The Woodseats Maglev Train moves one step closer... [A61 Road Improvement Plans]

[HeHasRisen]

.... Or not, as the case may be. 

 

BBC News - Major changes to improve journey times proposed
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrlrkzn3xlo

Edited Monday at 15:00 by HeHasRisen

[*_ash_*]

Didn't they do major changes at Woodseats when they narrowed the road? How will a bus lane get through this?

 

If the changes match the millions of pounds wasted on 'improving' Meadowhead roundabout then I doubt have much faith in this. 

 

In fact one of the safety things it mentions is removing the underpass and replacing it with a crossing - wasn't there a thread earlier about crossings and people not using them correctly causing an accident. 

 

 

[AndrewC]

38 minutes ago, *_ash_* said:

In fact one of the safety things it mentions is removing the underpass and replacing it with a crossing - wasn't there a thread earlier about crossings and people not using them correctly causing an accident. 

 

 

 

You've read the article so you'll have seen the quote from the local resident which highlights how underpasses are seen as at best damp, dark, dirty unpleasant places, and at worst dangerous with regards to personal safety/muggings etc.

 

Whether true or not, that's the perception of them, so it leads to people trying to cross the road at surface level where there is currently no crossing facility, in fact there are barriers, so you end up with a more dangerous situation than if there were a decent crossing facility where occasionally a few people still try their luck by crossing without using it.

 

(Long story short - people will try and cross at surface level either way, so might as well build a safe crossing)

Edited Monday at 15:49 by AndrewC

[*_ash_*]

1 minute ago, AndrewC said:

 

You've read the article so you'll have seen the quote from the local resident which highlights how underpasses are seen as at best damp, dark, dirty unpleasant places, and at worst dangerous with regards to personal safety/muggings etc.

 

Whether true or not, that's the perception of them, so it leads to people trying to cross the road at surface level where there is currently no crossing facility, in fact there are barriers, so you end up with a more dangerous situation than if there were a decent crossing facility where occasionally a few people still try their luck by crossing without using it.

 

(Long story short - people will try and cross at surface level either way, so might as well build a safe crossing)

I totally understand your long story short part. 

 

I know you are an expert (or at least very knowledgeable on these things)...

 

This perception of danger in the underpasses could be quite cheaply solved. (I know people get sick of hearing my Asian stories - but also long story short, haha, I see things that are better here in China, Korea and Japan - where I'm currently hopping between)

 

Cameras - CCTV cameras in the underpass, and signs saying that there are CCTV cameras. Actually when I was in Korea, underpasses have lots of lighting, soft music, AND cameras! 

What do you think is the cost difference between this, and filling in that hole safely, AND installing an expensive crossing?

[*_ash_*]

As an aside, actually in Korea, crossing a road without a green man is just NOT done. I've had my hand slapped a few times for being way too British.

[SheffieldForum]

Context:

 

Plans Unveiled to Improve Journey Times on A61 Chesterfield Road in Sheffield

 

Improved pedestrian crossings and extended bus lanes are part of new proposals aimed at easing journey times on the A61, a major route into Sheffield city centre. The council’s Connecting Sheffield scheme seeks to encourage residents to switch to bus travel while enhancing safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

 

Proposed Upgrades for A61 Route

The plans cover a 3-mile (4.8km) stretch of the A61, extending from the Meadowhead roundabout through Woodseats, down past Norton Lees, Meersbrook, and towards Heeley. Key aspects of the proposals include extending bus lanes, adjusting their operating hours, and upgrading bus stops with shelters and real-time service information.

 

Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration, and Climate Policy Committee, said: “We want everyone in Sheffield to be able to get to and from the city centre, whether for work or pleasure, as safely, quickly and cleanly as possible." The proposed changes aim to address frequent congestion on sections of the A61, reduce bus journey times, and improve overall road safety.

Focus on Safety at Meadowhead Roundabout

 

One significant change includes installing new pedestrian crossings at the Meadowhead roundabout to enhance safety for walkers and cyclists. Resident Janice Pursehouse welcomed the move, sharing her experience of witnessing over 60 accidents and near misses at the Greenhill Avenue junction in the past five years. "Drivers don’t understand the junction and think the cars coming from Bradway will stop," she told the BBC. "It’s stressful, every day I think we’re going to hear the thud of another collision.”

Additionally, there are plans to fill in the underpass at Meadowhead and replace it with a pedestrian crossing. Natalie, who works at Sparks Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service, supports the proposal: "Nobody wants to go down the underpass because it’s dark and scary and it floods, so they run across the road instead, which isn’t safe," she told the BBC.

Controversy Over Parking in Woodseats

 

The council's plan to introduce traffic management measures in Woodseats to reduce congestion has sparked concern among local business owners. Proposed changes could involve widening bus lanes and reviewing right turns into side streets, potentially resulting in the loss of up to eight on-street parking spaces.

 

Ange Joe, owner of Unit 1 Hardware Shop and part of the This is Woodseats committee, believes congestion is not the primary issue. "The thing customers complain about daily is the parking," she told the BBC. "There is nowhere to park around here. Congestion doesn’t come up as much."

 

Karen Putland, Managing Director of Williams’s Electrical Shop, agrees that better bus routes are needed but worries about the impact on local businesses.
 

"The road is not wide enough for big bus and cycle lanes," she told the BBC. "I’m concerned that we are hitting the environmental issues and the safety issues to the detriment of the long-standing businesses that have been here for years."

Have Your Say

 

The public consultation on the proposed changes is currently live and will run online until 4 October. Residents can share their views and contribute to shaping the future of transport on this vital route into Sheffield.

[*_ash_*]

2 minutes ago, SheffieldForum said:

Context:

 

Plans Unveiled to Improve Journey Times on A61 Chesterfield Road in Sheffield

 

 

The blue dots says new traffic signal. 

 

I count 18. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

[*_ash_*]

8 minutes ago, *_ash_* said:

As an aside, actually in Korea, crossing a road without a green man is just NOT done. I've had my hand slapped a few times for being way too British.

 

1 minute ago, *_ash_* said:

The blue dots says new traffic signal. 

 

I count 18. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

In Korea, and in big cities in China, the road is full of lights. Crossings turn green or red, and have subtle sounds so visually impaired people can also safely cross, so even playing on your phone, you can see the colour change below you. Why can't England catch up? 

This design looks expensive and no better. It's just someone getting paid to design it, and pay loads of money to workers to build it if they aren't on strike. 

 

 

[northernboy]

There are a lot of good points in the proposal, and a couple that are dubious.

 

updating bus stops to include real time info and seats - good

 

bus priority signalling - they tried this before, it didn’t work, they spent thousands removing it again!

 

trying to address queueing into the retail park - might help

 

replace the subway with a crossing - long overdue

 

new signals for turning right onto Greenhill Avenue - definitely needed!

 

reviewing right-turns into side streets - don’t see the point of this at all

 

moving Binfield Road bus stop out of a lay-by onto main carriageway - why?

 

several proposals for cycling

 

I will be interested to see how much becomes reality.

[BTC43]

What about making facilities for pedestrian walking up West Side of chesterfield Road South past the sports ground to cross Greenhill Main Road Dual carriageway towards the petrol station,