BMRA

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August Meet the candidates

September 23 Election-day polling booth

Richard Barton, our Chairperson recently sent a letter to the UHCC regarding the logging trucks on Blue Mountains Road –

Hi,

I’m a resident of Blue Mountains, president of the Blue Mountains Residents Association (BMRA) and I also have some experience with roading safety in a professional capacity. I have concerns about public safety on the Blue Mountains Road (particularly from Pinehaven to Blue Mountains) and was hoping that you could provide me details of any plans you have to improve the Blue Mountains road.

The issue of road safety on the Blue Mountains Road is becoming a regular feature on social media sites associated with the BMRA and Whiteman’s Valley. The concerns are predominantly around the narrow road, tight bends and use by logging and other trucks. A number of vehicles (including trucks) have gone off the edge of Blue Mountains Road in the past few years and I think we are lucky that injuries haven’t been anything too serious to date.  Currently there seems to be an increase in the number of logging trucks using the road. The road is barely wide enough, in some parts, for two cars to pass without incident and trucks of this size are unable to use the road without crossing over the centre line. I’ve personally had a few near miss events myself and a number of the people I know have also narrowly avoided head on collisions with trucks (there is some footage of incidents on social media of cars being forced off the road by trucks). I feel its only a matter of time until there is a serious accident on this road and I feel compelled to raise this to your attention so that you can take action to prevent it.

I understand that there are some restrictions currently in place around when logging trucks are able to use the road to avoid school bus times and that you have plans to improve one corner of the road where two trucks have recently crashed. I’d be keen to know more about these issues and any other plans, so as president of the BMRA I can keep the community informed. There may be more you could do to ensure any logging operations have traffic management plans detailing how they will mitigate the risk to public of their trucks using this road. Not only would I be keen to see improved TMP’s for such operations, but I’d like to see the council committing in its budget and development plans to finding a permanent solution to road safety on this stretch of road (widening the road and improving line of sight).

Any information you are able to provide would be well received by the community.

I’d be happy to come and express my thoughts and concerns in person if this would be of use.

Your faithfully

Richard Barton

Formed in 1956, the Blue Mountains Residents’ Association is your local voice in the Upper Hutt community.

The BMRA covers the area from the summit of Blue Mountains Road to Russells Road and all roads off that route.

Subscription is just $10 per year. Please pay it by:

• Internet banking to Blue Mountains Residents’ Assn A/c 02-0772-0243176-000, AND
• Please email your details to bmra@outlook.com because the bank statements don’t tell who has paid.
• OR join the discussions at the AGM and pay on the day
• OR Put cash or a cheque in an envelope with your contact details, addressed to BMRA, 1038 Blue Mountains Rd, and put in your mail box. Bruce, our Rural Delivery operator will deliver it for free

Through the generous support of the Upper Hutt Cosmopolitan Club we have bought the old Whitemans Valley Playcentre and playground. Thanks to Michelle for looking after the building.

This is a great addition to the Whitemans Valley Library, tennis court, and BMRA Hall. All available for the community to use.

To showcase our new addition and start providing the funds to open it to the community please join us on Sunday for a Book Fair and Open Day.

Some of us will be starting earlier in the morning at 8:30 in a working bee to tidy up the grounds and do a bit of weeding. Any willing hands and backs will be welcomed!

We’re looking for ideas – can you help?

A successful Community Centre needs the community to use it, what would you like to use it for? Please let us know.

Are you in a club that needs a meeting place? A children’s party to host? A band that needs practice space? An informal play group? Set up your own political party?

Now you can, both the Community Centre and Hall are available to rent. Contact the BMRA for details.

The response from Lachlan Wallach, Director Asset Management and Operations –

Mr Barton 

Dear Sir,

The difficulties presented by the topography of Blue Mountains Rd has long been recognised by council. Initial reports were put to the Strategic Plan (forerunner to the Long Term Plan) in 1996 and again in 2000. The reports proposed a $2.9M (2000 time) upgrade of Blue Mountains Rd. It was not funded by council.  A report in 2001 proposed that sight distance be improved by benching corners over a staged program. This was accepted by council and work commenced in the 2001/02 financial year. The work has been funded by rates, development contributions and some subsidised roading funds. Of the 35 curves on the road 15 remain to be done as money becomes available. Property purchase has also been a consideration. The remaining curves are amongst the most difficult and expensive and consequently some years work has to be delayed to allow the funding to accumulate. This includes the corner where a truck recently went outside the edge line. Since 2001/02 we have had a continuous program of sight line improvement and once the remaining 15 curves have been completed we will look to widen the corners by removal of the benches that have been left as the first stage of sight line improvement. Priority is sight line improvement. It should be noted that over this time the speed limit was reduced with NZTA approval to 50kph. Council could not just go in and arbitrarily reduce speed limits and off course as with any road drivers should drive to the conditions not the posted speed limit which is advisory. We are also looking at options for increasing safety awareness on the outside edge of the road.

There are no records of trucks going over the edge in the national Crash Analysis System (CAS). There are three truck crashes since 1980, two were head on with cars cutting corners and the third the truck lost control and hit a bank. Since 1980 (ie well before we started the upgrade ) there have been 14 crashes recorded in CAS where a vehicle has gone over the bank. One as a result of drugs/alcohol.

The removal of logs by public road requires a harvesting notice. Since 2010 there have only been two notices issued. Both required Traffic Management Plans. Both restricted hours of use on Monday to Friday and no travel on weekends. One of the notices prohibited the use of logging trucks on Blue Mountains Rd.

The current traffic count on Blue Mountains Rd is about 1400 vpd, the heavy vehicle count 81 in a week, the mean speed 45kph and the 85%ile speed 50kph.

I can understand your concerns but council is monitoring Blue Mountains Rd and does have a continuous program of improvement in place for Blue Mountains Rd.

Lachlan Wallach
Director Asset Management and Operations
UPPER HUTT CITY COUNCIL