01 April Come Early?

[Silver Sidelines]

Scotland has more strict drink driving regulations than England.  The Maximum speed for HGVs on single carriageway roads is 10 mph lower than in England.

 

Now we have traffic signals to stop speeding.

 

The A75 is part of the Euro Route to Ireland from Dover.  In England it is motorway.  In Scotland it is the A75 which is mostly single carriageway.  The people of Springholm deserve better than stop go traffic lights (which would seem to punish everybody - regardless of who was breaking the law).  There have been bypasses proposed well before the turn of the century - just no money from the Scottish Government.  Why would they fund a road that carries mostly English and Irish traffic?

 

Ray

Edited October 30, 2017 by Silver Sidelines

[Joseph_Pestell]

A bypass would be a better option of course. We have been waiting since 1937 for ours.

 

But in the absence of a bypass, I think that traffic lights to slow down speeding traffic, especially HGVs, is a very good idea. They have them a lot in Spain.

[Titan]

 

 The people of Springholm deserve better than stop go traffic lights (which would seem to punish everybody - regardless of who was breaking the law).

 

This statement tends to suggest you do not understand how they work. Only the law breakers get punished, everyone else gets green lights.

[Mad McCann]

A better idea would be a Austrian/Swiss-style Rollbahn from Gretna to Cairnryan. Probably cheaper than dualling the entire length of the A75, even allowing for gauge enhancements as far as Dumfries on existing infrastructure.

The SG is pretty good at investing in national infrastructure but like other UK administrations, they have to learn to think more beyond road based solutions.

 

D.

[steve1]

We could do with a set of those lights in my village to stop the speeders!

 

steve

[Classsix T]

This statement tends to suggest you do not understand how they work. Only the law breakers get punished, everyone else gets green lights.

I suspect Ray sees a red light, or being behind a recipient of a red light as "punishment".

 

C6T.

[whart57]

Looks a neat idea to me. Drivers will quickly learn that dropping their speed below the limit gets them through the village faster. Just as long as magistrates, or whatever the Scottish equivalent is, give drivers who jump the red light more than a tap on the wrist.

[Silver Sidelines]

Hi Titan

 

You could be right

This statement tends to suggest you do not understand how they work. Only the law breakers get punished, everyone else gets green lights.

I will be interested to see the practice.  My concern is that speeding traffic will cause a temporary hold up to those following on at a legal speed. If an HGV comes to rest it will take time time to start off again - so everybody has to wait.  This of course assumes law breakers do actually stop.

 

At Kirkby Thore on the A66 outside Penrith, which is handling probably a lot of the same traffic, average speed cameras have been installed.  I would say there is a noticeable improvement in driver's behaviour.  I do not feel as though I am being pushed through the village quite like I used to be.

 

Ray

Edited October 30, 2017 by Silver Sidelines

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...The people of Springholm deserve better than stop go traffic lights (which would seem to punish everybody - regardless of who was breaking the law)...

I'd suggest the local residents could object on the grounds of fuel waste and additional air pollution every time a stop is implemented.

[96701]

I'd suggest the local residents could object on the grounds of fuel waste and additional air pollution every time a stop is implemented.

Most speeders in villages are the locals themselves.

[Silver Sidelines]

I think not - not on the A75

Most speeders in villages are the locals themselves.

The A75 is the main route for traffic to and from Northern Ireland and Eire.  The A75 is by far the heaviest trafficked single carriageway road in the UK - in terms of standard axles.  The problem for the villagers of Springholm and Crocketford are the 'platoons' of HGVs from the ferry port of Stranraer (well Cairn Ryan) that are pretty well continuous throughout both the day and night.  The Irish traffic is destined for England and Europe - not Scotland.  I spent a number of years in the 'roads department' of Dumfries and Galloway Council and my personal opinion is that the Scottish Government did not view traffic on the A75 as 'their' problem.

 

Ray

[TheSignalEngineer]

The A75 is the main route for traffic to and from Northern Ireland and Eire.  The A75 is by far the heaviest trafficked single carriageway road in the UK - in terms of standard axles. 

Not sure about that, the figures from Daft seem to show that there is twice as much HGV traffic on the A628 over Woodhead. That is also a main route from Ireland to the European mainland.

