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Dixie
PostPosted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 16:49 
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Daily Telegraph

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Drivers to use hard shoulder
By Andrew Porter, Political Editor
Last Updated: 11:15am BST 22/10/2007

Have your say Read comments

Drivers on the busiest motorways are to be allowed to use the hard shoulder to help ease traffic congestion.

Have your say: Should drivers be allowed on the hard shoulder at peak times?

Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, will this week point to the success of a pilot scheme on the M42 in the West Midlands.

She is expected to say on Thursday that the scheme will be extended to other motorways.

At peak times signs will instruct motorists to use the lane which is normally out of bounds to all but broken-down vehicles.

The move is regarded as an easier and cheaper option than lane widening. Roads where the scheme is to be introduced within the next two years include the M25, the M4, the M20, the M1 and the M6.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) said it had reservations about the changes when they were introduced in Birmingham.

In particular, it fears that motorists who break down will have nowhere to stop in safety.

There is also concern about how emergency services will be able to get to accidents quickly.

However, ministers and the Highways Agency will say that overhead signs can be changed in seconds if there is an accident and traffic can be directed elsewhere.

CCTV cameras will be used to get help to stricken vehicles.

To allay fears about safety, ministers will outline how lay-bys — "emergency refuge areas" — will be built at regular intervals beyond the hard shoulder.

The scheme on the M42 saw drivers able to use the hard shoulder on an 11-mile stretch from south of Birmingham and through Warwickshire. A 50mph speed limit was imposed by signs on gantries.

Sensors to measure the volume of traffic were placed every 100 metres in the motorway. If traffic built up cars were instructed to use the hard shoulder.

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scanny77
PostPosted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 18:16 
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Dixie wrote:
However, ministers and the Highways Agency will say that overhead signs can be changed in seconds if there is an accident and traffic can be directed elsewhere.



like they are now? hours out of date. is it april fools already?

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botach
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 19:49 
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From the article "To allay fears about safety, ministers will outline how lay-bys — "emergency refuge areas" — will be built at regular intervals beyond the hard shoulder. "


I seem to remember something like this on the M42/A42 when it was extended to meet the M1 - Any one else ??

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Thatsnews
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 22:12 
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And how, exactly, would a recovery vehicle reach a broken down vehicle and, with no hard shoulder, effect a recovery in a safe and timely manner?

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anton
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 22:20 
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If you look along the M4 and M27 there are traffic detection loops at very regular intervals, less than 1000m

They should detect congestion and a traffic stopped situation.

However government cant resist putting speed cameras on these over controlled sections. I can only assume with hard shoulder running they will introduce speed cameras in all the gantries.

Hours of mind numbing speedo, tail light and gantry staring.
God... I cant wait :cry:

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botach
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 14:13 
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What this has brought to mind is a comment made by someone who used to install /maintain the motorway telephone network that in the 80's there were speed loops on certain motorways - known to a select few - never found out if this was fact or not. Never saw it on any drawing of the motorway communications network .

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Yokel
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 21:58 
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I have been along the M42 in rush-hour, when this system was brought into action, and I must say it worked brilliantly.

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Syx
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 04:07 
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Funny thing is that I use that stretch of the M42 regularly - sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. In VERY heavy traffic it can make things worse - everyone spends so much time watching their speedos to avoid penalties in the restricted sections that they don't spend enough time watching where they are going. Cue late braking... which of course ripples through the traffic behind causing jams. It's fine for moderate traffic, but in the heavy stuff it's the same as nothing at all.
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ed_m
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 08:31 
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i noticed the ramp metering has started on the m42 slip roads......


which is one concept i hate! don't think i've been through a red light yet but at that point i'm really busy concentrating on other things!
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Draco
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 01:25 
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To be honest with you all guys, I really don't have a problem with this.....

I've seen it in Europe and it works fine. It's only invoked when congestion is high and speeds are low at regular rush hour pinch spots. The area is "monitored" by overhead gantries which control the speed of each lane, but UNLIKE here they are NOT turned into a "cash collection opportunity".
The driving force (sorry about the pun) is NOT revenue..... but traffic flow!

This AND a crawler lane on inclines with "minimum speed limits" applied for each lane could could free up our motorways no end. Preventing the "elephant racing" up the hill that causes untold congestion, frustration and danger in the other lane.........GRrrrrr! :)




But there again, I didn't go to University so I may be "thick".. :roll:
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mmltonge
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 02:17 
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I used this last Sunday travelling from Lancaster to London. It was 7.30pm, the traffic had cleared up from earlier in the evening and yet a 40mph limit was in force for about 5 miles, slowing everyone down - and I daren't risk it as there appeared to be variable speed limit cameras every gantry!
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Draco
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 02:53 
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mmltonge wrote:
I used this last Sunday travelling from Lancaster to London. It was 7.30pm, the traffic had cleared up from earlier in the evening and yet a 40mph limit was in force for about 5 miles, slowing everyone down - and I daren't risk it as there appeared to be variable speed limit cameras every gantry!


Quite! I regret to say that the UK experience of traffic monitoring is NOT in the same league as the German model...........(or should I say: Modelle) :)
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Lum
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 21:38 
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The only reason it works on the M42 is because of the unique nature of the junctions around there.

For those who haven't driven the M42, it feels like there is a junction every few hundred yards, and they are implemented by changing the paint on the hard shoulder tu turn it into an exit lane.

All that really happens when the hard shoulder lights come on is that the queue to exit the M42 (and it is frequently a big queue as the rest of the area is just as badly congested) is moved from L1 and into the hard shoulder, allowing the other lanes to flow more freely. If you are not taking the next exit you effectively cannot use the hard shoulder.

This will not work on, say, most of the M6. While there is some congestion due to busy junctions (the A14 junction springs into mind as one place it could actually be useful) most of it is due to accidents, and people gawking at accidents. It may help a little when the crash is on the other side, but in reality they aren't going to be able to open the hard shoulder in most cases of M6 congestion.

Then the government will turn around and say "well, we gave you an extra lane and it hasn't helped congestion, therefore road pricing is the only solution"
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