Another M4 wales 50mph cash cow?
Another M4 wales 50mph cash cow?
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Discussion

saaby93

Original Poster:

32,038 posts

207 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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50mph limit all day on the M4 at Newport
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50822374

It looks like all day means day and night

beeb said:
The 50mph limit between junctions 24 and 28 would apply all day.

In a progress report on its work, the commission conceded this would mean slower travel times for vehicles at off-peak times.

"It is worth noting the case for 50mph speed control goes beyond congestion alleviation. There are also good arguments from an emissions and road safety perspective - these apply to all parts of the day," it said.
Dont at least the safety arguments work the other way?

Craig W

424 posts

188 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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What that it's safer to do 70 than 50?

saaby93

Original Poster:

32,038 posts

207 months

Friday 20th December 2019
quotequote all
Craig W said:
What that it's safer to do 70 than 50?
In the right conditions higher speed limits have less accidents
Look at the way collision rates havent improved in many 20 zones
and the way theyre reviewing roadworks with or without 50 limits to see which is safer and when

Pamoothican

266 posts

121 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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Haven't highways England upped the speed limit in road works from 50mph to 60mph because they think its safer?

Why all the 50mph limits on roads?

eybic

9,212 posts

203 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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The biggest problem with averaged 50's is that everyone sits @ 50 so if anyone needs to change lane it makes it nearly impossible when it's busy.

768

20,678 posts

125 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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The article said:
An average speed limit of 50mph should be introduced to tackle congestion on the M4 around Newport, the commission set up after the decision to scrap the relief road has said.
The article said:
In a progress report on its work, the commission conceded this would mean slower travel times for vehicles at off-peak times.
So it's just for peak times. If only there were a way they could set a 50 limit just for peak times to solve congestion then. Oh wait.



I wish they'd be transparent about who was driving this bullst and why.

Zirconia

36,010 posts

313 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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This has been a complete balls up, scrapping the relief road and all that.

I would see attaining 50 as a dream in that neck of the woods for long parts of the day and it has been getting worse for years. This is not cash cow, it is a hopeless hand wringing Drakeford.

They interviewed one of the fella's doing the inquiry or whatever to alternative to the relief road and how to alleviate the heavy traffic. Need to get people out of their cars, more on public transport, more buses and so on.

Welsh government is big on reports and small on doing anything about it. One p[res hack upset them by saying they are a government of models (this is what it will look like type of model).

anonymous-user

83 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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How is it a cash cow?
If you speed in a 50 zone you deserve it TBH, plenty or warning!

Seesure

1,230 posts

268 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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Just another excuse for that part of the world...

For several years it was 50mph through the tunnels due to damaged lighting following a fire....so in creating the bottle neck the whole area always seemed to screwed at most times...

Now the lighting is sorted the excuse seems to be about improving air quality.. the Welsh Highways agency need a bloody good kick up the backside, having limits of 50mph at midnight is pretty bloody stupid and only serves to annoy drivers ...

People who make these half baked decisions really should be made to account for themselves as should the highways agency who operate the message boards and signage. As public servants perhaps they should be put in a position to listen to the public....

It appears that the vast majority who have this power are fu*wits who don't give a damm other than taking their money...

LuS1fer

43,499 posts

274 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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There is now a 50 mph limit on the A470, north of Treforest. It is policed by new average speed cameras. The rationale is not speed but to reduce emissions and pollution in the communities that line the route. I dare say that being a valley doesn't help.

So I think we will be seeing more 50mph limits in a bid to "save the environment" and reduce emissions.

Pegscratch

1,872 posts

137 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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LuS1fer said:
So I think we will be seeing more 50mph limits in a bid to "save the environment" and reduce emissions.
All horse st (not on your part); the most polluting vehicles on the road will still trundle along banging off the limiter knowing they aren't going fast enough to be caught, polluting just as much as they always were.

They tried that st on a stretch of the M1 and even the local residents called them out on it.

LuS1fer

43,499 posts

274 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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Just build the M4 relief road, FFS, this can only get far worse.
I travel from cardiff to Bristol airport twice a year and at 3am, on a deserted motorway, up flash the 50s...

MB140

5,045 posts

132 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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I wonder what the excuse will be for lower limits when we’re all driving around in electric cars with automated anti crash systems. They won’t be able to claim air quality or safety.

