Never learn lessons about Highways

I published a post in February about the three-way lights set-up in Dunley Road, how being manually controlled meant there was no requirement for them; how they could work well provided that those in control were monitoring the end with the majority of the traffic. Well guess what they've just set-up on Dunley Road? Another three way set of lights. Not in the same place I might add, and not even in the same circumstances - it's worse.

In this instance the third part is at Areley Lane a barely used carriageway. The controlling lights once again however are just at the end of this so the situation is identical, but with even less traffic to monitor at the third point. Amusingly (or not) lights had already been placed at exactly this same point - two sets of lights and everything worked with no problem. Not content with making the delays longer the contractors monitor the controls from only the Areley end and as they're positioned on a bend they can't see the either of the other two exits without walking around to take a look.

That's fine in the morning when that's the way most of the traffic flows, but in an evening.... well let's just say that the 3.5 queue mile running through the town last night demonstrated how well that worked.

Road Closure, but where?

Once again it sesms our County Highways department are provided only the vaguest of information regarding road closures. Earlier this month traffic was being turned away from Hartlebury Road by a "Road Ahead Closed" sign despite the fact that it was quite possible to continue up to at least Millfields Drive and Wilden Lane.

They did eventually put up a sign about a shop way further up still being open, but I bet those on Wilden Lane weren't exactly chuffed.

Now it's the turn of the A4025 upon which a sign has appeared once again stating that the road ahead will be closed from the 10 April for 6 days. So again at what point will it be closed? Will it be possible to reach the Common, Cook's Garden Centre, Sandy Lane Industrial Estate, Chadwick Bank etc.?

How many people heading to Cook's etc. will take the diversion and find themselves on the wrong side of the works?

I swear those setting these things out have no little to no comprehension of how people actually use the roads they're shutting down. Actually I've just confirmed that because as of this moment they don't know where the work is going to be carried out.

Awesome.

[Update - hah the sign has now been removed. Either it's been moved to a more appropriate place (but the entrance to a road with no major exits is the right place); they've cancelled the work; or they'll suddenly reappear with a more descriptive message]

[Update 2 - They've cancelled the work]

Three way traffic light analysis

The road-works at Dunley Road in Stourport have switched back to three-way traffic lights; however it appears they're being properly manned this time. The joke in this instance is that the fact they're being manned means the redundancy of having three sets of lights. Allow me to explain.

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When the logical road solution isn't always the right one.

Water pipe replacement work is being carried on in Stourport at the moment necessitating a set of controlled traffic lights to allow traffic through as these sit at a three-way junction it would seem logical to put up a set of three way traffic lights. Instead a set of two-way were placed at the junction itself; yesterday they were switched out for a three-way set and this morning back to a two-way. The question is why?

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How the new Tesco road fails

For the first time since the new bridge for Tesco opened we've had a confluence of events that resulted in traffic being commensurate with that which can be expected with a new housing development and a superstore.

If, in simplistic terms, one considers Stourport as a crossroads last night one 'arm' was closed and another slowed down by traffic lights leaving traffic building up through town and beyond. I decided to slip off down the new route and see how it would stand up. What I discovered was some major flaws in its layout

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Xmas driving

So is it xmas that creates bad drivers or is just the same percentage with more traffic?

Entered the Crossley car park to find a driver coming round the corner on the wrong side. Managed to stop for the car indicating left as they turned right around the island. Watched a car speed past before cutting in to turn left. Got stuck as a van blocked the road trying to turn right from a side road onto the main. Pulled up behind the car that had sped past me and was now waiting to turn right.

And that was just this morning.

Only in Russia? Nope pretty much anywhere

Driving back to work I headed up Vale Road towards the infamous filter/merge Gilgal. A stream of traffic heading into the left-hand lane, but I noted that if I slowed slightly I'd reach the junction at a point I'd be able to slip into the large gap after a white van at the end of the line. Well I would have, if a red car hadn't accelerated sharply to catch up with the end of said line.

I reached the junction as planned and slipped slowly and carefully into the right-hand lane putting me at a point behind the white van and just ahead of the red car both on the left. They were obviously travelling faster than I as they didn't have a sharp corner to negotiate and so both pulled ahead. The red car indicated and pulled in front of me. I indicated and switched to the right.

The red car then wavered and switched back in front of me, put on more acceleration to overtake another red car in front of them (who must have pulled over some time ago from the original stream) and then indicated and slammed themselves between the white van (on the left) and the other red car (on the right).

What a pillock

Traffic lights start to fail.

They came on line sometime Friday afternoon and as of yesterday the uppermost red light has failed. In terms of usage they are definitely weighted towards the Mitton Road side. I sat at the Severn Road exit watching nothing driving up that side until finally they registered that fact just in time to stop the traffic.

So far I've driven through the main Mitton-side set 19 times and on all but two occasions they've either been red or switching from red with queues forming in the right-hand lane back to the Chinese takeaway. So not bad but that's with only the normal levels of traffic and without the addition of both a superstore and a new housing estate being added next year.

