Gridlock!, What was the Council doing to help? Options

[JeffG]

I've started a new thread, since it was more than just Tesco - it was every single route through Newbury.

You would have thought that the Council could have applied some joined-up thinking as soon as it was obvious what was happening, and suspended the pedestrian-only system by lowering the bollards until things had cleared a bit.

During the hour and a half I was stuck in the area of the Park Way bridge this afternoon, I suggested this to a PC who just happened to be in the Wharf at the time and he said they (the Police) were getting on to the council to do just that. Perhaps the people half a dozen cars and another hour behind me were lucky enough to be able to escape down Wharf Street.

But it shouldn't have needed the Police to nudge the Council - don't they have a brain between them that can take such an initiative?

I can tell you, things were starting to get a bit ugly, with people shouting at each other, and drivers aggressively forcing their way in (as you do!) instead of allowing people to filter.

[Iommi]

While the council cannot control the weather and I have heard reports of gritting, I have to say, I am not convinced that the gritting has been sufficient.

[Hugh Saskin]

Just listening to Radio Berkshire and Newbury, would you believe, is not alone. Reading, Slough, Basingstoke, Bracknell etc. all stitched up.

[Iommi]

I can quite believe it, but I still maintain, I think that the gritting has been weak.

[gel]

Just listening to Radio Berkshire and Newbury, would you believe, is not alone. Reading, Slough, Basingstoke, Bracknell etc. all stitched up.

Some comments about Council and it's yellow grit bins.
I advised em yesterday that one I saw near Beedon that is still empty;
got reply that their contractors "are in process of filling the bins"; er shouldn't
this have been done in the Autumn??

[blackdog]

Some comments about Council and it's yellow grit bins.
I advised em yesterday that one I saw near Beedon that is still empty;
got reply that their contractors "are in process of filling the bins"; er shouldn't
this have been done in the Autumn??

Perhaps they were - and people have taken the grit in the last few days.

[regor]

I take it the green meanies are still out and about.
I look forward to the first report of a gridlockee getting a parking ticket.

[blackdog]

During the hour and a half I was stuck in the area of the Park Way bridge this afternoon, I suggested this to a PC who just happened to be in the Wharf at the time and he said they (the Police) were getting on to the council to do just that. Perhaps the people half a dozen cars and another hour behind me were lucky enough to be able to escape down Wharf Street.

Why on earth were you using the Park Way bridge? Wharf Road is gridlocked for hours every day, not just when we get a bit of snow.

Opening Wharf St only helps a little as a lot of those using it then turn left along Bear Lane and stop others from getting out of Wharf Road - the Wharf Rd gridlock predates the pedestrianisation. The PC should have shown a bit of initiative and spent an hour directing traffic at the Wharf Rd / Bear Lane junction so as to let cars out of Wharf Rd. That junction is a triumph of bad traffic planning.

[user23]

Allowing cars through a pedestrianised area when it's slippy and slidey probably isn't the best idea.

I imagine the Ambulance Chasers would be rubbing their hands if they did. The best thing to so is to keep people on foot and cars apart.

I'm wondering too, why were you going over the Wharf.

[Iommi]

Allowing cars through a pedestrianised area when it's slippy and slidey probably isn't the best idea. I imagine the Ambulance Chasers would be rubbing their hands if they did. The best thing to so is to keep people on foot and cars apart.

I understand that the surfaces in the town are OK: West Berkshire Council spokesman, Phil Spray, said: "We cannot grit every pavement in Newbury and therefore concentrate on the main town centre routes which are used by the greatest number of people."

I'm wondering too, why were you going over the Wharf.

Same as that, but I also have to ask myself why I went to Tesco earlier; needs must I suppose.


It seems like this weather today has caught our council with their pants down.

[ossy1]

We also have to remember that whilst we are stuck in traffic or sliding around all over the place so are the council vehicles!! When the snow is as heavy as it was today it can be hard to actually get ahead of it you can grit but then snow just covers it.

[Hugh Saskin]

When you hear on the radio that, due to the severe weather, ambulances have been unable to access the North Hampshire Hospital perhaps it puts it all in perspective

[Iommi]

We also have to remember that whilst we are stuck in traffic or sliding around all over the place so are the council vehicles!! When the snow is as heavy as it was today it can be hard to actually get ahead of it you can grit but then snow just covers it.

Yes, but if it was forecast, so should this be a problem? I thought grit had a saline property to help 'melt' the snow.

[Biker1]

I have been around a while and ever since I can remember we have had these sort of comments on the news etc. every time it snows.

It is the weather - it is nature - it buggers things up and there is a limit to what we can do to prevent it's effects.

It will probably get worse .......or better...........in the future depending on which side of the global warming story is correct!

[hamster]

Following on from gridlock in the Wharf and over the Parkway bridge...I wrote to the council about a year ago as I have to visit a bank in the wharf most days to deposit business cheques, I worte to complain about the trafficlight phases on the Sainsburys r/bout (i.e. sitting for ages in the wharf when the 339 had vey light traffic).
They wrote back to say they were getting on to the traffic light people and I think they did as for a while things were better. However I think what has happened is they changed the phasing again whilst Market street was closed one-way for the cincema works, they obviously have not re-assessed it since the cinema/Market St reopened.

I shall write to them again as banking and dropping off library books is now a major chore.

Not such a nightmare though as those poor folks stuck in thier cars at this very moment.

[JeffG]

Why on earth were you using the Park Way bridge? Wharf Road is gridlocked for hours every day, not just when we get a bit of snow.

I was returning home after dropping someone off in Pelican Lane. Oxford Road was already gridlocked on the approaches to the Robin Hood, therefore I reckoned it would not take any longer going directly via Park Way. I agree that T-junction is a nightmare especially if, like me, one wants to turn right and is blocked by the left-turning traffic.

It was a lot better before they re-opened the road past the cinema in both directions.

I don't think I would have got home any quicker whichever route I took.

My post was about lowering the bollards - another route across town would have spread the load.

(Just seen Hamster's post: is it still gridlocked out there? I got home just before 4.)

[Hugh Saskin]

I was returning home after dropping someone off in Pelican Lane. Oxford Road was already gridlocked on the approaches to the Robin Hood, therefore I reckoned it would not take any longer going directly via Park Way. I agree that T-junction is a nightmare especially if, like me, one wants to turn right and is blocked by the left-turning traffic.

It was a lot better before they re-opened the road past the cinema in both directions.

I don't think I would have got home any quicker whichever route I took.

My post was about lowering the bollards - another route across town would have spread the load.

(Just seen Hamster's post: is it still gridlocked out there? I got home just before 4.)

Listen to Radio Berkshire, Jeff, and you will understand how lucky you were - looks like some people are not going to get home tonight

[Iommi]

Listen to Radio Berkshire, Jeff, and you will understand how lucky you were - looks like some people are not going to get home tonight

If we are to go in this direction; people are losing their lives over this today.

[Strafin]

I got to the robin hood at about 13:45 when the snow had only just got going, A339 was stood still so I thought I'd chance the wharf. Was straight over the bridge with only a small queue which went back to the museum but cleared quickly. Was well worth the risk today.

[Hugh Saskin]

If we are to go in this direction; people are losing their lives over this today.

I expect they may - just tune in and get a feel for what's going on. They are even asking the night staff at the Royal Berks who live within three miles of the hospital to walk into work.