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Monday, July 04, 2005

UPDATES: Horror stories


Auckland motorists in harbour bridge traffic jam have time for sightseeing.

Told you so #1:
HOV/HOT Lanes as examined in a 21 June post are exposed as Auckland's new bureaucratically rationalised future in this NZ Herald article:

Drivers may have to pay tolls to join the fast lanes on costly new Auckland motorways - or earn free use by carrying at least two passengers... Chief executive Rick van Barneveld said there would still be toll-free lanes on a $193 million bypass of Hobsonville and a $1.2 billion extension of State Highway 20 from Mt Roskill through Avondale to join the Northwestern Motorway. He said reserving fast lanes for high-occupancy vehicles or those whose drivers were willing to pay would help to limit congestion by "managing" demand for travel, a legal obligation for road-builders.

Transit's second "10-Year Plan" for the Queen city is here.

Told you so #2:
The NZ dollar's lack of credibility scrutinised on a 28 June post were exposed when it was 70c US and 58c Euro. Less than a week later the Kiwi's now at 68c/57c and falling.

4 Comments:

At 4/7/05 4:57 pm, Blogger Joe Hendren said...

Hmm if there was no charge for cars with two passengers I wonder if you would get professional 'passengers' who would mingle at either end of the bridge, offering to be a 'passenger' for less than the cost of the toll!

Better still - people who are opposed to toll roading could become 'free' passengers and ensure the whole toll collecting shenanagins was totally uneconomic....hehhee

 
At 4/7/05 5:27 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

JH: Now you're talking. I can see them holding signs out: "Well behaved, quiet, have own ipod", "Will talk about sport, talkback OK."

 
At 6/7/05 12:06 pm, Blogger stephen said...

I can see them holding signs out: "Well behaved, quiet, have own ipod", "Will talk about sport, talkback OK.

I'm just trying to remember. I read an article about an American city where pretty much exactly this happened. Passengers would queue on approaches to freeway on-ramps, and drivers would pick them up so that they could use the passengers-only lane.

If this happened, I would regard it as a win for everyone, except perhaps bus companies.

Cathy: blogged here http://vital.org.nz/blog/2004/11/09#tragedy .

 
At 6/7/05 12:29 pm, Blogger stephen said...

Nya ha! The city I was thinking of was Washington DC, and the practice is called "slugging".

http://www.slug-lines.com/News_Announcements/News_Slugs_and_Bodysnatchers.asp

 

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