Temp. traffic lights

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There are currently two sets of temporary lights on my commute at the moment. What happens during rush hour?
lots people jump the red even after a good 5 to 10 seconds!

What do the people do at the other end where the lights are green?
Say "sod this and all go".

What happens?
The cars all meet mid point, and by the time they realise what's happening, there all stuck in a right mess.

I have witnessed this 3 times this week. One of the times I cannot see how they could have cleared the mess without the police being called to make people back up.

Do I laugh as I pass them all?
Damn right I do, I also give them a good slow shake of the head! Idiots.
 

JamesAC

Senior Member
Location
London
It used to frustrate me in the days I commuted by 'bus. On the route, there were some long-standing road works with temp TLs. From the top deck of the 'bus you could see it happening: cars coming the opposite direction were still entering the section as "our" TL turned green - traffic moves off: head on standoff.

Now, I just cycle past it!

Cheers
J
 

Amanda P

Legendary Member
This can be a real problem for bikes.

When the workmen set up the lights, they estimate how long it will take motor traffic to get through the single-lane section, add a few seconds and set the lights cycle to that long.

When you arrive on your bike, and it takes you a bit longer to pant up the hill than it would a car, you get half-way through the single-lane section only to meet a lorry coming the other way, filling the road from hedge to hedge. You can bet the lorry ain't going to reverse, but there's nowhere for the cylist to go....

"Beam me up, Scotty".
 

Maz

Guru
Uncle Phil said:
"Beam me up, Scotty".
...Or maybe "Go, go, gadget 'copter!"

inspector1.jpg
 

snapper_37

Barbara Woodhouse's Love Child
Location
Wolves
Uncle Phil said:
This can be a real problem for bikes.

I agree UP, especially us cyclists who are slighty hill-inept :biggrin: Oh the shame of hearing 'come on fat arse' whilst struggling up a hill in single file traffic, followed by white vans for 1/2 a mile! :blush:
 

Amanda P

Legendary Member
It could be worse. In 2006 they were digging up the road south into the hills from Glen Coe, with a convoy system and one-way traffic for three or four miles, steep uphill all the way: clicky.

We were going down, so we would actually like to have gone faster than the prevailing speed. The other tourists we passed labouring up must have had long queues of steaming traffic breathing fumes down their necks...

The funny thing was that there's only one road across Rannoch Moor. Having cycled forty-odd miles across the moor past the last junction, we came upon a sign telling us that, because of the roadworks, "cyclists are advised to seek another route".

Now you tell us!?
 
Arghhhhh don't get me started about temporary lights.They seem to be scattered everywhere on my commute.The most famous ones being on Southwark Bridge at the moment.I now avoid Southwark Bridge till they are gone.Went two different ways via Bank the other week and what did I bump into?

More blasted sets of temporary lights.

How many bloody roadworks have the got going at the moment in London? 500?
They are even digging up my road and sticking new water pipes in.I reckon they will find dinosaurs imbedded in those pipes.
 

Maz

Guru
You get more roadworks round here at this time of year than at any other time...apparently, the council needs to spend their remaining budget allocation for road repairs etc before the end of the financial year if they want to get at least the same amount (if not more) for the following year.
 

cannondale boy

Über Member
Today last mile of my journey coming up to temporary traffic lights no traffic behind me and was first in the queue to wait at the red light.

As i was waiting some traffic came from behind me waiting...but the driver that was behind me decided to edge further forward and tried to overtake me. At this point i thought, this guy will try his luck and try and over take me.

He did try and overtake but i was having none of it as i had priorty...i was crusing at 15+mph, so for all the time it took for him to wait would of been 5 seconds off his journey :smile:. I just wish drivers would be a little more patient.
 

Trillian

New Member
worst i've had was when driving a mini bus through a set, i'd stopped back a little from the queue of traffic so i didn't block the bus that was about to come through, so four cars just over take me and half block it, i pulled out on the fifth and just blocked the road totally otherwise i'd not have gotten through.
 

Plax

Guru
Location
Wales
Maz said:
You get more roadworks round here at this time of year than at any other time...apparently, the council needs to spend their remaining budget allocation for road repairs etc before the end of the financial year if they want to get at least the same amount (if not more) for the following year.

Our council likes putting in speed bumps to offload all their "spare" cash round this time of year. They also seem keen on inventing their own special kind of one-way systems with the odd roundabout thrown in for good measure. All in the name of alleviating traffic congestion. Funny that congestion actually *increases* afterwards.
 
OK, so last night as comming home there was a tailback of at least a mile at one of the sets of temp traffic lights. As I got nearer to the front I asked a WVM who had his window open if they were working. He informed me that he had been there for ages. So I toddle up to the front of the queue and there's a guy on a moped, I ask him the same question and he gives the same reply. I then jokingly ask if he's going to jump the red light, to which he answers "you first". So I thought what the hell and went for it, only to be followed by the moped, the WVM and about 20 other cars!!!! I found it amusing that they all waited for a cyclist to jump them before they did.

BTW the lights at the other end were red as well with an equally large line of traffic. I think someone would have been getting a bollocking this morning!!!
 
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