The problem with UK roads

I've just come back from a stint in the Netherlands/Belgium and it opened my eyes to the idiocy that is UK Roads.

The average speed in Sheffield is close to 10mp/h - that is the same as what an average cyclist achieves in the Netherlands. Roads here have 30/40/50/70 MP/h limits. In the Netherlands that is translated to 30/50/60/80 kp/h - yet average speeds in the Netherlands are far higher.

The reason is simple - some thought has gone into the way roads function. It isn't simply a case of fewer cars (because more people cycle) it is a case of superior planning of road systems. It still amazes me that the Roads Ahead programme did not take any of the 'lessons learned' abroad into consideration. Why is the cycling infrastructure still so utterly poor here? Why has the council not developed a clear urban plan, limiting access from certain roads to certain roads to reduce the insane amount of junctions?

Driving on Bramall Lane every morning just highlights this, a similar main route in the Netherlands would maybe have one side road feeding into it, here it is what, a dozen? Penistone Road is absolutely filled to the gills with needless side roads...

Sheffielders have been trying to get this across to them for years.

To be fair, some other cities are also woefully lacking vision.

It must also be said, the road users themselves are guilty of driving in such a way it slows traffic.

Takes fingers off keyboard before being tempted to list top ten most hated

bad driving traits

Direction from central government hasn't been great though.

Not so long ago there was more of a push for out of town developments, retail parks, business parks, housing developments etc etc.

Now development needs to be more city centre focused, just look at the issues with Next and Ikea.

The council wanted the development in the centre as directed by government, but the only sensible place for such a place is further out of town.

I've just come back from a stint in the Netherlands/Belgium and it opened my eyes to the idiocy that is UK Roads.

 

The average speed in Sheffield is close to 10mp/h - that is the same as what an average cyclist achieves in the Netherlands. Roads here have 30/40/50/70 MP/h limits. In the Netherlands that is translated to 30/50/60/80 kp/h - yet average speeds in the Netherlands are far higher.

 

The reason is simple - some thought has gone into the way roads function. It isn't simply a case of fewer cars (because more people cycle) it is a case of superior planning of road systems. It still amazes me that the Roads Ahead programme did not take any of the 'lessons learned' abroad into consideration. Why is the cycling infrastructure still so utterly poor here? Why has the council not developed a clear urban plan, limiting access from certain roads to certain roads to reduce the insane amount of junctions?

 

Driving on Bramall Lane every morning just highlights this, a similar main route in the Netherlands would maybe have one side road feeding into it, here it is what, a dozen? Penistone Road is absolutely filled to the gills with needless side roads...

Yet, if you blocked off these needless side roads, as they have done around the University and The Hallamshire Hospital, then people would complain about that too.

Incidentally, what, to you, constitutes a needless side road?

On the side road topic, I would never block any off totally as they are all needed in a way or another.

I would however make many one way only at the entrance, so that when the designated route/ring road/clearway or whatever gets gridlocked, there is an escape.

Yet, if you blocked off these needless side roads, as they have done around the University and The Hallamshire Hospital, then people would complain about that too.

 

Incidentally, what, to you, constitutes a needless side road?

Side roads should feed into each other, with a single defined outlet to the main-grid. A simple example is where I live near Middlewood Road - Dorothy Road and Lennox Road could easily be closed for cars at Middlewood Road, encouraging residents to use Dixon Road to leave the area, it costs no time whatsoever, creates a much safer environment for residents and improves traffic flow on Middlewood Road.

All the side roads on Bramall Lane should feed into Hill Street and enter the grid with a traffic light controlled junction.

But the major issue is the lack of consideration for other infrastructure. Where is the (very easily implemented) designated cycle-route from Hillsborough to the city? Why is it practically impossible to get to the railway station without having to traverse major roads?

I've just come back from a stint in the Netherlands/Belgium and it opened my eyes to the idiocy that is UK Roads.

 

The average speed in Sheffield is close to 10mp/h - that is the same as what an average cyclist achieves in the Netherlands. Roads here have 30/40/50/70 MP/h limits. In the Netherlands that is translated to 30/50/60/80 kp/h - yet average speeds in the Netherlands are far higher.

 

The reason is simple - some thought has gone into the way roads function. It isn't simply a case of fewer cars (because more people cycle) it is a case of superior planning of road systems. It still amazes me that the Roads Ahead programme did not take any of the 'lessons learned' abroad into consideration. Why is the cycling infrastructure still so utterly poor here? Why has the council not developed a clear urban plan, limiting access from certain roads to certain roads to reduce the insane amount of junctions?

 

Driving on Bramall Lane every morning just highlights this, a similar main route in the Netherlands would maybe have one side road feeding into it, here it is what, a dozen? Penistone Road is absolutely filled to the gills with needless side roads...

