Wildwood entrance

[henryscat]

I am totally convinced that the people who make the decisions regarding traffic solutions in Stafford do not actually live in the town and use its road network.

So how do they get to work in Stafford then?

The road network has a finite capacity, the problem is too much traffic...

 

[Jay]

The road network has a finite capacity, the problem is too much traffic...

Or too many damn sets of traffic lights. Try getting into town along Foregate Street, the traffic is often backed up as far as Halfords all the way around Gaol Square and along Chell Road. I'm convinced this is due to there being about 8 sets of lights between Halfords and Broadeye roundabout.

 

[ddub1984]

The road network has a finite capacity, the problem is too much traffic...

Or too many damn sets of traffic lights. Try getting into town along Foregate Street, the traffic is often backed up as far as Halfords all the way around Gaol Square and along Chell Road. I'm convinced this is due to there being about 8 sets of lights between Halfords and Broadeye roundabout.

Stafford is all traffic lights, like you say when the distance between sets of lights is too short they make congestion worse, not better. Stafford could learn a lot from Cannock, practically every junction in Cannock is a roundabout & even in rush hour its rare to hit stationary traffic.

 

[Withnail]

Stafford could learn a lot from Cannock.

(is this right, Ed?)

 

[gilesjuk]

Stafford could learn a lot from Cannock, practically every junction in Cannock is a roundabout & even in rush hour its rare to hit stationary traffic.

I dunno, the traffic lights are springing up. A set at the top of Dartmouth Road appeared a few years ago. Then the set near the bus station appeared, largely because since they built Cannock Shopping centre it has been a bit of a walk to go under the subway to get to the bus station.

Many of the traffic lights appear as it can be a very long wait to try to cross busy roads these days. Traffic islands may seem to be an answer, but only when a small number of people are crossing, they also create pinch points which make overtaking slow or stationary vehicles harder and hinder bikes (motor or non-motor) from rolling past the queues of miserable looking drivers

 

[henryscat]

Stafford could learn a lot from Cannock, practically every junction in Cannock is a roundabout & even in rush hour its rare to hit stationary traffic.

Cannock isn't as busy a town as Stafford.

 

[henryscat]

Or too many damn sets of traffic lights. Try getting into town along Foregate Street, the traffic is often backed up as far as Halfords all the way around Gaol Square and along Chell Road. I'm convinced this is due to there being about 8 sets of lights between Halfords and Broadeye roundabout.

Whatever method of control you use at junctions, the capacity of the road network is finite.

Most your 8 sets of lights are pedestrian crossings in any case.

 

[staff4ord]

Well it looks like henryscat have some love for the council planning department judging on some of his comments. If your travelling towards stafford and intend to turn but now have to slow down in the carriageway before doing so the wave effect of the cars behind could cause the sudden braking crash situation. But we will just have to wait.

 

[Jay]

Most your 8 sets of lights are pedestrian crossings in any case.

It's irrelevant whether they are pedestrian crossings or otherwise, they still interrupt the flow of traffic.

 

[henryscat]

It's irrelevant whether they are pedestrian crossings or otherwise, they still interrupt the flow of traffic.

Why should the flow of pedestrians be interrupted by cars?

 

[henryscat]

If your travelling towards stafford and intend to turn but now have to slow down in the carriageway before doing so the wave effect of the cars behind could cause the sudden braking crash situation. But we will just have to wait.

It is now no different to any other left turn off a main road. It is perfectly safe to slow down before turning left. If you are indicating and braking in good time, nobody is going to drive in the back of you. All seems fairly obvious and straightforward to me....

If you think Wildwood is some kind of special situation, then explain how it differs to any other left turn in existence without a slip road.

 

[gilesjuk]

Well it looks like henryscat have some love for the council planning department judging on some of his comments. If your travelling towards stafford and intend to turn but now have to slow down in the carriageway before doing so the wave effect of the cars behind could cause the sudden braking crash situation. But we will just have to wait.

I agree with some of the comments though. There isn't going to be many improvements to the roads into Stafford, it is just how the place it. It is laid out in such a way that many roads converge. So unless you start knocking big chunks of it down to build massive new roads then it's not going to improve.

What annoys me about congestion is the people who sit in it, if they know the traffic is so dismal why do they persevere with it?

Pedestrian crossings spring up when there is too much volume of traffic to safely cross the road. So in effect the masses of people driving into Stafford are their own worse enemy.

Or do we think that all the pedestrians, cyclists and people using the bus should all jump in a car and make the traffic queues a third longer?

