Chaos in Chalkers Corner

If you're just back from holidays you're in for a surprise at rush hour: Chalkers corner is completely grid-locked, so is Lower Richmond Road (A316) Eastbound, Manor Circus and Richmond Circus aren't better...

I'll post later on this but it seems it's largely due to Clifford avenue being closed to Southbound traffic due to water mains replacement.

To compound the things, they (not sure who is "they") have reversed the one way in Kingsway (from Lower Richmond Road) for no apparent reason as now Shalstone road and Kingsway are both only leading into Clifford avenue (Northbound), creating even more congestion...

Daft really?

richmond, roads, transportation, richmondtransits.blog

Antidiots screen

On my way to work this Tuesday and on the M4, I saw no less than three minor accidents, merely some bumper to bumper action probably caused by bored distracted people and others who forgot to fill their petrol tanks? mechanical failures. That's life on a congested motorway, but more annoying are the rubbernecks kind.

They slow right down to check, ohhh nice flashing lights, ohhh creased bumper, ohhh woman standing behind safety barrier in the rain. And the re-accelerate, slowly, only to brake when they have caught up with preceding vehicles.

Nothing To Do With Arbroath "reports" that the Highways Agency is considering Giant screens at crash sites to end 'rubbernecking' danger. See the picture -doesn't need many more words.

Just that... by the time they've arrived, erected their 70 metres screen, etc... they'd have plenty of time to actually remove most, OK maybe not all, but most of the sources of distraction.

So I think this is another ill conceived idea from our DfT. What we need is not more powerless traffic wombles in their checkered green 4x4 but a fleet of rapid response plaform lorries, strategically placed along the motorway. They'd get rid of any hard-shoulder mishaps in minutes.

But that won't happen because it would be a far too sensible plan for the Department of Transport whose idea of transport is just about bulldozing houses to create more airport runways.

traffic, transportation, DfT, BAA, roads, automobile, richmondtransits.blog

What is the use of roadside census?

I happenned to be caught in tailbacks caused by a roadside census, like this one: Roadside census causes rush-hour chaos - Halifax Today.
It was in Lionel road, a busy cut-through to the M4 from Kew Brige.

I'm not sure what is the point of delaying people who already have a long journey?

They did not stop me, but if they did I would have declined to answer: no thanks to more traffic jams!

London, roads, traffic, transportation, richmondtransits.blog

What is the problem with level crossings?

The Richmond and Twickenham Times seem to think it's bad driving: Natalie Fay reports a case where a driver sped to cross, hit a barrier.

Although I don't think driving standards are improving, the root of the proble is also to be sought in the frustration caused by gridlock. The Local and Central Governments want us to believe that congestion is just caused by the increase in the number of cars. They seem to forget that they haven't invested much in the road network in the past years, hence the RAD calling to Build More Roads.

It's quite strange that two simlilar situation produce different reactions from the same civil servants: one one hand roads, on the other air travel. The response to the latter issue is unabated airport expansion. They just forget that we need to get to the airport in the first place...

Another issue is more local: the concils, under residents pressure, are turning more streets into cul de sacs and making junctions more awkward in the name of safety. In Richmond for instance they've narrowed the A205/Clifford avenue at Chalkers corner and put bollards onto Church road at the Kew road traffic lights. As a result, in both cases what was two lanes is now 1.5 and traffic builds up because less cars can go through at one green light. If only they had built decent, segregated cycle lanes, with their own lights. But no, they spent money just doing it slightly worse -just like they will do in George Street.

Anyway, back to the level crossings: the problem isn't drivers. The problem IS their very existence: rail level crossings in urban areas are a dangerous anachronism.



Tags: level, crossing, Richmond, richmondtransits.blog, transportation, roads

Common green sense?

More cars, maybe need more roads?
Drivers Voice: Call to Build More Roads

Common sense? What's the economic impact of the UK being gridlocked? When I travel, in the US, in Europe (not to mention construction crazy countries like Dubai, etc...), I see road building everywhere. Maybe not always new roads, but improvement to try keep help people going by their business. Like mini-tunnels under roundabouts, removing level-crossings, etc...

The prevailing logic in the UK seems reversed: too many cars, let's prevent them from moving and people will switch. To what? The trotsky-greenies forget one thing: often there's no alternative, as the public transportation system is bursting to the seams, and getting even more expensive (in the news today: Passengers are to be hit by above-inflation rate fare increases.)

If they're right though, why don't they apply the same principle to Heathrow and stop people from binge-flying???

Oh, and finally -I was attending a presentation on green IT today. I am now officially carbon fatigued. The UK is at the top of the league for carbon awareness but far down when it comes to recycling and real emissions. Carbon emissions are important, but so are NOX, particles and more generally speaking sustainability.

It doesn't look like it's going that way: being cynical, I think companies are going to change only if they're forced to (by energy prices, customer sentiments for B2C and regulation).

We'll be cosmetically green, but not much more sustainable.

Put differently, everything will be recycled, yet everything will be the same.


Tags: green, IT, ecology, sustainability, politics, UK, transportation, roads, richmondtransits.blog