Thursday, November 26, 2009

WAY TO EASE BRIGG CONGESTION

If you, like many Brigg motorists, get frustrated about the delays encountered at the traffic lights when leaving Cary Lane to join Barnard Avenue, here's a possible solution for the powers-that-be to consider.
As that annoying Meerkat says on the TV car insurance ad: "Eez Simple!"
All that needs to happen is the removal of part of the small wall to join up the Lidl and Tesco car parks. Cars coming out of Lidl (and the little car park near Spring's Parade) could then exit through Tesco's car park, straight onto Barnard Avenue.
Buses and lorries would still use the Cary Lane traffic lights (they could make the gap in the wall wide enough only for cars to stop any bigger vehicles trying to use the alternative route suggested).
I'd be interested to know whether other Brigg motorists think it's worth a try.
North Lincolnshire Council has gone to a lot of trouble to try and adjust both sets of traffic lights on Barnard Avenue, but clearly the sheer volume of traffic, and the number of side roads, make it impossible not to hold up many motorists, however the settings are tinkered with.
This idea came to me the other night while on Barnard Avenue, heading towards The Monument. The Cary Lane lights were at red to traffic on the A18, even though no cars at all were waiting to come out of Ash Grove or Cary Lane.
Nationally, the Tory Party has now floated the idea of switching off many traffic lights at night. On safety grounds I can't see that being the solution here at the top of Cary Lane.

2 comments:

Ken Harrison said...

This notion of switching off traffic lights at certain times of the day has been the custom and practice in many European countries.
During the quieter times of the day, usually at night, the traffic lights become reduntant and the X-roads revert to uncontrolled juctions where drivers are expected to approach with caution.
The problem with the Barnard Bash is that everything of significance happens at the same time and Barnard Ave acts as an arterial funnel, being the only thoroughfare over the river.
Indeed, only having one bridge over the Ancholme could act as a distinct barrier for any future development in and around Brigg.

I suggest that NLC lays on a Zeppelin for massed staff transport in and out of Brigg.

Ken Harrison said...

Re my previous posting - surely this country has enough technilogical know-how to computerise traffic lights.
The present, simple circuit board progresses the lights through a set sequence, irrespective whether part of that sequence is necessary.
Since there are speed cameras, average speed cameras and devices to check Road Tax discs, it's not rocket science to develop traffic lights with a brain.
But do they exist already and nobody's saying, as we'll all want one?!

ps with the European taffic light system - the lights are not really switched off - they just remain on amber to remind drivers of the uncontrolled nature of the junction