M32 new speed limits
Discussion
I have just been reading up on the new Metro bus lanes on the M32 and the road works that will happen.
They are erecting average speed cameras which will be set at 30 mph during construction and left in place set to 40mph thereafter.
So by adding a bus lane to improve bus use they are slowing everything down, they really hate cars in Bristol.
http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/14755465.Avera...
They are erecting average speed cameras which will be set at 30 mph during construction and left in place set to 40mph thereafter.
So by adding a bus lane to improve bus use they are slowing everything down, they really hate cars in Bristol.
http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/14755465.Avera...
Sorry to disagree. Several years ago BCC wanted to buy the M32 to turn it into a bus lane and a single car lane each way, reducing the limit the whole way to 50 mph.
At the time they were refused as it was agreed that to restrict it would cause jams on the M4, which are already bad now. They knew at the time of planning that this was a problem and The highways who manage/ own it had little option but to allow the hard shoulder to be used.
The decision has already been made and no matter how many object it will be reduced, this consultation is merely a rubber stamping job. This will then extend further up as time goes on to make bus travel quicker than car.
I know a couple of councillors, not on BCC, who have said sometimes the greater good is the reason they do things and there is a legal requirement to consult.
Time and time again BCC have demonstrated their hatred of cars deliberately causing congestion around the centre.
At the time they were refused as it was agreed that to restrict it would cause jams on the M4, which are already bad now. They knew at the time of planning that this was a problem and The highways who manage/ own it had little option but to allow the hard shoulder to be used.
The decision has already been made and no matter how many object it will be reduced, this consultation is merely a rubber stamping job. This will then extend further up as time goes on to make bus travel quicker than car.
I know a couple of councillors, not on BCC, who have said sometimes the greater good is the reason they do things and there is a legal requirement to consult.
Time and time again BCC have demonstrated their hatred of cars deliberately causing congestion around the centre.
I have never worked out how to do the selective quoting you have done as I am a bit thick really. So trying to answer your comments.
No I have no evidence. But this link from Piston heads in 2003 would suggest I was on the money.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
It was all happening when it was not going to be the metro bus but a tram system, must be 15-20 years ago, but as I say at the time it was said whoever owned the road then, Highways authority? said a bit fat no. I was told by an ex highway engineer.
There were all sorts of grand schemes then with a park and ride near Almondsbury, but the bridge was too low for the pantograph, it would have gone down Gloucester rd on to Mullar Road and then M32 with spur to Bradly Stoke at the top or the M32.
South Glos are just as mad, remember we have the road to nowhere in Yate as an example of folly.
They are not building additional lanes, they have taking the hard shoulder on each carriageway as I understand it the buses will then cross to the centre before the flyover to join the existing bus lane into the centre. They could have built extra lanes but this is cheaper.
What you are experiencing is the plan is working. Make junctions not work, make cars expensive, remember BCC wanted to charge work place parking which was dropped when Newport's Mayor tried to get business to relocate and that kicked up a stink. They also lost a referendum on parking passes for residents some time ago, but that has happened in Clifton since regardless.
Public transport is the greater good they see and it is working. Last years was the first time that less younger drivers were taking driving lessons, I read. They see it as expensive and pointless as many flats they can afford have no parking and Urban living, hence the explosion of flats in Bristol centre, is seen as trendy, close to bars clubs etc.
I hope you are right and I am wrong on the M32 but I suspect re reading that article form 2003 that is the plan
No I have no evidence. But this link from Piston heads in 2003 would suggest I was on the money.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
It was all happening when it was not going to be the metro bus but a tram system, must be 15-20 years ago, but as I say at the time it was said whoever owned the road then, Highways authority? said a bit fat no. I was told by an ex highway engineer.
There were all sorts of grand schemes then with a park and ride near Almondsbury, but the bridge was too low for the pantograph, it would have gone down Gloucester rd on to Mullar Road and then M32 with spur to Bradly Stoke at the top or the M32.
South Glos are just as mad, remember we have the road to nowhere in Yate as an example of folly.
They are not building additional lanes, they have taking the hard shoulder on each carriageway as I understand it the buses will then cross to the centre before the flyover to join the existing bus lane into the centre. They could have built extra lanes but this is cheaper.
What you are experiencing is the plan is working. Make junctions not work, make cars expensive, remember BCC wanted to charge work place parking which was dropped when Newport's Mayor tried to get business to relocate and that kicked up a stink. They also lost a referendum on parking passes for residents some time ago, but that has happened in Clifton since regardless.
Public transport is the greater good they see and it is working. Last years was the first time that less younger drivers were taking driving lessons, I read. They see it as expensive and pointless as many flats they can afford have no parking and Urban living, hence the explosion of flats in Bristol centre, is seen as trendy, close to bars clubs etc.
I hope you are right and I am wrong on the M32 but I suspect re reading that article form 2003 that is the plan
rs1952 said:
A late addition to my earlier post, and completely off topic 
I lived in Yate between 1975 and 1980, and the “road to nowhere” was there then.
Its origin was with the Yate New Town concept of the late 1960s. So the present situation can’t be blamed on the current South Gloucestershire Council, or even Northavon – this comes from the days when Yate was still part of Gloucestershire “proper” prior to 1974.
