KEY POINTS:
Recently I have noticed new signs or markings on the front of some, usually new, city buses. The sign, like a large O, is up beside the destination board above the driver's window. Is this something to do with bus drivers being able to alter traffic light phasing,
or something else? Bill Davidson, Mt Eden.
It's something else. Actually, it's a branding thing for Metrolink buses. If you look at the Metrolink name, the O is uppercase, while the rest of the word is lower case. This O is repeated by the destination board. And on the other side of the destination board is the Maxx logo. Pays to advertise, apparently.
At present they are widening the Manurewa northbound onramp to two lanes and will be installing lights. They have also installed cameras in Grand Vue Rd to monitor the build-up of traffic waiting to get onto the motorway. What provision, if any, has been made for the pedestrians who walk along Grand Vue Rd and need to cross over the entrance to the onramp? The traffic coming down Grand Vue from Hill Rd travels quite fast, so it can be difficult and dangerous to cross at any time of day. Robyn Brindle, South Auckland.
This motorway onramp is similar to any other, in that pedestrians should not be walking across it, for safety reasons. The best thing is for pedestrians to cross at the median island and then use the footpath along the western side of Grand Vue Rd. And I apologise for the delay in replying to this question. The ramp signals were installed in December.
Can you please explain why there are two lanes of traffic through the Johnstone's Hill tunnels heading south and only one lane heading north? The tunnels are wide enough for two lanes, and it causes major hold-ups. Robyn Smith, Auckland.
The information I have explains that because State Highway 1 north of the tunnels is only one lane, it was decided to make the northbound tunnel only one lane so that high-speed motorway traffic would not need to try to merge into one lane either inside the tunnel, which would be dangerous, or just beyond it, which could cause tailbacks to within the tunnel.
There is, as you point out, room for two lanes in the tunnel, which future-proofs it against the day when SH1 is expanded to two lanes northbound. And for similar but opposite reasons, the southbound tunnel has two lanes.
Can you please explain who is entitled to use transit lanes on motorway onramps? At the Waterview onramp citybound I often see cars with at least two people - three if the bairn is in the back - using the slower lane. Surely they can use the transit lane? Dan Christiansen, Blockhouse Bay.
Indeed they can. Transit lanes, or managed priority lanes to give them their correct if cumbersome title, can be used by trucks, buses, motorcycles and carpool vehicles with two or more people. That's what the T2 means on the sign by the onramp. This applies to all transit lanes except for the one southbound at Grafton Gully, which is for trucks only.
You do need to be aware, though, that on the North Shore, the transit lanes on the arterial roads are T3, for three or more occupants.