Should traffic lights be turned off ?

[meridian 10]

another simple idea, it's so simple it amazes me. recently went to guernsey for a few days and they have a system whereby a box is painted on the road at certain junctions. at these junctions everyone has equal right of way and you have to take it in turn one vehicle from each direction. I found this quite novel and effective.

[meridian 10]

Interesting isn't it. You pillory the Council for banning turns introduing one ways and no entries and then you complain when they maintain traffic movements, but put in signals to ensure they can operate safely.

 

Most people who use the IRR reckon it's knocked maybe 10 minutes off their previous journey times. Is that not enough for you?

 

i think you're missing my origional point a little. i'm on about off peak times i.e middle of night when traffic is light but been held at numerous junctions/roundabouts unnessesarily. Flashing ambers as in use in many european contries makes all of these give way(approach with care) i agree the lights are essential at busy times but feel they are wildly innapropriate causing a huge ammount of carbon emmisions for no reason

[Planner1 428]

No, I'm saying that the traffic signals should be used as and when necessary. Which contrary to the belief of planners, is not every time there's enough space to get the posts in the ground and 24/7 after that.

 

My wishes are clearly achievable, turning off the lights at 0300 would cause no problems and would make my journey faster and more efficient, along with the journeys of the few other cars around at that time of the morning.

 

Signals are put in for a reason. Usually because it's considered that it's the best way to manage the traffic movements safely.

 

I'm sure that there could be sites which the Council might consider turning off overnight, or putting to flashing amber or similar as they do in other countries. However, the guidance from DfT is currently that signals should be on 24/7 and we are told their research indicates that part time signals produce more collisions. Putting in place the means to switch off or revert to flashing amber also will cost money. So, nothing comes for free and is it worth it to speed up mostly leisure based travel for a few people, particularly at a time when public sector transport resources are being heavily cut?

[Planner1 428]

i think you're missing my origional point a little. i'm on about off peak times i.e middle of night when traffic is light but been held at numerous junctions/roundabouts unnessesarily. Flashing ambers as in use in many european contries makes all of these give way(approach with care) i agree the lights are essential at busy times but feel they are wildly innapropriate causing a huge ammount of carbon emmisions for no reason

I'm not missing your point at all, others are widening the debate and I'm responding to that.

 

Is it such a big problem? When you look at the traffic flows overnight, they are a very tiny fraction of those in the day and the actual amount of any carbon reduction wouldn't be that big. It would also come at a cost, as I have described several times now. In all these things someone has to decide what the priority is. Is it saving accidents? Is it carbon reduction? Is the saving worth the cost of delivering it?

[bigwind 10]

I'm not missing your point at all, others are widening the debate and I'm responding to that.

 

Is it such a big problem? When you look at the traffic flows overnight, they are a very tiny fraction of those in the day and the actual amount of any carbon reduction wouldn't be that big. It would also come at a cost, as I have described several times now. In all these things someone has to decide what the priority is. Is it saving accidents? Is it carbon reduction? Is the saving worth the cost of delivering it?

 

as a shift worker, who regularly traverses sheffields roads at all times of day and night, it seems to me certain sets of lights, specially along penistone road and shalesmoor, may as well be turned off ,given the number of taxi's ( black cabs & private hire) that go through them irrespective of the colour of light displayed, espesially around 2.30 to 4.00 am

Edited August 28, 2010 by bigwind

[bigwind 10]

Signals are put in for a reason. Usually because it's considered that it's the best way to manage the traffic movements safely

 

I'm sure that there could be sites which the Council might consider turning off overnight, or putting to flashing amber or similar as they do in other countries. However, the guidance from DfT is currently that signals should be on 24/7 and we are told their research indicates that part time signals produce more collisions. Putting in place the means to switch off or revert to flashing amber also will cost money. So, nothing comes for free and is it worth it to speed up mostly leisure based travel for a few people, particularly at a time when public sector transport resources are being heavily cut?

 

i take your point on the difficulties involved in instigating part time signals, irrespective of any dft guidelines, as any regular driver on sheffields ,potholed road system could tell you ,the powers that be seem to have difficulty keeping the darn things working during the day, the signals at holme lane for instance regularly pack up bringing the whole area to a standstill, ditto the signals at shalesmoor and woodseats to name a few , can't get much safer than that , motionless vehicles = no accidents, but then thats been sheffield councils wish for many a year

Edited August 28, 2010 by bigwind

[Spikie 10]

Be glad you aren't a biker, the lights to enter Meadowhall train station from the hill don't change (and I mean literally) for a lot of bikes. They have some sort of magnetic sensor in the tarmac and small bikes aren't picked up, the only way I can get lights to change is to move forward a little and beckon the car behind forward so THEY trigger the sensor and the lights change. Or if I'm not in a rush and the person behind has been tailgating or such I turn my engine off and hum to myself...

 

And I'm not being paranoid/crazy, I've asked the council and there really are sensors in the road

[Planner1 428]

Be glad you aren't a biker, the lights to enter Meadowhall train station from the hill don't change (and I mean literally) for a lot of bikes. They have some sort of magnetic sensor in the tarmac and small bikes aren't picked up, the only way I can get lights to change is to move forward a little and beckon the car behind forward so THEY trigger the sensor and the lights change. Or if I'm not in a rush and the person behind has been tailgating or such I turn my engine off and hum to myself...

 

And I'm not being paranoid/crazy, I've asked the council and there really are sensors in the road

 

Yes, all traffic signals are triggered by inductive loop vehicle detectors which are basically loops of cable cut into the road surface.

 

They are usually quite sensitive and can pick up cyclists. Keep calling it in as a fault on 2736666 when you have a problem, they can usually be adjusted.

[Planner1 428]

Be glad you aren't a biker, the lights to enter Meadowhall train station from the hill don't change (and I mean literally) for a lot of bikes. They have some sort of magnetic sensor in the tarmac and small bikes aren't picked up, the only way I can get lights to change is to move forward a little and beckon the car behind forward so THEY trigger the sensor and the lights change. Or if I'm not in a rush and the person behind has been tailgating or such I turn my engine off and hum to myself...

 

And I'm not being paranoid/crazy, I've asked the council and there really are sensors in the road

 

Yes, all traffic signals are triggered by inductive loop vehicle detectors which are basically loops of cable cut into the road surface.

 

They are usually quite sensitive and can pick up cyclists. Keep calling it in as a fault on 2736666 when you have a problem, they can usually be adjusted.