Intelligent traffic lights - Possible polite rant alert (1 Viewer)

[Dorwyn]

Just drove into our magnificent City centre. Very little traffic around. What was noticeable was how the traffic lights managed to stop every moving vehicle. Including filtering traffic that wasn't there. Our city has apparently adopted, due to the posh new Waitrose, some "intelligent traffic lights" to improve traffic flow. The thick ones were annoying enough. Or perhaps they were never installed, since the effect seems to be pretty much the same.

I used to do shift work in central London. In the early hours most bigger vehicles would just ignore them, or just pay lip service. The daily paper vans would not even slow down, probably because the drivers had spent the evening in the pub. That was before surveillance cameras of course. Ah, progress! Happy days.

 

[Tea Bag]

Hi.
I think they set up "Smart" Traffic lights between Mansfield and Junc.28 of the M1a few years back,early morning,it was magic (As in Sparrows!!!)
Tea Bag

 

[Cliffdale]

Here is my grump about traffic lights. The main A390 Truro to St Austell, the traffic lights are set to red on the main road and green for side streets. Late at night you have to approach them and at the moment of stopping for them, they turn to green. Moan over.

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[GWAYGWAY]

We have SMART traffic light and SMART pelican crossings here in Dover. The lights are green and only change to red, when you approach them and the pelicans change to red on your approach also, but without anyone there. In a row the lights have sequencing (1) goes to green after waiting and the next set (2) wait til you get there and change to red then repeat the process unless you do 55 between them which is what most seem to do here.

 

[chatteris]

I used to work in cambridge and if the lights were not working the traffic flowed a lot better

 

[Madeinengland]

Have got a particular roundabout near us which is really, really terrible for queue build ups since the powers that be installed lights. As said above, when the lights aren't working the traffic flows freely. Grrr! Lots of complaints, but they don't take a bit of notice.

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[rangi]

Lovely to watch tho inum?

RED

RED ORANGE

GREEN

ORANGE

RED

Better than going to the flicks innet?

 

[Abacist]

I am convinced its all a deliberate policy to slow the traffic down by those who think they know best!

 

[Kingham]

This is one of my many pet hates too !

In the 21st Century it is criminal when we are having 'green' and 'economy' rammed down our throats, that local authorities can set traffic lights up like this.
We have a stretch of urban dual carriageway, the A184 which runs through Gateshead, which has a 40mph limit and is crossed by many minor road junctions. During the early hours, when the roads are quiet, the main road automatic traffic lights will be on green until a vehicle approaches, then they will change to red, bringing that vehicle to a complete stop, although nothing is approaching from the side junctions.
That vehicle then accelerates back up to 40mph and is forced to brake unnecessarily to a standstill at the next set of empty lights.
It can't all be down to traffic calming, as this stretch of road also has speed cameras on it.

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[chatteris]

we have a couple of large roundabouts with lights around here, and I could see that at certain times the lights could be benificial to regulate the traffic but when you have to stop at them late at night when there is absolutely no other traffic about it is crazy

 

[Barclaybasher]

A recently altered roundabout on the Derby ring-road added an extra road and was equipped (at great expense) with a brand new set of traffic lights (none there before).

The lights were activated - chaos - altered - chaos - switched off - traffic flowed.

The lights are now covered - useless waste of money

 

[laird of Dunstan]

They set them up on the A47 /A1 junction two years ago,they were an absolute unmitigated disaster, the local radio was full of people phoning in to complain ,the lights created chaos wereas before there was not.

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[DavidG58]

in our town centre we have a four way junction controlled by traffic lights, seemingly with limited intelligence as they allow more traffic through when busy, but they have a fixed sequence that you get regardless of any traffic at lights or not!!

worst bit for me though is one of the sequences includes 4 way green light for pedestrians to cross, no issues with safe crossing for walkers, but even at 2 in the morning, as we found the other day returning home very late, complete with audible beeping, this must repeat every 10 minutes or so, maybe quicker, right outside bedroom windows

while I am on a roll, thanks OP for the opportunity

pedestrian crossings, firstly if the crosser uses the button by law they should be made to wait for green to cross, causes chaos when they then leap across between cars and the old lady next to them presumes it has gone green and great annoyance to me when having to stop for nobody to cross. But as an addendum to above, I think the lights now check progress of pedestrians before allowing traffic to continue, why then not notice they haven't bother waiting and cancel their request

thank you again I now feel better

 

[Jaws]

This is one of my many pet hates too !

