Great to be back in Wellington, New Zealand for Transportation Conference 2026. But I could not help but giggle at the discussion happening in the conference app.
Dr. Elliot Fishman asked the question many people had been wondering as they walked the beautiful streets of Wellington. What is the metal bar welded above the pedestrian call button at pedestrian operated signals?
It did not take long before the many brilliant people at the Transportation Conference were offering answers.
“Mitigate ninja kicks.”
“Kick bar to protect from vandalism.”
Then Glen Koorey helpfully pointed the non-Wellingtonians to an online article that included a quote from a Wellington City Council spokesperson:
There had been “an increase in pedestrians kicking the call button (some more vigorously than others), which led to the installation of the metal device now known as a ‘callbox protector bar’.”
Looking forward to Day 2. Perhaps someone will ask why all the Wellingtonians beep their horns when they drive through the Mount Victoria Tunnel.
————-
Follow Kenn Beer on LinkedIn for more updates and road safety industry news.
The conference app chat made me laugh.
Great to be back in Wellington, New Zealand for Transportation Conference 2026. But I could not help but giggle at the discussion happening in the conference app.
Dr. Elliot Fishman asked the question many people had been wondering as they walked the beautiful streets of Wellington. What is the metal bar welded above the pedestrian call button at pedestrian operated signals?
It did not take long before the many brilliant people at the Transportation Conference were offering answers.
“Mitigate ninja kicks.”
“Kick bar to protect from vandalism.”
Then Glen Koorey helpfully pointed the non-Wellingtonians to an online article that included a quote from a Wellington City Council spokesperson:
There had been “an increase in pedestrians kicking the call button (some more vigorously than others), which led to the installation of the metal device now known as a ‘callbox protector bar’.”