Im starting this thread because on several occasions i have found there to be what i would describe as rush hour traffic when i am trying to get into sheffield for 10 or out of it at around 4ish.

It makes me mad because surely the average working time is 9-5?? When im sat there in a massive queue at 4.20 im thinking WHO THE HELL are all these people? Are they all teachers? Do THIS many people actually manage to finish work early?? WHATS GOING ON???

So... What time do you start and finish work?

I want to know whether theres a good reason for this traffic!

Most traffic is an "optical illusion" - it wouldn't be there because it would normally be flowing nicely, but the council like to strangle the flow to create jams in order to justify a future congestion charge.

But its not there at say - 12.00ish - which is what makes it so maddening. I expect the roads to be as free flowing at 9.50 as i do at 12.00 because i expect the majority of people to start work at 9. I know when im working i never start after 9.00.

Originally posted by t020
Most traffic is an "optical illusion" - it wouldn't be there because it would normally be flowing nicely, but the council like to strangle the flow to create jams in order to justify a future congestion charge.

...or maybe the council are trying to encourage people to care more for their fellow people and cut down on pollution and use public transport! :thumbsup:

Originally posted by Patchy
...or maybe the council are trying to encourage people to care more for their fellow people and cut down on pollution and use public transport! :thumbsup:

How does creating congestion reduce pollution? Slow moving traffic jams create much more pollution than free flowing traffic. Make no mistake, the council couldn't give a **** about the environment, they can just see the £££ that will be 'kerchinging' when they introduce a congestion charge, but until then they have to create the jams to justify doing so.

I've noticed the rush hour traffic has been inconsistant over the last couple of weeks. On one occasion I delayed my journey while around 6.30pm and still encountered rush hour traffic and then tried to beat it at 4pm and it seemed worse than ever. Yes having said this on Friday at 4:15pm the traffic seemed light.

There are some roadworks and the diversion at top of Fitzwilliam street isn't helping matters.

The roadworks around Sheffield station aren't helping matters, the traffic lights aren't in sync at all and you have to stop every 50 yards for another set of lights from Shoreham Street/Leadmill Road to Park Square. The traffic lights on Sheaf Street at Pond Hill and Harmer Lane are (I think) deliberately out of sync just to p*ss us off, it is nigh impossible to get TO Park Square without stopping at one or both sets of lights.

kittykat - you are spot on with this one.

I work from home, but three times a week I nip (and I use this word lightly) into Sheffield to collect the mail from the office.

I have experimented with various times in order to beat the traffic and have failed.

It would seem that Sheffield and its lame excuse of a road network has reached critical mass.

Although I did find driving around Sheffield a pleasure during the last bus strike, which was wierd, as you would expect the volume of traffic to increase.

The coucil could't direct trafic if you gave them a big dayglow stick.

What we need is some logical thinking mathmaticians designing our streets, not some ******* dumbass ex art students.

As a previous post mentioned the traffic lights in Sheffield are completely out of sync if this happened in say London or its suburbs London would be at a standstill for weeks.
I am not really sure if its done deliberately or whether the people responsible are just good old fashioned incompetents.

simple answer....were all lazy and cant be arsed to make it for 9 haha

The 4 o clock problem might be down to parents picking up kids from school. And don't forget that a lot of office staff are on flextime.

Following the rush hour of people getting to work, there's probably then a rush hour of people who set off later to go shopping etc so as to avoid the previous rush hour.

And HellBoy is right, the traffic did seem to flow smoother during the bus strike, even though there were probably more cars during that period!

An example is the roundabout at the bottom of Weston Bank. I used it several times during this peiod and found it pretty easy going. Now? one bus at the bottom waiting to enter the roundabout and there's chaos.

a) Three lanes, two of which are occupied by the bus.

b) Cars on left can't see to pull out because bus blocks view.

c) Bus lane on left all way down, but just before roundabout bus needs to be in centre lane, and cars in centre lane need to be in left lane!

d) Resultant tailback stretches all way back (through traffic lights at top of Clarkson Road) blocking exit from that road onto Weston Bank. Chaos!!:gag:

A lot of civil servants in Sheffield.
They work on flexi time meaning they can start any time until 10am and finish anytime from 4pm.

Originally posted by Lickszz
[B ...while around 6.30pm... [/B]

Wouldn't it be until 6.30, or is it just one of the quirks up (t)here.

Alex

"How does creating congestion reduce pollution? Slow moving traffic jams create much more pollution than free flowing traffic. Make no mistake, the council couldn't give a **** about the environment, they can just see the £££ that will be 'kerchinging' when they introduce a congestion charge, but until then they have to create the jams to justify doing so."

