Over the weekend a new traffic island has appeared outside the University and the bus lane down there is now 24 hours a day. This means that other traffic is now restricted to one lane, whereas previously there were two, and there's an extra set of traffic lights (oh yes, this is Sheffield, how they love those traffic lights!) at the end of the bus lane. I have a horrible feeling that this will result in massive jams stretching up past the children's hospital - what do you think?

the bus lane there has ALWAYS been 24 hours and the new island is good because traffic coming up from the roundabout can turn left without having to wait for the lights.

Am I missing something...... Which bus service runs 24hrs in Sheffield?!

Originally posted by scottf
the bus lane there has ALWAYS been 24 hours and the new island is good because traffic coming up from the roundabout can turn left without having to wait for the lights.

That bus lane hasn't always been 24 hours at all - it was a peak times only lane.

Why will another set of lights help the flow of traffic up Brook Hill?

Not that island... I'm talking about the one coming DOWN Brook Hill towards the roundabout, on the other side of the road!

Apparently the extra lights are basically to allow buses to jump the queue on the way down to the roundabout. They'll stay green for cars unless there's a bus in the bus lane. I used to get the 52 bus to work when I lived in Crookes, and pulling across from the bus stop on the left into the right hand lane to turn right at the roundabout could take ages at rush hour.

IanR

Yes I suppose I can see the point of that, and presumably it will also make it a lot easier for emergency vehicles to get down that stretch, which is often a problem. Mind you, with the number of 52's those lights will be on red quite a lot!

So where do you think they'll find the room to run the tram line down there as well... maybe that one lane of cars will have to be reduced even further, eh? Do I detect a long term plan here?

Originally posted by metalman

So where do you think they'll find the room to run the tram line down there as well... maybe that one lane of cars will have to be reduced even further, eh? Do I detect a long term plan here?
Long term plan? Sheffield City Council? I don't think so!

If it makes you sit in your car then the council can rightly deem the alterations to have been a success.

It's a nice tone of green though, isn't it? And that bus stop, with its own lights looks lovely, especially on a wet day. I think the 24 hour bus lane ought to go all the way up to Redmires Dams. No, why stop there, they should paint the Roman Road that same shade of green and sprinkle a few sets of lights up there. That'll teach the motorist for wanting to get to work on time!

Still, we can look forward to our next council tax increase: At least we in Sheffield know what it is frittered on.

Originally posted by Ousetunes
If it makes you sit in your car then the council can rightly deem the alterations to have been a success.

It's a nice tone of green though, isn't it? And that bus stop, with its own lights looks lovely, especially on a wet day. I think the 24 hour bus lane ought to go all the way up to Redmires Dams. No, why stop there, they should paint the Roman Road that same shade of green and sprinkle a few sets of lights up there. That'll teach the motorist for wanting to get to work on time!

Still, we can look forward to our next council tax increase: At least we in Sheffield know what it is frittered on.
More traffic lights? the Highway Engineers can't even sequence properly the ones they have.

d71146 - ofcause they CAN sequence the lights, but that would be defeating the objective. See, that would HELP the motorist get to where he wants to go. The council doesn't want that! They want you to sit in your car and get irritated as the bus passes by down the Bus Lane (which you paid for) until the bus itself gets stuck in all the traffic which is there because of the aforementioned traffic lights and restrictions.

Why else would the council, in the name of 'traffic improvement', build out (that is, fill in) bus lay-bys so that they are now stuck in the middle of the road where before the bus didn't hold up the traffic whilst letting passengers embark? Why REDUCE the amount of lanes the motorist can use? Why build out the pavement at points in the road where before the motorist going straight on could pass on the nearside? Now, any motorist wanting to turn right holds everyone else up behind!

THE COUNCIL'S SOLE OBJECTIVE IS TO GET YOU OUT OF YOUR CAR.

Whilst, it must be said, offering no suitable alternative. (See threads elsewhere about the present 'service' offered by the likes of First, Mainline et al.)

