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Thread ID: 100045	2009-05-24 03:31:00	Auckland Harbour Bridge - protest ride/walk today	johcar (6283)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
776409	2009-05-25 10:36:00	I'm informed that at some stage in the past they provided a bus to ferry foot traffic and cyclists across the bridge, patronage was so low that they gave up on it. Now these same people who it seems don't really want to cross the bridge want the government to spend multiple millions of our dollars on a carriageway just for them to not make use it. I think you'll find that many cyclists ride bikes to (among other things) get to where they want to go without having to rely on anyone else or stick to a timetable. Therefore it is not surprising that a "car-ferry" (van and trailer) service was less than successful. The fact is the original plans for the Bridge included a walk/cycle-path AND a rail crossing (haven't seen too many trains on MY side of the bridge lately!!!). We just want what was originally planned. I don't know of too many internationally-renowned harbour bridges around the world that pedestrians and/or cyclists can't use. Why should Auckland be worse off than Sydney (for instance). Especially if you believe the stories (I don't) that we're about to run out of oil, and the fact (which I DO believe) that NZ is becoming a nation of fatties!!! Maybe when we run out of oil, cyclists will get the bridge (and all the motorways and busways) to themselves!!! (Insert Tui billboard here!)	johcar (6283)
776410	2009-05-25 10:38:00	True. It's the protesters who can't bear tasers. ;) Geez! Don't give Tasers to bears!!! Give them to the Police!	johcar (6283)
776411	2009-05-25 12:13:00	I think you'll find that many cyclists ride bikes to (among other things) get to where they want to go without having to rely on anyone else or stick to a timetable. Therefore it is not surprising that a "car-ferry" (van and trailer) service was less than successful. The fact is the original plans for the Bridge included a walk/cycle-path AND a rail crossing (haven't seen too many trains on MY side of the bridge lately!!!). We just want what was originally planned. I don't know of too many internationally-renowned harbour bridges around the world that pedestrians and/or cyclists can't use. Why should Auckland be worse off than Sydney (for instance). Especially if you believe the stories (I don't) that we're about to run out of oil, and the fact (which I DO believe) that NZ is becoming a nation of fatties!!! Maybe when we run out of oil, cyclists will get the bridge (and all the motorways and busways) to themselves!!! (Insert Tui billboard here!) When you say "We just want was originally planned." What was planned? Got the plans have you? Exactly the same as now when the plan was to zip through Waterview with a tunnel. The plan seems to have changed to make it more overland for example thus removing people from the house or home they really want to live in. The Auckland Harbour Bridge started as a toll bridge and then the people in Auckland got the "Nippon Clippon" to adjust for all the people who wanted to live on the Northshore and get to the CBD in Auckland City in a timely way for work. Sydney Opera House was not built to the original plans and the Aussies are thinking about that once again. There is a tunnel under Sydney harbour from north to south and vice versa unlike Auckland. Ever heard of a Budget? I am told we are going to get another on Thursday. Sir Dove Myer Robinson had the right idea back in the 70's. Ring roads were mentioned back then to reduce parking problems. Never went through then either. A fact remains. The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a motorway and for those people that want to do a peaceful protest I would be for it. Then why have not the Greens decided to decorate the said bridge with trees they can hug? The Maorii want a flag every now and then on the bridge. Cycle to work......... I am 27 kilometres away from that and 14 K of that is metal road. Try getting on the other shore in which case you will not need to cross the bridge to get to work. Then of course you might want to ride on a cycle to get to the CBD just to a very important event on the 30th of May 2009. This rather than to convince a person visiting Avondale to get to the North Shore for example.	Sweep (90)
776412	2009-05-25 20:56:00	I once saw the Spanish Police deal with some British Soccer Hooligans and I’ll wager none of the Hooligans returned for a second helping. ;)	B.M. (505)
776413	2009-05-25 21:46:00	When you say "We just want was originally planned." What was planned? Got the plans have you? Exactly the same as now when the plan was to zip through Waterview with a tunnel. The plan seems to have changed to make it more overland for example thus removing people from the house or home they really want to live in. The Auckland Harbour Bridge started as a toll bridge and then the people in Auckland got the "Nippon Clippon" to adjust for all the people who wanted to live on the Northshore and get to the CBD in Auckland City in a timely way for work. Sydney Opera House was not built to the original plans and the Aussies are thinking about that once again. There is a tunnel under Sydney harbour from north to south and vice versa unlike Auckland. Ever heard of a Budget? I am told we are going to get another on Thursday. Sir Dove Myer Robinson had the right idea back in the 70's. Ring roads were mentioned back then to