When heading out of Broomhill along Fulwood Road, towards Fulwood, I am often stopped at the traffic lights just after Oxfam. The only point in these lights is to stop traffic when the pedestrian crossing just after is being used, yet they seem to be set in connection with the lights for traffic coming in the opposite direction (which does have to be controlled as it crosses the A57 towards Crosspool). Pease someone tell me I'm wrong, and this is not just the Traffic Departments incompetence annoying road users.

I'm afraid you've put your finger on it, yet another example of traffic planning incompetence.

Those lights should only go red on that phase when someone has pressed the crossing request. As it is, they go red regardless.

I can't believe they don't know about it as it's been like it since the crossing and island were put in a few years ago.

Thought it was me going mad- does anyone know how to get a comment from the Traffic Dept'. I'd love to hear their useless excuse- perhaps that their insurance wont cover the work needed to sort it out or some such drivel ! Anybody know anymore pointless obstructions to traffic flow?

Lol when I saw the topic title my 1st thought was those very same lights in Broomhill. I agree - they should only go red when someone wants to cross and should not be part of the sequence.

They'll probably say that they know about it, it requires a software fix and it is in the job system awaiting resource allocation.

A bit like a pothole in a typical Sheffield road waiting for repair, which someone worked out at the rate works are proceeding will be fixed in the year 2219!

Dont get me started on road repairs. Around my area the roads that really need doing get treated every decade or so to the "shovel and stamp" method, which involves a truck loaded with asphalt trundling along whilst a bloke throws a shovel load of the stuff into the hole and another bloke walking behind gives it a stamp down!. This repair tends to last until first car in the (mile long) que behind drives over it and squelches it out.
The few roads that dont really need doing- (recently Ringinglow Road and Redmires Road) get the "spray n grit" treatment- spray it with tar then roll a bit of grit into the tar. This does nothing to level out any bumps and any limited improvement in ride comfort (and probably safety) lasts for a couple of weeks - i think its just used so when people complain about the state of the roads they can say " we did this road and that road". RUBBISH!

I believe this is a safety measure or else you end up with a pedestrian crossing that is red going one way and green the other.

If pedestrians aren't paying attention they are likely to cross when the cars stop on one side, pre-empting the green man and walking straight in to a car moving the other way.

However after saying all that they seem to be adjusted at rush hour so you get a continuous green heading towards Fulwood.

Everybody knows not to cross without the green man! And those that dont? Natural Selection

yup your right on this one!! I've noticed that too.

the ones that irritate me the most though are those by the university tramstop.

Lights to get onto the island, off the island, pedestrian Xing by the tram stop and at the west street X rad.

Its rare that you ever get through them all without stopping and the main reason for all traffic problems in that area IMHO.

Also the lights at the bottom of the hill (opposite hannoverway) where the tram crosses Penistone road, equally irritating and again its rare to get through without stopping.

I have started cycling a lot more, to get fit and get home quicker than driving. 2 birds 1 stone!

Originally posted by theripsaw
When heading out of Broomhill along Fulwood Road, towards Fulwood, I am often stopped at the traffic lights just after Oxfam. The only point in these lights is to stop traffic when the pedestrian crossing just after is being used, yet they seem to be set in connection with the lights for traffic coming in the opposite direction (which does have to be controlled as it crosses the A57 towards Crosspool). Pease someone tell me I'm wrong, and this is not just the Traffic Departments incompetence annoying road users.

You're wrong because the pedestrian phase at the lights there needs to be green to let people right the way across the road. You'll note that there is no island to enable them to cross each carriageway separately.

The only way around this would be to build out the island to enable crossing on two phases, so westbound traffic continuing on Fulwood Road would stop only if there really was someone waiting to cross just that carriageway. Unforunately there is not enough room to do this, never mind the extra cost and complexity that it would entail.

I understand where you're coming from as a driver, but take the time to cross the road there on foot and you'll see why the traffic is held on red seemingly for no reason.

Originally posted by pberry
You're wrong because the pedestrian phase at the lights there needs to be green to let people right the way across the road. You'll note that there is no island to enable them to cross each carriageway separately.

The only way around this would be to build out the island to enable crossing on two phases, so westbound traffic continuing on Fulwood Road would stop only if there really was someone waiting to cross just that carriageway. Unforunately there is not enough room to do this, never mind the extra cost and complexity that it would entail.

I understand where you're coming from as a driver, but take the time to cross the road there on foot and you'll see why the traffic is held on red seemingly for no reason.

Surely the junction in question is Fulwood Rd/Manchester Rd where there isn't a dual carriageway to cross, but 2 separate roads. Leaving the Fulwood Rd filter on green unless someone presses the pedestrian button is the right solution?

Originally posted by pberry
You're wrong because the pedestrian phase at the lights there needs to be green to let people right the way across the road. You'll note that there is no island to enable them to cross each carriageway separately.

The only way around this would be to build out the island to enable crossing on two phases, so westbound traffic continuing on Fulwood Road would stop only if there really was someone waiting to cross just that carriageway. Unforunately there is not enough room to do this, never mind the extra cost and complexity that it would entail.

I understand where you're coming from as a driver, but take the time to cross the road there on foot and you'll see why the traffic is held on red seemingly for no reason.

Im not sure what you mean- this is not a complex crossing- when someone needs to cross, they press the button and the lights should go red for both lanes of traffic, and over they go. There is no pedestrian phase at the moment. The greenman only appears when the button is pressed. I know because when its quiet and nobody is around.... I (carefully) jump these pointless lights.

I would go further and say that MOST traffic lights are unnecessary. How many times have you noticed when lights aren't working that the traffic flows much better, even in rush hour? Roundabouts rule!!

I believe that some places have experimented by removing all road markings which has resulted in a reduction in accidents. People take more care when they don't have the markings to guide them.

this may be a good point. How many drivers coast along in oblivion safe in the (misplaced) knowledge that a road sign / light / bollard will alert them to any potential danger.

Look at the volume of traffic that gets around the Arc De Triumph in Paris with no lights. Ok- its not easy but it brings the fun back to driving.

It annoys me that pedestrians seem to get priority over cars at some lights in rush hour by being able to change lights in their favour by pushing the button even if the lights have only just gone green.

The crossing at the bottom of Juntion road just before it joins
Hunters Bar roundabout is really bad for this along with all the ones on Brook Hill Roundabout - and these ones make all the drivers back onto the roundabout causing even more jams.

Cant they be made to wait a few minutes at rush hour?
Some sort of countdown device before they can press the button again.

Pesky Pedestrians.

At Brook Hill roundabout it seems that pedestrians have to wait for a long long time. It regularly takes 5 minutes to get from one side to another (4 crossings).

Here's one, if I can describe where they are clearly enough!

Travel from Hillsborough Corner towards Middlewood.

After passing Hillsborough Park, then immediately after Parkside Rd joins from right, there's a set of lights which are single file. Choices are that you can either go right and onto Leppings Lane or straight on to Middlewood. However, there is a filter light (arrow) for right turners and a normal layout for straight on. The joke is that the straight on lights can be at red whilst the left filter is green, and whilst the first two cars want to go straight but can't as they have a red.........but the third car wants to go right but he can't because although he has a green........there are two cars in front of him who can't go anywhere.

Why they don't all go green together, or the straight on go green first is anybody's guess.

without meaning to pick sides with the council, you'll probably find that all the lights people are mentioning here do what they are doing for very good reasons. us mere mortals may not understand why.