On the plus side the new bridge is indeed open and is a pleasant enough short-cut with the wait at the lights not being far too dissimilar to waiting at the island. Of course one has to sit in the queue to reach the turn-off in the first place and once this new route becomes established as an alternative no doubt queues will start to form up from here too. Likewise in theory this provides an alternative to Vale Road and the dreaded Gilgal, with the only downside being trying to get out of Discovery Road at the other end.

The start of the traffic jams

At some point on Friday afternoon the traffic lights at the junction of Severn Road and Mitton Street were switched on; about time to. Now we can all get an idea of how much of a problem this is causing without the added traffic from a housing estate and a supermarket.

I will say the change from amber to red seems far too quick given their positions. I approached the corner on green, started to turn it on amber and came to a halt on red. In this case the red light was to allow a vehicle out from Severn Road... except they weren't exiting they were parked outside a house. I can see that being a problem.

On the other hand in a spot of good news the lights that block Mitton Street and the lights that block the entrance to Severn Road seem to be linked so their hopefully won't be a case when the lights on Mitton are red and the lights to Severn are green; on the downside if they're also linked the other way it means all of Mitton being blocked when someone wants to cross Severn Road. If they're not linked in that way it'll block off the left-hand side of Mitton should someone be wanting to turn.

Well now they're up and running we'll see how they fare.

Birmingham Road Kidderminster Road Plans

Just a quicky as per this article in the Shuttle regarding the roadworks currently ongoing at the Birmingham Road the plans are not available online. To that end here they are :-)

So it seems these "traffic islands" are in fact concrete pads. Oh and love the "For reference purposes only. No further copies may be made" despite the fact this is supposedly a public document by our council.

For dating purposes the original document in PDF form was created on the 1st of October.

The Stourport Tesco bypass

Writing about the never-ending works that seem to be bodging up our town in the name of Tesco the totally complete and utterly finished link that by-passes the OGL/Chain Wyre island still isn't open. Nor the lights at the mouth of Severn Road that's supposed to control it.

Of course if the lights were currently operational it would be a wonderful display of just how truly $#!%^*%-up everything could get if someone were to, say, shut-down part of the road network by blocking an exit.

As an aside due to everything being in place the current Stop marker at the exit of Severn Road is supposedly acting as a Give Way; however due to its placement the only way traffic can see if they don't have to Give Way is to not Give Way drive over it and stop at the point where the original Give Way markings used to be.

Yet more Tesco roadworks

Yes I knew about the prohibition on turning right from Mitton Street into Vale Road, it just completely slipped my mind until I got caught up in all the damn traffic. Big surprise diverting a big chunk of traffic directly through the town causes problems.

I could point out that this is the first time they've done so since they've unofficially confirmed York Street into a single lane by creating a parking bay opposite all the other parking bays, but given everyone ignored the restrictions anyway that's made no difference.

I could get annoyed that despite closing down the right-hand lane into which the traffic from Gilgal flows traffic from Worcester Road is still stopping to let them cross the lanes; particularly as I've noted that more and more traffic aren't stopping any more; although they are obviously slowing down due to the the speeding traffic and the truly stupid tight turn imposed on them.

I could scratch my head over the "yet another set of Tesco roadworks" given that this set of lights have been operational for several months now and I have no idea why they'd need to dig up the road again.

But I won't do that ;-) However yesterday we did have a clear "Seriously?" moment.

As mentioned they've shut down the right-hand lane of Mitton Street to stop the idiots charging up round the corner and slamming to a halt. So all traffic proceeds along the left-hand lane... except yesterday. Yesterday everyone was channelled into the left-hand lane as expected until they rounded the corner at which point they were all channelled into the right-hand lane and then back into the left. Why? Because they'd parked a construction vehicle on the left.

Now this wasn't a case of parking it there so they could access the traffic lights on that side of the road further from where they were working because the cones didn't extend far enough to allow it to drive against the flow. At some point someone would have to stop the traffic to let it out. So why not park it on the right and still stop the traffic to let it across? I'm guessing because it was working on the left and that's SOP.

But still seriously?

B4025 Cat's Eyes

I don't know what's going on with the B4025 Worcester Road running out of Stourport but as you approach the Sandy Lane Industrial Estate turn off all the cat's eyes embedded in the road surface seem to have raised up. They're not newly fitted ones as the metal surrounds are rusted, but they're all sitting proud of the road by about an inch with right-angled metal brackets.

Turn off and it's like driving over cobbles.

First group's bus drivers in Stouport

Via their contact form:

To Whom it may concern.

Could you please remind those drivers who pass through Stourport that both Gilgal and Mitton Street are filter and merge systems and as such the multiple entrances to either have no Give Way signs.

To that end your vehicles travelling from Minster Road into Gilgal only have right of way in the left-hand lane; and from Gilgal to Mitton Street in the right-hand lane. Should other traffic from Vale Road or Worcester Road respectively be attempting to use the other lane they have right-of way within that lane.

