In Transit - March 1998 - No. 89 - Mobile phone dangers and preparation needed for major state highway projects

The March 1988 edition of InTransit highlights the growing dangers of mobile phone use on road safety, noting a paper to be delivered at a forthcoming conference reporting "mobile-phone users who make more than three calls per trip have nearly three times as many injury accidents and twice as many fatal accidents as those who never use a mobile phone".

At the time the then Land Transport Safety Authority noted that there were more crashes due to people lighting a cigarette or adjusting a car stereo than a mobile phone, but of course the numbers of the public with mobile phones in 1998 were still relatively modest.  A smaller article on the second page notes a Canadian paper that mobile phone use increases driving danger as much as drunk driving.  In 1998 there was no specific offence in New Zealand of driving whilst using a mobile phone.

Other notable articles in this edition are:

• A major project update noting progress on the following projects:
• Stage One Kamo Bypass, SH1, Whangarei (subsequently completed)
• Orewa Bridge replacement, SH1 Rodney District (completed the following month)
• Albany-Silverdale (ALPURT), SH1 Auckland, construction contracts let, resource consents sought for Silverdale to Puhoi (subsequently discontinued as the project was reprioritised and redesigned to be a toll road).
• Mercer-Cambridge four laning (later dubbed the Waikato Expressway). Designations sought for Mercer to Ohinewai, and corridor options being considered for Ohinewai to Cambridge. At the time it was thought the project would be completed in 2010, but was completed in 2022.
• Kopu Bridge replacement, SH25. Expected to be completed 2002, it was actually completed 2011.
• Hawke's Bay Motorway (later Expressway). Pakowhai to Hastings under construction, the York Road  (bypassing Hastings) extension under design. Full completion expected 1999 (which was true for those sections, but the final extension south was not completed until 2011).
• Vinegar Hill realignment, SH1 Manawatu. Under construction and was completed 1999
• Newlands Interchange, SH1 Wellington, under construction and completed late 1998
• Thorndon Motorway Viaduct seismic strengthening SH1, Wellington, under construction and completed 1999 (images included in this edition).
• Stoke Bypass, SH6 Nelson. Work commenced and would be completed on schedule in 2000.
• Otira Viaduct, SH73 Canterbury, Work underway and concluded in 1999
• Fairfield Bypass SH1 Dunedin, Route designation and resource consent applications lodged. Project would be completed in 2003.
• Success of the Thorndon motorway viaduct seismic strengthening project, designed to ensure it can survive a 1 in 500 year earthquake of up to seven on the Richter scale.
• Article describing the process (in 1998) of developing a major highway project before construction could begin, the stages being:
• Strategic planning
• Investigation
• Design
• Planning approval
• Land purchase
• Construction
• Transit NZ adopting new standards on road lighting.

In Transit - December 1997/January 1998 - No. 87 - Installation of skid retardant surface near Petone

This edition of In Transit, highlights the successful installation of a new skid retardant surface under the Petone over bridge on SH2 near Wellington.  The new surface was credited with a 100% drop in crashes over seven months.  The new product, called Safe Grip, created 40% more friction.

Other stories in this edition include:

• Photos depicting the installation of the overbridge at the Newlands Interchange on SH1 in Wellington 
• Photo of turning the sod on the Pakowhai to Hastings section of the "Hawke's Bay Motorway" (now called the Hawke's Bay Expressway noting it is one lane each way).
• List of roadworks underway over Christmas/New Year.
• Presentation from Malaysia about privatising the countries toll road network.

In Transit - April 1997 - No. 79 - Focus on fixing crash black spots

 

In April 1997, the Transit NZ newsletter (no longer monthly as the previous edition was February, focused on the success in reducing the road toll.  It also reported on opening of a motorway extension in Auckland (SH20 Mangere to Papatoetoe) and commencement of work on another (SH1 Albany to Puhoi enabling works), with cost estimates that look remarkably cheap compared to today in real terms.

1996 had the lowest road toll in 32 years at 515 fatalities, 67 fewer than in 1995, and only higher than 1964 which had 428 with a much lower population and VKT.

It was attributed to a focus on drunk driving and speeding, along with the long standing "black spot" programme established in 1985 focusing on locations where there had been at least three injury accidents within five years. On all roads there were 4200 fewer injury crashes at locations remedied comparing 1985 to 1996, reducing crashes by 28%, with about half of the reduction on state highways.  The crash investigation programme gathered data on each site to identify the causes of crashes and what infrastructure improvements might address them.  A wider initiative was a highway inspection process to identify network deficiencies and develop a safety culture to address possible issues, like overgrown foliage blocking visibility at intersections. Covert speed camera trials were being considered to address speeding.

Page 2 continued the article on safety, but also South American interest in the reforms in the road sector, particularly from Colombia, with some observations on technology such as telecommuting and enabling motorists to "dial up" traffic cameras as part of Auckland's Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) (a precursor to accessing them online).

Page 3 announced enabling contracts had been let for the then $165m Albany to Puhoi extension to the Northern Motorway.  At the time, the motorway was to be four-lanes to Orewa, and only two-lanes with passing lanes from Orewa to Puhoi, but built to a standard to enable four-laning at a later stage (the tunnel was not envisaged at this time).  The project was intended to be completed by 1999, but only the Albany to Silverdale section had been completed by that date.  At the time, the project (ALPURT as it was then called) was the largest single road project ever undertaken in New Zealand, primarily because all other sections of motorway in Auckland (and other cities) were built piecemeal over many years.  

