Background:
T8 Traffic Management, led by Levi Anderson-Crewther - General Manager (GM) - T8 Traffic, partnered with RTL to trial an innovative lane closure solution. T8's expertise in the New Zealand Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (NZGTTM) and advanced risk management approaches made them ideal collaborators. This partnership aimed to gain real-world insights from industry leaders, ensuring the solution (TrafFix Folding Barricades) meets New Zealand's high traffic management standards.

In this case study you will find insights into; Usability and Ergonomics, Operational Challenges and Solutions, Effectiveness in Traffic Management, Deployment Recommendations, Value Assessment & Branding and Customisation

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Usability:

• Staff feedback on weight and ease of transport: Weight empty is really light, but also is good when filled. Under 10kg so easy for a single person to manage.
• Feedback on durability: So far so good, we haven’t had any hit by a vehicle which is great, a good test for them will be a full summer under Northlands harsh sun.
• Any challenges encountered? How were they overcome?: The barricades closest to the road would blow over and lie down flat if we had trucks passing close to the cones. The team then filled them with water, but notices some would slowly leak. They then filled them with sand and have had no problems since.

Recommendations

• Would T8 recommend the product to others?: Yes, these have been really effective at clearly communicating to drivers what lane is the closed, sometimes it can be hard to tell with some many cones in a multi lane environment. They also seem to have stopped people taking shortcuts through the deadlane.
• What are T8 recommendations for Set up of this product – eg how many per lane closure etc – will you recommend using it with other products: This would depend on the type of closure. We have used them in sets of two across a standard lane, which works well. In some sections where the lane is very wide, we have used sets of three. For a standard day to day type closure, I would recommend 12 barricades, giving you 6 defined points.
• What other applications would T8 suggest the product be used in: I think these would be really good for use at road closure points, used in conjunction with the standard signs and cones. It looks more robust to a road user.

Value Assessment

• Satisfaction with pricing: Pricing is good, especially for a MASH rated product.
• Suggestions for product improvement: Perhaps a linking chain that can clip from barricade to barricade could be useful

Design and Branding

• Feedback on the branding opportunity with the company logo on the red white: I think the red/white reflectors are one of the products strengths, perhaps branding could go on a plastic plate between the two reflectors.
• Other recommended messaging: A stand clip could be useful in the top of the barricade so supplementary plates could be attached, i.e “Lane Closed”, “Road Closed”, “Accident” etc

Conclusion:

The trial of RTL's TrafFix Devices Folding Barricades by T8 Traffic Management demonstrates significant potential for enhancing traffic management practices in New Zealand. The product's ease of use, effectiveness in lane delineation, and adaptability to various scenarios suggest it could be a valuable asset for traffic management companies and road controlling authorities seeking to improve safety and efficiency in temporary traffic management operations.