Lammascote Island - new traffic lights

[Gramaisc]

A smallish one, but not mini. It had a gated road through the centre for large vehicles. It probably went as part of the traffic light invasion associated with the Queensway. I may, of course, be hallucinating....

 

[highguyuk]

I agree with Grubby Robert that roundabouts should not need traffic lights to keep traffic moving. I would also advocate putting a roundabout at Lammascote Junction or at least put a green filter arrow for the turning onto Riverway to reduce the needless traffic conjestion that builds up past the leisure centre. Maybe this is too much common sense though!?

Roundabouts will only cope properly with a certain amount of traffic before they stop working well.

Filter into Riverway is a waste of time. If more stuff turns right into Riverway all it does is add even more cars to already long queues at the lights the other end of Riverway turning into Lichfield Road - or more people will rat run via Fairway / St Leonards to Lichfield Road. You wouldn't want to extend the green time on Riverway (Lichfield Road end) because then traffic blocking back up Lichfield Road to The Sun roundabout would be even worse.

Finally. Someone on here who sounds like they have a clue what they are on about. Too many people think they know best for the town, without actually knowing the full consequences.

 

[db]

Finally. Someone on here who sounds like they have a clue what they are on about. Too many people think they know best for the town, without actually knowing the full consequences.

i think one can say more traffic lights are definitely not what is "best for the town" with some conviction..

 

[highguyuk]

Finally. Someone on here who sounds like they have a clue what they are on about. Too many people think they know best for the town, without actually knowing the full consequences.

i think one can say more traffic lights are definitely not what is "best for the town" with some conviction..

There will have been a full study. Consultation. Prelim Design. Detailed Design. The guys at Riverway will have the full list of evidence, statistics, accident data etc and will have come to the best conclusion that Traffic Lights are the way to go with this scheme. And therefore, best for the town.

 

[My Name is URL]

Too many people think they know best for the town, without actually knowing the full consequences.

So by saying that people who disagree with you don't "know whats best for the town"..... doesn't that imply that you do think you know whats best for the town?

I'm with DB on this... its obvious too many traffic lights are bad... especially on a roundabout, the whole point is if its clear and safe to go then you should do. If its clear and safe but you are on a red light... that will inevitably cause traffic to back up. Will also have implications with more "stop, start" driving = higher costs to drivers and environmental damage.

 

[My Name is URL]

There will have been a full study. Consultation. Prelim Design. Detailed Design. The guys at Riverway will have the full list of evidence, statistics, accident data etc and will have come to the best conclusion that Traffic Lights are the way to go with this scheme. And therefore, best for the town.

Big brother ALWAYS knows whats best for you.... do NOT question big brother...

 

[henryscat]

I'm with DB on this... its obvious too many traffic lights are bad... especially on a roundabout, the whole point is if its clear and safe to go then you should do. If its clear and safe but you are on a red light... that will inevitably cause traffic to back up. Will also have implications with more "stop, start" driving = higher costs to drivers and environmental damage.

Adding traffic signals onto a roundabout can improve its capacity as well at making it safer. Once roundabouts get to a certain level of traffic the priorities don't work properly. The speed and volume of circulating traffic makes it more difficult for traffic to join and approaches start to block back. Having greater control over the roundabout and the priorities for different movements should make a difference.

 

[darben]

Finally. Someone on here who sounds like they have a clue what they are on about. Too many people think they know best for the town, without actually knowing the full consequences.

i think one can say more traffic lights are definitely not what is "best for the town" with some conviction..

There will have been a full study. Consultation. Prelim Design. Detailed Design. The guys at Riverway will have the full list of evidence, statistics, accident data etc and will have come to the best conclusion that Traffic Lights are the way to go with this scheme. And therefore, best for the town.

Judging by the rest of the 'so called' road planning/new infastructure that has materialised around town in the last couple of years I think some one has an evil masterplan to get Stafford back into the record books for having the most traffic lights per head of population/square mile anywhere on the planet.

Surely to have the amount of lights in place that there is would suggest that there is something seriously wrong with whole 'planned' infastructure, the constant congestion being a good indicator of this, I fail to see how yet another set of traffic lights will help!

If there has been consultation do you know who it has been with? The traffic light manufacturer perhaps!

 

[henryscat]

Surely to have the amount of lights in place that there is would suggest that there is something seriously wrong with whole 'planned' infastructure, the constant congestion being a good indicator of this

Stafford hardly suffers "constant congestion", aside from farces on the M6 the traffic is only really busy for about half an hour morning and evening. Congestion in Stafford is fairly minor compared to say Birmingham.

Congestion is generally a good indicator of too much traffic....

Like most towns the infrastructure in Stafford has grown up over a long period and obviously the town centre is the oldest - built at a time when there weren't zillions of cars. Only new towns like Milton Keynes have actually been built to handle a lot of traffic. Unfortunately new towns are generally horrible, so planning for lots of cars doesn't work either.

I fail to see how yet another set of traffic lights will help!

Because signalising a roundabout that has reached its capacity will make it work better.

 

[Gramaisc]

The traffic lights at Lotus have had a permanent pedestrian sector in the cycle for months now, which serves very little function when there are no pedestrians there, especially in the current circumstances. Is this intentional?

 

[darben]

Surely to have the amount of lights in place that there is would suggest that there is something seriously wrong with whole 'planned' infastructure, the constant congestion being a good indicator of this

Stafford hardly suffers "constant congestion", aside from farces on the M6 the traffic is only really busy for about half an hour morning and evening. Congestion in Stafford is fairly minor compared to say Birmingham.

