50 MPH Speed limit.

[I_S]

[QUOTE 1604745"]
Do you have the figures for number of vehicles on the roads over the last 30 years?
[/quote]

No, for sure that's a major contributory factor to congestion. But if you needed more water would you fit a narrower pipe and drop the pressure?

One roundabout on my commute ~ five years ago rarely involved stopping. Now there are lights before, on & after - the sequence prevents a good run through. A month ago the lights were broken and there was no delay in any direction.

 

[I_S]

[QUOTE 1604748"]
Do you know the consideration given to and the reason for the changes to the road layout in your examples?



[/quote]


I don't know but would speculate that it is to discourage motor vehicles from entering the city. If that is the intention it is badly delivered as cyclists catch the frustration of delayed vehicles. Often I use a ten mile route instead of six , as I can then avoid traffic lights. On my ten mile route there are no strange lanes, lights markings 20mph limits etc. and touch wood I've never had an incident with a vehicle.

 

[subaqua]

[QUOTE 1604750"]
Then you'd be wrong. The priorities for local authorities are safety (because it should be) and traffic flow (because it's essential for the success of a city and because there's huge political pressure to keep the roads moving). Adding traffic lights is not done to put drivers off driving.





[/quote]

no repahsing them is done to do that. Tfl under Red Kens instructions rephased lights just before and just after congestion charging was introduced.

 

[Mad at urage]

[QUOTE 1604750"]
Then you'd be wrong. The priorities for local authorities are safety (because it should be) and traffic flow (because it's essential for the success of a city and because there's huge political pressure to keep the roads moving). Adding traffic lights is not done to put drivers off driving.

[/quote]
Adding traffic lights improves safety? Not always (which I believe is what Davidc is saying). For example:
http://www.thisislon...-roads-safer.do
The "naked streets" concept has been put into practice in Kensington High Street, where there was a 44 per cent drop in accidents in the past two years after road markings and railings were removed.

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Shared_space
http://thecityfix.co...low-and-safety/

http://www.bewiser.c...-public-support
Turning off traffic lights is thought to reduce accidents and congestion. Motorists approaching junctions have to slow down and make eye contact with others. This eye contact makes the situation "social" and reduces frustration while waiting - it also stops motorists thinking in a combative way."

 

[I_S]

[QUOTE 1604750"]
Then you'd be wrong. The priorities for local authorities are safety (because it should be) and traffic flow (because it's essential for the success of a city and because there's huge political pressure to keep the roads moving). Adding traffic lights is not done to put drivers off driving.





[/quote]

So why do traffic lights on roundabouts run outside of the rush hour on empty roads? This causes pollution (start stop driving is very inefficient), delays and reduces traffic flow. Safety isn't improved either.

Cycling at night on an empty road and waiting for a light sequence that nobody else will ever see is very frustrating and pointless. You can see all other directions, nothing can appear but you still wait.

 

[jonesy]

Traffic lights are not installed to discourage traffic, and any attempt to install them for that purpose would actually be illegal these days. The reasons why roundabouts are signalised are usually because they jam up under very congested conditions, often because of an inbalance between flows on the different arms. Mr Paul gives perfectly likely reasons for why this may not work effectively, and why signals remain on outside peak traffic. Sometimes changes in priorities and layout mean that the junction can't revert to unsignalised operation. Signals are also sometimes installed at roundabouts to regulate flow when a juntion feeds a congested motorway or dual carriageway; and sometimes (rarely...) to provide somewhere for pedestrians to cross the road, large roundabouts being particularly dangerous for crossing. Drivers then whinge about the delay, but that's because they would never consider waiting to let a pedestrian cross a side road without being forced to.





DfT Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA 2004)

The Traffic Management Act was introduced in 2004 to tackle congestion and disruption on the road network. The Act places a duty on local traffic authorities to ensure the expeditious movement of traffic on their road network and those networks of surrounding authorities. the Act gives authorities additional tools to better manage parking policies, moving traffic enforcement and the coordination of street works.



http://www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tmaportal/