Do Sheffield City Council Have Something Against Roundabouts ?

[Planner1]

25 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

More specifically, as regards roundabouts, Milton Keynes seems to do alright....

Milton Keynes was a New Town, which was planned and built decades ago when car use wasn’t as high and the needs of motorists were prioritised above pedestrians and no-one thought much at all about the needs of cyclists.

 

Things have changed, I doubt it would be built like that now.

[Planner1]

3 hours ago, Chekhov said:

Surely that'd do for Bracken Hill/Burncross Rd in Chapeltown ? As I said I am surprised there aren't more accidents at that cross roads as drivers have to look in three different directions at the same time, then work out who is going to go.

 

Surely it's just as likely they'd cross anyway rather than wait for the "green man" ?

Speaking as a pedestrian I'd rather walk 20 yards to a Zebra crossing than wait for a green man with no indication how long it'll be since we have never really gone in for light timers in this country. Plus there's always a chance one would be walking down that rod anyway ?

There are visibility problems at Burncross Rd / Bracken Hill. Don’t think a mini roundabout would be a safe option.

 

Signalled pedestrian crossings are much better and safer for people who have disabilities and mobility impairment. They also have specific features to help people with visual impairments.
 

Zebra crossings often aren’t appropriate on busy roads as drivers are reluctant to stop.

[choogling]

Tankersly roundabout on the  A616  Stocksbridge Bypass can be very tricky to drive through I have seen many near misses .The main problem is lane markings that just disappear three into two with no clear path is never a good idea .Five roads go onto the roundabout but only four are controlled by the lights as an added bonus . 

[spilldig]

17 hours ago, HeHasRisen said:

Without looking it up, I would say light controlled flat junctions create less RTAs than roundabouts (even ones controlled by lights). I cant prove this though, maybe I am wrong.

I think you are right. As far as I know America has no roundabouts at all just intersections and there are far less accidents.

[spilldig]

For years First bus were pleading for traffic lights where the 53 bus attempted to cross  the dual carriage way to turn on Lowedges road. Really dangerous, the council always said lack of money prevented it yet they were putting dozens of traffic lights up meanwhile where they were not needed nearly as much. Also  they have school crossing persons on pelican crossings but not on other roads near schools with no pelican crossing.

[Planner1]

23 minutes ago, spilldig said:

For years First bus were pleading for traffic lights where the 53 bus attempted to cross  the dual carriage way to turn on Lowedges road. Really dangerous, the council always said lack of money prevented it yet they were putting dozens of traffic lights up meanwhile where they were not needed nearly as much. 

Often when something is perceived as being dangerous, there aren’t many injury accidents at that location because people take more care due to the perceived danger. Councils are generally interested in treating sites that have multiple collisions over 3-5 year periods resulting in killed or seriously injured casualties. Those are the ones the government are interested in and have performance indicators for.

Do you understand how the council gets money for schemes?

 

The vast majority comes from the government via the mayoral combined authority.

Much of it is scheme specific and can’t be used elsewhere. Most of the funding nowadays is for schemes that promote cycling and walking and public transport, because that is government policy.

 

You might see traffic signals going in other places, but they will be part of larger schemes that the Council have successfully bid for funding to construct ( like bus corridor improvements for example.) Signals also get put in where there are larger developments, paid for by the developer.

 

All of the schemes of any size have to develop a business case that shows why they are being proposed and what value they offer.

 

There are many places that people think would benefit from say traffic signals or a puffin crossing etc. There is only funding to deal with a small fraction of them in any year, so often it can be a very long time from people pointing out that there’s an issue, to something being done about it.

 

Thats just how local government funding works everywhere.

[Planner1]

1 hour ago, spilldig said:

I think you are right. As far as I know America has no roundabouts at all just intersections and there are far less accidents.

That isn’t true. They do have them, there were apparently about 9000 of them in 2021, about a third of the number in the UK. 
 

Over there they are known as traffic/road circles or a rotary.

[Bargepole23]

1 hour ago, spilldig said:

I think you are right. As far as I know America has no roundabouts at all just intersections and there are far less accidents.

2019 figures.

USA 5938 road accidents and 110 road deaths per million people 

UK 1847 road accidents and 27 road deaths per million people 

 

I can personally vouch that USA has at least 1 roundabout, having driven around it.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Bargepole23

[Dannyno]

Columbus Circle, New York:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Columbus+Circle/@40.7681121,-73.9823802,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c258f63a2b3a0f:0xcc6301f5e3cd955b!8m2!3d40.7680797!4d-73.9818957!16s%2Fg%2F11_q1k8k3?entry=ttu

 

US roundabouts database:  https://roundabouts.kittelson.com/

 

The American roundabout revolution:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/11/25/roundabout-revolution-traffic-circles/

Edited August 17, 2023 by Dannyno

[spilldig]

22 hours ago, Bargepole23 said:

2019 figures.

USA 5938 road accidents and 110 road deaths per million people 

UK 1847 road accidents and 27 road deaths per million people 

 

I can personally vouch that USA has at least 1 roundabout, having driven around it.

Ok Bargepole thanks for that. Just that I've personally not seen one over there, but all interesting facts 

23 hours ago, Planner1 said:

That isn’t true. They do have them, there were apparently about 9000 of them in 2021, about a third of the number in the UK. 
 

Over there they are known as traffic/road circles or a rotary.

Ok Thanks Planner.