I have no views either way on the Valley Gardens tinkering (I want to see the entire centre of Brighton pedestrianised where the only wheels are on baby buggies and wheelchairs), but I must point out that Utrecht has four park 'n' ride car parks. Only five Euros a day to park as well! So far from being some sort of mecca for the anti-car lobby it actively encourages motorists as it knows that that's how vast numbers of people travel from town to town.. Quite rightly it doesn't want cars in its centre, but it's hardly unique in that. That well-known hotbed of Green Socialism, Chichester, has had a car-free centre for about 50 years.
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[Brighton] Valley Gardens works
- Thread starter Official Old Man
- Start date
Guy Fawkes
The voice of treason
- Sep 29, 2007
- 8,295
Isn't one of the main problems down to how quickly traffic can get away from that area, and if the roads around it are congested, reducing the space for vehicles on the approaches, like this scheme is doing, will only lengthen them and add to the problems (such as the queues ending up being longer which will in turn start to affect areas further out as vehicles become stuck in queues before being able to reach a turn off where it was easier to reach before when the traffic was 'double stacked' and therefore the queue was 'shorter' - All it tends to do is move the issue to another area without solving much
The best way to have improved the whole area would have been to tackle the issues with getting vehicles away again from it again or speeding up access into the city centre car parks (which can cause major queues along the seafront when full as others wait to park)
Too many traffic signals, (vehicles get bunched up at a set of lights, but rather than then keeping that bunch moving, they seem to make them stop at every other set of lights as they leave the area. Too many road features that slow traffic too much like roundabouts / lack of filter lanes for turning traffic (or they are too short a filter lane to cope with demand, creating a longer queue that subsequently affects other lanes, causing more congestion) Add in the lack of parking (which will probably be solved as the high street dies off and with it demand for spaces) and, in places like Brighton especially, a lack of alternative routes that are free flowing and allow others to avoid the area if traveling to certain places means it all just adds to the problem
The best way to have improved the whole area would have been to tackle the issues with getting vehicles away again from it again or speeding up access into the city centre car parks (which can cause major queues along the seafront when full as others wait to park)
Too many traffic signals, (vehicles get bunched up at a set of lights, but rather than then keeping that bunch moving, they seem to make them stop at every other set of lights as they leave the area. Too many road features that slow traffic too much like roundabouts / lack of filter lanes for turning traffic (or they are too short a filter lane to cope with demand, creating a longer queue that subsequently affects other lanes, causing more congestion) Add in the lack of parking (which will probably be solved as the high street dies off and with it demand for spaces) and, in places like Brighton especially, a lack of alternative routes that are free flowing and allow others to avoid the area if traveling to certain places means it all just adds to the problem
Official Old Man
Uckfield Seagull
- Thread starter
- #263
UPDATE
This past week they've cut the south bound road down to the planned one lane for cars along Grand Parade. Add to that it has been the hottest week of the year (century!) and so the traffic was heavier than normal and you get the threatened queues backing up along the A23 and A270 in to town. I drive in at 11:00 and on average it's taken me 20 minutes to get between The Level (Lewes Road side) and the seafront. Coming home at 22:00 hasn't been too bad as I get to split on to the A270/A27 lane from the seafront onwards, passing the queue of A23 traffic. Further south bound blockages have occurred at the junction of Ditchling Road and Richmond Place (in front of the Phoenix building) where the A23 traffic, in desperation to get across the traffic lights, are blocking the north bound traffic. Once the A270 and the A23 have to use one lane it will be time to go out via Woodingdean.
Surely some one some where must be looking at the chaos going on now with the south bound road, which in practice is 'finished' with its one lane now operating, and think 'Oh, we may have got this wrong'.
This past week they've cut the south bound road down to the planned one lane for cars along Grand Parade. Add to that it has been the hottest week of the year (century!) and so the traffic was heavier than normal and you get the threatened queues backing up along the A23 and A270 in to town. I drive in at 11:00 and on average it's taken me 20 minutes to get between The Level (Lewes Road side) and the seafront. Coming home at 22:00 hasn't been too bad as I get to split on to the A270/A27 lane from the seafront onwards, passing the queue of A23 traffic. Further south bound blockages have occurred at the junction of Ditchling Road and Richmond Place (in front of the Phoenix building) where the A23 traffic, in desperation to get across the traffic lights, are blocking the north bound traffic. Once the A270 and the A23 have to use one lane it will be time to go out via Woodingdean.
