MEDIA RELEASE
16 June 2008
RTA Over-specifies School Zone Flashing Lights
There is an RTA tender out at present that closes on 24th June for the supply of school zone flashing lights at another 50 schools by 30th June 2009. See https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/rta/shared/rftdetail.cfm?p_id=18031&p_criteria=RTA%2E08%2E2587%2E0998&p_advert=0
It is little wonder that the lights cost $58,000 per sign and hence will never be installed at all schools. The RTA has gone so totally over the top with the design specification that it would be impossible for anyone to design and produce lights for less. A specification for the life support system on the Space Shuttle would be less exacting.
The technical specification (attached) runs to 126 pages and that is just one of nine documents in the tender. And this is just for part of the system, the flashing lights and "lights controller".
There is a separate component called an "Alert Device Controller" which decides when the lights should be turned on and off. It is the subject of a separate tender. It in turn is controlled by the RTA's mainframe computer system.
What we are talking about is simply making a pair of lights flash for two periods per day. I have demonstrated that it can be done reliably and accurately for $350 yet the RTA has turned that simple process into a complex and expensive nightmare:
1. There are three controllers to make each sign flash, a lights controller on the sign, a separate Alert Device Controller, and the mainframe computer system, with an extensive computer network connecting it all together. (Diagrams p.18, 19)
2. The lights have to be capable of accepting commands that specify up to 32 different flash modes for up to 8 separate flashing components per sign. (p. 50, 5.5.4.2.2a)
3. An entire new 40kmh sign has to be supplied with the lights. They cannot simply be mounted on the existing signs. (p.21, 5.2.2(a))
4. The box that houses the electronics cannot be any old box. Quote: "All equipment and sign housings shall be constructed from Alloy 5251 H32 aluminium sheet to AS/NZS 1734". (p.23, 5.2.6.1) What is more, quote: "For equipment housings and over roadway sign housings, the access door shall be hinged on the left hand side of the door. For advance warning sign housings, the access door shall be hinged on the right
hand side of the door. (p. 23, 5.2.6.3.1)
5. The LEDs that make up the lights are connected in series strings, typically 5 per string. If one LED blows all 5 go out much like Christmas lights. So of course to avoid the disaster that would result of a contiguous group of 5 LEDs (out of 96) were to go out, the lights must be constructed such that no 2 LEDs from any one string are side-by-side. (p.40, 5.4.3).
6. The lights controller has to be capable of detecting and reporting the loss of any single string of 5 LEDs (p.40, 5.4.4.1)
7. The LEDs cannot be any old yellow colour. Quote: "The chromaticity co-ordinates of the emitted light from the Alert Display shall fall within the relevant colour boundaries on a CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram as specified in AS/NZS 2144 for traffic signals, when measured on the light axis of the test specimen and at the horizontal and vertical half angle positions." (p.43, 5.4.11.1) They also must be made from from aluminium indium gallium phosphide (p.40, 5.4.2)
8. When the Alert Device Controller tells the lights to start flashing, they must do so within 1/25 of a second. 1/10 of a second is simply not good enough! (p.42, 5.4.8)
...and on and on for 126 pages.
At least it is pleasing to see that they have finally adopted my design for positioning of the flashing lights, namely mounted directly on the 40kmh sign each side of the words "School Zone" rather than on a separate panel above the sign as per their previous designs. See diagrams Page 19 and p.96 and see www.schoolzonelights.com.au
For more information see www.schoolzonelights.com.au or www.schoolzonesanta.com
or contact:
For more information contact:
Peter Olsen
13/55 The Grand Pde
Brighton-le-Sands 2216
0414-538-404
9012-5298 bh
9599-1811 ah