign: 20
Not giving way at stop sign: 20
Not giving way at give-way sign: 20
Driver of left-turning vehicle fails to give way to vehicle from right: 20
Failing to give way to road user on footpath when entering/exiting driveway: 20
At intersection, failing to give way to vehicle approaching from right: 20
Failing to give way when entering roundabout: 20
Exceeding speed for stopping distance: 20
Exceeding speed for stopping distance on road not marked in lanes: 20
Driving too close to vehicle in front: 20
Parking on pedestrian crossing: 20
Parking within 6m of driver's approach to pedestrian crossing: 20
Parking in signed/marked area on approach to pedestrian crossing: 20
Driver permits riding dangerously: 20
Failing to give way to rail vehicle approaching level crossing: 20
Drive, etc, cycle, vehicle, or animal across level crossing when risk of collision with rail vehicle: 20
Failing to stop for level crossing stop sign: 20
Failing to remain stationary at stop sign until level crossing clear: 20
Entering controlled level crossing when red signal displayed: 20
Entering controlled area of level crossing when barrier arm lowered: 20
Failing to give way at pedestrian crossing: 35
Entering pedestrian crossing when passage blocked: 35
Failing to give way to pedestrian on shared zone: 35

[vifferman]

I've got a copy of the LTNZ ad run in various papers about the new rules. It clearly says that m/cycles can use bus lanes.

Unless specifically excluded by signs.
Now, when I looked at the signs this morning, they still say BUSES ONLY, so I'd say that specifically excludes all other vehicles.
No change required to the signs, as that is fairly unequivocal, innit?

[limmy]

Unless specifically excluded by signs.
Now, when I looked at the signs this morning, they still say BUSES ONLY, so I'd say that specifically excludes all other vehicles.
No change required to the signs, as that is fairly unequivocal, innit?

It this actually a sign or is it words painted on the road? everyday I ride to work on the bike lane cause it says BUS and has a picture of a bicycle painted on the road. But I haven't noticed these being changed to BUS ONLY. If they have put up new signs I wouldn't have noticed them.

[Skunk]

Unless specifically excluded by signs.
Now, when I looked at the signs this morning, they still say BUSES ONLY, so I'd say that specifically excludes all other vehicles.
No change required to the signs, as that is fairly unequivocal, innit?

No. If the sign says 'No motorcycles' that is 'specifically excluding'...
So if it says 'Buses only', and that's all, we can use that bus lane cos the law says we can use Bus only lanes.