Congestion is generally a good indicator of too much traffic....

Like most towns the infrastructure in Stafford has grown up over a long period and obviously the town centre is the oldest - built at a time when there weren't zillions of cars. Only new towns like Milton Keynes have actually been built to handle a lot of traffic. Unfortunately new towns are generally horrible, so planning for lots of cars doesn't work either.

I fail to see how yet another set of traffic lights will help!

Because signalising a roundabout that has reached its capacity will make it work better.

OK maybe constant was a bit of an exaggeration, but having to eek my way through everyday just to get into or out of the town I would say I have some experience of the problems incurred on a day to day basis.

I am well aware of the age of the town however, what I was getting at and makes me cross is that any of the new road infrastructure appears to badly thought out and the whole system needs addressing, and there is often little thought for pedestrians, which seems crazy in a small residential town.

To name one of the idiotically badly designed areas is Tesco's, a nightmare for traffic using the store (especially the petrol station), trying just simply to manoeuvre past the area and totally dysfunctional for any pedestrian as natural footways have been ignored (not many are brave enough to cross between the frustrated traffic at the designated spot) which seems odd planning and lack of forward thinking in a town centre.

As for a new set of lights they possibly wouldn't be needed if the yellow box junction rules were observed and enforced, the lack of any action in this regard by the council and the police is quite shocking as it must be the cause of the majority of rush hour congestion, with the second cause being badly timed traffic lights backing up the flow of traffic, the Queensway/Lichfield Road nightly nightmare being a perfect example.

 

[henryscat]

To name one of the idiotically badly designed areas is Tesco's, a nightmare for traffic using the store (especially the petrol station), trying just simply to manoeuvre past the area and totally dysfunctional for any pedestrian as natural footways have been ignored (not many are brave enough to cross between the frustrated traffic at the designated spot) which seems odd planning and lack of forward thinking in a town centre.

Tescos generally bugger up towns the country over, Stafford's no exception sadly. The junction design will have been down to them. Problem is that planning authorities are reluctant to take on Tesco because they have large amounts of cash to throw at barristers whereas councils don't. The Tesco junction on Newport Road is a complete bodge.

As for a new set of lights they possibly wouldn't be needed if the yellow box junction rules were observed and enforced, the lack of any action in this regard by the council and the police is quite shocking as it must be the cause of the majority of rush hour congestion, with the second cause being badly timed traffic lights backing up the flow of traffic, the Queensway/Lichfield Road nightly nightmare being a perfect example.

Yellow boxes would have to be enforced by the police. Enforcement would be nice, but congestion is still mostly caused by sheer volume of traffic and nothing else. I'm not sure what could be done with the traffic signals, as they're all linked together to help traffic flow. Changes at one junction will usually have knock on effects somewhere else.

 

[My Name is URL]

Tescos generally bugger up towns the country over, Stafford's no exception sadly. The junction design will have been down to them.

Sorry but thats rubbish.... your earlier post of "councils know everything and do anything related to traffic perfectly" but now its all Tesco's fault.

As you said earlier, planning goes through the council. Last time I looked, approving everything Tesco ask for on the basis that they have money to throw at solicitors wasn't a valid excuse.

Do you work for the council per chance?

 

[Rikki]

I always thought it was a bit odd tesco ever got planning permission on that site. Purely on the basis of the traffic problems it would cause.

 

[My Name is URL]

I always thought it was a bit odd tesco ever got planning permission on that site. Purely on the basis of the traffic problems it would cause.

Backhanders or the council employing idiots..... you decide.

 

[darben]

I'm not sure what could be done with the traffic signals, as they're all linked together to help traffic flow. Changes at one junction will usually have knock on effects somewhere else.

Hence forth another set of traffic lights appeared upon the roads of Stafford town! what could possibly go wrong

 

[henryscat]

Sorry but thats rubbish.... your earlier post of "councils know everything and do anything related to traffic perfectly" but now its all Tesco's fault.

I didn't say that. The thread started off as Lammascote Roundabout - which is the responsibility of the highway authority. Then Tesco junction was mentioned, which like any other junction into a supermarket / retail park / housing estate / whatever will have been designed by the developer (or more likely their consultant)

As you said earlier, planning goes through the council. Last time I looked, approving everything Tesco ask for on the basis that they have money to throw at solicitors wasn't a valid excuse.

"The council"? There's two.

Looked where?

Your last comment is a touch naive - the legal system is full of examples of people "getting away with it" because of the legal representation they can afford. Do a bit of reading on Tesco's antics and you may see things differently.

Do you work for the council per chance?

"The" council? No. My employer is none of your business.

 

[henryscat]

I always thought it was a bit odd tesco ever got planning permission on that site. Purely on the basis of the traffic problems it would cause.

Big developers like to spend a lot of money on ensuring their planning applications demonstrate that despite a zillion cars an hour being attracted to their development that it will apparently not cause chaos. Consultants will prove whatever you pay them to prove...

 

[henryscat]

I always thought it was a bit odd tesco ever got planning permission on that site. Purely on the basis of the traffic problems it would cause.

Backhanders or the council employing idiots..... you decide.

"The council" that approves planning applications is not the same as "the council" that is responsible for roads. Its "the councillors" that ultimately make the decisions.

PS> Your footer seems a bit much, doubt it holds any water legally.

 

[henryscat]

Hence forth another set of traffic lights appeared upon the roads of Stafford town! what could possibly go wrong

What it all comes down to is that there's too much traffic!! Traffic lights are only a response to the sheer volume of traffic and/or accident issues. No doubt people would also be up in arms if nothing was done to try and control traffic flow in some way.