Rant: Motorway Traffic Lights

[Andrew 30]

Whoever gave the go ahead to put traffic lights on some Auckland motorway on ramps (namely the Wellington St one) had to be high.

It just doesn't work! Sure - motorway traffic flows A LITTLE better in that area - but now all that backed up traffic runs all the way up and down wellington st - halfway to K RD - halfway to ponsonby Rd - it's just moved the traffic problems off the motorway on to the streets.

These lights are only Red for about a second - then let one car through - everyone just guns it and ends up bunched up again anyway.

Thanks for adding another 20 mins to my drive home - awesome.

[Jazzbass 1]

LOL!

I saw it on telly last night and wondered if exactly what you described might happen.

[Nobimmer 694]

Yeh stopped at one yesterday.Really stupid...says one car per green but about 3 cars go through and just makes everything worse.

Waste.

[TronSpec 0]

Haha

Move up north ... we got no real traffic issues. Take's me 20mins to get home and I live out at the beach.

[drifty325i 0]

We dont even have traffic lights in my town lol, but we still have to pay for them

[Grant 4]

They are pretty common in places in the US. Surprisingly it seems to work well over there, but then again, they may be better placed there, and not so well placed here. Wellington St seems a stupid place.

Edited December 19, 2006 by Grant

[Jazzbass 1]

Well the yanks are all better drivers than Kiwis. Just ask them...

[Andrew 30]

Struck these on the harbour bridge on ramp at Curran st. unbelievably dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not like curran st wasn't hugely backed up on busy days anyway - i'd hate to think what it is like now.

[ED1RTY 2]

word... these things suck.... brings me to my rant... i got pulled over the other day for swerving 'erraticaly' on the road. I was dodging a big f**k off pothole. The cop asked if i had been drinking etc i said no i was dodging a pothole. he didnt believe me then went on to ask if i had been using any drugs. I got out of the car said to the cop;

'Look f**ker, how many people do you give fines to per day, how much of that gets spent on fixing these f**king roads so that i dont have to dodge potholes every fifty metres?! Instead you dumasses go and stick stupid f**king lights on the motorway, that makes everyones problems even worse, go get a life. got in my car and drove off'

Im sure he didnt like it but he didnt follow me anywhere. I just couldnt believe the cheek of it and had to say something. Have also seen people get pulled up at takanini for running a red light onto the motorway when noone was anywhere near and it wasnt even peak traffic therefore im guessing the lights shouldnt have been on.

[Jazzbass 1]

LOL- you were damn lucky with that cop.

I'd make a crap cop, 'cos if anyone spoke to me like that I would certainly find something wrong with their car or driving - somehow.

[bravo 35]

Part of the problem is no-one follows the system as Andrew says. (3 cars thru at a time). Wait till they put the red-light camera on that ramp as promised. $150 a pop, 2 cars breaking the law each sequence, 5-10secs per sequence, 3 hours of rush "hour", two rush "hours" a day, $324,000 in revenue per day. Wicked - finally you lot will be paying for your own roads.

The other problem is that the lights are new and will take some fine tuning to get to work right. Lastly, if you can see the rear of the on ramp queue waiting to merge from where you are sitting at the lights (as was inferred by Andrew), then the only difference to the Wellington St queue is the distance from the lights to the rear of that queue, but if motorway traffic can be sped up by the drip-feed method - individual cars may not gain, but overall, the rush "hour" gets shorter, so less people are affected.

In other words, it may not speed up your trip to work, but it will be jammed for less, so some people who used to experience a jam will now experience none even though some users will notice no difference.

Its partly poor design, and partly user error - NZ'ers don't know how to queue. How many times do you see four queues at four counters of a hot-dog stand or train station etc. People judging which queue is moving fastest and jockeying for position. If one queue was formed and the first person in the queue goes to the next available counter as in a Bank queue, then first-in first served, and everyone gets an equal wait. But bloody kiwis so impatient we are unable to do that.

Not that I care. I have 30km journey to work. takes me 30 mins with road works, and 20mins normally. I work 60 metres from the beach, sushi bar, cafes, gelato, post office, bank, bar, pub, and town green all within 100m. And free parking 100m from my office. Plus get paid the same as I was in Auckland. Most people don't lock their house, don't lock their car at home, pay less on insurance and can't hear or see their neighbours (but the neighbours are friendly anyway so even that wouldn't matter). Why live in Auckland?

