Don't believe everything you read

[Kimosabe]

Brightons over zealous and often daft council has recently placed bus lane markings on Lewes road. To my amazement, the bus lanes are not legally enforceable until the whole regeneration scheme is complete. So it's written large on the road but not signed at all.


http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10405843 ... le/?ref=ar

[Hiijinx]

Makes me glad I don't live in Brighton ... oh wait ...

[fungus]

Aren't you lucky to have a car hating green council.

[Hiijinx]

Aren't you lucky to have a car hating green council.

What hurts even more is the fact I voted for them!

[Standard Dave]

Aren't you lucky to have a car hating green council.

What hurts even more is the fact I voted for them!

You're not alone there are the car hating tram obsessed council in Nottingham and then the just car haters of Cambridge.

[Kimosabe]

Seems counterproductive to make driving even more awkward when the tax levied against road fuels and car owners is so high.

So the Council refused to either remove or sign the Lewes Road bus lane correctly. It's totally unenforceable too. Maybe the Council needs to find people picnicking in the 'bus lane'? Is driving at 10mph for no good reason a DCA offence?

[Hiijinx]

Its becoming obviously clear that they have no clue about road safety from a car drivers point of view. They not so recently changed the Falmer B2123 road from a 40 to a 30 due to a high school which has been there for about 40 years (of which I have never heard of any incidents). They refused the suggestion of timed restrictions due to the possibility of "human error", ie unable to tell the time. A "School, slow down when lights flash" sign was apparently too expensive as are repeater signs it seems as the entire 2 mile or so stretch of road is unsigned meaning local drivers havent even realised the speed change.

All this aside I found out first hand just how ineffective a lowered speed limit can be on a road which speeds could and should be much higher. Driving at the speed limit with half a dozen impatient drivers behind, despite all my advanced lessons, I found myself becoming complacent and not checking my mirrors as often as I should, almost day dreaming wondering if I could get out and walk faster. How is this supposed to be safer?

I read a wonderful quote in a John Lyon book recently which I think rings vey true,

"We need to be inspired to improve, not restricted"

[jont]

Its becoming obviously clear that they have no clue about road safety from a car drivers point of view.

The problem fundamentally is the system. The system (at least in South Glos) appears to be:
Officers assess roads against DfT criteria for accidents.
New safety schemes are proposed on roads that appear to have too high casualty figures.
A "consultation" process is run.
Councillors vote on said schemes, ignoring any consultation inputs they don't like (such as pointing out their schemes don't actually comply with DfT criteria for reduced limits)
Schemes get introduced.

Now add into it that officers will be looking after their own careers and are probably minded to put together proposals that are a) cheap and b) simple enough for councillors to understand and
c) Councillors appear to be too stupid to understand either basic statistics or the DfT guidelines
and you have a system that perpetuates reduced limits as a panacea. Councillors are only interested in keeping themselves electable and voting for lower limits is unlikely to cost them (many) votes. Many of them probably have never even driven along roads they are voting about new systems for.

[Gareth]

I read a wonderful quote in a John Lyon book recently which I think rings vey true,

"We need to be inspired to improve, not restricted"

That's very good indeed. Annoyed that I hadn't spotted it.

[Kimosabe]

So yesterday I drove the entire length of Lewes road in the incorrectly marked bus lane. Quite a pleasant and uncluttered drive. I'm going to suggest to our woeful Green council that they privatise road lanes for toll paying motorists. After all, that's what has happened for the private monopoly of Brighton and Hove busses.

[jameslb101]

Aren't you lucky to have a car hating green council.

Better than a green car hating council, for Hijinx at least

You're not alone there are the car hating tram obsessed council in Nottingham and then the just car haters of Cambridge.

Come on guys, let's not leave Bristol out...

[Kimosabe]

The thing about all of this is that even though the new road markings are unlawful and the council have said as much, that they aren't doing anything to help drivers to understand this.

Anyone seen the four sets of lights in 200 yards around seafront/Preston street? They're often all red for no reason. It would take one car to break down there or a collision and all eastbound traffic would tail back to hove.