Traffic lights on Motorways

[BasilRathbon 10]

Traffic lights on a road? Whatever next.....

[medusa 16]

There have been traffic lights on the sliproads on to some of the junctions of the M6 near Birmingham for quite a few years now- they only come on when the motorway speed is significantly reduced at peak periods, and it helps to keep what little flow there is on the main carriageway flowing.

[Leg-end 10]

What on Earth will these solve?

 

Does anyone have any information on this riduculous idea? I've checked the (http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/basicRPSearch.aspx ) and can't find much!

[Leg-end 10]

I think i mean J33!

[Strix 11]

there's a thread already

 

M1 is too short to put in the search facility though, so try 'slip road' or 'traffic lights'

[Darbees 10]

This what the transport people say it is. I'll try not to be sceptical and wait to see what happens first.

 

"Ramp metering

 

We could use traffic lights to regulate the flow of traffic onto motorways at junctions. Ramp metering, also known as access management, has been trialled on various sites in the UK. The system detects spaces between vehicles on the motorway and allows vehicles waiting on the sliproad to move into the gaps. This allows the volumes of traffic to be managed on the motorway to prevent queuing. We see the most benefits either side of the main peak times. At peak times, when traffic queues up to the roundabout, the ramp metering will automatically turn off so as not to affect the local road network."

[Leg-end 10]

there's a thread already

 

M1 is too short to put in the search facility though, so try 'slip road' or 'traffic lights'

 

Cheers!

 

Sorry for not checking first.

[Leg-end 10]

Ramp Metering:

 

http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/8872.aspx

http://www.es.lancs.ac.uk/cres/staff/pmckenna/traffic.html

[Darbees 10]

Ramp Metering:

 

The conclusions there are very vague and not convincing at all. A lot of these problems are caused by drivers not letting people in from the slip roads or other adjacent lanes. They should merge in turn alternately like a zip, not letting people in seems to be a strangely British way of driving.

[mrsnoo 10]

Has anyone else noticed the traffic lights on the slip roads onto the M1 at

 

the end of the Parkway? I am totally gobsmacked that anyone has decided

 

that this is a good place to put them. How can you get speed up to join the

 

mororway from a standing position? Also all the exits on the roundabout will

 

be blocked at busy times.

[medusa 16]

Mod Note: 3 recent threads merged.

[foxy27 10]

regarding the lights on the slip road at J33 M1 southbouond all its going to do is snarl up the rounabout at the top of the Parkway!!