Edited December 19, 2006 by bravomikewhiskey

[Jazzbass 1]

LOL - now, don't go picking on the poor old JAFAs, mate!!

It takes me 7-8 minutes to work and one set of lights.

[Palazzo 477]

Paying for our own roads?

1/3 the population paying 1/3 of car rego and petrol taxes plus prob more than 1/3 of all other taxes and we receive a mile under the equivalent amount of funding for roading projects.

You're f**king lucky we are so generous (and unorganised), because if it was done on a strict user pays regime, all of Northland would be single lane gravel roads.

Back OT, those lights will screw central Akld, just as they open the much vaunted CMJ, that's Spaghetti Junction to most people.

[MADBMA 0]

work shift work, beter pay and no traffic, normally going to work 4 or 5am or the late shifts, work in the middle of wellington takes me 20 mins to drive straight in no traffic, and then home midday

Edited December 20, 2006 by MADBMA

[*sic 1]

love it.

[Guest Spargo]

Wicked - finally you lot will be paying for your own roads.

Why live in Auckland?

Um, don't come down here then? With that attitude, you should be made to pay a fee everytime you either come here or pass through here.

[bravo 35]

See I knew I'd get that reaction from you precious Ak'ers. I Know its a lifestyle choice, etc, was just diggin you in the ribs - got no sense of humour down there huh?

Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if you lot didn't build your city on an isthmus just so we HAVE to pass through on our way up and down the country.

Palazzo - you're dead right, again poking you in the ribs mate. Have you been to Northland lately? Single lane metal roads would almost be a step up from the bumpy, potholed sh*t seal we've got. Anyone driving the Brynderwyns in the past few weeks will know what I mean.

The problem with building roads is, they create traffic issues, not fix them. The cities around the world that seem to have bugger all traffic problems are the ones that build a few well-designed roads, then provide good public transport. Why would i take a bus/rail when its cheaper and faster to drive my car on the brand new highway????

As to traffic lights?? Why havn't the powers-that-be followed the Aussies with their roundabouts. Everyone knows they work, but instead of building new ones, they keep tearing them down. (Like Redoubt Rd/Everglade intersection in Manukau)

[Guest Spargo]

See I knew I'd get that reaction from you precious Ak'ers. I Know its a lifestyle choice, etc, was just diggin you in the ribs - got no sense of humour down there huh?

Don't you have some dope to grow?

[cainchapman 0]

You need to move to a decent suburb Andrew. That's punishment for being North of the bridge.

You could always drive around Tamaki Drive on a Sunny afternoon (seems I enjoy rush-hour more in Summer) as I find myself doing on my way home.

[StylesM5 0]

You need to move to a decent suburb Andrew. That's punishment for being North of the bridge.

You could always drive around Tamaki Drive on a Sunny afternoon (seems I enjoy rush-hour more in Summer) as I find myself doing on my way home.

Live on the shore, work on the shore (3 mins from home). Avoid Tamaki Dv like the plague when it's sunny. Too many ricers for my liking.

The other "Old Fart"

[will 169]

Um, don't come down here then? With that attitude, you should be made to pay a fee everytime you either come here or pass through here.

You should really pay us as we bring class with us...

[Guest Spargo]

And here I was thinking it was just ass

When you back in town old man, beers are needed.

[will 169]

Donno Sam, have family here from o/seas. Will give you a yell.

But you could always come up and experience all this northern class...!!!!

Will

[conrod 1]

As to traffic lights?? Why havn't the powers-that-be followed the Aussies with their roundabouts. Everyone knows they work, but instead of building new ones, they keep tearing them down. (Like Redoubt Rd/Everglade intersection in Manukau)

The powers that be haven't followed Australias roundabout example for a very good reason- THEY DONT WORK! Roundabouts only work for LIGHT traffic flow areas, feed some heavy traffic though one and see the problems start- ever driven through Sydney in rush hour-f%$kin nightmare!!!!!! Great to see the new feeders to and from the northwestern finally open, heaps better than sitting on Union St for ages. And if you don't like the drive to work, I'll let you in on a secret that will reduce travelling time to work to zero- work from home!

[Carl 3]

I catch a train to work, takes me 30mins from my door to my desk, and I get to read on the way in -$96 a month