|
Post by Volvo on Mar 15, 2019 9:30:31 GMT
Great and I have been told as I am remaining a spare I have to learn the 139 and it's things like this as to why I wanted to avoid the route. The H12 and 258 would be my favourites at BT. Yes both are nice routes.
|
|
|
Post by Volvo on Mar 15, 2019 9:31:22 GMT
Great and I have been told as I am remaining a spare I have to learn the 139 and it's things like this as to why I wanted to avoid the route. In which case if you ever do go on the 139 you may get the dubious pleasure of coming across me as a passenger! Well I will be on the 139 at some point, hopefully not very often as I know all the routes here and I am a spare.
|
|
|
Post by kmkcheng on Mar 15, 2019 10:08:01 GMT
In which case if you ever do go on the 139 you may get the dubious pleasure of coming across me as a passenger! Well I will be on the 139 at some point, hopefully not very often as I know all the routes here and I am a spare. So I should be expecting a first class service on my local 142/258 from at least one driver then
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2019 10:47:36 GMT
It doesn't appear to be the all doom and gloom that was predicted, however I wouldn't use the term "vast improvement" I think a lot of drivers still use it the same way, ie Gloucester Place northbound and Baker Street southbound. The big improvement is drivers can now go directly to where they want to get to rather than having to detour because of the one way system and no more race track conditions to encourage boy racers. There are still a number of banned turns and restricted access roads, so I would not call that a " big" improvement. By that basis, any road that has, or at least the space for, two or more lanes in any direction would be considered a race track. The fact that you had traffic lights, joining and diverging traffic, bus stops, parked cars and taxis every couple of hundred yards was irrelevant ...
People will race wherever and whenever they feel like it; be it on one lane or five. One-way systems neither encourage or discourage this behaviour.
|
|
|
Post by Volvo on Mar 15, 2019 10:55:58 GMT
Well I will be on the 139 at some point, hopefully not very often as I know all the routes here and I am a spare. So I should be expecting a first class service on my local 142/258 from at least one driver then Indeed.
|
|
|
Post by redbus on Mar 15, 2019 13:22:13 GMT
It doesn't appear to be the all doom and gloom that was predicted, however I wouldn't use the term "vast improvement" I think a lot of drivers still use it the same way, ie Gloucester Place northbound and Baker Street southbound. The big improvement is drivers can now go directly to where they want to get to rather than having to detour because of the one way system and no more race track conditions to encourage boy racers. The one way system actually got drivers to their destination faster. As has been said the new road layout hasn't increased speeds and traffic light phasing means journeys take longer, so I would be surprised if drivers think the new layout is better. The real 'improvement' for drivers is the removal of the bus lanes, but I would not call that an improvement for buses.
As for boy racers my experience was that Baker Street was no worse than other streets. Given the number of traffic lights on Baker Street and Gloucester Place and the 30 mph speed limit it was not possible to 'race' either before the changes or after without breaking the law. In order stop boy racers you need to enforce the law, not ripping up the roads.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2019 13:32:31 GMT
It doesn't appear to be the all doom and gloom that was predicted, however I wouldn't use the term "vast improvement" I think a lot of drivers still use it the same way, ie Gloucester Place northbound and Baker Street southbound. The big improvement is drivers can now go directly to where they want to get to rather than having to detour because of the one way system and no more race track conditions to encourage boy racers. From observations, the majority of people are still treating the two roads as one-way. Several occasions that I have witnessed almost lead to heads-on collisions with drivers seemingly unable to comprehend the new road layout, driving on the wrong side of the road. Again, I still cannot see the "improvement" here ...
