Has anyone else had the misfortune of driving around Plymouth recently?
A year ago, Plymouth was a free-flowing city centre. I rarely, if ever, got stuck in traffic.
Now, it's traffic-hell all day, every day. The local council has replaced every underpass with a surface level crossing, added numerous additional surface level crossings, and singled the main route through the city, which used to be a reasonably busy dual-carriageway route.
The result, as you can guess, is gridlock.
One particular road is barely 300 yards long but has no less than 7 traffic light controlled pedestrian crossings. Two of the crossings are so close together that you can fit only 3 cars in the gap between the two crossings.
What are they playing at?
|
|
They've been taking lessons from Ken Livingstone.
|
Maybe the Council get a financial kick-back from Ford, Rover, Toyota, Renault, Nissan, Volvo, Saab, Alfa, Mercedes, VW, Peugeot....
All the extra wear on brakes, gears, clutches etc.
|
|
Doesn't this always happen? Hutber's Law -- "Improvement means Deterioration".
|
Don't know Plymouth, but it's a fair bet that it has a park and ride system that is underused. Could it be that they want to make you so fed up that you will use the buses? So that you can sit in a bus instead of the comfort of your own car. Fat chance
|
|
|
|
"The local council has replaced every underpass with a surface level crossing, added numerous additional surface level crossings"
Pedestrian underpasses are horrible, dingy, intimidating places. Not nice places to be after dark. And unless there's a ramp, no good for a pushchair or wheelchair.
Bristol City Council are proposing to remove them in quite a few locations (in Bristol obviously), mainly for the reduction in crime.
Part of the pendulum swinging back towards the pedestrian i guess.
|
|
I was at Poly in Plymouth in the late 80's (so I guess it could have changed a lot in the last 15+ years). Then, it was a great place to get around by foot because of all the underground walkways. Why on earth would there be any need to screw up the traffic flow. Incredible.
|
|
Just read the thread again properly - they've closed the pedestrian underpasses? Why? I don't recall them being dingy, intimidating or crime ridden - but as I said, a lot can change in 15 yrs. They were big, well lit, decorated (mosiac tiling) and very busy. Surely there is more chance of coming to harm crossing a busy road than using an underpass.
|
Just read the thread again properly - they've closed the pedestrian underpasses? Why? I don't recall them being dingy, intimidating or crime ridden - but as I said, a lot can change in 15 yrs. They were big, well lit, decorated (mosiac tiling) and very busy.
Well lit or not, women tend to avoid them, especially at night -- and that's the headline advice from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, in its guidance on "Personal safety on foot":
Avoid danger spots like quiet or badly lit alleyways, subways or isolated car parks (see www.suzylamplugh.org/tips/safetyonfoot.pdf )
Any subway is going to be quiet at some stage of the day, and when they are installed it's not uncommon for there to be no overground alternative -- so anyone who wants to walk has to use them.
Gimme a bridge or a road-level crossing any day.
|
|
|
|
MR I have the misfortune to live in Plymouth and as you say a year ago it was a free-flowing city.
In fact it could have been described as a model modern city centre, with wide roads/pavements vehicle and pedestrian separation, a reasonable number of car parks etc.
Now it is becoming the ideal 21st century city with inconvenience for drivers and pedestrians alike. The pelican crossings are a nightmare for pedestrians, as when there are a group of people waiting to cross you cannot see the red/green men as they are at waist height, great safety feature, keeps everyone guessing. 5 or 6 new speed cameras have been installed, useless as traffic now crawls along.
However, the local retail parks/supermarkets with adequate free parking are no doubt doing very nicely. The city centre retailers are not impressed.
This is all due to a major rebuilding of one end of the city centre, which is still a work in progress, so it may be perfect when finished. However the progress so far is not encouraging.
|
|
|
I went to Plymouth about a year a go now, where there were road works on a main road goin out ov the city centre goin towards Exeter. Wot was really funny was that i parked in sainsburys multi-storey car park as i didnt bother using the park & ride possibly becuz i didnt know my way round etc etc becuz iv neva been there before & i was just bein curious as anyone would understand (or maybe not!).
After looking around the centre for 2 hours or so i went back 2 my ka thinkin that u pay as u go out ov the car park. So i drove out ov the place, as i approached the parkin attendents booths, they were both empty & both the barriers were open so i got FREE PARKING!!!!! So i was better off not takin the park & ride any way lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
|
|