Surely some one some where must be looking at the chaos going on now with the south bound road, which in practice is 'finished' with its one lane now operating, and think 'Oh, we may have got this wrong'.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,321
It's not about the people in cars. It's about making the town a nicer environment for the people not in cars.
Official Old Man
Uckfield Seagull
- Thread starter
- #265
SINGLE LANES GO LIVE MONDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER
Driving in on the 28th August there was a fire engine, lights and siren going, stuck in what is now a single lane going southbound. Cars, vans & lorries could not get out of its way. Why it did not use the bus lane I don't know.
Anyway, from Monday the road layout changes. Best of luck everyone. I've noticed a lot of cars cutting up the back roads, Southover St & Morley St, which will clog up the back streets as well.
Driving in on the 28th August there was a fire engine, lights and siren going, stuck in what is now a single lane going southbound. Cars, vans & lorries could not get out of its way. Why it did not use the bus lane I don't know.
Anyway, from Monday the road layout changes. Best of luck everyone. I've noticed a lot of cars cutting up the back roads, Southover St & Morley St, which will clog up the back streets as well.
surrey jim
Not in Surrey
So from 2nd September the current southbound carriageway will be two way? What is going to happen to the north bound side road, will the road from King & Queen up to Aldi on London road be closed /dug up straight away?
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Official Old Man
Uckfield Seagull
- Thread starter
- #268
The two lanes southbound will become one lane southbound and one lane northbound.
surrey jim
Not in Surrey
Has anyone driven through today? Is it traffic chaos or smooth flowing?
dolphins
Well-known member
I drove through half an hour ago and was OK. Fairly smooth although you could tell from the movement of some cars that there's some confusion as to where you can/can't go. There's a sign pointing to Church Street if you are going northbound past the Pavilion, BUT when you get to the (sort of) junction there are big "Access Only" signs. I was heading for London Road/up to Patcham, so don't know what exactly is permitted/possible.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,321
Coming along beautifully IRL- and a really nice artist's impression of part of the finished project in today's Argus. Bring it on! 
SIMMO SAYS
Well-known member
Coming along beautifully IRL- and a really nice artist's impression of part of the finished project in today's Argus. Bring it on!
View attachment 116657
They should print some real pictures of the traffic jams all day from the bottom of Coldean Lane all the way to the Pier.
I live just off the Lewes Road and my once quiet road has become a rat run for hundreds of cars every day.
Coming along beautifully IRL- and a really nice artist's impression of part of the finished project in today's Argus. Bring it on!
View attachment 116657
It's not very realistic. I can't see a single tourist walking in the bike lane.
Weststander
Well-known member
Falmer Road and Hollingdean Road too. Bizarrely there are long jams most daytimes (not in rush hours or school runs) since the latest Valley Gardens works began. I think many drivers are second guessing the jams, and taking longer alternative routes.
Nitram
Well-known member
- Jul 16, 2013
- 2,265
Re Hollingdean Road there were temporary traffic lights causing long queues and that area is always a nightmare in rush hour and when school runs but I've found it quite easy getting around outside these times and after they got rid of the temporary lights. Not been down this week so maybe they are back.
A friend who drives over from Queens Park to Preston Park says the flow of traffic has been better since the changes in September.
Weststander
Well-known member
Sometimes once or twice a week I drive from Falmer south. Between say 9.30 and 2, rarely a jam all the way to Woodingdean. But over the last month, inexplicably long jams.
Hollingdean Road, this was after those temporary lights had long gone. Going the other way, west to east. Backing up anytime away from rush hours from the Lewes Road, almost to Ditchling Road. The immediate cause seems to be selfish bus drivers etc heading out of town completely blocking the Vogue Gyratory when caught by later red lights on the Lewes Road (that is, not anticipating that they won’t get of the Gyratory). So blocking anyone trying to go Hollingdean Road to Bear Road for example.
Just recent traffic flow changes. Don’t know if people are avoiding the city centre like the plague.
Coming along beautifully IRL- and a really nice artist's impression of part of the finished project in today's Argus. Bring it on!
View attachment 116657
Looks much nicer for me to walk around. Bring it on
Coming along beautifully IRL- and a really nice artist's impression of part of the finished project in today's Argus. Bring it on!
View attachment 116657
I think its a great improvement, but not sure about the roundabout going?
Valley gardens forum, a NON council local group have an alternative plan that I think is better, but the council dont want to know.
Coming along beautifully IRL- and a really nice artist's impression of part of the finished project in today's Argus. Bring it on!
View attachment 116657
That bike lane is going to be utter carnage.
They had temporary lights back last week and digging up the road AGAIN. They have gone now though for now.