The Lewes Road bus lane/traffic congestion

[Winker]

This scheme has been brought in only half-baked. If you live and work within easy reach of the bus lane then it offers a good alternative to the car. If on the other hand you live and work away from the bus lane or are unable to walk far then it offers nothing but delay and pollution.

The council has taken the easy route of providing the bus lane without stopping to think the whole thing through, as virtual22 has said - why isn't the stadium site used for park and ride on non-match days? That could eliminate a large percentage of traffic from the road and make the scheme of benefit to all.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Indeed, the attraction of central Brighton with its boutique shops intermingled with the larger chains is too great a draw to keep people away, those stuck sitting in their car on their own in traffic jams will slowly learn that using other methods of transport is by far the most efficient and hassle free way to get to town!

Or, as I said, will avoid the city centre like the plague - and I know many people that do this already, myself included. In the last 3 years I've been into the city centre for pleasure ( as opposed for work ) no more than 3 times.

 

[Albumen]

This attitude from bike riders and bus users does grate a bit. If a trip into the town centre for people who live in one of the suburbs was the only type of journey being made then I'd agree with you, but for anyone who doesn't live in Brighton and has to work there cycling is impossible and bus travel is expensive and much less convenient. As you've highlighted, many people don't have a choice.

At the end of the day most people base their preferred mode of transport on a combination of cost and convenience, people don't just choose to drive a car because they are evil or selfish. There seems to be a general attitude in the last few years that it's acceptable to make it harder for people in cars. Why not try to make it easier for everyone?

But it's the ones that do have a choice that are making it worse for those that don't. And that can be seen as selfish.

 

[Colossal Squid]

I don't want to have to be a car user but I have no choice. My place of work isn't accessible by any other means. This means on a daily basis I need to drive to and from work, through the city. The Lewes Road/Vogue Gyratory part of the journey has always been fairly slow and painful but recently it has gotten unbearable. Trying to get straight over the Gyratory from Hollingdean Road to Bear Road takes forever because nobody leaves a gap in the yellow hatched area anymore. Fed up drivers, including the buses, are inching forward at every opportunity, completely ignoring the fact that they're going to block the entire junction. Both Monday and Tuesday evening I had to wait approximately 20 minutes queuing to get over the junction and on both occasions buses travelling from the gyratory onto Lewes Road going north were completely ruining things for everyone by sitting on the hatched area. This means traffic is sat unable to go anywhere when the lights finally turn green (and it's a wait enough as it is at that junction) and as a result impatient drivers are mounting the curbs, jumping the lights and driving all over the shop just to try and circumnavigate this problem. It's an absolute disaster.

The trouble is, how the F else do you get back into Brighton? The A27 junction for Falmer is always gridlocked at peak times and then trying to get from there to the east side of town via Woodingdean is also impossible thanks to the sheer volume of traffic. You come down Coldean Lane on to Lewes Road and you're met with the same gridlock that's messing things up in the other direction, with all the traffic desperate to turn left onto Coombe Road having to wait for ages until they're allowed to use the mostly empty inside lane without getting a fine. It's a ruddy MESS.

I'm at the stage now where I'm ready to ditch the car all together and as soon as I can do without it I will. There is simply no straightforward route in and out of the city if you live in the east side.

 

[marshy68]

And what about ignorant w@nkers who complain about the traffic when they're part of the traffic?

The point is - that the road was ok prior to this re-structure - traffic would flow on both carriage ways freely along side buses and bikes - with already a decent cycle lane. That was perfectly adequate if cylclists used it appropriately. (other than when the bike train mob cycled down the middle of the dual carriageway). All this has done is to increase congestion, increase pollution with 100's of cars sitting stationery and increase frustration for car drivers who have no alternative but to use a car. Can this solution really have been what everybody wanted?

 

[The Large One]

The point is - that the road was ok prior to this re-structure - traffic would flow on both carriage ways freely along side buses and bikes - with already a decent cycle lane. That was perfectly adequate if cylclists used it appropriately. (other than when the bike train mob cycled down the middle of the dual carriageway). All this has done is to increase congestion, increase pollution with 100's of cars sitting stationery and increase frustration for car drivers who have no alternative but to use a car. Can this solution really have been what everybody wanted?

The cycle lane - as has been pointed out many times - was highly inadequate, and very dangerous.

The principle cause of stop/start traffic jams was intermittently-stopping buses taking up one of the lanes.

It's true not everyone has the option but to drive in - but some do have that option, and still choose to add to the congestion.

 

[Dub-67]

Its just bloody ridiculous.

 

[Brovion]

Bingo, a sensible answer. The CROSS PARTY decision to vastly improve this road for public transport was a brave and so far good one. If you still choose to use your car (those that have a choice), I far from sympathise.

Well it's a sensible answer because you agree with it, but fair enough, I take your point and I too have no sympathy with people who could easily switch to bus or bike but choose not to. Also for the sake of argument let's assume that's the majority of road users. Are they going to change their travel arrangements? The vast majority won't. Why? Because they're human and they're British. They'll moan and groan but eventually it will be accepted that if you want to drive down Lewes Road you'll have to queue. It's a pisser, but well, that's life. Bloody council. The best you'll get is, as is what's happening, people using different routes.

If you REALLY want to stop people driving down Lewes Road you'll have to ban cars from using the road completely.