If your vehicles cannot enter without encroaching on the other side it is they who should be stopping not the other vehicle.

I'm just getting fed-up of the buses charging down from either Minster Road or Gilgal ans sweeping straight into the other lane as if they had right-of way. Hell I'm fed-up of all the traffic sweeping down as if they had right of way, but bus-drivers should have had better training.

Resurfacing making things worse?

Torrential rain on the way home last night and once again the old Chain Wyre/new OGL island formed its own moat. Yet I don't recall this happening in the past. In fact there's a couple of places that seem to be getting 'puddled up' more than they used to and drawing a connection it seems to be where the road itself or a road nearby has been resurfaced.

Are these actions altering the flow of water and directing it to areas that never used to get it? It may seem a stupid question but are those who do the work taking into account where the drainage is and directing the cambers in that direction?

Anyone else noticing more water forming in areas that never used to? Has that road been resurfaced lately?

From Kidderminster to Stouport video

A surprisingly quiet trip. On any other day when I wasn't filming it's chock.

And then my camera fell off its mounting just as I'm about to get stuck in town due to the parking. Managed to grab it off the dash and drop it onto the passenger seat. Couldn't turn off the recording though until I was parked up. I found a neat little editor for Android called VidTrim; not as intuitive as it could be (am I clipping out the bit I've highlighted or keeping it?) but it's simple enough and free.

Pedestrian crossing causes stopped traffic

We all knew it was going to happen. Well I say "all" obviously not for the engineers who fitted the pedestrian lights to the junction of Mitton Street and Vale Road; just the people whose opinion doesn't matter - the people who use that road.

Someone decided to cross the road at this junction and quite correctly used the pedestrian crossing provided for that very function - it stopped all the traffic in Mitton Street.

'But isn't that the purpose of a set of lights?' I hear you ask. Well yes but Mitton Street is a one-way street with two lanes. The right turns at a 90° to the right into Vale Road, the left does the same but to the left into York Street. Only passage to the right can be blocked.

So why did the left-hand lane traffic stop too? Because of the placement of the lights. Due to the sharp bends and narrowness of the road the right-hand lights need to be placed so that they are viewable to oncoming traffic from a distance down the road that means the one pole has been set-up to be almost directly in the middle of the splitting triangle that directs traffic left and right.

Traffic approaching in either lane sees only one traffic light in front of them and instinctively obey it when red. The joke is that the engineers have switched the green light for one of the permitted variants with an arrow pointing to the right; except that's not needed as there is no point at which traffic may move to the right when it can't to the left. However as there is no permitted alteration of the red indicator it's simply a solid red and appears to block off both lanes to those who don't spot that there is no supporting signal post on the other side of the left-hand lane.

As a vehicular user we're trained to obey the light signals and when red we stop unless there is a clear indication (such as a filter arrow) that we can proceed. No such indication exists here it's merely a lack of signals.

Oh joys and the supermarket for which all these have been created isn't even being built yet.

A4025 resurfacing

This has kind of been a balls-up from the start. The newspaper declaration said there was an "anticipation" that it would be closed for "5 days within a 5 week period commencing 1 July 2012", but the signs stated it would be closed overnight between the 9th and the 15th; which then changed to between the 10th and the 13th.

Lo and behold work was done last night. Well I say work. Given that they were supposedly shutting down the whole road I would be expecting them to work on the whole road; or perhaps just one lane of it. So far they've resurfaced half of one lane... in segments.

Now sure they need to have it reopened by the morning and in a fit state to drive on, but it's obviously not as if they were running out of time - they've resurfaced around six sections of half a lane with non-resurfaced gaps between so there's no obvious time constraint for, say, resurfacing the entire width of the road in one segment before moving to the next.

Given the period they're working in, the length they're supposedly dealing with and the amount they've done already this looks like another square patch job albeit on a slightly larger scale. Certainly explains the yellow painted boundary corners painted on the road - that's all they're doing.

Can you say false economy?

Rain and drain

I've said it in 2008, twice, and again in 2009, but with all this rain coming down I think it needs to be asked again - Does anyone else think that our drains not being able to cope with all the water corresponded with the privatisation of the water companies?

Now sure it may be that we're just having more rain; it may be rose-tinted glasses, it may be all the additional tarmac being spread around; but I just don't recall there being these swathes of water washing back and forth around our streets until the methods of removing it were all placed into private hands.

Habituated Stourport traffic

You can tell what's wrong with Stourport when they shut down two lanes of Vale Road leaving only the right of way from the town open and it's the town traffic that backs up and not the traffic heading into the two closed lanes.

Despite the very large signs informing drivers that it is those two lanes that are closed, traffic was still stopping at the entrance to let them through because they themselves wanted to get into the lane that was closed.

Everyone's just got so used to stopping here as with Gilgal and Mitton Street that even when they are given the right of way they still stop.