Driving in Manchester - they broke a roundabout!!!

[discobob]

Took my lad to Manchester last night for him to go to a gig. First time I have been there in years and my God - what have they done!!!

There is a roundabout at the top of the Princes Drive under the A57(M) and they have broken it - 4 lanes going on - with a right hand bend in the center of the roundabout and 4 sets of traffic lights to traverse - and it would be quicker to go round the outside of it as that traffic was moving!!

Who the hell comes up with these "improvements"

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, Google the donut roundabout Oxford 🤔

[Westward]

Know the Oxford fiasco fairly well, but what drives me nuts is roundabouts with traffic lights. What numpty came up with that idea?

[Westley]

8 hours ago, Westward said:

Know the Oxford fiasco fairly well, but what drives me nuts is roundabouts with traffic lights. What numpty came up with that idea?

It's designed for the idiots that can't grasp the concept of a roundabout  !

They are the ones who stop, even when the road to their right is entirely clear, or worse still drive at a ridiculous speed around the roundabout in the first place. 

[Stephen-H]

I've lived in Stockport ( South Manchester) my whole life & I avoid driving in the city centre like the plague one way systems , no right turns , bus lanes cameras, roads dug up , terrible parking, parking wardens on you like a pigeon on a pasty.  When I do have to go in its normally a train job & I'm still not keen then.

[scobydog]

Lived in Greater Manchester most of my life, used to go to the city centre 2/3 times a week for a night out or wander around and lunch on Sundays. In the past 5 years or so i've probably been in @ 5 times, can't stand the place anymore, roads are atrocious, parking is extortionate and as Stephen says above parking wardens are on you like a pigeon on a pasty, just not worth it for the stress.

 

S

[sportsbob]

On 01/04/2022 at 13:43, discobob said:

Took my lad to Manchester last night for him to go to a gig. First time I have been there in years and my God - what have they done!!!

There is a roundabout at the top of the Princes Drive under the A57(M) and they have broken it - 4 lanes going on - with a right hand bend in the center of the roundabout and 4 sets of traffic lights to traverse - and it would be quicker to go round the outside of it as that traffic was moving!!

Who the hell comes up with these "improvements"

I think you are describing a "throughabout"

Edited April 7, 2022 by sportsbob

[oowee]

On 01/04/2022 at 23:57, Westley said:

It's designed for the idiots that can't grasp the concept of a roundabout  !

They are the ones who stop, even when the road to their right is entirely clear, or worse still drive at a ridiculous speed around the roundabout in the first place. 

I was once called in to Milton Keynes football club to be told that I had introduced traffic lights outside the stadium putting lives at risk. The contention was that Milton Keynes had been built for roundabouts and the residents could not cope with Traffic lights. 

Edited April 7, 2022 by oowee

[Westley]

4 minutes ago, oowee said:

I was once called in to Milton Keynes football club to be told that I had introduced traffic lights outside the stadium putting lives at risk. The contention was that Milton Keynes had been built for roundabouts and the residents could not cope with Traffic lights. 

Ah, now that answers a lot  !  I thought the drivers of Liverpool only see red at Anfield, judging by the number of collisions at traffic lights.   🙄 

[discobob]

On 01/04/2022 at 14:06, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, Google the donut roundabout Oxford 🤔

I am aware of the Magic Roundabout in Swindon - and just had a google at the Headington roundabout that you refer - which I used to know well as we used to live down there and my wife had to attend John Radcliffe regularly during her first pregnancy and then he was ill after he was born- I can remember trying to get him to the hospital when the doctor said he needed to go in urgently and sitting in a traffic jam round there with tears in my eyes because I was petrified 😞 - that was nearly 19 years ago.

I can remember the Oxford Transport Strategy in 99/00 - forced me off public transport and I bought a car that then meant I could drive to Didcot to catch the train to Reading - saved me hours a day (especially when I worked late when the bus from Oxford to Carterton took 90 minutes and ran irregularly)

[Hicky]

I've worked in Mcr since '93, drove in since '95 from both north and south of the city.

It's quicker and easier to cycle in, not withstanding wakers who simply cannot drive and have the observation abilities of a mole.

It has become progressively worse(both traffic and driving standards) over the past 5 years and since covid is awful probably due to the ever increasing amount of blocks of flats(sorry apartment living) springing up everywhere....who the **** can afford them!!!

[Gordon R]

Hicky - harsh, but accurate. 🙂