When i was chair of a residents group along that route I clocked HGVs at well over 60mph down the hill approaching the bend at the Woodhead Tunnel. When I approached the Police about the situation the Inspector in charge of Traffic said there was nothing they were prepared to do about it as it was too dangerous for his men to go out on that road without it being blocked.

[Silver Sidelines]

The Irish traffic

 

Perhaps the traffic on the A75 is more heavily loaded - I did refer to standard axles.

Not sure about that, the figures from Daft seem to show that there is twice as much HGV traffic on the A628 over Woodhead. That is also a main route from Ireland to the European mainland.

..

It is not so long ago that there was a semi serious suggestion to build a ship canal from the Solway to the Tyne for this very traffic.

 

Ray

[Mad McCann]

Not sure about that, the figures from Daft seem to show that there is twice as much HGV traffic on the A628 over Woodhead. That is also a main route from Ireland to the European mainland.

When i was chair of a residents group along that route I clocked HGVs at well over 60mph down the hill approaching the bend at the Woodhead Tunnel. When I approached the Police about the situation the Inspector in charge of Traffic said there was nothing they were prepared to do about it as it was too dangerous for his men to go out on that road without it being blocked.

 

 

Of course, in terms of local infrastructure, these two locations (along with the previously mentioned Kirkby Thore) have something in common...

 

D

[jonny777]

I think not - not on the A75

The A75 is the main route for traffic to and from Northern Ireland and Eire.  The A75 is by far the heaviest trafficked single carriageway road in the UK - in terms of standard axles. 

Ray

 

 

Really? Have you ever been along the A358 between the M5 and A303?

[Killybegs]

The A75 is by far the heaviest trafficked single carriageway road in the UK - in terms of standard axles.  

 

No way!

[Titan]

Is anyone going to enlighten me as to what the term "standard axles" actually means?

[Silver Sidelines]

Hi Titan

 

It is a term used by highway design engineers to calculate the 'damaging' effect of traffic flows.  Cars due to their light weights have a negligible effect on road wear.  Heavily loaded Goods Vehicles can be very damaging.  If you Google 'Standard Axle' there are links to highway design manuals.  The UK 'bible' (England and Wales) can be found here.

 

As regards the traffic on the A75 I was quoting my old boss who used to say it had particularly heavy traffic loading.  Certainly the A75 is unusual in that the numbers of heavy goods vehicles relative to private cars is very high.

 

Ray

[Jamie]

Wouldn't be surprised to see the A75 rise up Transport Scotland's priority list, after the mammoth A9 and A96 dualling schemes make it out the ground.  What else is also still waiting, and might be higher priority I couldn't say.  Plus who knows what the political will or availability of funds will be by that time.

 

PS: looks like the traffic data to compare your A-roads is openly available - have fun:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/traffic-counts/cp.php?la=Dumfries+and+Galloway#80297

[royaloak]

A bypass would be a better option of course. We have been waiting since 1937 for ours.

 

But in the absence of a bypass, I think that traffic lights to slow down speeding traffic, especially HGVs, is a very good idea. They have them a lot in Spain.

I am sure the residents will be really impressed with the increased pollution and noise from the HGVs slowing down and accelerating away!

[ejstubbs]

But in the absence of a bypass, I think that traffic lights to slow down speeding traffic, especially HGVs, is a very good idea. They have them a lot in Spain.

 

 

They're fairly common in France, too, and I think they work well.  So long as they're signposted so that people know they'll get stopped if they're over the limit, only total t0ssers will actually get stopped.  As for catching people who run the light if it's red: if only some technology existed that could do that...oh, hang on...

[Silver Sidelines]

Whilst this item about Stenna Line is mostly referring to the A77 I would appear that I am not alone in thinking that the A75 is also being short changed.

 

Ray

[Vecchio]

I suspect Ray sees a red light, or being behind a recipient of a red light as "punishment".

 

C6T.

I know this system from living 11 years in Italy. Sometimes you are stopped by a red light because the guy behind you was speeding...

So it doesn't stop only the bad people...

[Silver Sidelines]

An update

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-42495216

Facebook has been full of comments from incensed drivers who have approached the lights at well less than 30mph and have still been stopped!

Transport Scotland / Transerve must think we are all stupid if all that is required is 'minor snagging'.  I wonder if it was sourced in Europe and was calibrated for 30 km/hr as opposed to 30 mph?

Ray
 

[Legend]

Lol I wouldn’t be at all surprised