NZTA changes mind on Bird’s Hill warning light
Local concerns about the cyclist warning light on Bird’s Hill have brought about a change of heart in the New Zealand Transport Agency.
Cycling campaigner and tireless advocate Victoria was advised on Tuesday that the NZTA had authorised Opus International to extend the sign display times “to match the travel times of cyclists” and reinstate relocated horse signs at both ends of the Bird’s Hill section of State Highway 60.
Senior projects manager for Opus in Nelson, Peter Kortegast, also told Victoria that flashing lights will be switched on at Bird’s Hill during the busy summer period from December till March. Opus said that they were also arranging for the deep water-table next to the narrow road to be filled in.
“We have ordered parts from the US and will let you know when these are fitted. I expect this will happen soon,” said Mr Kortegast.
The GB Weekly has been trying to get information about the warning lights from NZTA for two weeks.
We asked a series of questions but the statement that came back did not address all of them. We gave NZTA the chance to answer more fully but they declined. The questions we asked were as follows:
· Have you had correspondence from users of Bird’s Hill.
· How was the 1min 55sec duration determined? Has it been evaluated, and is it likely to be altered if it is shown to be too short a time?
· Is the whole project likely to be the subject of an evaluation exercise and, if it is, would you like The GB Weekly to participate in it?
Wellington State Highways Manager Rob Whight responded on Monday saying:
“The electronic cycle signs installed on SH60 at Birds Hill are there to raise road users’ awareness to cyclists’ presence on the road ahead and are complementary to permanent yellow warning signs indicating that cyclists also use this road. Feedback so far has been positive about the signs, which are being used elsewhere in New Zealand. However, it’s useful to remember that not every cyclist will turn the sign on. There may be instances when cyclists are on the road without the sign being displayed so road users need to take care when travelling as they may encounter cyclists ahead. The sign’s display time was chosen to give cyclists a certain amount of clearance on their travel on this section of SH60 and to act as a warning to motorists that they are not far ahead. It was never intended for the signs to be displayed for the approximately five minutes it takes for a cyclist to travel over the hill as this could result in the sign being on when a cyclist had finished riding over this section of the highway. Road users would get the wrong message if the signs were on regularly and they didn’t see a cyclist ahead.”
NZTA seems to have accepted the logical flaws in their thinking and decided to extend the duration of the warning lights’ illumination.
“Now that the lights exist and people are aware of them, there’s a potential problem. If they’re not illuminated, motorists are more likely to assume there’s no one on the hill and drive with less caution,” said Victoria.
Elly de Lange from Rangihaeata is a road-user who has communicated regularly with NZTA about her concerns regarding the lights. She was less than complimentary about the response she has received but says she is delighted to hear that common sense has prevailed.
“I’ve felt as though I’ve been dealing with faceless bureaucracy,” she said. “But now finally we have a plaster that sticks, but it’s not a solution.”
Neil Wilson