And why if it is an improvement, do we still have these stewards on every street corner? I could understand the need for them on the first couple of days, but more than a week ...
|
|
|
Post by sid on Mar 15, 2019 13:47:28 GMT
I think a lot of drivers still use it the same way, ie Gloucester Place northbound and Baker Street southbound. The big improvement is drivers can now go directly to where they want to get to rather than having to detour because of the one way system and no more race track conditions to encourage boy racers. From observations, the majority of people are still treating the two roads as one-way. Several occasions that I have witnessed almost lead to heads-on collisions with drivers seemingly unable to comprehend the new road layout, driving on the wrong side of the road. Again, I still cannot see the "improvement" here ...
And why if it is an improvement, do we still have these stewards on every street corner? I could understand the need for them on the first couple of days, but more than a week ...
I thought the number of stewards was going to be gradually reduced? Most drivers seem to have no difficultly with the new arrangements. I'm not sure what improvement you are looking for? The new arrangements were never intended to increase traffic speed. I do think that the bus only restriction on Baker Street northbound just before the Marylebone Road junction should be in place 24/7.
|
|
|
Post by sid on Mar 15, 2019 13:50:44 GMT
I think a lot of drivers still use it the same way, ie Gloucester Place northbound and Baker Street southbound. The big improvement is drivers can now go directly to where they want to get to rather than having to detour because of the one way system and no more race track conditions to encourage boy racers. The one way system actually got drivers to their destination faster. As has been said the new road layout hasn't increased speeds and traffic light phasing means journeys take longer, so I would be surprised if drivers think the new layout is better. The real 'improvement' for drivers is the removal of the bus lanes, but I would not call that an improvement for buses.
As for boy racers my experience was that Baker Street was no worse than other streets. Given the number of traffic lights on Baker Street and Gloucester Place and the 30 mph speed limit it was not possible to 'race' either before the changes or after without breaking the law. In order stop boy racers you need to enforce the law, not ripping up the roads.
No roads have been ripped up and I don't think there is any doubt that wide one way roads lead to more excess speed. On a conventional two way road there is usually little opportunity to overtake the vehicle in front.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2019 13:56:34 GMT
From observations, the majority of people are still treating the two roads as one-way. Several occasions that I have witnessed almost lead to heads-on collisions with drivers seemingly unable to comprehend the new road layout, driving on the wrong side of the road. Again, I still cannot see the "improvement" here ...
And why if it is an improvement, do we still have these stewards on every street corner? I could understand the need for them on the first couple of days, but more than a week ...
I thought the number of stewards was going to be gradually reduced? Most drivers seem to have no difficultly with the new arrangements. I'm not sure what improvement you are looking for? The new arrangements were never intended to increase traffic speed. Any that merits the price tag for the scheme. Programmes like this are undertaken for a reason, and the only transport mode that I would say has seen any sort of improved is walking, which would easily have been done, as mentioned before, by just replacing the pavement. How are you ever supposed to believe TfL's "Healthy Streets" initiative when all schemes such as this do is slow and stop traffic more often increasing the prevalence of exhaust fume emissions?!
I suspect Tottenham Court Road will be done much the same way. One lane each way injected with traffic lights ever hundred yards or so.
If these improvements are vast as you say ergo making them obvious, would you care to share these with us?
|
|
|
Post by sid on Mar 15, 2019 14:03:01 GMT
I thought the number of stewards was going to be gradually reduced? Most drivers seem to have no difficultly with the new arrangements. I'm not sure what improvement you are looking for? The new arrangements were never intended to increase traffic speed. Any that merits the price tag for the scheme. Programmes like this are undertaken for a reason, and the only transport mode that I would say has seen any sort of improved is walking, which would easily have been done, as mentioned before, by just replacing the pavement. How are you ever supposed to believe TfL's "Healthy Streets" initiative when all schemes such as this do is slow and stop traffic more often increasing the prevalence of exhaust fume emissions?!
I suspect Tottenham Court Road will be done much the same way. One lane each way injected with traffic lights ever hundred yards or so.
If these improvements are vast as you say ergo making them obvious, would you care to share these with us?
