More 'numpty' thought from Surrey CC ... (long)
Discussion
or whoever is responsible for road markings in Surrey.
The signage on the A31 dual carriageway from Farnham towards Guildford was repainted a year or so ago at and around the Shepherd and Flock circulatory system. At the traffic signals on the A31 there were three lanes. The inside lane turned right to Farnham town centre; the middle was for traffic going towards the A325 (for Hale and Aldershot); and the outside was for traffic continuing on the A31 towards Guildford and the A3, and the A331 Blackwater Valley road and the M3.
www.streetmap.co.uk/newprint.srf?x=485320&y=147520&z=1
However, the lane markings around the circulatory system itself were a joke. Continuous broken white lines all the way around, with the road numbering and destination towns changing round corners, practically too late for safe lane changing by non-locals - for whom the signage is surely intended?
This morning I negotiated the circulatory system and discovered that it has been freshly painted.
Whereas the redesign (in terms of lane marking and signage) needed was on the straight stretches of the circulatory system, the numpties responsible for signage - who have probably never driven along this stretch, and might not even be able to drive (!) - have removed the outside lane approaching the traffic signals making two lanes only. Traffic in the inside lane is still directed towards the town centre, but now the second (now outside) lane has to carry traffic for the A31 Guildford and A325 Aldershot roads! The effect of this is to lengthen the queue of traffic at the traffic signals, especially during the morning rush hours - a queue, BTW, that was severely exacerbated by the addition of the traffic signals in the first place!
Driving around the circulatory system in the outside lane I followed the A31 Alton signs (ie. retracing my steps). The broken white lines continue to show two lanes going round past the A31 (Guildford) exit. Once around the corner the signage in the outside lane changes to 'Town Centre', with the inside lane showing 'A31 Alton'. To a non-local this is too late and dangerous as traffic backs up from the traffic signals and there is crossing traffic coming from the A31 Guildford/A331 heading for Farnham town centre.
BTW - there is no warning of these changes.
What was needed was a sensible treatment of the lane markings around the circulatory system (eg. those dotted lines one sees around many roundabouts indicating lane changes) and sensible signage of the road numbers and destination towns at places where traffic has suficient time to adjust lanes sensibly.
This looks like a deliberate attempt either to (a) delay traffic or - more worryingly - (b) to cause accidents ... because that's what is likely to happen!
And before someone says these guys are professionals and I'm an amateur, remember ... amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic!
Streaky
The signage on the A31 dual carriageway from Farnham towards Guildford was repainted a year or so ago at and around the Shepherd and Flock circulatory system. At the traffic signals on the A31 there were three lanes. The inside lane turned right to Farnham town centre; the middle was for traffic going towards the A325 (for Hale and Aldershot); and the outside was for traffic continuing on the A31 towards Guildford and the A3, and the A331 Blackwater Valley road and the M3.
www.streetmap.co.uk/newprint.srf?x=485320&y=147520&z=1
However, the lane markings around the circulatory system itself were a joke. Continuous broken white lines all the way around, with the road numbering and destination towns changing round corners, practically too late for safe lane changing by non-locals - for whom the signage is surely intended?
This morning I negotiated the circulatory system and discovered that it has been freshly painted.
Whereas the redesign (in terms of lane marking and signage) needed was on the straight stretches of the circulatory system, the numpties responsible for signage - who have probably never driven along this stretch, and might not even be able to drive (!) - have removed the outside lane approaching the traffic signals making two lanes only. Traffic in the inside lane is still directed towards the town centre, but now the second (now outside) lane has to carry traffic for the A31 Guildford and A325 Aldershot roads! The effect of this is to lengthen the queue of traffic at the traffic signals, especially during the morning rush hours - a queue, BTW, that was severely exacerbated by the addition of the traffic signals in the first place!
Driving around the circulatory system in the outside lane I followed the A31 Alton signs (ie. retracing my steps). The broken white lines continue to show two lanes going round past the A31 (Guildford) exit. Once around the corner the signage in the outside lane changes to 'Town Centre', with the inside lane showing 'A31 Alton'. To a non-local this is too late and dangerous as traffic backs up from the traffic signals and there is crossing traffic coming from the A31 Guildford/A331 heading for Farnham town centre.
BTW - there is no warning of these changes.
What was needed was a sensible treatment of the lane markings around the circulatory system (eg. those dotted lines one sees around many roundabouts indicating lane changes) and sensible signage of the road numbers and destination towns at places where traffic has suficient time to adjust lanes sensibly.
This looks like a deliberate attempt either to (a) delay traffic or - more worryingly - (b) to cause accidents ... because that's what is likely to happen!
And before someone says these guys are professionals and I'm an amateur, remember ... amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic!
Streaky
77-84 said:
That roundabout is an ing free for all nightmare at the best of times!
I find it incomprehensible as a local driver: God knows how any non-locals manage to circumnavigate it!
77-84 Could you please arrange to stick your electrodes on more sensitive parts of the numpties who did this
- Streaky PS - the old way to circumnavigate the Shepherd and Flock was with a very large dose of welly - it is a NSL around it! Doesn't work as well with only two lanes
- S >> Edited by streaky on Sunday 9th November 12:32
Totally agree with Streaky - there are also other problems with traffic coming from Aldershot/Hale direction into the lane reserved for traffic going left onto the Hogs Back. Have lost count of the number of times I've been behind someone who then decides they want to go down the A31 toward Alton and either stops to wait for a gap or (worse still) just barges into the traffic flow coming round the roundabout and cuts across it. No wonder there are regular accidents at this place.
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