Hi,

Maybe a picture would help to illustrate how a single roundabout would not work. I could only see two roundabouts working, but I dont think there is enough room. I do think that with lots of markings and flat circular marked centres, they could be effective at slowing people down. I've been over offset junctions down south where you have two highly marked mini roundabouts in close proximity where it was vey effective at slowing everything down. However, there was much more room there.

Road humps are awful things. Bad for the cars, and they create more noise in fact as cars slow down and speed up. I get a lot of noise from the one opposite the school as the lorries go over it in the morning - the empty ones are the worst ! You would seriously regret it if you got several road humps at Horwich End, and so would I ! The school is about as far away from me as the HE traffic lights, so I would get it from both sides.Interestingly, in Furness Vale recently, road humps were an option to try and slow traffic on Yeardsley Lane. There was unanimous rejection of the idea at a public meeting.

The other thing of course is money. The traffic lights 'work' for that junction when they are set up right, so I do not really see DCC spending money on replacing them.The issue of speeding can be tackled and has been tackled with police speedchecks in the past, and you should reraise it as an issue at the next Safer Neighbourhood Team meeting in Whaley.

On the roadmarkings - well, that is how everybody used that junction anyway. You could probably argue that the unusual markings actually slow you down as you consider how to deal with it. Adding some of Parabuilds scissors could be effective in this respect also !

Regarding the drivers and bikers who speed through it when the lights are green, I think they probably did exactly the same before the junction was resurfaced. Nothing apart from the roadmarking has changed. The police should be able to tackle this and catch some of the offenders.

One way of slowing traffic down, not mentioned so far, is to build bays which force traffic into each others path, as in the centre of Chapel. This might be a consideration just beyond the traffic lights on the Whaley side, but it could have the effect of snarling up the town in busy periods, and being ineffective at night in quiet periods, so I remain unsure about it at the moment.

Cheers

Jon.

JonG attached the following image(s):

The advantage of lights over roundabouts is that they hold the traffic further back from the junction so allowing big things more room. With roundabouts you have to be closer to the junction so you can see what is coming. You need good visibility all round for round abouts and I am not sure how far you would you have to come out of Macc road before you can see up Long Hill, I very rarely use Macc road and when I do I let the lights do the thinking for me, anything that helps me at junctions is a bonus.

As for the new layout I can see how it works for just one car from each direction but if there is a queue I would think it would be a nightmare unless people "take turns" but I just cannot see that working. I don't mind being proven wrong because I hope these things are done because statistics prove it is right.

Norm

Edited by user 01 October 2011 13:20:55(UTC)  | Reason: Smelling pistakes

On further observation of the off set juction and the super ariel view supplied by Jon G whom I may say has a superb diplomatic and open minded approach...I can see the problem with a roundabout..or 2 for that matter...However having had a conversation with a good customer who is a manager for the Local Highways and a furtrher chat today with a Locval Driving instructor...the word 'Inteligent Traffic Lightsd' was used a fair bit.....Myself and the 'Instructor' stud outside for awhile observing the traffic flow and he agreed that it was a case of making a quick dash accross to tthe right for Chapel when coming down long hill.  'Intelligent Lights' would observe the busy times and filter this we both thought..

Edited by user 03 October 2011 23:50:57(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

That sounds like good news, thanks Jon.

Can't wait to try them, usually lights are on green for ages until I get there then they turn to red.

I can almost hear that smug tone ....... .. a roundabout was merely a constructive suggestion: discounted upon rational discussion. Noted: the sardonic insinuation a roundabout there could encourage law breaking and possible death: I'm disappointed.

..and, ANY HGV driver who performs a U-turn on a traffic light controlled crossroads of Horwich End's proportion, should have their licence revoked immediately.. no if's, no buts.. That driver would have disregarded any road markings ( of which there were none present ) at the time  he/she performed that illegal manouevre.

Thanks Tyke - do you mean the lights at Horwich End, and that he did a Uturn in the middle of the crossroads! What time/day was this. I'll get onto the Coop and let their HQ know. I doubt they will be very pleased..

Time/date and numberplate would be fine. HGV's can turn further up the road in the layby if they need to.

Cheers

Jon.

Why is the road to Fernilee closed? Result is wagons cannot get to layby even if they bothered.

Norm