Supertram Rail Replacement 2019

[Tickling 0]

Given that the buses and the trams use the same approach roads as all other traffic, I fail to see what real benefit that bus/tram gate there is providing for the buses and trams. Is it really worth sending all the car traffic along Tapplin Road, Ripley Street and the bottom of Walkley Lane?

[stillf 11]

It isn't just the traffic light sequencing the needs looking at. The whole area needs reviewing. Yesterday at about 5 pm it was an absolute dogs dinner between Bradfield Road and the bottom of Ripley Street. Ripley Street looked to be blocked solid as nothing could get up from either side. This meant a queue of vehicles all the way from the junction at Bradfield Road so everything was stopped.  I was walking from the bottom of Forbes Road and as I got closer to the junction a bus was blocking all the traffic from getting from Bradfield Road to either Holme Lane or onto Langsett Road. This appears to have eventually helped clear Ripley Street as traffic started flowing again. 

 

To me it is a simple case of too many vehicles (private and public transport) and not enough open roads so the whole area needs looking at.

[Tickling 0]

5 minutes ago, stillf said:

It isn't just the traffic light sequencing the needs looking at. The whole area needs reviewing. Yesterday at about 5 pm it was an absolute dogs dinner between Bradfield Road and the bottom of Ripley Street. Ripley Street looked to be blocked solid as nothing could get up from either side. This meant a queue of vehicles all the way from the junction at Bradfield Road so everything was stopped.  I was walking from the bottom of Forbes Road and as I got closer to the junction a bus was blocking all the traffic from getting from Bradfield Road to either Holme Lane or onto Langsett Road. This appears to have eventually helped clear Ripley Street as traffic started flowing again. 

 

To me it is a simple case of too many vehicles (private and public transport) and not enough open roads so the whole area needs looking at.

Buses blocking junctions happens a lot there. They do it on purpose.

[Hook 10]

6 minutes ago, stillf said:

It isn't just the traffic light sequencing the needs looking at. The whole area needs reviewing. Yesterday at about 5 pm it was an absolute dogs dinner between Bradfield Road and the bottom of Ripley Street. Ripley Street looked to be blocked solid as nothing could get up from either side. This meant a queue of vehicles all the way from the junction at Bradfield Road so everything was stopped.  I was walking from the bottom of Forbes Road and as I got closer to the junction a bus was blocking all the traffic from getting from Bradfield Road to either Holme Lane or onto Langsett Road. This appears to have eventually helped clear Ripley Street as traffic started flowing again. 

 

To me it is a simple case of too many vehicles (private and public transport) and not enough open roads so the whole area needs looking at.

So it isn’t perfect with no trams running?

Just now, Tickling said:

Buses blocking junctions happens a lot there. They do it on purpose.

Do you have evidence for that?

[stillf 11]

9 minutes ago, Hook said:

So it isn’t perfect with no trams running?

 

It has been a lot better without the trams but it isn't perfect. It only takes a minor issue anywhere in the area and it can take ages to sort itself out again

[Tickling 0]

23 minutes ago, Hook said:

So it isn’t perfect with no trams running?

Do you have evidence for that?

Yes I see it with my own eyes often, they can see the junction isn't clear but they move forward anyway, blocking it all up.

[Cyclone 10]

52 minutes ago, Tickling said:

Given that the buses and the trams use the same approach roads as all other traffic, I fail to see what real benefit that bus/tram gate there is providing for the buses and trams. Is it really worth sending all the car traffic along Tapplin Road, Ripley Street and the bottom of Walkley Lane?

I think the intention is that they use Penistone Rd, a lot do, but some just work around it as you've said.

[Cyclone 10]

19 minutes ago, Tickling said:

Yes I see it with my own eyes often, they can see the junction isn't clear but they move forward anyway, blocking it all up.

What I often see is that buses try to pull out of the terminus, but drivers paying no attention pull forwards too far and block the bus.  This then causes a big problem.

 

I'm sure buses do sometimes pull forwards over junctions though when they can't clear it...  Drivers do exactly the same.

 

I quite often have to weave around cars that can't clear this bit

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.402723,-1.5014688,3a,60y,112.69h,88.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-5hQEX1850nQ5rjvR97qbA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

As I go across in a morning or back in an evening.

[Lushcannon 10]

1 hour ago, Cyclone said:

Fair enough, I only ever travel the other way, Langsett Rd to Infirmary, and back, on my bike (so I'm allowed).

And the wait is always ages that way as well.

 

Perhaps the lights and triggers could be adjusted to work better.

Yes that would be an obvious improvement you would have thought.

 Another separate issue but even more infuriating is the lights at the junction of Herries Road and Penistone Road.When vehicles queue-sometimes back as far as Hillsborough Park-to turn right there can be up to 20 waiting whilst nothing is coming along Penistone Road towards town.I emailed Highways last summer asking why the lights at the end of Leppings Lane could not be synced to those at Herries Road thus when nothing is coming towards town the right filter onto Herries Road can be on green leaving less of a tailback.I received a response some weeks later asking if I had noticed the trial run they had brought in since my email.I asked what this trial was and their response was that they had tried syncing the lights-after 7pm....when there is way less traffic and when I am not in the vicinity .If they can trial at less busy times why not in day time hours? I am still awaiting their response to that.....Clearly Highways don't wish to improve traffic flow.

[Cyclone 10]

The same idea could apply here

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4012295,-1.4981687,3a,75y,281.74h,83.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5v4e6i_qSpicsDl9oN4NHA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Left turn filter from Langsett Rd whilst traffic is coming out of Ripley Street.

[Tickling 0]

22 minutes ago, Cyclone said:

What I often see is that buses try to pull out of the terminus, but drivers paying no attention pull forwards too far and block the bus.  This then causes a big problem.

 

I'm sure buses do sometimes pull forwards over junctions though when they can't clear it...  Drivers do exactly the same.

 

I quite often have to weave around cars that can't clear this bit

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.402723,-1.5014688,3a,60y,112.69h,88.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-5hQEX1850nQ5rjvR97qbA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

As I go across in a morning or back in an evening.

Many a time I've been at the Bradfield Road junction heading towards Home Lane while the light is green but going nowhere  because a langsett-bound bus is blocking the junction.

[BigAl1 142]

The bus station is poorly designed/located with the exit so close to the traffic lights but not much can be done about the location and I do have some sympathy with the bus drivers there and certainly the lights at Langsett Rd /Ripley Street could benefit from both the left filter as above and not automatically having all lights at red when there are no pedestrians wishing to cross the road.

 

The Bradfield Road junction would benefit from being a yellow box junction were such a regulation to be enforced