I find myself in a state of having nothing to say which could last until at least....lunchtime.Oh, I could bitch about the STUPID transit system the LTSA has set up at SH1 Paremata which consists of endless signs (all the same) which are unreadable at 50kmph. I gather one tells you which lane to use on Mon-Fri and the other what to do on Sunday and Public holidys. Um. I'm driving Southbound on Saturday? I thought I registered a makeshift flashing sign saying I could use the left lane if the car carried one or more passengers (do dogs count?) Well that's all well and good until you are suddenly faced with a stationary driverless and passengerless vehicle parked in the left lane. Perhaps that qualifies too.
Tell me, if you came across these signs for the first time (or even second or third) would you have any idea what to do?
Anyway as I am suffering a dearth of ideas I will recommend this very funny piece from Oh Crikey....another "failed" Maori.
7 comments:
I saw them last weekend. I think I will stick to reaching that coast via the Akatarawas!
How about Pavement's controversial "Lost Youth" issue as a topic for you to comment on?
Freedom of speech or exploitation?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=42&ObjectID=10407079
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10405978
As a native of the area concerned the sign is trying to tell is you you can use the T2 lane in the hours shown. Otherwise you are likely to meet a parked car in the lane. The whole widening from Paremata to Plimerton cost $34M. Money that would have been better spent on alternative routes into Wellington, especially now that it looks like the Paekakariki Hill road may not reopen.
Lindsay, Transit did it and it because it would have been refused resource consent for the widening of the road because of the whingeing moaning Paremata Residents' Association. The Environment Court made it a condition of widening the road that measures be taken to "manage demand" on it, so the extra capacity is only for high occupancy vehicles. It is not Transit's fault, it is the fault of the Porirua City Council and Residents' Association dreaming about their $1 billion Transmission Gully pipe dream.
In my view it should be permanently four lanes, people living along a state highway ought to accept that they chose to live along a main road and paid less for their properties as a result. If it was permanently four lanes it would ease the traffic flow tremendously (although the upgrade already has improved things).
LibertyScott,Thanks
Last time I was in Auckland I marvelled (literally) at the many 4 lane roads through residential areas with no on-road parking.
Brian, I believe the slip is associated with on-going problems with the scree at the northern end but I could be wrong. It would be a damn shame to lose it. One of my favourite roads and views. Not to mention the inconvenience for the many rural residents along that stretch.
I go past that sign maybe once a month, and I can never figure out what it means. Even looking at it now I'm confused. Probably because the Mon-Fri is under a different symbol than the Sun, so it's visually confusing. Plus it's too hard to read when you are driving.
The Paekakariki Hill Rd issue is just that part of the road is in Kapiti Coast District and there is little rateable land adjacent to the Kapiti part of the road, so difficult to raise the funds for an expensive road for that council (even with the 50% odd LTNZ subsidy). The big answer is that roads should be funded more from road users, I'd advocate increasing it to 75% funding across the board before talking about privatisation.
After all, under road pricing there is no reason why (without fuel tax) people shouldn't pay $1 or so for using Paekak Hill Rd.
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