People complain whenever a road is made one way, or no left/no right turn. And all it does is force more cars to use fewer junctions, which are the bottlenecks anyway.

---------- Post added 02-01-2017 at 19:06 ----------

Side roads should feed into each other, with a single defined outlet to the main-grid. A simple example is where I live near Middlewood Road - Dorothy Road and Lennox Road could easily be closed for cars at Middlewood Road, encouraging residents to use Dixon Road to leave the area, it costs no time whatsoever, creates a much safer environment for residents and improves traffic flow on Middlewood Road.

Who would this benefit? Those roads are used only a little, and mostly by people who are shortcutting around the queue on Wadsley Lane to the traffic lights. So they'd go down Dixon Rd to do the same, it wouldn't improve the flow on MR, the same volume of traffic would be there. What's really needed is a better sequence of lights to clear the queue on WL towards Leppings Lane.

 

All the side roads on Bramall Lane should feed into Hill Street and enter the grid with a traffic light controlled junction.

 

But the major issue is the lack of consideration for other infrastructure. Where is the (very easily implemented) designated cycle-route from Hillsborough to the city? Why is it practically impossible to get to the railway station without having to traverse major roads?

If we were building the city from scratch perhaps this would be possible, and there are certainly many decisions that could be improved (such as the layout around the train station). But we don't have a grid to start with, and we can't just knock down all the buildings, so we have to work with what is there.

Side roads should feed into each other, with a single defined outlet to the main-grid. A simple example is where I live near Middlewood Road - Dorothy Road and Lennox Road could easily be closed for cars at Middlewood Road, encouraging residents to use Dixon Road to leave the area, it costs no time whatsoever, creates a much safer environment for residents and improves traffic flow on Middlewood Road.

 

All the side roads on Bramall Lane should feed into Hill Street and enter the grid with a traffic light controlled junction.

 

But the major issue is the lack of consideration for other infrastructure. Where is the (very easily implemented) designated cycle-route from Hillsborough to the city? Why is it practically impossible to get to the railway station without having to traverse major roads?

There is a cycle path from Leppings Lane to Shalesmoor, I'm not sure about ongoing into town because that's as far as I go. However, it is punctuated by numerous side roads, my least favourite being the one nearest Ollerton Stadium, where there is limited visibility and drivers often fail to indicate or indicate very late.

That cycle lane runs several hundred metres away from Hillsborough though.

Who would this benefit? Those roads are used only a little, and mostly by people who are shortcutting around the queue on Wadsley Lane to the traffic lights. So they'd go down Dixon Rd to do the same, it wouldn't improve the flow on MR, the same volume of traffic would be there. What's really needed is a better sequence of lights to clear the queue on WL towards Leppings Lane.

It would benefit cyclists, local residents, flow on Middlewood Road etc. Looking at the map some more I'd hazard a guess that turning the whole area into a circular route (Wadsley Lane, Far Lane, Leader Road) would not only improve traffic flow throughout, it would reduce the need for traffic lights and create opportunities for better parking schemes.

If we were building the city from scratch perhaps this would be possible, and there are certainly many decisions that could be improved (such as the layout around the train station). But we don't have a grid to start with, and we can't just knock down all the buildings, so we have to work with what is there.

That is a poor argument. The Dutch manage to improve the flow in old city centres, no reason why the same can't apply here. Far more use of one-way roads, not being afraid to cut car access to certain areas and so on. The problem in the UK is exactly that - the desire to keep things the same.

It could well explain why many buses run late. For many years city buses in Britain have been timed at 12 mph, and I have always thought that they should be adjusted correctly, and yes, things do run a lot smoother in The Netherlands.

It would benefit cyclists, local residents, flow on Middlewood Road etc. Looking at the map some more I'd hazard a guess that turning the whole area into a circular route (Wadsley Lane, Far Lane, Leader Road) would not only improve traffic flow throughout, it would reduce the need for traffic lights and create opportunities for better parking schemes.

 

 

 

That is a poor argument. The Dutch manage to improve the flow in old city centres, no reason why the same can't apply here. Far more use of one-way roads, not being afraid to cut car access to certain areas and so on. The problem in the UK is exactly that - the desire to keep things the same.

The traffic lights exist for the cross roads though, you can't make a cross roads work without traffic lights, roundabout or no priority to the crossing roads.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Taj/@53.409276,-1.504582,17.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x6c75cb6d3f80992e!8m2!3d53.4106766!4d-1.5045054

I don't see how closing DR and LR to through traffic would help anyone. It would simply shuffle a small volume of traffic further down onto Dixon Rd or it would stay on Wadsley Lane queuing because Middlewood Rd has priority at the lights.

I cycle up and down Dixon rd 3 times a week, there is no volume of traffic going onto the two side roads that you have identified.