In the 21st Century it is criminal when we are having 'green' and 'economy' rammed down our throats, that local authorities can set traffic lights up like this.
We have a stretch of urban dual carriageway, the A184 which runs through Gateshead, which has a 40mph limit and is crossed by many minor road junctions. During the early hours, when the roads are quiet, the main road automatic traffic lights will be on green until a vehicle approaches, then they will change to red, bringing that vehicle to a complete stop, although nothing is approaching from the side junctions.
That vehicle then accelerates back up to 40mph and is forced to brake unnecessarily to a standstill at the next set of empty lights.
It can't all be down to traffic calming, as this stretch of road also has speed cameras on it.

Before the final stretch of the A11 was dual'd Suffolk council had a set of lights installed at Elveden.
From the moment they went live major traffic jams were caused on the A11.
Friday evening would usually see a 5 to 8 mile tail back
Local TV news interviewed the moron from the council ( representing the Green Party at the time )

Every since the traffic lights have been installed there is considerable congestion here

Yes, it has slowed the traffic down

It has not just slowed it down but virtually stopped it

Yes

But surely, as a member of the green party you must have something to say about the situation ?

Yes, we see it as a good thing As everyone knows, a vehicle moving slower uses less fuel

The reporter was so flabbergasted he had to re-ask the question only to have the answer confirmed ..

Until such time as we get people who understand vehicles, traffic movement and road management I am afraid things will never improve

 

[chrisgreen]

my pet hate is pedestrian crossings with lights as you turn left off roundabouts.
why cant they put them 100 yards up the road instead of right on the roundabout as you turn left?

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[Abacist]

I suspect we are being conditioned to what the roads will be like in a few years time, even more congested and more stop start.

Locally I can think of 2 bus stop lay-bys that have been filled in and returned to unnecessary pavement use so the buses just stop in the road now and hold up the traffic whilst people get off and those that get on go through the payment process. One is at the entrance to a roundabout with a bollard on the right so you cannot possibly overtake.

Have you also noticed that they have put up brushwood fencing to obscure the view when entering a roundabout so you have to slow down to see if anything is coming whereas previously you could see the roundabout was clear and enter at a reasonable speed.

 

[Allanm]

This is one of my many pet hates too !

In the 21st Century it is criminal when we are having 'green' and 'economy' rammed down our throats, that local authorities can set traffic lights up like this.
We have a stretch of urban dual carriageway, the A184 which runs through Gateshead, which has a 40mph limit and is crossed by many minor road junctions. During the early hours, when the roads are quiet, the main road automatic traffic lights will be on green until a vehicle approaches, then they will change to red, bringing that vehicle to a complete stop, although nothing is approaching from the side junctions.
That vehicle then accelerates back up to 40mph and is forced to brake unnecessarily to a standstill at the next set of empty lights.
It can't all be down to traffic calming, as this stretch of road also has speed cameras on it.

Makes you wonder if some councils even consider that there may be an increased pollution risk with all this unnecessary stopping and starting.

 

[Lenny HB]

In Worthing where the A27 joins the A24 on a big roundabout that is in reality a T junction they installed traffic lights about 10 years ago. The tailbacks instantly doubled, unless its the middle of the night I completely avoid that junction its a nightmare, it was fine before the lights were installed.

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[The Dotties]

I suspect we are being conditioned to what the roads will be like in a few years time, even more congested and more stop start.