We've all seen how better the traffic flows during the school holidays, basically because many people go on holiday with their kids and reduce the amount of traffic. That just illustrates that the problem of roads running at capacity.

 

[gilesjuk]

It is now no different to any other left turn off a main road. It is perfectly safe to slow down before turning left. If you are indicating and braking in good time, nobody is going to drive in the back of you. All seems fairly obvious and straightforward to me....

If you think Wildwood is some kind of special situation, then explain how it differs to any other left turn in existence without a slip road.

It's no different to other turns, except that people who know there is a slip road and who haven't seen the change will wonder what is going on?

 

[henryscat]

There isn't going to be many improvements to the roads into Stafford, it is just how the place it. It is laid out in such a way that many roads converge. So unless you start knocking big chunks of it down to build massive new roads then it's not going to improve.

Yep, and on top of that, any new road capacity created just gets filled up and back to square one.

What annoys me about congestion is the people who sit in it, if they know the traffic is so dismal why do they persevere with it?

Good question... One answer is that congestion in Stafford really isn't that bad compared to other places. Compared to say having to commute up Hagley Road into Birmingham, Stafford is a doddle. Basically people are wedded to their cars and too lazy to try another way of getting about the place. Looking at it in terms of pure economics, driving isn't expensive enough since demand for road space in in excess of supply...

Pedestrian crossings spring up when there is too much volume of traffic to safely cross the road. So in effect the masses of people driving into Stafford are their own worse enemy.

And most pedestrian crossings in Stafford are arguably too generous to the traffic -crossing by the station takes forever for the crossing to change and lots of others are the same.

We've all seen how better the traffic flows during the school holidays, basically because many people go on holiday with their kids and reduce the amount of traffic. That just illustrates that the problem of roads running at capacity.

And because too many people drive their sprogs a stupidly short distance to school...

 

[gilesjuk]

And most pedestrian crossings in Stafford are arguably too generous to the traffic -crossing by the station takes forever for the crossing to change and lots of others are the same.

I have noticed that. I hate to have to use them and stop all the traffic, but people drive too fast around Stafford. Especially on the Weston Road into town.

And because too many people drive their sprogs a stupidly short distance to school...

Which is hardly surprising as if they use another method such as specifically designed bicycle trailer or seat then they get reported to the Police or social services.

 

[Gramaisc]

And because too many people drive their sprogs a stupidly short distance to school...

Which is hardly surprising as if they use another method such as specifically designed bicycle trailer or seat then they get reported to the Police or social services.

Has that actually happened? I know people that do that..

 

[gilesjuk]

Has that actually happened? I know people that do that..

It does happen. I don't how common it is, but there are some rather odd people who seem to think that is is either dangerous or illegal.

Probably the same sort of people who label certain roads "dangerous" like the Cat and Fiddle when it's actually dangerous driving that's the problem.

 

[Jay]

Why should the flow of pedestrians be interrupted by cars?

Are you being deliberately obtuse in this discussion? If not, and you are genuinely expecting a reply to that comment I suppose you could argue that road users pay extortionate road taxes so the least they should be entitled to expect is a road network that sort of works, even if it is riddled with potholes and bizarre stripey lines! Until pedestrian taxes are introduced (which may only be a matter of time) I think motorists will have the upper hand.

 

[gilesjuk]

Until pedestrian taxes are introduced (which may only be a matter of time) I think motorists will have the upper hand.

Sorry but you don't have any idea about how roads are funded. Roads are funded out of general taxation and council tax. Therefore you can argue that pedestrians have more rights than those driving into Stafford.

Why? simple, the pedestrian lives locally and pays their council tax in Stafford. Those driving into Stafford from outside the area are likely to be paying their council tax for another town and are therefore contributing nothing.

The direct funding of roads by road taxes were abolished in 1937 by Winston Churchill. The tax disc on your car is banded depending on how much pollution your car produces. Pedestrians and cyclists emit no pollution and therefore are exempt.

If you actually add up all the misery, congestion, deaths, health problems from noise and air pollution and other negative effects of motor vehicles on our roads the figure is much less than all the taxation raised in total. Therefore people driving motor vehicles are subsidised by those who do not drive.

There was even more subsidisation recently with the car scrappage scheme, non-car drivers get sod all.

What about those low emission cars that have free VED, should they not be allowed to drive on the roads?

http://ipayroadtax.com/no-such-thing-as-road-tax/15/

 

[Jay]

Sorry but you don't have any idea about how roads are funded. Roads are funded out of general taxation and council tax. Therefore you can argue that pedestrians have more rights than those driving into Stafford.

Right then, that's me well and truly told!