There's no doubt about it, the British road system, and the local town streets, were not designed for vehicular travel. You really do have to be a bit of a rally driver to get around over there. It seems like the powers that be are working their little heads off trying to figure out how to make the already narrow roads even narrower, with ballard's, and painted island's etc. everywhere. Not to mention the numerous speed camera's around.
I travelled Dunkirk Lane almost every day for three weeks. I can't figure out why, between the Black Bull and Dunkirk Hall, there is a fairly wide red painted 'island' in the center of the road, supposedly to keep the oncoming traffic apart from each other. But then they allow cars to park left of that island, which then forces traffic to cross the island in order to pass ??? So what is the point of the island in the first place ? Either get rid of the island, or ban the parking. [8D] What do YOU think [?]
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Did you travel along Wheelton Lane and see the pathetic attempts at road bumps? Most cars just travel in the centre of the roads to avoid them, likewise the islands drawn across one half of the road so that traffic can only pass in one direction at a time.
Fowler Lane is just as curious. The council have decided to narrow the bridge crossing the river Lostock so that only one car a time can be on the bridge. I don't know what it must have cost, a few £k I would think and a bit pointless when you consider there are only 4 house in the lane at that section of Fowler Lane.
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I often wonder about town planners. Exactly what efforts do they make to see what effect their ideas have on traffic? could it be that they have money left over at the end of the financial year and can't think of any better way of spending it than speed bumps?
Martin ~
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It is interesting to read that Leyland, too, is suffering from from the "road bumps" disease. In this neck of Souith Yorkshire "they" have placed road bumps throughout the town centre of a local suburb.
Under the guise of "traffic calming measures", they have succeeded in virtually removing traffic from the town centre. Talking to locals brings the reply that no-one in their right mind would go there to shop now.
We live on what must be called the wrong side of the tracks, cross over the fictitious borough boundary, and you come into the most backward and neglected road systems in the County. Double yellow lines denote free car parking zones, speed humps are a challenge to yobo`s to go even faster over them, road surfaces never get levelled or maintained.
Good luck to Leyland with its traffic calming measures, but watch out for an increase in law-breakers trying to take up the challenge.
A recent report in the local press said that originally there were 22 traffic wardens controlled by the Police, now there are two.
Need I say more????
On Cromwell Road, Ribbleton, Preston, there are several 'sleeping policemen', (bumps in the road) to 'calm', (stop), traffic flow. There are also several places where the road has been narrowed so that only one car at a time can pass through, with signs telling you who has the right of way...the oncoming, or yourself.
On Watling Street Road, (Fulwood Barracks area), 'they', have put a new twist to that particular obstacle. Rather than being a straight ahead narrowing of the road, the obstacle there is set at a 45 degree angle, forcing ALL traffic to cross into the RIGHT HAND lane in order to manoeuvre through the obstacle...now that one took some thinking out.
Here in California, after stopping at a red traffic light, then making sure that there is no oncoming traffic from our left, we are allowed to make a right turn. It definately speeds up the flow of traffic, and after being in Lancashire for a month, I saw no reason for it not to work over there. Of course, in the UK, it would be a left turn...;-))
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quote:
Originally posted by David
Here in California, after stopping at a red traffic light, then making sure that there is no oncoming traffic from our left, we are allowed to make a right turn. It definately speeds up the flow of traffic, and after being in Lancashire for a month, I saw no reason for it not to work over there. Of course, in the UK, it would be a left turn...;-))
I tried that once David, up by the Hayrick. It was about 1:00 in the morning and the lights hadn't changed for about five minutes. It cost me three points on my licence and a fine. You can tell when the Leyland Police haven't got much to do at nights, they once stopped me and checked everything they could on my car. When they couldn't find anything wrong with it they reluctantly let me go on my way.
Martin ~
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Traffic calming measures are nationwide - we have our fair share of them in Wigan, including ridiculous "rumble strips" painted across the road I live on. Our road has no pavement (the first houses built on it date from 1670-something) so I presume the council were trying to keep traffic speeds down to make life safer for pedestrians. Hmmph! Try telling that to the boy racers who use our road as a short cut after the pubs have closed, bass pumping out on their car stereos! Sigh!
On the other hand, anyone ever been to Las Vegas ? Las Vegas Boulevard, also known as 'the strip', right outside of the New York-New York Casino is an amazing fourteen lanes wide, (including left turn lanes). Try crossing that street on a busy afternoon ;-))
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quote:
Originally posted by David
Here in California, after stopping at a red traffic light, then making sure that there is no oncoming traffic from our left, we are allowed to make a right turn. It definately speeds up the flow of traffic, and after being in Lancashire for a month, I saw no reason for it not to work over there. Of course, in the UK, it would be a left turn...;-))
This is true, but have you seen the people of Cape Cod Massachusetts try to navigate a roundabout (which is 10 times more effective than right on red), it's a disaster.[8D]
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