It was originally intended that Rodford Way would be linked to the main A432 somewhere near Nibley but, as ever, finance was a problem; the estate developers paid for the section of road that was built, but the Council couldn’t afford the cost of bridging the railway, so the full link road was never finished.
It now seems unlikely that it ever will
The new MP has allegedly had a promise to get funds to finish it. Unfortunately S. Glos could have done it themselves but they chose not to, instead they have made Rodford Way into a single carriageway to dissuade drivers. I lived in Yate between 1975 and 1980, and the “road to nowhere” was there then.
Its origin was with the Yate New Town concept of the late 1960s. So the present situation can’t be blamed on the current South Gloucestershire Council, or even Northavon – this comes from the days when Yate was still part of Gloucestershire “proper” prior to 1974.
It was originally intended that Rodford Way would be linked to the main A432 somewhere near Nibley but, as ever, finance was a problem; the estate developers paid for the section of road that was built, but the Council couldn’t afford the cost of bridging the railway, so the full link road was never finished.
It now seems unlikely that it ever will
rs1952 said:
OK - we appear to have done the M32 to death so let’s have a go at Rodford Way 
As I said earlier, I lived in Yate from 1975 to 1980, and at that time Rodford Way was a NSL dual carriageway (and come to that so was the A432 Chipping Sodbury bypass). It was built at the time of the “master plan” that many councils adopted of separating pedestrians and cars; there was at least one pedestrian underpass near to the end of Sundridge Park, and the idea was (sweetly naive now one looks back on it) that all the pedestrians would use the underpass(es) provided and remain in perfect safety.
There are many people about whose idea of getting any exercise is running late, or perhaps putting the bins out once a fortnight. You may as well try to herd cats down those underpasses than expect pedestrians to use them – in fact, herding cats down the underpasses would probably be easier...
Then along came “Elf & safety” and more importantly, the compensation culture. Now, if you walked out in front of a car doing 70 on Rodford Way and found out first had whether there is an afterlife or not, your weeping relations would be suing the council for all they were worth because they hadn’t put a barrier up, or a sign up saying that was dangerous to walk out in the path of a car doing 70, or reduced the speed limit, or thought of the children etc etc ad nauseum...
So first the speed limits were reduced and, more recently, lots of white paint has been applied to make it a single carriageway to make sure that evil drivers don’t overtake each other, and speed while thay are at it.
Unfortunately that is the way of the world these days. The council is damned if they do anything, and damned if they don’t do anything. As councillors usually take the line of least resistance, then the more shouty people tend to get their way. I suspect the anti-car brigade make more noise in Yate than the motoring fraternity.
We do have the vocal lobby groups to thank for so many wrongs around Yate. They have convinced S. Glos that speed kills and as a result they have slashed limits down from NSL, to 30mph and been around with white paint everywhere. And even now there are those who want to impose 20mph and make it even worse.As I said earlier, I lived in Yate from 1975 to 1980, and at that time Rodford Way was a NSL dual carriageway (and come to that so was the A432 Chipping Sodbury bypass). It was built at the time of the “master plan” that many councils adopted of separating pedestrians and cars; there was at least one pedestrian underpass near to the end of Sundridge Park, and the idea was (sweetly naive now one looks back on it) that all the pedestrians would use the underpass(es) provided and remain in perfect safety.
There are many people about whose idea of getting any exercise is running late, or perhaps putting the bins out once a fortnight. You may as well try to herd cats down those underpasses than expect pedestrians to use them – in fact, herding cats down the underpasses would probably be easier...
Then along came “Elf & safety” and more importantly, the compensation culture. Now, if you walked out in front of a car doing 70 on Rodford Way and found out first had whether there is an afterlife or not, your weeping relations would be suing the council for all they were worth because they hadn’t put a barrier up, or a sign up saying that was dangerous to walk out in the path of a car doing 70, or reduced the speed limit, or thought of the children etc etc ad nauseum...
So first the speed limits were reduced and, more recently, lots of white paint has been applied to make it a single carriageway to make sure that evil drivers don’t overtake each other, and speed while thay are at it.
Unfortunately that is the way of the world these days. The council is damned if they do anything, and damned if they don’t do anything. As councillors usually take the line of least resistance, then the more shouty people tend to get their way. I suspect the anti-car brigade make more noise in Yate than the motoring fraternity.
The junction from Shireway on to Rodford has been treated to a pot of paint and even though this was, as you say an NSL dual carriageway, now down to 30mph, people still want it altered as "it is an accident waiting to happen" although none have happened, so we are still waiting.
I could go on and on but we need a balance on how we get to work. Many would use public transport if it was cleaner, cheaper and linked together well, but this biggest thing is we need jobs near to where people live. In that way cycling to work becomes viable but that needs joined up thinking all the way along.
bristolracer said:
You be praying to actually get to the M32 and 40 will seem like heaven when you see what's happening to the ring road next!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38650...
Another year (more like 2 when the contractors have milked it for all the easy council money they can get) of misery.
Interesting the first one was built in 1968 and the new one in 1988 and yet the new one is in a shocking state. Looks like shoddy work in the first place.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38650...
Another year (more like 2 when the contractors have milked it for all the easy council money they can get) of misery.
This will make people want to go via Winterbourne instead so that will be screwed and all other routes. Any one coming from Yate will be better going on the M4 but you know that will screw up the M4 junction to the M32 as well due to traffic backing up from the bus lane road works on there.
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