Locally I can think of 2 bus stop lay-bys that have been filled in and returned to unnecessary pavement use so the buses just stop in the road now and hold up the traffic whilst people get off and those that get on go through the payment process. One is at the entrance to a roundabout with a bollard on the right so you cannot possibly overtake.

Have you also noticed that they have put up brushwood fencing to obscure the view when entering a roundabout so you have to slow down to see if anything is coming whereas previously you could see the roundabout was clear and enter at a reasonable speed.

This, you will find is being done to create a 'bus lane' on the road, to enable buses to rejoin traffic. The bus now has a clear road ahead of it, (well as far as the next bus stop.) How many of us squeeze past a bus indicating a wish to pull out of a bus lay by.

 

[iceclimber]

Ha ..... I just drove through Bristol centre at 5.00am this morning, at the correct speeds, to be stopped at virtually every light where I was then able to stop & watch NO traffic whilst I waited . Yep - really intelligent those lights ?

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

In Nottingham some time ago you could drive through within the speed limit. If you kept within the limit you actually surfed the lights as they changed to green, if you tried to go quicker when you got to the next set of light's they were red which slowed you down so keeping within the limit made for easier driving through Nottingham. I must point out it's nothing like that now and to be avoided, unless you like parking at traffic lights sightseeing.

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[Dorwyn]

In Nottingham some time ago you could drive through within the speed limit. If you kept within the limit you actually surfed the lights as they changed to green, if you tried to go quicker when you got to the next set of light's they were red which slowed you down so keeping within the limit made for easier driving through Nottingham. I must point out it's nothing like that now and to be avoided, unless you like parking at traffic lights sightseeing.

The traffic lights along the A4 at Brentford (just past Brentford Nylons and Gillette!!!) were loudly trumpeted in the early sixties as being the first of this type - a new invention. And yes, it did work. Calmed the traffic down and made speeding pointless. Not that I ever did, of course. I hate to think what is like now. I never go into London now, unless you count the M25 - shudder. Will be along there this week. Wish me luck!

 

[hilldweller]

I am convinced its all a deliberate policy to slow the traffic down by those who think they know best!

Could also be "those who have a traffic job and if they are not seen to be active the dole queue beckons".

"Sh$t, I've not done anything for three weeks, what the hell can I do today ? I know I'll fiddle with the traffic lights."

 

[MR. FUSION]

The traffic lights along the A4 at Brentford (just past Brentford Nylons and Gillette!!!) were loudly trumpeted in the early sixties as being the first of this type - a new invention. And yes, it did work. Calmed the traffic down and made speeding pointless. Not that I ever did, of course. I hate to think what is like now. I never go into London now, unless you count the M25 - shudder. Will be along there this week. Wish me luck!

Cheap stuff at Brentford Nylons

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[MR. FUSION]

In the mid 1980's I worked for a company in Worcester testing their new SCOOT system, we had Ford Sierras equipped with time/distance/fuel consumption measuring equipment. Was a good student job that one

 

[Bobby22]

There has been ongoing traffic calming and traffic lights being installed in the main road into and through the town where we live.

The outcome is we just all divert through a residential road and get there much quicker.

I wonder if the council realises that by all these taffic calming measures they are actually chasing people away from an already struggling town centre.

 

[Dorwyn]

Cheap stuff at Brentford Nylons

Cheap and nasty, but great ads - not!

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[gus-lopez]

There has been ongoing traffic calming and traffic lights being installed in the main road into and through the town where we live.

The outcome is we just all divert through a residential road and get there much quicker.

I wonder if the council realises that by all these taffic calming measures they are actually chasing people away from an already struggling town centre.

No ,probably wouldn't even bother them. They'll still get paid & if businesses fail & rates drop then they'll just up your council tax.
There aren't words to describe them.

 

[Bobby22]

No ,probably wouldn't even bother them. They'll still get paid & if businesses fail & rates drop then they'll just up your council tax.
There aren't words to describe them.

No wonder so many high streets have so many charity shops............the council kills the high street with pedestrianisation, grants out of town planning for shopping centres and then wonders why the centrs are ghost towns.