Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: Strafin Nov 21 2009, 09:52 AM

I was walking past the clock tower yesterday when I realised I was right next to it and still on the pavement! It then dawned on me that this is a permanent change, and the dangerous ill thought out new mini roundabout is going to be permanent. Buses can't get round it, vision coming out of town is hugely impaired, and this junction will probably end up with as much controversy on these boards as the bollards. Does anyone think this is a good idea?

Posted by: user23 Nov 21 2009, 10:13 AM

Has anyone driven into the bollards in Bart Street since the improvements?

I haven't seen any posts on here about it, nor any posts thanking anyone for the improvements, so I guess the answer might be no.

Posted by: Iommi Nov 21 2009, 10:35 AM

Be patient, the drivers are away, retraining in sign ignorance.

Posted by: Strafin Nov 21 2009, 10:50 AM

Thanking someone (WBC/NTC?) is probably not going to happen what with the changes being dangerous, counter productive, and a general waste of money.

Posted by: Andy1 Nov 21 2009, 11:00 AM

I was on a bus the other day, it had no issues at all at the clock tower. No difference to the round about

Posted by: Iommi Nov 21 2009, 11:02 AM

Actually, it might be safer. I remember an artic smashing into the Clock Tower Pub a while back, because it could make the Clock Tower roundabout (heading west). There have also been plenty of near misses.

Posted by: Strafin Nov 21 2009, 11:11 AM

I have seen several large vehicles, including buses struggle to get round when turning left into The Broadway, and they certainly can't do that when cars are coming out. Also when you approach the roundabout leaving The Broadway when you look right, you can't see anything other than the Clock Tower and have to inch out onto the roundabout before you can see if anything is coming. I don't like the change either as I think the tower has been there for years and I like the tradition of it. That is of course down to personal preference though.

Posted by: Strafin Nov 21 2009, 11:18 AM

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article.aspx?articleID=11656
Just seen this, Councillor Betts admits that the views are restricted and says that the dangerous nature of this will slow traffic down. He also refers to it as a junction and not a roundabout. If it is to be a junction then so be it, traffic should slow down on the approach and stop if needs be. However the idea of roundabouts are that they don't impede traffic flow as significantly and therefore should be made as safe as possible.

Posted by: JeffG Nov 21 2009, 11:31 AM

I don't see how it's not a roundabout when there is a bloomin' great hump in the middle of the road that you wouldn't sensibly drive over.

The whole idea is daft, IMO. Much better would have been to make it a T-junction, but keeping both sides of the Clock Tower open for access to/from Northbrook Street (each side one way). And take that silly hump away.

(And how did Bart St bollards creep into this thread? No - don't answer that or we'll be off-topic again.)

Posted by: Iommi Nov 21 2009, 01:56 PM

It's a sinister plot to hijack all threads with bollard posts.

Posted by: Me-again Nov 21 2009, 02:38 PM

I remember an artic smashing into the Clock Tower Pub a while back, because it could make the Clock Tower roundabout (heading west).


Just to mention on this point that the artic was actually unmanned and rolled into the pub!!!

I think that there will be an accident at this junction sooner or later. But if the clock tower got damaged and had to be removed, it would make life a lot easier for planners.........

Posted by: JeffG Nov 21 2009, 03:48 PM

Perhaps it should be moved to Victoria Park, like Queen Vic and two of her lions were. (I believe the other two are at Child Beale - oh wait, I think they came back; can't remember).

Posted by: Jacklets Nov 24 2009, 04:11 PM

We had a very entertaining meal out last night - whilst we ate we had a perfect view out of window to the new mini roundabout. In the space of about an hour we witnessed several near misses and many more failed to treat it as a roundabout and cut it out completely.

Can't quite understand why there had to be such a major change to the junction - didn't the clocktower serve as a perfectly good roundabout in the first place?

Posted by: JeffG Nov 24 2009, 08:21 PM

Keep up please. It's called the "Newbury Vision": If it's been there a while, it's time to change it.

Posted by: blackdog Nov 25 2009, 12:05 AM

Good point - isn't it time to change the Newbury Vision.

Posted by: Ziggy Nov 27 2009, 01:39 PM

This morning (for the second time this week) I saw a Newbury bus trying to negotiate the new mini roundabout to come onto Northbrook Street. To get round the corner, the buses have to come across both lanes almost to the opposite pavement. If there had been a line of cars waiting to turn left, the bus would not have been able to move. Clearly nobody thought to consult Newbury buses about this junction. I've seen this lack of thought before. We're in South Newbury, and some time ago improvements were made to the Andover Road junction with Wash Water. No consideration was given to the fact that the junction is used by lorries at this time of year to transport Christmas trees. The lorries could not get round the new, smaller space that had been made. After a year or so of churned up kerbs, workmen came back and added a number of rows of brick pavers. There is evidence everywhere that the road planners in Newbury are not competent. Who is being held to account?

Posted by: TallDarkAndHandsome Nov 27 2009, 04:41 PM

And when the large buses swing round the corner of Bartholomew Street by Sovereign Housing the fronts of the buses quite often encroach on the pavement. You can see that the Bus drivers are all too aware of it and are looking for pedestrians on the pavement as they turn the corner.

Posted by: Ziggy Nov 27 2009, 04:55 PM

Am I being cynical when I start wondering is this is all part of a grander plan to get the buses off Bartholomew Street?

Posted by: Roost Nov 29 2009, 01:29 PM

Said it before, say it again.


Newbury (Lack of) Vision.

Posted by: Good Boy Racer Dec 1 2009, 10:36 AM

I have to say though it is looking much nicer after all the work is done there.
Yeah its a bit difficult looking to your right to see if anyone is coming as your driving out of town but shouldn't you be slowing to a halt when aproaching mini roundabouts anyway?

Some of you sound like you just drive through and dont slow down.

But i agree with bus problem. Maybe they should knock down the Threshers building. That would give some more room to busses.

Posted by: Strafin Dec 1 2009, 09:46 PM

No. The idea of a roundabout over a junction is that you shouldn't need to stop most of the time. Of course you should be prepared to if needs be, but the whole principle behind them is that traffic flows through them. Otherwise you might as well just have a junction and be done with it.

Posted by: user23 Dec 1 2009, 11:10 PM

Doesn't make sense that. Traffic can't flow from all three entrances all the time to the three possible exits, it's physically impossible.

The actual idea of a roundabout is that no one route has greater right of way than another, as opposed to a T-Junction where one route has right of way over the second and the second over the third. All routes on a three way roundabout give way to one and are given way by another route.

Posted by: Andy Dec 1 2009, 11:45 PM

Generally true, but in this case it has to be yes as you can't see what's coming.

Posted by: Nelly Dec 4 2009, 12:12 PM

Aside from the layout this part of the road was actually looking good, shame then that this week one of the utilities had the need to dig up part of this newly finished road by the taxi rank!