Not everything revolves around motor vehicles, it's about making a better environment for cyclists and pedestrians, it also means that in most cases buses can use the same road in both directions, the 2,30 and 74 are exceptions, but bus passenger will be able to get on and off southbound buses in Tottenham Court Road and not have to treck to or from Gower Street.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2019 14:07:18 GMT
Any that merits the price tag for the scheme. Programmes like this are undertaken for a reason, and the only transport mode that I would say has seen any sort of improved is walking, which would easily have been done, as mentioned before, by just replacing the pavement. How are you ever supposed to believe TfL's "Healthy Streets" initiative when all schemes such as this do is slow and stop traffic more often increasing the prevalence of exhaust fume emissions?!
I suspect Tottenham Court Road will be done much the same way. One lane each way injected with traffic lights ever hundred yards or so.
If these improvements are vast as you say ergo making them obvious, would you care to share these with us?
Not everything revolves around motor vehicles, it's about making a better environment for cyclists and pedestrians, it also means that in most cases buses can use the same road in both directions, the 2,30 and 74 are exceptions, but bus passenger will be able to get on and off southbound buses in Tottenham Court Road and not have to treck to or from Gower Street. I do agree for cars, however buses should still have reasonable priority in these schemes. Buses should go hand-in-hand with cycle and pedestrian schemes. With regards to Baker Street, I'm surprised the trick to install segregated cycle lanes was missed, and not like there wasn't room either!
|
|
|
Post by sid on Mar 15, 2019 14:11:44 GMT
Not everything revolves around motor vehicles, it's about making a better environment for cyclists and pedestrians, it also means that in most cases buses can use the same road in both directions, the 2,30 and 74 are exceptions, but bus passenger will be able to get on and off southbound buses in Tottenham Court Road and not have to treck to or from Gower Street. I do agree for cars, however buses should still have reasonable priority in these schemes. Buses should go hand-in-hand with cycle and pedestrian schemes. With regards to Baker Street, I'm surprised the trick to install segregated cycle lanes was missed, and not like there wasn't room either!
I agree about priority for buses wherever possible hence my suggestion of making the bus only restriction on Baker Street 24/7.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2019 14:16:03 GMT
I do agree for cars, however buses should still have reasonable priority in these schemes. Buses should go hand-in-hand with cycle and pedestrian schemes. With regards to Baker Street, I'm surprised the trick to install segregated cycle lanes was missed, and not like there wasn't room either!
I agree about priority for buses wherever possible hence my suggestion of making the bus only restriction on Baker Street 24/7. I think that has to be there otherwise it becomes impossible to access Melcombe Street (one-way westbound) and Siddons Lane (one-way northbound, off Melcombe Street) from the south.
|
|
|
Post by redbus on Mar 15, 2019 15:15:33 GMT
The one way system actually got drivers to their destination faster. As has been said the new road layout hasn't increased speeds and traffic light phasing means journeys take longer, so I would be surprised if drivers think the new layout is better. The real 'improvement' for drivers is the removal of the bus lanes, but I would not call that an improvement for buses.
As for boy racers my experience was that Baker Street was no worse than other streets. Given the number of traffic lights on Baker Street and Gloucester Place and the 30 mph speed limit it was not possible to 'race' either before the changes or after without breaking the law. In order stop boy racers you need to enforce the law, not ripping up the roads.
No roads have been ripped up and I don't think there is any doubt that wide one way roads lead to more excess speed. On a conventional two way road there is usually little opportunity to overtake the vehicle in front. What can lead to excess speeds is multiple lanes rather than one-way roads. Ripping up the road is an expression, have said that parts of Gloucester Place / Baker Street have literally been ripped up in that those parts are no longer roads with tarmac.
As I say the way to deal with boy racers is to enforce the law. I don't think the right solution to boy racers is to remove bus lanes and make the bus experience worse for passengers. Bus passengers should not have to suffer because no one can be bothered to enforce the law against a few boy racers.
|
|