Noob help with traffic and routes from City to Papakura

[notonmywatch]

Gidday folks,

I've a new member to the site. Currently on my learners and have been doing a fairly moderate commute from Home (Papakura) to Work (City).

Just wondering if anyone who does a similar trek has any experience on best routes in rush hour traffic. I have no problem filtering through traffic but my bike (Scooter) is fairly wide and I don't usually go faster than 60kph.

At times instead of crawling down the Southern Motorway home on a bad traffic day I take the Gillies Ave offramp and then make my way over to Highway 20. I don't really find this much quicker, it's just much calmer with less traffic and less stress.

Does anyone have any similar experiences/insights.

Thanks again.

[Akzle]

hahahaha.

have a fucking latte, aucklander.

[FJRider]

Avoid Auckland ... It's always worked for ME ...

[caspernz]

Helicopter or train, your budget will decide which

Oh well, at least riding a bike (of sorts) is better than yet another car with only one occupant in it

If your hours are typical office type hours, I'd consider the train. But hey, I work shifts so my travel routine is far less affected by rush hour kind of routines...

[caseye]

For now, continue to do as you have, it works and there really isn't another alternative, unless the train appeals.
When you get fed up with slow motorways do try carefully splitting,keeping your eyes, ears and all other senses wide open.
Split safely and without blasting up the lanes and you will be fine. Biggest problem I have found splitting on the mw's is other bike riders who believe they are evil knivel and do far too great a speed but hey what would I know. ride your own ride.

[notonmywatch]

For now, continue to do as you have, it works and there really isn't another alternative, unless the train appeals.
When you get fed up with slow motorways do try carefully splitting,keeping your eyes, ears and all other senses wide open.
Split safely and without blasting up the lanes and you will be fine. Biggest problem I have found splitting on the mw's is other bike riders who believe they are evil knivel and do far too great a speed but hey what would I know. ride your own ride.

Thanks for the info, yeah I take it pretty slow splitting lanes. I see much more aggressive/fast drivers who I give way to, but it still worries me the possibility of a car pulling out swapping lanes.

I suppose 1 useful post out of 4 isn't too bad.

[notonmywatch]

If your hours are typical office type hours, I'd consider the train. But hey, I work shifts so my travel routine is far less affected by rush hour kind of routines...

Yeah I was taking the train for a while, but a total commute of 1.5 hours (taking into account getting to the station from home, and to work from station) made it a really long day.

[kiwi-on-wheels]

I'm commuting howick to the waitaks every day atm with work gear on the bike. If traffics bad i'll detour through mission bay, st heliers glen innes ways. Through to papakura from gi is simple, shoot down murphys bush rd, but you say scooter, so that area could be a bit dodgy due to much faster moving traffic.

Welcome along, dont mind akzle :-P

[notonmywatch]

I'm commuting howick to the waitaks every day atm with work gear on the bike. If traffics bad i'll detour through mission bay, st heliers glen innes ways. Through to papakura from gi is simple, shoot down murphys bush rd, but you say scooter, so that area could be a bit dodgy due to much faster moving traffic.

Welcome along, dont mind akzle :-P

Hey thanks for the info, tried to find the route on google maps without much luck. So you reckon Mill Road, Murphy's Rd, Chapel Road then over to Ti Rakau then to GI? It's a 300cc scooter so it can keep up with and stay ahead of traffic ok.

[kiwi-on-wheels]

Yeah something like that. Faster to take motorway, even with traffic lol

[notonmywatch]

Yeah something like that. Faster to take motorway, even with traffic lol

Yeah I reckon. That would be a very LONG detour for me to go that route.

[swbarnett]

At times instead of crawling down the Southern Motorway home on a bad traffic day I take the Gillies Ave offramp and then make my way over to Highway 20. I don't really find this much quicker, it's just much calmer with less traffic and less stress.

What times are you travelling?

If I leave work before 6pm (and sometimes after) I'll take Dominion Road to SH20. There's a lot less traffic on Dominion than Gillies Ave. etc. and you've got bus lanes as well (even after hours they're mostly empty).

I usually leave home (Tuakau) after 9am and find the reverse of the above is often useful.

[MisterD]

I take the Gillies Ave offramp and then make my way over to Highway 20.

I find Gillies to be a nightmare of traffic lights and dithering drivers changing lanes, so I usually stay on the MWay until Market Road (the inside lane flows pretty well around to there over the viaduct) and then it's a pretty empty cut across to Manukau Rd.

In the long run, you're probably best off getting your lane-splitting skills and confidence up.

[Scubbo]

the motorway is fastest, split through the bumper to bumper traffic --- you'll get used to it, 60KPH is more than enough at rush hour :O

[f2dz]

I commute from Alfriston (near Manukau) every day to Auckland. I jump on at Manukau then split most of the time then entire way.

Takes me around 40 minutes on average. Beats a 1h 30m train any day.

I'm assuming your scooter can go 100kph? If so, then just take the motorway. In the three years I've been riding this same route I've never had anything that close at all. You just have to be smart and ultra aware of how drivers can potentially react. A buddy of mine had the same experience commuting from Papakura to Mt Wellington but was eventually taken on by someone doing a u-turn on the onramp, not on the motorway itself.

Keep your speed between 30-40kph when splitting through traffic and then merge in with everyone else once things speed up past this. If your scooter is wide and you feel like you make be holding others up just make sure to keep an eye on your mirrors and let other faster riders through.

I've seen people on massive cruisers split past me and disappear out of sight so I don't see why you'd have a problem.