Does that mean we can all drive around at 100 mph. If so I might, might ,might just embrace the electric car.

LuS1fer

43,499 posts

274 months

Friday 20th December 2019
quotequote all
MB140 said:
I wonder what the excuse will be for lower limits when we’re all driving around in electric cars with automated anti crash systems. They won’t be able to claim air quality or safety.

Does that mean we can all drive around at 100 mph. If so I might, might ,might just embrace the electric car.
Actually, they already are - from brake dust, tyre particles etc.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48944561

Zirconia

36,010 posts

313 months

Friday 20th December 2019
quotequote all
LuS1fer said:
Just build the M4 relief road, FFS, this can only get far worse.
I travel from cardiff to Bristol airport twice a year and at 3am, on a deserted motorway, up flash the 50s...
He (Drakeford) won't build it even if he had the loot given him by Boris. ITV wales interview one night this last week, environmental harm and must get another solution in place.

2021. Show him the door.

edit
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2019-12-17/mark-dra...

Interview is at the bottom of that item.


Edited by Zirconia on Friday 20th December 12:55


Edited by Zirconia on Friday 20th December 12:55

Seesure

1,230 posts

268 months

Friday 20th December 2019
quotequote all
LuS1fer said:
Just build the M4 relief road, FFS, this can only get far worse.
I travel from cardiff to Bristol airport twice a year and at 3am, on a deserted motorway, up flash the 50s...
Most Sundays I travel eastbound at around 11pm and sure enough it's always 50mph and unless there has been an event on in Cardiff there's usually only a couple dozen vehicles over that stretch.

Usually the message boards say something like "Thank you for driving responsibly " in both Welsh and English, but within the last 12 months the boards seem to have been renewed and the brightness of the orange LEDs is so high that you are left with an imprint of the message on your eyes...totally destroying all night vision for a good few minutes..

Who ever approved those boards ought to be made to sit in front of one for 10 minutes...you'll probably do less damage to your eyes by looking directly at the sun with a pair of binoculars during a solar eclipse...

Byker28i

91,332 posts

246 months

Friday 20th December 2019
quotequote all
Seesure said:
Just another excuse for that part of the world...

For several years it was 50mph through the tunnels due to damaged lighting following a fire....so in creating the bottle neck the whole area always seemed to screwed at most times...

Now the lighting is sorted the excuse seems to be about improving air quality.. the Welsh Highways agency need a bloody good kick up the backside, having limits of 50mph at midnight is pretty bloody stupid and only serves to annoy drivers ...

People who make these half baked decisions really should be made to account for themselves as should the highways agency who operate the message boards and signage. As public servants perhaps they should be put in a position to listen to the public....

It appears that the vast majority who have this power are fu*wits who don't give a damm other than taking their money...
They've extended the 50mph section at Swansea as well for environmental reasons

Plymo

1,266 posts

118 months

Friday 20th December 2019
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Indeed the permanent section between Swansea and Port Talbot was made permanent before the study results from the temporary restriction was released...

For this though they are basically removing the expensive (and sort of effective) variable limit and replacing it with average speed cameras

Meanwhile in the Netherlands, they are reducing the motorway limit from about 80 to 60 from 0600 to 1900...
Watch this space! The speed camera and Variable speed limits were also Dutch ideas

Zirconia

36,010 posts

313 months

Friday 20th December 2019
quotequote all
Port Talbot and Swansea extended section, I understood, was the result of some green lawyers group threatening the Assembly for not doing anything about the levels?

It appears to have dropped the levels of NO2 though not seen the report and it is due out in 2020? The extended average speed camera's are now end to end as well.

On shore wind though, wonder what that does to other processes from the plant, are they monitored? I know the new blast furnace was supposed to be one of the greenest going when it was built. How do you rate a blast furnace with a label A through E like a washing machine?

anonymous-user

83 months

Friday 20th December 2019
quotequote all
Plymo said:
Meanwhile in the Netherlands, they are reducing the motorway limit from about 80 to 60 from 0600 to 1900...
Watch this space! The speed camera and Variable speed limits were also Dutch ideas
Aaaaah the good old Dutch.
Still working hand in hand.
http://charmprogramme.com/
Maybe it won't affect the welsh roads (initially).