Penistone rd roundabout

[Olive]

I Think I have read, that it is due to be open by Christmas 2013

 

Thanks for that.

[Powerage]

Although not usually keen on numerous traffic lights, I have to say I think this is one place that does need them, I work off Claywheels Lane and drive down Herries Road to work and its a complete nightmare in the morning to get onto the roundabout from Herries Rd. Drivers just blocking it all the way round, its just stupidity to me to just continue on even thought you can see there is no way off.

[BarryRiley]

A good way to manage this then would be to have traffic lights which operate only in peak hours to prevent motorists being pointlessly held up during the 90% of the day this isn't a problem. However, judging by the way traffic lights are used around the rest of the city I'd guess this is far too progressive for SCC

 

 

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[frededwards]

A good way to manage this then would be to have traffic lights which operate only in peak hours to prevent motorists being pointlessly held up during the 90% of the day this isn't a problem. However, judging by the way traffic lights are used around the rest of the city I'd guess this is far too progressive for SCC

 

 

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Quite right Barry.

 

What I am unable to figure out is whether the council has a policy of being anti-car, or whether they are just hard of thinking when it comes to traffic planning.

[FORE]

It's even more ridiculous that two lanes of traffic going out of the city and two lanes coming in are held up by the traffic lights at the end of Claywheels Lane which go red to let out er... nothing.

 

That's probably a crafty delay to 'pace you' and make you think the queue is less at the next lights.

[Planner1]

A good way to manage this then would be to have traffic lights which operate only in peak hours to prevent motorists being pointlessly held up during the 90% of the day this isn't a problem. However, judging by the way traffic lights are used around the rest of the city I'd guess this is far too progressive for SCC

 

 

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It's nothing to do with SCC being progressive or not. The Government advice to highway authorities is that traffic signals should be on 24/7.

 

Motorists are not the only road users. What about pedestrians who want to cross busy roads?

[frededwards]

It's nothing to do with SCC being progressive or not. The Government advice to highway authorities is that traffic signals should be on 24/7.

 

Motorists are not the only road users. What about pedestrians who want to cross busy roads?

 

 

It is advisory, not mandatory. I know of at least two local authorities that turn traffic signals off at night. (St Albans and Torbay (off season)). So that defence of the council doesn't wash.

 

If pedestrians want to cross roads, there are plenty of zebra/pelican crossings for them to use. Indeed, there is one a few yards from the roundabout in question.

[Eater Sundae]

I’m not as anti traffic lights as many are on here, but that might be because of the times I travel along Penistone Road. However, I agree that there can be some improvements but I’m also sure that it will be impossible to satisfy everyone.

 

In the past Planner 1 has explained the high cost of repairing road sensors when they fail, and therefore lights default to a standard (less than ideal, and not variable) operating sequence. IMO, there’s little point in putting in a set of lights if the budget does not include (and ring fence) the expected cost of maintaining the system. If the design was given the go-ahead based on the ability to vary sequence timings to suit traffic conditions, then the cost of maintaining that ability must be included in the decision, otherwise it is a false basis on which the decision was based. It may be that capital costs and maintenance costs are always out of separate pots. If that is the case, the system should be changed. (As an aside, if this is an issue, then the way forward might be the usually derided PFI system, with the operator having a contractual responsibility to ensure equipment is maintained. That way, maintenance money has to be available if he is to achieve availability guarantees embedded in the contract.

 

Some lights are clearly less than ideal. For example, as already mentioned, the one for traffic coming off Claywheels Lane seems to turn to Green even when there is no traffic. This is frustrating for those on the A61. Hopefully the current modifications will tie this junction in with the lights for Leppings Lane, and phase them both accordingly. (Just in passing, if Sainsbury’s are paying for all or part of the new junction, who pays for the upkeep? I presume it will come out of the council’s repairs budget. However, if there is not enough money available, what happens when any new road sensors fail? Will the lights default back to a standard pattern?)

 

The sequencing of lights along Penistone Road is a big issue for many. I’ll declare my interest. I travel northbound in the morning and typically get stopped two or three times (typically Bamforth Street and Parkside Road, I think). On the odd occasion, I’ve even gone from the bottom of Netherthorpe Road without being stopped until Fox Hill Road. Very rarely, though. This is mainly when I travel early in a morning,

 

Its a bigger problem in the evening rush hour, travelling back towards town.

 

I think this can be improved by shortening the operation of green lights for some of the roads joining the southbound carriageway from the left. I don’t know the names of the roads, but some seem to be on a timed sequence regardless of traffic conditions. This may again be down to failure of road sensors forcing the lights into a standard pattern, I don’t know.

 

Some people, on other threads, have called for fewer lights along Penistone Road as a whole. I find it hard to see which could be removed. It might be better for people already on Penistone Road, but what about people emerging at side roads, or people who wish to cross the road?

 

I’m not sure how it can be improved much, even with tidal flow operation of the lights. One person’s tidal flow of green lights is someone else’s red light. If it is sequenced to favour northbound traffic, it will hinder southbound and vice versa. Also, what would be the main flow to favour? Entering Penistone Road northbound, who would be favoured, those arriving from Shalesmoor or those arriving from Netherthorpe Road? Similarly, southbound, would it be traffic from Parkside Road or traffic already on Penistone Road. Meanwhile, you’ve still got to integrate all the other roads that join along the length of Penistone Road, some of which can be busy, eg Owlerton Green, Bradfield Road, Rutland Road, and the exit from Morrisons. Not easy.

 

I think there’s something to be gained from phasing some lights, especially between Morrisons and Owlerton Green (if not alreadysequenced – it usually works well for me when northbound, but not so well when southbound, but that could be due to the time of day I pass), and for better maintenance of sensors at the smaller roads (if that is the problem) to minimise delays to Penistone Road when there is little traffic on the joining roads.

[hellfleet]

There are plenty of traffic signals directing flow onto roundabouts that only run at peak times.

 

 

 

I lived for a while in the Netherlands and I quite like their system for small intersections or large ones where there is an obvious main road the traffic lights go onto flashing amber in the small hours which means on the main road slow down, the side roads treat it as a stop sign.

[Planner1]

Quite right Barry.

 

What I am unable to figure out is whether the council has a policy of being anti-car, or whether they are just hard of thinking when it comes to traffic planning.

As I have said in my previous post, you have to understand the conditions under which the Council has to operate. The Government advise (and by that they mean expect) highway authorities to have traffic signals on 24/7.

 

 

Do you go to other towns and cities and see traffic lights which are only on at peak times? No and I have explained why.

 

The new traffic lights are being put in to improve the current situation, which as mentioned by others, has been unsatisfactory for years, and cope with the additional traffic which the new superamrket will generate. It's exactly the same as you wold expect to see in any town or city and is nothing to do with the Council being anti-car.