Little London Road/Queens Road Traffic Control

[Eater Sundae 12]

Really? That's a shame - I've always thought that the tidal flow has been a definite success for Sheffield's traffic management.

 

Yes, when I've used it, it seems to work fine. It may not be so good for someone who is not familiar with it, though.

[Fudbeer 12]

In other words they are going to make things worse for no reason?

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

Nice to know they have so much money they can afford to try things like this when there is no real issue.

[Eater Sundae 12]

My thoughts exactly.

 

Nice to know they have so much money they can afford to try things like this when there is no real issue.

 

I don't know if changes are planned. There's nothing on the Sheffield.Gov website, and I don't recall it being mentioned as a future proposal when the changes were being made further up Chesterfield Road.

[F. Sidebottom 10]

I'd heard the system was 'planned' for upgrade by Amey, but only 'planned'. I was also told this about 15 years ago and those plans never materialised.

 

My understanding was, and it is mainly an assumption based on a few words from a council traffic employee, that it was just the system that controls the lights that was to be upgraded, not changes to the actual road or road usage.

 

It is a good system in so much as doing what it does - controlling traffic flow at peak times. The problem is the controlling technology is so old that it frequently fails. If they simply upgrade that it won't cost too much.

 

But my main question was: how do I report it to the council now when it fails?

 

If you go to the website https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/roads/report.html where do I go to report it - I can't find an option on there for the traffic control system.

 

Thanks

[Fudbeer 12]

Its one of the few "outside the box" ideas they have tried that actually improves things.

[Eater Sundae 12]

I'd heard the system was 'planned' for upgrade by Amey, but only 'planned'. I was also told this about 15 years ago and those plans never materialised.

 

My understanding was, and it is mainly an assumption based on a few words from a council traffic employee, that it was just the system that controls the lights that was to be upgraded, not changes to the actual road or road usage.

 

It is a good system in so much as doing what it does - controlling traffic flow at peak times. The problem is the controlling technology is so old that it frequently fails. If they simply upgrade that it won't cost too much.

 

But my main question was: how do I report it to the council now when it fails?

 

If you go to the website https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/roads/report.html where do I go to report it - I can't find an option on there for the traffic control system.

 

Thanks

 

Could you report them as traffic lights? Would that work? When it fails does it knock out the central (two way tidal flow) lane along the whole length, as a sort of fail safe? If so, couldn't you report it as traffic lights and then give the address as the positions of each of the gantries?

[Hesther 10]

Its one of the few "outside the box" ideas they have tried that actually improves things.

 

In that case, it's a no brainer - it HAS to go!

[F. Sidebottom 10]

Could you report them as traffic lights? Would that work? When it fails does it knock out the central (two way tidal flow) lane along the whole length, as a sort of fail safe? If so, couldn't you report it as traffic lights and then give the address as the positions of each of the gantries?

 

If does fail safe and leave a lane empty - although lots still use it (unwisely).

 

The problem with reporting it is that they give you a list of all the specific road 'furniture' and you have to pick one. But the system isn't there. If you report a traffic light as failing, even if it is next to the failing system, they will simply investigate the traffic light and find it is working.

 

You can't report something that isn't in their list.

 

And if you can't report it - then the stats show that nothing is wrong.

 

That's an underhand tactic that I don't like.

 

I simply want to create a record in their 'system' of when it fails so later on they can't deny knowing about it.

[beansforyou 10]

They've obviously seen how successfully they've screwed Penistone Road up, and intend to roll out the same on Queens Road.

 

Sheffield - City on the move.

[Eater Sundae 12]

If does fail safe and leave a lane empty - although lots still use it (unwisely).

 

The problem with reporting it is that they give you a list of all the specific road 'furniture' and you have to pick one. But the system isn't there. If you report a traffic light as failing, even if it is next to the failing system, they will simply investigate the traffic light and find it is working.

 

You can't report something that isn't in their list.

 

And if you can't report it - then the stats show that nothing is wrong.

 

That's an underhand tactic that I don't like.

 

I simply want to create a record in their 'system' of when it fails so later on they can't deny knowing about it.

 

A bit of lateral thinking. Could you report a fault with the road itself. Report the tidal flow lane as being blocked - "by a faulty lane closed sign"

[vincentb 10]

My question is, am I missing something - is there an option to report the system failing, and where is it?

 

Might be worth reporting the problem at FixMyStreet - they pass on all the reported problems to the responsible authority (in this case Sheffield), but it stays visible on their website so it's less easy for the council to ignore it?

[Planner1 438]

I believe the gantrys are going to be removed this year in favour of normal signals, islands and normal lanes

I'm told this is correct, but the timescale isn't yet fixed as it depends on other workload, so slippage can occur.

 

The tidal flow system is basicaly at the end of it's life, it's obsolete and no longer meets current government specification for such traffic management arrangements. If it was refurbished / replaced it would need to meet current requirements, which add to the costs, so it appears the most exconomic way forward is to remove it and return to a more traditional arrangement.

 

I'm told the new proposals have been modelled and don't appear to compromise journey times.