Page 3 also saw the opening of the SH20 extension between Mangere Bridge and Papatoetoe, and the Airport Motorway as far as Kirkbride Road intersection with George Bolt Memorial Drive (then only a single-lane highway with passing lanes). The entire project was a five km extension built at a cost of $40m.  It was notable as the first ever design-build contract let by Transit NZ. The project notably included four pedestrian over bridges along with eight local road over bridges, and associated cycleways. It was reported as having significantly reduced congestion on urban roads through Mangere, effectively combining two sections of motorway from Hillsborough Road through to Roscommon Road.  It also significantly reduced travel times to and from the airport (noting there was no eastern access route to the airport at the time).

Page 4 reports on the use of a vehicle using lasers to measure road surfaces on all state highways to help collect data for the RAMM asset maintenance system to better plan road maintenance across the network.  Finally, there is a report on the realignment of SH6 Rai Valley in Marlborough ($263,000) which required relocation of a 50 year old kauri tree. 

In Transit - April 1996 No. 72 - Trialling salt on the Desert Road - lowest quarterly road toll since 1979

 The April 1996 edition of In Transit included the following articles:

• Transit NZ trialling use of salt on the Desert Rd (SH1) over winter to keep it open from ice
• New approval process for National Roading Programme released by Transfund Establishment Board. This approves road maintenance and passenger transport subsidies first, before approving capital spending, advisory, audit and contract management funding.
• Testing of the SH1 Wellington Thorndon Motorway viaduct earthquake strengthening proves refit significantly improved its resilience against a major earthquake.
• First quarter road toll for 1996 lowest since 1979, attributed to safety advertising, increased enforcement and safety audit/black spot investigations on the road network.
• Report published on the engineering challenges of building the Transmission Gully motorway, which were substantial, although no decisions had yet been made on the preferred route.
• Roadside interviews carried out of motorists about their trip patterns.

In Transit - September 1995 - Auckland Airport eastern access

 

In Transit September 1995 No. 67

Images of Auckland Airport eastern access bridge

Review of winter road closures, launch of state highway review

Quality Assurance in road markings

Stock effluent, London visitors discuss accessible transport

Black spot safety audits reduce crashes

This edition of In Transit highlights the Auckland Airport eastern access route which was under construction at the time (now SH20B).  The entire route cost $17m at the time and was due to finish in March 1996. The other most notable point was the benefits of black spot safety audits in reducing crashes, noting 2700 crashes had been prevented since 1985, as 61% of black spots identified had been upgraded with low cost solutions such as improved road markings, signs and lighting.

Other points in this edition are:

• Review of the winter road closure policy for state highways
• Launch of the State Highway Review (which reviewed which roads should become state highways and which should be cancelled as state highways)
• Quality Assurance in road markings
• First stock effluent disposal facilities trialled on two state highways
• Visit by British accessible transport experts
• Decision to construct slow vehicle lanes on both sides of SH29 Kaimai Ranges
• Discussion of a private proposal to build the Te Puke Bypass, upgrade Pyes Pa Road and Route J. Ultimately Te Puke Bypass would become a state highway toll roads, Pyes Pa Road became a state highway and was upgraded, and Route J funded as part of the National Roads Programme.

In Transit February 1995 - creation of a National Roads Fund and a separate land transport funding agency

 

Announcement of creation of a National Roads Fund

New structure for Transit NZ and SH6 Haast seal completion

Road toll down in 1994

Campaign about stock on roads and centralising traffic control in Auckland

Funding reform

The focus of this issue of In Transit is further reform of the road sector.  Legislation introduced (and subsequently passed) created a hypothecated roads fund and what would eventually become Transfund New Zealand, as a separate dedicated land transport funding agency. Albeit at the time of this newsletter, Transit NZ was hoping to avoid this. At this time, Transit NZ was both the state highway manager and the land transport funding agency, and did not wish to lose the latter function, which meant that it was responsible for decisions for funding itself, as well as funding local authorities for local road and passenger transport activities. Transit NZ's response to the reform was to set up a separate division, to deliver the funding function separate from its other activities, although it would all report to the same General Manager and Board. The Government of the day did not accept that this would be adequate separation between funder and provider.

The fund would mean revenue from road user charges, motor vehicle registration and licensing fees, and a specified portion of fuel excise duty would go into a National Roads Fund, which would determine the quantum of funds available to spend on land transport.  The reason for this was to ensure that growth in revenue from road users would be reflected in funding available for land transport infrastructure. Linked to this was the requirement to develop a national land transport strategy.

The reforms also saw provision made to continue previous introduced regional petrol taxes to support public transport funding (although not permanently). The new entity (not yet called Transfund) was at the time named as the New Zealand Roads Board, but in the interim a separate subsidiary entity would be set up in Transit NZ to undertake funding before it was completely separated.

Separating the funding and operational functions was seen as "improving Transit NZ's commercial transparency".  All of this was essentially reversed on 31 July 2008 when Transit NZ was merged into Land Transport New Zealand (which itself was a merger between Transfund NZ and the Land Transport Safety Authority in 2004), into the entity now known as Waka Kotahi/New Zealand Transport Agency. 

Other

• SH6 Haast Pass sealing has been completed.
• Road toll in 1994 was the lowest in 15 years at 581, attributed to increased speed enforcement and a major anti drink-drive campaign. Also noted was the safety audit programme reviewing the safety issues of potential projects. Crashes at black spots fell 35% in nine years. 
• Concern farmers are not using stock movement signs adequately.
• Investigation into what would be Auckland's Advanced Traffic Management System and centralised traffic control, with electronic signage that would later be introduced across Auckland's motorway network.