reduce parking problems. Never went through then either. A fact remains. The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a motorway and for those people that want to do a peaceful protest I would be for it. Then why have not the Greens decided to decorate the said bridge with trees they can hug? The Maorii want a flag every now and then on the bridge. Cycle to work......... I am 27 kilometres away from that and 14 K of that is metal road. Try getting on the other shore in which case you will not need to cross the bridge to get to work. Then of course you might want to ride on a cycle to get to the CBD just to a very important event on the 30th of May 2009. This rather than to convince a person visiting Avondale to get to the North Shore for example. When I say "was originally planned" I refer to the Royal Commission who did the fact-finding ahead of the decision to build the Bridge. They were the one's who recommended the rail crossing and the walk/cycle-way, but Sidney Holland got a huge fright when he saw the cost (bugger-all in today's terms - about $136 million to build the Bridge, I believe) and zapped the bits that he considered unimportant - because in those days, car was king and gas was cheap and no-one saw the need for alternative transport options (weren't we supposed to be driving flying cars by now?) Yes there is a tunnel NOW under the Sydney Harbour, but pedestrians and cyclists have been able to cross that bridge for years longer than the tunnel has been there... Sir Dove Myer Robinson (now considered a visionary) also tried to get rapid rail implemented in Auckland in the 1970's at the HUGE cost (at the time) of $3,000,000. Try implementing ANY public works project for that amount today. Probably wouldn't even cover the bill for the Resource Management hearings!!! It's never cheaper (or easier) than now. Future generations will scratch their heads and wonder why the common sense couldn't be seen at the time (much like the Rapid Rail project)...	johcar (6283)
776414	2009-05-25 22:31:00	The whole thing was a gross cockup. To save money not enough lanes were built originally and the clip ons are cracking up. One day the whole thing might do a Cave Creek and fall into the sea. They really need a new bigger bridge I dont think you could cycle and walk in a tunnel or pipe under the sea and to have two crossings would be dumb.	prefect (6291)
776415	2009-05-25 22:43:00	As far as I am aware the proposed second crossing is to be a tunnel, primarily for buses (I guess to hook up with the Northern Busway - a $600,000,000 white elephant) and MAYBE for cars. This then might take some pressure off the Bridge and allow pedestrian/cyclist access to the bridge. Timeline: sometime in the next 30 years!!!! Sorry, I don't want to wait until I am in my eighties!!!	johcar (6283)
776416	2009-05-25 23:05:00	The whole country seems to be stuck in a 'I shant look to the future' rut. It's exactly the same down here with roads, obviously not on the same scale, but the councils seem to be against future proofing, even though it costs a lot less in the long run. When I was in Auckland last year, I was amazed at the money that was spent on the northern busway...when it doens't really go anywhere. Surely they could have waited on that and sorted out the drama with the waterview connection with some of that money... the moment the buses reach the bridge everything slows right down again. Doesn't seem like the right order things should have been in, especially when theres not going to be anything done to the bridge in the forseeable future. Sir Dove Myer had all the right ideas.	wratterus (105)
776417	2009-05-25 23:16:00	The whole thing was a gross cockup. To save money not enough lanes were built originally and the clip ons are cracking up. One day the whole thing might do a Cave Creek and fall into the sea. They really need a new bigger bridge I dont think you could cycle and walk in a tunnel or pipe under the sea and to have two crossings would be dumb.Wishful thinking, maybe if you could cram the whole of Auckland onto the bridge and get them to jump around a bit it could happen. Just have to wait until the megalopolis amalgamation happens, as long as the Maoris don’t get their seats, they say they will build their own infrastructure which could include a new bridge. The other day I heard a story about a lamington on someone’s head.	Rob99 (151)
776418	2009-05-25 23:17:00	There again we seem to build cities in all the wrong places and they just grow like Topsy as it were. This happens world wide with only one exception as far as I can see. The exception would be Canberra in Australia I believe. en.wikipedia.org Last time I was there I did not notice any rail lines either now I come to think of it. The car is still king in any event in spite of the cost of petrol, maintenance, insurance (for those that bother) and I won't go into the cost of lives due to so called accidents which in my view are mostly avoidable. Where I live, in Tokoroa, there are no traffic lights yet and I can't see that we will get any in the near future. There is no local Bus service either for that matter. There is a rail link which is used to get logs out. Sydney was not planned for example. They started on a harbour and worked inland from there and had no room to grow toward the East much like Auckland which only had room to grow North and South. As for Wellington it only had room to grow North and has done so.	Sweep (90)
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