Penistone Road!

[Justin Smith]

Gordon Bennet.....

I hate driving (particularly in the rush hour) so much that I walk to work, apart from Saturday morning when I can drive to work in 5 min flat. But the traffic on Pensistoe Rd this Saturday morning was HORRENDOUS..... The inside lane in particular (ironically, but quite usually in these instances, the one which wasn`t blocked of ! ) just was not moving, it was significantly slower than walking but I couldn`t get out of it even if I wanted to because I was turning left at the bottom of Bamforth St. In fact the inside lane only started moving at more or less walking pace when a car purposefully moved into the outside lane and drove along at the same speed as the inside lane to even it up.

The cause of all this trouble which caused a 3/4 mile queue (or more) ?

Work on the central refuge at the bottom of Bamforth St thus cutting down the lanes at the traffic lights, the critical point !

Is it really necessary to close an entire lane whilst working on the central refuge ? Can`t they just narrow the lane to (quite reasonably) give themselves some protection from the traffic ?

 

---------- Post added 28-02-2015 at 09:25 ----------

 

In answer to an earlier question :

 

I phoned Sheffield City council who got Amey (the contractors) to phone me back. An unexpected but welcome example of good "customer" service !

 

The works on Pensitone road are due to run on until March 2015.

 

The rules from Sheffield City Council Highways is that there must be two lanes of traffic open from 6.00AM to 7.00PM, though I know for a fact they do shut the lanes before 7.00PM because we`ve been caught up in the tailbacks. Amey admitted the 7.00PM threshold can be "flexible" +/- 10 to 15 minutes. This is unfortunate because if it were 7.00PM strict then drivers would have the option to use the Tram Gate which definitely doesn`t open till 7.00PM, to the second !

Amey are also allowed to shut one lane any time on Sunday, which is interesting because even the Amey chap admitted that outside of the peak hours Sunday is just as busy, possibly more busy, than a weekday !

Edited February 28, 2015 by Justin Smith

[carosio]

At 3.45pm yesterday it took me nearly 20mins to get from a position opposite the pork shop on Pen.Rd to Malin Bridge, it's usually very busy at this time but yesterday was a complete lock up, and there were no road works. I suspect the re-opening of the bridge at the bottom of Walkley Lane was a factor.

[s6chris]

I also got caught up in the traffic this morning - it was laughable that the cause of the queue (which at 8:45 was already back to Owlerton) was about 30 yards of lane 2 being closed to protect the workmen that were working behind the railings in the central reserve. I'm all for protecting the safety of roadworkers etc but it was almost as if they'd only done it to take the mickey out of drivers

[Justin Smith]

I also got caught up in the traffic this morning - it was laughable that the cause of the queue (which at 8:45 was already back to Owlerton) was about 30 yards of lane 2 being closed to protect the workmen that were working behind the railings in the central reserve. I'm all for protecting the safety of roadworkers etc but it was almost as if they'd only done it to take the mickey out of drivers

 

To be fair I think they were (or had been) also working on the pavement area, but your point still applies more or less.

The huge congestion (on a Sat morning, I was amazed) was because it was the critical section where the traffic lights are. You can close down a D/C to one lane and often get away with it, so long as you don`t reduce the capacity at the bottle necks, the latter being almost always the junctions. I don`t see why they couldn`t just have narrowed the outside lane and temporarily banned HGVs/wide vehicles from it, or alternatively took the traffic lights out of action (hardly any traffic comes down Bamforth St at that time on a Sat Morning) and replaced them with a manually controlled set.

Oh yes, I do know why they didn`t do it, because it`d have been a bit more complicated and/or cost a bit more money. So they inconvenience hundreds of people (possibly thousands actually) because they`re not bothered, basically.

 

---------- Post added 28-02-2015 at 13:53 ----------

 

If the council believes this, then they should change the speed limit of course.

 

Come on Cyclone, you know full well that the council actually wants to make residential areas 20mph but it costs money, money they`re very short of.

I have to say I think even 20mph is too fast for Fielding Rd / Bickerton Rd / Vere Rd and the others in that area they`re all narrow residential roads with cars parked on both sides.

 

Any driver that thinks you can drive at the default speed limit for any road regardless of any conditions (not that I`m saying you think that) shouldn`t actually be on the road at all.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Justin Smith

[bazjea]

At 3.45pm yesterday it took me nearly 20mins to get from a position opposite the pork shop on Pen.Rd to Malin Bridge, it's usually very busy at this time but yesterday was a complete lock up, and there were no road works. I suspect the re-opening of the bridge at the bottom of Walkley Lane was a factor.

 

As the bridge at the bottom of Walkley Lane, reopened just before Christmas.

I fail to see how this would be a factor nearly 2 months later.

[carosio]

As the bridge at the bottom of Walkley Lane, reopened just before Christmas.

I fail to see how this would be a factor nearly 2 months later.

 

As you have pointed out that the bridge has been open for two months, I also fail to see how it could have been a factor:)

[bazjea]

As you have pointed out that the bridge has been open for two months, I also fail to see how it could have been a factor:)

 

Have I misread your original post you clearly state

 

Quote

 

" I suspect the re-opening of the bridge at the bottom of Walkley Lane was a factor."

[carosio]

Have I misread your original post you clearly state

 

Quote

 

" I suspect the re-opening of the bridge at the bottom of Walkley Lane was a factor."

 

No, you read it correctly, I was being facetious! I didn't realise it had been open that many weeks. I've used that route 3 or 4 times since December and yesterday afternoon was by far the worst.

[Arthur Ritus]

At the end of the day a new bridge needs putting in from clay wheels lane to middle wood road.

It would eliviate load from leppings lane and jawbone hill (thats its name not stupid cotes du oughtibridge, this is still england whats left of it). If any thing serious happens to one of those bridges then it will be gruesome.

 

It would stop traffic from sainsburieds crossing penistone road twice to go on leppings lane.

Increase business to sainsburieds as people would call in as passing and more customers would be attracted from north/east of the river.

Reduce congestion on leppings lane (bus stops and parked cars reduces it to one lane.

Reduce congestion on penistone road/herries road junction caused by vehicles backing up onto the junction and blocking it from constricted leppings lane.

Reduce congestion on four lanes junction.

Reduce traffic on jawbone hill.

Be a back up river crossing for when other crossings have to be closed

 

If some one wanted to be really clever they would use the railway bridge as a vehicular crossing when the once a day train isn't using it which i don't think is ever at busy traffic times. Traffic wanting to go right from claywheels would go over the bridge and off on a road off through kilner way on down penistone road never interfering with traffic zooming up penistone. Sure there would still have to be a junction for right turning traffic from claywheels but with a much reduced quantity of traffic the timings would be much more favorable.

At the other end the link road could come down along side win gardens pinching a bit of the sports field onto clay wheels and a new slip up onto the railway track (tarmacked level although driving over the the sleepers wouldn't be that much more bumpy than some of the potholed roads:roll:. Automated barriers to close it off 30mins before the train comes through to give plenty of clearance.

[autumn]

Just driven back from Sainsbury's and unless my eyes deceived me Parkside rd is open in both directions .