M6 "traffic management" approaching Birmingham

[bungle]

Just wondered if this has made any difference to the usual gridlock approaching Birmingham in rush hour (using hard shoulder, variable speed limits etc)?

Whenever I've approached Bham on the M6 (going North) in the morning rush hour, it's just been hell, and I've always vowed never again, but not tried in the last few months, and wondered if it had improved at all?

[Nigel Worc's]

Yes it has.

I don't like the idea of scameras everywhere, and being monitored 24/7 etc etc, but wherever this has been installed I've always found it reduces congestion.

You do however have to put up with the HA setting all sorts of speed limits for absolutely no sodding reason, and they can do some super stuff at times, different limits for different lanes, and even when the gantries are advising of the same limit for all lanes, they sometimes set every gantry to a different number.

[techguyone]

Don't worry, the time will come when all the motorways are managed, imagine a variable average speed limit journey from brum to Edinburgh, wheeee fun times, hopefully the Google drive themselves cars will be on the road by then & I won't have to worry about it.

[bungle]

Nigel Worc's said:

Yes it has.

Excellent. Might give it a go one morning then, rather than sitting on a hot sweaty train. I can see my next thread being "best/cheapest place to park in Bham city centre...?"

Nigel Worc's said:

I don't like the idea of scameras everywhere, and being monitored 24/7 etc etc, but wherever this has been installed I've always found it reduces congestion.

Ditto. M42 always seems better as a result, so I was hoping the M6 would be as well.

Nigel Worc's said:

even when the gantries are advising of the same limit for all lanes, they sometimes set every gantry to a different number.

Sorry, being thick here, but what do you mean? Do you mean all lanes say 60mph limit, but one lane should actually say 50 and you end up with a ticket for doing 60?