M4 Cameras to go live

[jmorgan]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/varia...

Watch out. Not that you can leg through there a lot of the time.

[framerateuk]

I always assumed they were live anyway.

I did Cardiff to Bristol every day for a two months at the end of last year and you'd be lucky to get to 50mph on that stretch!

[jmorgan]

2pm this afternoon and I could walk faster. Relief road hurry up.

[sospan]

That area is a major congestion spot. Lots of incidents due to traffic intensity. Add the work being done and it becomes more of a risky area. Whenever I drive there speeds are down anyway. There are idiots ignoring them/lane weaving etc so no issues from me re the variable limits to suit traffic in what is a limited stretch anyway.

[LuS1fer]

The outside lane was live some time ago, to monitor the volume before extending it to the other lanes but I'm sure they are now live too. I'm certainly not risking it.

[covmutley]

So now cameras are live it is great to see that this has really helped traffic... Not!

It's been like Friday night traffic all week! The m4 is a joke and is stifling Wales. And I see the relief road inquiry is delayed too. They just need to build it!

[hornetrider]

This morning was the first morning since the switch on that I went east past Newport without being in stop start traffic - and I'm usually there before 7. I'll be heading west a little later than usual tonight - not looking forward to it at all.

[covmutley]

my only hope is that things improve once the rail tunnel re-opens.

I have to say that in light traffic, the system does seem to help traffic flow quite well. But once there is too much traffic (i.e nearly every rush hour), it seems to make the situation worse.

[jmorgan]

wonder if they could experiment with shutting off the exit just before the tunnels.

[chasingracecars]

jmorgan said:

wonder if they could experiment with shutting off the exit just before the tunnels.

East or westbound? Westbound and eastbound there is no point as it's a dedicated lane that comes off.

More policing of the cars that don't change out of this lane until the last minute might help, but then they are repeat offenders anyway.

I agree though there are too many entrances/exits to make the road work, In Port Talbot closing the odd junction during peak hours stopped the jump on and off massively. (Yes I understand that local journey times would increase, however motorways I thought were meant for longer trips not 1 junction hops round a city.)

[LuS1fer]

Does work though. Tonight I was cruising at 70 when the gantry suddenly flashed to 50. I was on the brakes and through at 50 and a quarter mile up the road was someone's front bumper across the third lane.

[jmorgan]

chasingracecars said:

East or westbound?

Westbound. Might stop the chancers cutting in at the last minute and causing sudden braking all the time. Some of thos wagons get to the bottom of that slop at a fair lick expecting to be let in.

[hornetrider]

jmorgan said:

Westbound. Might stop the chancers cutting in at the last minute and causing sudden braking all the time. Some of thos wagons get to the bottom of that slop at a fair lick expecting to be let in.

I cut in all the time, but I don't cause anyone to brake. Traffic is always stop start at that bit and there is ALWAYS a few gaps with someone slow to pull away, you just have to pick it. There's no way I'm sitting in the queue which starts at the top of the hill when I have a young family to get home to.

Must say, I don't think I've ever seen a wagon try it, they are usually in lane pretty early. In fact, they are usually the providers of nice gaps

[chasingracecars]

I will choose not to comment on the above the post!!!

[hornetrider]

[covmutley]

Have to say I cut in too. But like hornet, I will not push my way in and cause others to brake. Sometimes I cant do it, in which case I come off, past Sainsburys and go round the 1st roundabout and rejoin the m4 just after the tunnels.

[framerateuk]

So I've been driving this route again recently and driving behaviours have definitely changed around the cameras, I spotted a few flash on the opposite direction too.

I left early this morning to get to Bristol and was surprised how much traffic was around at 6:30am! The traffic was at a standstill at times and I could not work out why?! The entry/exit lanes were empty and the traffic just seemed switch between free flowing 60mph to gridlock with no obvious reason as to what was causing it.

I guess I'll have to leave even earlier or stick to my usual late commute instead!

[hornetrider]

framerateuk said:

So I've been driving this route again recently and driving behaviours have definitely changed around the cameras, I spotted a few flash on the opposite direction too.

I left early this morning to get to Bristol and was surprised how much traffic was around at 6:30am! The traffic was at a standstill at times and I could not work out why?! The entry/exit lanes were empty and the traffic just seemed switch between free flowing 60mph to gridlock with no obvious reason as to what was causing it.

I guess I'll have to leave even earlier or stick to my usual late commute instead!

Was in the same traffic this morning around the same time. It makes no sense because the volumes aren't there. What you get is the limit showing on the approach to the camera section when it's not justified, and concertina braking.

Its a clusterfk.

[framerateuk]

hornetrider said:

Was in the same traffic this morning around the same time. It makes no sense because the volumes aren't there. What you get is the limit showing on the approach to the camera section when it's not justified, and concertina braking.

Its a clusterfk.

The whole road is just a mess.

I left at 6:08 this morning and managed to miss all the traffic. The 60 and 50 limits were in place on the run-up to the tunnels but it was back to 70 just before the tunnel entrance. Took around 20 minutes less and it was far less stressful!

[steve j]

I arrive at the tunnels at 05.10, just as the roadworks are being cleared up, limit down to 20mph. This morning though 4 police cars had surrounded a subaru and got the lad out of the car, they all came flying past, I had to smile