To a degree it's working as I have started walking more (to the bank etc instead of taking the car), but there are still occasions when the car is the best mode of transport to get to where I want.

I'm also not blind to the fact that something needs to be done in order to reduce the amount of traffic on the roads, but I sincerely believe this council hasn't got a clue how to go about implementing these changes.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ousetunes
[B]No, why stop there, they should paint the Roman Road that same shade of green and sprinkle a few sets of lights up there. That'll teach the motorist for wanting to get to work on time!

Still, we can look forward to our next council tax increase: At least we in Sheffield know what it is frittered on.

Careful what you say about the Roman Road, the Council have already messed it up to allowa film company to get its gear to Stanage Edge!:rolleyes:

Careful what you say about the Roman Road, the Council have already messed it up to allowa film company to get its gear to Stanage Edge!:rolleyes: [/B]


what company is this and when are they filming?

I drive that way to work every day, and think its probably a good thing - buses pulling out of the bus stop have to without exception get into the middle /right lane which causes no end of problems.

Hung my head this morning though at the queue of cars in the 'bus' lane while the traffic lights were on red, and the taxis who used their special highway code to go through the bus lane lights on red, because the cars in the right hand side were getting through quicker!

They built it pretty speedy, too!

Originally posted by ncrossland
I drive that way to work every day, and think its probably a good thing - buses pulling out of the bus stop have to without exception get into the middle /right lane which causes no end of problems.

Hung my head this morning though at the queue of cars in the 'bus' lane while the traffic lights were on red, and the taxis who used their special highway code to go through the bus lane lights on red, because the cars in the right hand side were getting through quicker!

They built it pretty speedy, too!

From what I've heard the bus lane priority light will only change for busses, so cars can sit in front of the red light in the bus lane all they like. They'll be wating for the next bus to come along before the light will go green.

Originally posted by ptigga
From what I've heard the bus lane priority light will only change for busses, so cars can sit in front of the red light in the bus lane all they like. They'll be wating for the next bus to come along before the light will go green.

That's what it looked like today as I walked out of the Dainton building. There were 5/6 cars in the bus lane facing a red light for about 5 minutes, eventually after much tooting the front car bust the red light and all was good again.

this raises a question, would that car and presumably all the others in the queue now be liable for 2 offences, 1, being in a bus lane and 2 going thru a red light?

do the bus lane lights have camaras in them to catch offenders?

dave

Originally posted by algy
[Careful what you say about the Roman Road, the Council have already messed it up to allowa film company to get its gear to Stanage Edge!:rolleyes:

Is that why it was resurfaced recently? What's been going on up there?


24 Hour bus lanes are a travesty. Utterly, utterly pointless. Except when the point is to hinder traffic flow as much as is possible.

Originally posted by jackthedog
Is that why it was resurfaced recently? What's been going on up there?


24 Hour bus lanes are a travesty. Utterly, utterly pointless. Except when the point is to hinder traffic flow as much as is possible.

It seems to me that the main thing hindering the traffic flow is the number of cars. Perhaps we should remove some of them from the road.

It's operationally no different to the city-bound bus lane at the Wikcer/Cutlers Gate junction, and no-one complains about that.

Originally posted by pberry
It's operationally no different to the city-bound bus lane at the Wikcer/Cutlers Gate junction, and no-one complains about that.

That's because no one from the 'posh bit' of the city has to drive through it ;)

Originally posted by jackthedog
Is that why it was resurfaced recently? What's been going on up there?



24 Hour bus lanes are a travesty. Utterly, utterly pointless. Except when the point is to hinder traffic flow as much as is possible.

Yes, that's the reason.

