£65m ring road not working

[Mr Bloom 10]

I have to agree with the poor programming of lights. Some only let one or two cars through when there's a stream of traffic being held up, whilst the road crossing it is running free and virtually carless. Sometimes I think whoever is programming the lanes on Queens Road is deliberately taking the Michael. With pedestrian crossings, in some places, a person just approaches and touches the button and they go to red for cars - not the safest for pedestrians or drivers.

 

Also, and probably most importantly, is that there have been numerous serious incidents involving cars at the lights where the Earl of Arundel and Surrey was and the other day, I noticed the timings between the lights there were very dubious and potentially dangerous.

[L00b 441]

Not just there, either.

 

See the particularly p***-poor light sequence at M1 Junction 31 at evening rush hour (around 17:00 and onwards) which basically lets one or two cars off the ramp at a time.

 

Lights green for about 6 seconds (I have timed it, plenty of idle time whilst inching (and I mean inching) on the ramp to do so ), stays red for 35 seconds, with a congested ramp and leftmost lane between southboud M18 and M1 from around 17:15 every night.

 

I would hazard a guess that light timing these days is devolved to computer algorithms, without any sort of human assessment to check the practicality and 'wisdom' of the end result.

[Marx 10]

It was impossible to get down Broad Lane/Tenter Street during evening rush hour. Has it changed recently? How did no-one see that coming? West Bar roundabout has traffic backing from the two sets of lights enabling access to the ring road by Tescos. This led to people rat-running down Bank Street to come out opposite the Court and access the roundabout from West Bar.

[Ousetunes 10]

It was impossible to get down Broad Lane/Tenter Street during evening rush hour. Has it changed recently? How did no-one see that coming? West Bar roundabout has traffic backing from the two sets of lights enabling access to the ring road by Tescos. This led to people rat-running down Bank Street to come out opposite the Court and access the roundabout from West Bar.

 

I prefer to use the phrase 'finding alternate routes'.

[Marx 10]

I prefer to use the phrase 'finding alternate routes'.

 

I just prefer to use 'alternative times'.

[Boothybabe 10]

It is common knowledge that politicians with money will waste it. No need to cry over it, get used to it.

 

Baaaaaaaaaaa

[jossyboy 10]

I used to drive on that section every day for work, thank god we moved offices. You really do stop at 5 or 6 sets of lights between the parkway and shalesmoor. And you have to stop at them all, they're never on green, so frustrating

[Ousetunes 10]

I particularly like the lights (not so much on the ring road, it must be said, but elsewhere) which force the motorist to stop at red for non-existent pedestrians to cross.

 

At three in the morning!

[Planner1 437]

Also, and probably most importantly, is that there have been numerous serious incidents involving cars at the lights where the Earl of Arundel and Surrey was and the other day, I noticed the timings between the lights there were very dubious and potentially dangerous.

 

 

Do you mean the safety clearance time between one approach losing green and the conflicting approach gaining green?

 

I use that junction quite a lot and have never noticed any issue with the safety clearance times (which are pre-set and don't change) which have been in use for many yaers.

 

Some time ago, when I looked at accident stats on there I thought that they were more about people looking at the gantries and not seeing the traffic signals. Hence why there is a red light camera.

 

---------- Post added 03-02-2014 at 13:49 ----------

 

I agree with previous comments, far too many traffic lights and the timing is all to pot.

 

Surely any successful ring-road needs to be free-flowing, to allow traffic to move around.

If you stick in loads of poorly designed traffic lights then it's just going to be a nightmare.

 

Do you expect to go to Manchester or Leeds or other major cities and find their inner ring road free flowing at peak times? Theirs are just as congested, so why do you think it should be diffrent here?

 

There are a lot of signals on that stretch because the Council have kept the side roads open to maintain access. Plentyof people on here moan when they close roads. You can't have your cake and eat it.

[geared 311]

Do you expect to go to Manchester or Leeds or other major cities and find their inner ring road free flowing at peak times? Theirs are just as congested, so why do you think it should be diffrent here?

 

Those are also larger cities with more traffic.

 

Those ring roads are also freely flowing in off-peak times, the one in Sheffield is never free-flowing it's always stop-start.

[alchresearch 214]

Those are also larger cities with more traffic.

 

But so many people delight in posting that Sheffield is larger than Manchester

[retep 68]

Do you mean the safety clearance time between one approach losing green and the conflicting approach gaining green?

 

I use that junction quite a lot and have never noticed any issue with the safety clearance times (which are pre-set and don't change) which have been in use for many yaers.

 

Some time ago, when I looked at accident stats on there I thought that they were more about people looking at the gantries and not seeing the traffic signals. Hence why there is a red light camera.

 

---------- Post added 03-02-2014 at 13:49 ----------

 

Do you expect to go to Manchester or Leeds or other major cities and find their inner ring road free flowing at peak times? Theirs are just as congested, so why do you think it should be diffrent here?

 

There are a lot of signals on that stretch because the Council have kept the side roads open to maintain access. Plentyof people on here moan when they close roads. You can't have your cake and eat it.

 

We'll not be able to have any roads either when you and your mates have finished with their useless money wasting planning ideas.