Does anyone have experience of road planning?
Discussion
I was wondering how decisions get made. Like speed humps -- a village near I live called Bungay had a load of brick speed humps put in near the school, then taken out again after a supermarket was built nearby. I have an idea they were put in and taken out again twice IIRC. On the same road a fork left which used to be a nice smooth turn has been re-engineered to make sure you have to nearly stop to get around it now -- or as I've seen happen -- take to the wrong side of the road a bit to get a line through that saves you from having to brake/slow down/change gear to negotiate. There's not much visibility on the through road to safely take to the wrong side of the road, but it happens now and didn't before. There's now skid risk and chance of clipping the new kerb too and losing control. Overall likelihood of an accident now has increased, and with the good visibility after the junction making cars go slower won't have any positive effect on accidents
However, decisions like these. How are they made? Is there a proper study with experts input or is it a bunch of hang wringers who "know" that awkward=slow=safe?
Even though I'm not an expert me and everyone I talk to can see how ill thought out and expensive these schemes are, but how come the works get the go ahead? What's the process?
SM
However, decisions like these. How are they made? Is there a proper study with experts input or is it a bunch of hang wringers who "know" that awkward=slow=safe?
Even though I'm not an expert me and everyone I talk to can see how ill thought out and expensive these schemes are, but how come the works get the go ahead? What's the process?
SM
Welcome to the world of car hatred !
Planners are now being deliberately instructed to make junctions more awkward and to discourage traffic from towns. Unfortunately these are the towns we all live or work in and for the majority of us we don't have a choice but to use our cars, especially in places like Bungay (with it's one bus every eon or so).
My best mate does traffic management for a large city and whilst he would love to make every junction smooth and unimpeded the political do gooders seem to think that for 'green' reasons we can't allow that to happen.
Write and complain to the local council and ask them to explain their actions.
Planners are now being deliberately instructed to make junctions more awkward and to discourage traffic from towns. Unfortunately these are the towns we all live or work in and for the majority of us we don't have a choice but to use our cars, especially in places like Bungay (with it's one bus every eon or so).
My best mate does traffic management for a large city and whilst he would love to make every junction smooth and unimpeded the political do gooders seem to think that for 'green' reasons we can't allow that to happen.
Write and complain to the local council and ask them to explain their actions.
Trunk roads and Motorways are the responsibility of the Highways Agency. Their roadworks are subject to DfT standards and are designed by consultant engineering firms (people like me).
Local (i.e. non-trunk) roads fall under the remit of the local authority Highways department. As far as I am aware, local roadworks are subject to the authority's own standards and subject to the approval of the planning department, who make sure the proposals are in accordance with the planning policy and the local transport plan. For instance; a congestion relief scheme involving removing a bus lane isn't likely to get the nod from a council with a pro-bus transport plan.
Regarding your particular junction problem; I'm not familiar with the particulars, but it sounds as though it's modification of a fork junction into a "T" junction. This would likely be to make it easier for right-turns from the major road (or left turns onto the major road) by slowing the approaching turning traffic or reducing the turn angle. So it's not necessarily just slower cornering for it's own sake.
Local (i.e. non-trunk) roads fall under the remit of the local authority Highways department. As far as I am aware, local roadworks are subject to the authority's own standards and subject to the approval of the planning department, who make sure the proposals are in accordance with the planning policy and the local transport plan. For instance; a congestion relief scheme involving removing a bus lane isn't likely to get the nod from a council with a pro-bus transport plan.
Regarding your particular junction problem; I'm not familiar with the particulars, but it sounds as though it's modification of a fork junction into a "T" junction. This would likely be to make it easier for right-turns from the major road (or left turns onto the major road) by slowing the approaching turning traffic or reducing the turn angle. So it's not necessarily just slower cornering for it's own sake.
Non-drivers, car haters, control freaks, mealy mouths, those with communist tendencies, weak people with no other power in their lives and any other generally undesirable little weasels seem to be responsible for congestion-creation / making the roads more dangerous / wasting fuel / reducing people's productivity. One fine day, they'll be removed...one day...
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff