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Queens Rd Traffic Scheme

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13 hours ago, *_ash_* said:

I accept the responses from the maintenance knowledge people, and that's it's old expensive to maintain etc. now.

 

However, like traffic light systems, I struggle to understand why much better systems to traffic flow aren't achievable in today's world. 

 

 

 

 

Me too Ash. In part this must be down to the council - during the tram replacement when the road was closed to  traffic for several days I have noticed that no one thinks to change the timings on the lights so traffic waits whilst the lights show green to a traffic-less road (Catch Bar Lane both this year and last year ). Also nearly every light has a yellow box to allow pedestrians to press if they wish to cross the road but it is not uncommon to see lights run to a sequence and allow pedestrians to cross the road when there are none

Edited by amnicoll

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1 hour ago, amnicoll said:

Me too Ash. In part this must be down to the council - during the tram replacement when the road was closed to  traffic for several days I have noticed that no one thinks to change the timings on the lights so traffic waits whilst the lights show green to a traffic-less road (Catch Bar Lane both this year and last year ). Also nearly every light has a yellow box to allow pedestrians to press if they wish to cross the road but it is not uncommon to see lights run to a sequence and allow pedestrians to cross the road when there are none

You clearly don't understand the way in which traffic signals operate.

 

It is a fairly simple thing to change the timings of traffic signals. That is the amount of green time they will run to a particular approach. Indeed, all traffic signals in the city are linked to a central urban traffic control system which changes the timings automatically to pre-set timing plans which change by time of day. The operators in the control room can also directly impose a particular timing plan or directly control the signals.

 

What you are suggesting is actually temporarily changing the sequence of the signals so they don't run to a particular approach. That is much more difficult as the sequence the signals are allowed to follow is programmed into the signal controller and can't be changed without doing a full "reconfiguration" which means the new setup would have to be designed and properly checked and tested by qualified engineers (which isn't cheap or quick).

 

What actually tends to happen when roadworks are carried out and signals are needed, but operating in a different way to the permanent ones, is that the permanent signals are switched off and temporary traffic signals are deployed. This is much simpler (and cheaper) than reconfiguring the existing signals for the roadworks then switching back to original configuration after works have finished.

 

When roadworks are planned, the Council meet the contractors / promoters of the works and agree what is necessary on site. In the case you mention it might possibly have been necessary to keep the signals operating to ensure pedestrian safety. 

 

Regarding your point on the pedestrian push buttons. Most traffic signal junctions nowadays will incorporate fully signalled pedestrian crossings. It is of course possible that at least some of them at any junction can run at a safe point in the sequence when there is no opposing traffic movement. Pedestrian safety is nowadays given a much higher priority than it might have been decades ago, when the car was king and all highway engineers were concerned with was speeding up traffic movements. Nowadays we need to be mindful of the needs of vulnerable people such as those who are blind and partially sighted and those who are not as quick ion their feet as most able bodied people. Signalled pedestrian crossings (stand alone and those incorporated in signalled junctions) include facilities for blind and partially sighted people, ie tactile paving to tell them where crossing points are and tactile devices in the push button unit (rotating buttons underneath the right hand push button unit) which tell them when it's safe to cross. We also need to encourage people to walk more and people do see complex junctions with no specific crossing facilities as a barrier.

13 hours ago, Penistone999 said:

No , its there to raise revenue ,just like the rest of the councils cameras. 

The fines go to the government, the Council don't get a penny of them.

So you're telling us that the Council deliberately put in cameras to raise funds for the government are you? Got any other good conspiracy theories?

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I may not understand the process but regardless you yourself present two viable options but do not explain why one or the other was not adopted for works that were planned for long in advance

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1 hour ago, Planner1 said:

You clearly don't understand the way in which traffic signals operate.

 

It is a fairly simple thing to change the timings of traffic signals. That is the amount of green time they will run to a particular approach. Indeed, all traffic signals in the city are linked to a central urban traffic control system which changes the timings automatically to pre-set timing plans which change by time of day. The operators in the control room can also directly impose a particular timing plan or directly control the signals.

 

I wish they'd fix the ones on Newbold Lane/Glossop Rd. For weeks now the 'WAIT' sign comes on every sequence. So the lights change each sequence. No so noticeable in the day as it's always busy anyway, but at night, it's infuriating!

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4 hours ago, *_ash_* said:

I wish they'd fix the ones on Newbold Lane/Glossop Rd. For weeks now the 'WAIT' sign comes on every sequence. So the lights change each sequence. No so noticeable in the day as it's always busy anyway, but at night, it's infuriating!

Why not tell the Council then? 2734567 or report it on their  website

5 hours ago, amnicoll said:

I may not understand the process but regardless you yourself present two viable options but do not explain why one or the other was not adopted for works that were planned for long in advance

Why would I need to explain that? I don't work for the Council and don't know what was or was not considered. If you are interested contact them.  2734567 or email them via the website.

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11 hours ago, amnicoll said:

Me too Ash. In part this must be down to the council - during the tram replacement when the road was closed to  traffic for several days I have noticed that no one thinks to change the timings on the lights so traffic waits whilst the lights show green to a traffic-less road (Catch Bar Lane both this year and last year ). Also nearly every light has a yellow box to allow pedestrians to press if they wish to cross the road but it is not uncommon to see lights run to a sequence and allow pedestrians to cross the road when there are none

This is one of the few times I've run a red light on my bike.  When they had roads closed and the lights were still operating for them, I just slowed a little and then carried on straight through, clearly no traffic was coming through the roadworks, machinery and cones.

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The worse place on queens road is the junction of Shoreham street when you get through these set of lights the next ones change to red and sometimes you get stuck in middle of junction is it just me or has anyone else encountered this problem 

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48 minutes ago, Jawad Raza said:

The worse place on queens road is the junction of Shoreham street when you get through these set of lights the next ones change to red and sometimes you get stuck in middle of junction is it just me or has anyone else encountered this problem 

How do you mean?

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Queens+Rd,+Sheffield/Shoreham+St,+Sheffield/@53.36983,-1.4661043,126a,35y,120.23h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x4879828f1433a607:0x749f0c32246a7a61!2m2!1d-1.4659757!2d53.3681697!1m5!1m1!1s0x487982858e792e6b:0xb4b64082cf2507e0!2m2!1d-1.4684785!2d53.3714444!3e0

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It’s a bad junction so when the lights are charged maybe the flow of traffic might improve fingers crossed 

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At the Middlewood Asda traffic is allowed to turn right into the car park and the layout means that the car behind may well find they do not know if the traffic lights are red or green

 

often wondered why they allow the right turn there

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2 hours ago, amnicoll said:

At the Middlewood Asda traffic is allowed to turn right into the car park and the layout means that the car behind may well find they do not know if the traffic lights are red or green

 

often wondered why they allow the right turn there

At any set of signals, if you pass the primary signal (the one on your left just after the stop line) on green, you can complete your manoeuvre if it is safe to do so. You don't need to see another signal to tell you that. You just need to watch out for opposing traffic.

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Well, the scheme has been going for a few days and it would seem that the expected queues during rush hours (and outside of them) are being experienced

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