I guess traffic jams deter people from using their cars?
and a congestion charge would do the same, therefore reducing emissions in the area and reducing air pollution.
The best way to tackle emissions in my opinion is to make cycling and walking a more attractive option, therefore luring people out of their cars rather than forcing them out with fines.

"What we need is some logical thinking mathmaticians designing our streets, not some ******* dumbass ex art students."

I can't imagine a mathematician designing anything, lol. Oh and transport planners are usually not urban designers, they are usually transport planners, with specialist knowledge of all the problems listed below.

I generally work either 8:00 til 4:30 or 8:30 til 5, although most days it works out 8:15 til 4:45 :)

I generally find that between 7:30 and 8 am, the traffic flows quite nicely. However, after 4:30 major diversions have proved to reduce journey time dramatically, at the expense of distance (and hence petrol).

I was speaking to a traffic engineer and he told me there are 2 hotspots in Sheffield from where all the congestions stems. These are the 2 r'abouts on St Mry's Gate - Ecclesall Road and Bramall Lane. Once these start to jam up the ripple effect ensures traffic slows right down across the city.

Further, the knock on effect of buses stuck on Ecclesall Road means that they will be extremely late at the other end of their routes. This is why Stannington has so many cacellations in the morning, too many cars coming from Ecclesall Road into and across town.

I get up every morning at 5am, Make a cup of tea, then go out and muck out the horses.
At 7am I then set off for work, Depending on where I am going....Sometimes I have to be in London for 8am in which case I set off at 4am so that I get a head start on the Traffic.

Originally posted by max
These are the 2 r'abouts on St Mry's Gate - Ecclesall Road and Bramall Lane. Once these start to jam up the ripple effect ensures traffic slows right down across the city.

This sounds about right. I avoid them by going over Crookesmoor and down through Broomhill to Hunters Bar, thus missing out on the joys of the A61 altogether. It's much quicker, especially before 8:30.

Originally posted by HarrietStar
The best way to tackle emissions in my opinion is to make cycling and walking a more attractive option, therefore luring people out of their cars rather than forcing them out with fines.


As I've previously mentioned on another thread, unfortunately Cycling amongst the general population of Sheffield will just not happen, because of the terrian, i.e. lots of damn hills.

Unless they flatten all the hills or provide a ski lift equivalent that can be used hoist cyclists to the top of the hills, at a modest fee of course :D

Flexi hours for me and seen as I prefer to be in early and leave early I do 7-3.30 Mon-Thurs and 7-3 on a Friday (early finish, early to pub :clap: )

Recently I've taken to walking down to the office - as a contractor I can be a little more flexible than permanent staff and so tend to do 7 to 8 hour days starting around 9-30 to 10am in the morning.

This way I manage to also miss the rush-hour coming back.

Joe

It seems to be all these flexi hours that are doing it then! Damn you leniant company managers for extending the rush hour!!

Normally start around 6.00 - 6.30 am in the study at home, and get off to the office around 9.30 when the traffic has cleared.

Perhaps if schools had staggered starting times it would encourage employers to do the same?

Originally posted by Dirk Diggler
A lot of civil servants in Sheffield.
They work on flexi time meaning they can start any time until 10am and finish anytime from 4pm.

Dirk, civil servants can actually work the core hours of 10-3... Personally I get to work for 7am finishing anytime between 3 and 5 sometimes I can stay till about 8ish though.

Susie
xx

I'm pretty lucky I can start any time from 7 to 930 and finish any time from 330 to 7.

Usually try and work it out so I get to work before 815 and finish either before 415 or after 6. Usually avoid most bad traffic that way.

Good start to this thread: "are they all teachers ?" - oh well, with the holidays they get it should only be a problem a few weeks in the year eh ?

Good one that!

Mothers with 4x4's taking their kids to school and collecting them again are blamed for the incessant traffic chaos, but teachers are hardly at work. Wonder who teaches these 4x4 kids?

I do 8-4 or 10-6.

Getting in is never really a problem, it's getting home that's a nightmare! 4pm is worst, as it takes me at least 40 minutes to get home due to the traffic on Eccy Rd/Hanover Way! I park near Classic Rock Bar, yet it takes me 10 minutes to get to the roundabout because of the traffic lights at the end, they change for about 6 seconds at a time! Then I get onto Hanover Way and 9 times out of 10 it is backed up all the way to the bottom!

I hate driving into Sheffield City Centre. I used to work in Wakefield which is about 5 times further, yet it only takes me 30 minutes each way because the traffic is consistent no matter what day or time!

Get a grip Sheffield City Council :rant:

I start at 8.30 and finish at 5.30... but I walk to work so avoid the whole traffic issue altogether!! Heh heh.