 

[Brovion]

Has she thought about taking an alternative means of transport?

I was waiting for someone to ask that. She's some sort of Liaison Officer. Part of her job entails visiting the other campuses (Brighton Uni has five including Eastbourne and Hastings) and also going to other organisations, schools and the Council. She could not visit all these locations by public transport and still do her job efficiently. There wouldn't be enough time in the day.

 

[marshy68]

The cycle lane - as has been pointed out many times - was highly inadequate, and very dangerous.

The principle cause of stop/start traffic jams was intermittently-stopping buses taking up one of the lanes.

It's true not everyone has the option but to drive in - but some do have that option, and still choose to add to the congestion.

Cycle lanes only made dangerous by cyclists riding double breasted.

So the solution to stop start traffic because of bus stops is to increase the congestion and completely grid lock the road at peak times by reducing its capacity by 50% - pure genius.

Your last point is nonsense - the congestion has increased due to the above - I would imagine less car drivers are now actually using Lewes road because it become a nightmare - the ones like me who have no choice or alternative have to suffer a road that was perfectly adequate 6 months ago.

 

[Albumen]

Cycle lanes only made dangerous by cyclists riding double breasted.

So the solution to stop start traffic because of bus stops is to increase the congestion and completely grid lock the road at peak times by reducing its capacity by 50% - pure genius.

Your last point is nonsense - the congestion has increased due to the above - I would imagine less car drivers are now actually using Lewes road because it become a nightmare - the ones like me who have no choice or alternative have to suffer a road that was perfectly adequate 6 months ago.

Haha. If you cycled doubled breasted in the old lanes you'd be under a bus within seconds. It wasn't safe.

 

[marshy68]

Haha. If you cycled doubled breasted in the old lanes you'd be under a bus within seconds. It wasn't safe.

thanks for validating my point - safe if you don't cycle double breasted.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

the whole city being 20mph in most areas

Eh?

 

[Seasidesage]

As usual, the pro lobby for this scheme, mention all the people driving into town via this route. The fact is, it's become impossible in a reasonable timescale to drive east to west through the town, impossible to drive any distance towards town along either Lewes Rd or London Rd. It took me an 90 mins to drive from Portslade to the top of Bear Rd earlier in the week.

I have progressive arthritis so no I won't be using a bike for all of the scantimonius twats on here who insist that using a car is selfish. It's a bloody disaster and apart from the loud and morally superior bunch of cyclists on here and suits no one, least of all the locals...

 

[The Large One]

Cycle lanes only made dangerous by cyclists riding double breasted.

So the solution to stop start traffic because of bus stops is to increase the congestion and completely grid lock the road at peak times by reducing its capacity by 50% - pure genius.

Your last point is nonsense - the congestion has increased due to the above - I would imagine less car drivers are now actually using Lewes road because it become a nightmare - the ones like me who have no choice or alternative have to suffer a road that was perfectly adequate 6 months ago.

You thought it was 'perfectly adequate'? Maybe - maybe - for cars, but bloody dangerous for cyclists, and much slower for bus passengers.

 

[Albumen]

thanks for validating my point - safe if you don't cycle double breasted.

I didn't, I merely said it wasnt possible to go double breasted. Buses and cars going 30 miles an hour within cms of cyclists wasn't safe. I nearly came off twice over the past two seasons. They've now widened the cycle lane to avoid deaths. Not difficult to understand is it?

 

[The Large One]

As usual, the pro lobby for this scheme, mention all the people driving into town via this route. The fact is, it's become impossible in a reasonable timescale to drive east to west through the town, impossible to drive any distance towards town along either Lewes Rd or London Rd. It took me an 90 mins to drive from Portslade to the top of Bear Rd earlier in the week.

I have progressive arthritis so no I won't be using a bike for all of the scantimonius twats on here who insist that using a car is selfish. It's a bloody disaster and apart from the loud and morally superior bunch of cyclists on here and suits no one, least of all the locals...

It's not about being sanctimonius, so stop whining. The roads are for everyone - some people appear to have forgotten this.

People in favour of this are criticising unnecessary car journeys. It's pretty evident your case doesn't fall into this category.

What defines 'unnecessary' does appear to be a highly flexible consideration though.

 

[Badger]

I didn't, I merely said it wasnt possible to go double breasted. Buses and cars going 30 miles an hour within cms of cyclists wasn't safe. I nearly came off twice over the past two seasons. They've now widened the cycle lane to avoid deaths. Not difficult to understand is it?

What was CMS doing there? No wonder he got injured.

 

[Seasidesage]

It's not about being sanctimonius, so stop whining. The roads are for everyone - some people appear to have forgotten this.

People in favour of this are criticising unnecessary car journeys. It's pretty evident your case doesn't fall into this category.

What defines 'unnecessary' does appear to be a highly flexible consideration though.

I will whine whenever I want mate. You seem to think your opinion is the only one worth listening too. It's killing the shops of the area, it's creating pollution, it's dangerous for cyclists and other road users and bad for the town. But the cycle lane is wider, that's the main thing...

 

[Brovion]

...
People in favour of this are criticising unnecessary car journeys. It's pretty evident your case doesn't fall into this category.

....

Now THAT is the nub. What constitutes 'unnecessary'? I'll supply a starter definition: It's a car journey, to and from a destination, that you could complete by another means without loss of efficiency and within the same time frame.