I don't mind bus lanes, but I don't see the logic of allowing taxis to use them. It means that if I use my car to say, go into town, one journey in each direction, it's classed as a bad thing to be discouraged. But if I use a taxi, which has to come to pick me up, take me to town, pick me up again and bring me home, a total of 4 journeys, that's OK and to be encouraged.:loopy:

Originally posted by algy
I don't mind bus lanes, but I don't see the logic of allowing taxis to use them. It means that if I use my car to say, go into town, one journey in each direction, it's classed as a bad thing to be discouraged. But if I use a taxi, which has to come to pick me up, take me to town, pick me up again and bring me home, a total of 4 journeys, that's OK and to be encouraged.:loopy:
Totally with you on that one algy, never made sense to me either.

I am not 100% sure that taxis are allowed to use this one. There is no 'taxi' bit on the signs just a bus and a bike.

I live near brook hill roundabout and its a bloody nightmare trying to drive in the area,something has to be done about it.

Originally posted by Vanbast
I am not 100% sure that taxis are allowed to use this one. There is no 'taxi' bit on the signs just a bus and a bike.

and you feel that that will stop a taxi using it?? taxis seem to be the biggest contraveners of all traffic laws ive seen

dave

Originally posted by alchemist
and you feel that that will stop a taxi using it?? taxis seem to be the biggest contraveners of all traffic laws ive seen

dave
I couldn't agree more, apart from cyclists, and that's a whole new can of worms!:rant:

I have been down there the last couple of days and there has always been a couple of taxis stuck at the red light whilst the rest of us stream past.

Makes a pleasant change :)

Originally posted by algy
I couldn't agree more, apart from cyclists, and that's a whole new can of worms!:rant:

well i wasnt going to go there but as you have mentioned em....

dave

I've changed my mind, the bus lane is a fabulous idea. Just to see those illiterate numpties sat at that red light, totally bemused yet none the wiser for their being sat there, is wonderful.

Can we have more? Only, when you get the prat sat in the bus lane at the red light, a siren should go off and then a big neon sign should light up saying: Look at this plonker. Can't you read moron?!! BUS LANE, 24 HOURS DURRRHHHH!!!!!!!!!

It seemed to be working quite well - less queues than normal this morning!

That is, until the bus drivers start realising that it is quicker to go through the 'car' lane which is on green, than wait for their lane to turn green - which defeats the whole point :rolleyes:

Sorry but i think the bus services in sheffield are quite good, and if a tram line was available near where i live i'd take it more often, and so would my car driving friends i reckon.

I don't think there is much of an excuse for a lot of single, city centre office workers who use their cars considering the public transport alternatives that exist. If less people could do without their personal space until they get home maybe there wouldn't be so many cars on the roads in the first place.

I actually think with the amount of new road building and considering the cost of long distance public transport costs, councils have been quite generous to car owners.

Originally posted by ncrossland
It seemed to be working quite well - less queues than normal this morning!

That is, until the bus drivers start realising that it is quicker to go through the 'car' lane which is on green, than wait for their lane to turn green - which defeats the whole point :rolleyes:

I've said it before and i'll say it again, car drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, cyclists, even pedestrains, should all be trained to use the streets better - god knows how much it would reduce traffic.

How many jams are caused by idiots in the wrong lane, or bus drivers doing things like the above ^

What is it with traffic lights? Get rid of them and let people use their eyes, it works as shown abroad...

Just seen the police there this morning 0745 pulling people for using this bus lane! So watch out!

Originally posted by ncrossland
It seemed to be working quite well - less queues than normal this morning!

That is, until the bus drivers start realising that it is quicker to go through the 'car' lane which is on green, than wait for their lane to turn green - which defeats the whole point :rolleyes:

this happened at the one on the wicker this morning, the bus gate was at red along came this yorkshire traction bus in the bus lane realised the light was against him and swung straight out into the car lanes, no indicator n no waiting, caused right chaos suprised there wasnt an accident, but then, isnt that typical of yorkshire traction drivers?

dave

Yeah i saw them being pulled over too, but there was a big police van parked on the pavement higher up so that should have given people who wanted to avoid the traffic a big hint not to use the bus lane.