Nancypants Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I made a note of the road markings on my way in this morning. Joining the Meadowhead roundabout from Chesterfield I could now technically use any of the 3 lanes to exit on to Meadowhead and go down to Woodseats as they are all marked straight ahead. Left lane is Brad and City Middle lane is City and Right lane is City and Ring road (this may not be the actual words but does convey the directions indicated by the markings.) Before the changes I always used to use the middle lane to exit to Woodseats which would mean I left the roundabout in the left of the two lanes on Meadowhead. knowing that there maybe traffic also exiting to Meadowhead on my right hand side using the other lane. I still use this lane but it now means that I exit in the right hand lane on Meadowhead and am aware that there could be traffic exiting on my left and right! Also this morning I noticed that having joined the roundabout in the middle lane this lane is then marked straight ahead and right! I didn't notice how the right lane lane from Chesterfield is marked once on the roundabout, but surely this now means that anyone using that lane with the intention of exiting to Meadowhead could now find someone on their left side carrying on round to the Bochum Parkway rather than exiting to Meadowhead Doesn't seem very safe or sensible to me. I am just glad my route has changed and I no longer have to ecit to Bochum Parkway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgksheff Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 ........ Left lane is Brad and City Middle lane is City and Right lane is City and Ring road (this may not be the actual words but does convey the directions indicated by the markings.) ......... On the approach, the wording is actually slightly different. Left lane is Bradfield and City Middle lane is City and Ring Road Right lane is Ring Road As soon as you get onto the roundabout: - the right-hand lane has a Right-turn arrow only. - the middle lane has a Straight/Right Combination arrow. I wonder if the arrows just before you enter the roundabout have now been changed as some policy planners, in their wisdom, think that a right-turn arrow may induce a fool to turn anticlockwise onto the roundabout? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milquetoast1 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 (edited) I wonder if the arrows just before you enter the roundabout have now been changed as some policy planners, in their wisdom, think that a right-turn arrow may induce a fool to turn anticlockwise onto the roundabout? I have noticed that right turn arrows before roundabouts are disappearing. If it is indeed to help prevent fools from turning anticlockwise onto roundabouts, then I think it is crazy. Okay, so the names/numbers of the road are on there but people don't always know the name/number of the road, arrows are much easier to follow than words. Edit: A quick bit of googling does seem to suggest that right turn arrows are no longer allowed on the approach to major roundabouts in case foreign drivers turn into the flow of traffic. "Right turn arrows are best avoided on the approach lanes to a roundabout, other than a mini-roundabout, particularly as they can mislead overseas drivers used to driving on the right. Where a right-hand lane is dedicated to a specific destination, this should be associated with an ahead arrow until the vehicle is in the circulatory carriageway." (from the Traffic Signals Manual - lane designation markings and arrows on roundabouts - chapter 5, para 8.31) Edited January 2, 2014 by milquetoast1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgksheff Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 (edited) Only 2005. Eh? Nice to see all those well-paid planners keeping up to speed. LANE DESTINATION MARKINGS AND ARROWS 8.31 Right turn arrows are best avoided on the approach lanes to a roundabout, other than a mini-roundabout, particularly as they can mislead overseas drivers used to driving on the right. Where a right hand lane is dedicated to a specific destination, this should be associated with an ahead arrow until the vehicle is in the circulatory carriageway. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/223667/traffic-signs-manual-chapter-05.pdf Thanks for the pointer milquetoast. I see you found the wording while I was typing! Edited January 2, 2014 by cgksheff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andmain12 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Awful roundabout...I have to agree!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xt500 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I have just come up the A61 from Bowshaw to meadowhead roundabout. I noticed that all three lanes on approach to the roundabout have arrows to indicate straight ahead! Also the layout of the lanes are very disturbing and not not conducive to negotiating the roundabout safely. https://www.gov.uk/pass-plus . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclecar Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Well, I think -so far - it's a big improvement. The lanes seem wider, and the constant radius of the circle minimises 'wandering'. But the biggest bonus is that, now the thicket has been flattened, you can see where the other traffic is whereas previously they would sometimes surprise you by bombing in from your right. Maybe I should wait until all the cones and Irish Armco comes down, but hey, this is Sheffield, they may all still be there by next Christmas............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F. Sidebottom Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I have to agree with the confusion on this one - and I expect there will be a few incidents on this roundabout before too long due to these road markings. In the past, heading to the Four Lane Ends roundabout from Dronfield, left lane was left only (Bradway), centre was for town only, right lane for town or ring road (Gleadless). This was all backed up by the arrows on the road, and there were only two lanes going 'round' towards town/ring road. I have to say though that at busy times, the queues were worse in the right lane, and the odd chancer would use the centre lane to go right onto the ring road. Now as you approach the roundabout, the arrows suggest a similar arrangement for the centre and right lane - straight on. It's only when you actually get onto the roundabout that you see three lanes to go 'round', and then different markings on the road. The markings suggest that the left lane can now also go straight on (town), the centre lane can go straight on (town) and right (ring road) and the right lane can only go right (ring road). Overall, it's a much better scheme, and although we haven't had any significant busy periods to test it out yet (due to school holidays and Christmas etc. when traffic is quieter at peak times) it does seem to be a lot quicker. However, I can't help thinking that before too long, someone will approach in the right lane, see the straight on arrow and try to go straight on, as has always been the case. Someone else will enter the roundabout at the side of them in the centre lane now knowing that they are allowed to go right in that lane, and BANG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgksheff Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I would like to see some signs going up to show the lane priorities. The road-surface writing is hard to read and will be obscured in heavy traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_swift Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I found it rather confusing too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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