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Posted by: Gumbo Jul 8 2009, 07:39 PM

Quite a traffic jam in town earlier tonight (bout 5.15). I did have to laugh though as the council workers were queuing to get out of their car park by the station and a lot of the drivers looked mightliy pissed off. I am hoping one or two of them might be responsible for the mess of a road system that is Newbury. Also a few of them, who undoubtedly live within walking/cycling distance, might rethink how they get to work in future

Posted by: Bill1 Jul 8 2009, 07:48 PM

Not funny really as an accident caused the jams I heard. Hope nobody was badly hurt.

Posted by: Darren Jul 8 2009, 07:51 PM

Sally Traffic said it was a broken down car transporter on the A339.

Posted by: Gumbo Jul 8 2009, 07:53 PM

I never said I was laughing at any accident. If the road system wasn't so poorly designed then it wouldn't have been so clogged because of any accident.

Posted by: Hugh Saskin Jul 8 2009, 08:01 PM

Does anybody ever go to a town of comparable size to Newbury at, say 5.15 on a weekday evening, and note how sweetly the traffic is always running. If so, can we be told where it is, please?

Posted by: Gumbo Jul 8 2009, 08:14 PM

So it wasn't an accident Bill

Hugh - I have noticed Bartholomew Street particularly busy of late at this time of night (I have to cross it to get home) and most of the traffic takes a left turn down Station Road to get on the A339. This is obviously down to the cinema roadworks but it still doesn't mean the powers that be can't put into place contingency measures e.g. If traffic was allowed down Northbrook Street after 5 it would definately flow a lot better.

Posted by: GMR Jul 8 2009, 08:37 PM

There was also a queue near the clock tower tonight.

Posted by: nicster09 Jul 8 2009, 09:17 PM

It was practically right on the Sainsbury's roundabout.

Posted by: GMR Jul 8 2009, 10:11 PM

It must be both ends then.

Posted by: Bill1 Jul 9 2009, 07:18 AM

I was told it was an accident by a workmate, glad to hear that it wasn't.

I definitely agree about opening Northbrook Street at 5 for the time being.

Posted by: JMH Jul 9 2009, 07:38 AM

Good old radio 2!

Posted by: Hugh Saskin Jul 9 2009, 07:54 AM

A mate of mine works in a shop in Northbrook St and he tells me that it is dead there by 5.30 so perhaps somebody should suggest this idea to WBC - after all, hardly likely to cost much is it?

Posted by: Gumbo Jul 9 2009, 08:25 AM

Well hopefully one of the bird brains, who is involved with traffic planning at the council, might have been stuck in the queue last night and thought to himself/herself "Northbrook Street is normally dead after 5 (actually most of the time) if only it was open I could get home sooooo much quicker"

Posted by: NNo Jul 9 2009, 08:30 AM

No!! not more traffic through Northbrook Street. They should be an increasing the restricted hours so it also applies during the evening.

Posted by: Gumbo Jul 9 2009, 08:56 AM

Why? roads were built to be used not to be empty.

Posted by: Bill1 Jul 9 2009, 09:38 AM

You get stuck in the bloody queue then!

I have to get over to Cold Ash to pick my son up after work too, we didn't even eat last night until nearly 8 o'clock and he's only 6 so had to go straight to bed after that.

Open Northbrook Street at 5!

Posted by: Good Boy Racer Jul 9 2009, 09:43 AM

Yep it was a car transporter, i was driving passed it on the opposite side (thank god) all the cars were trying to move accross onto the right hand lane, i've seen this happen twice now in the same spot!

Posted by: Bill1 Jul 9 2009, 10:19 AM

For your information Gumbo.

The highways department is at Faraday Road and will be totally unaffected by any of this.

Posted by: dannyboy Jul 9 2009, 10:32 AM

I think you'll find 'traffic planning' is subcontracted out these days. Atkins most likely.

Posted by: Gumbo Jul 9 2009, 10:36 AM

Shame

Posted by: Gumbo Jul 9 2009, 10:51 AM

Thanks for that info. Explains a lot, you normaly subcontact out to save costs, then you pay peanuts and get ..........lot os queues.

Posted by: dannyboy Jul 9 2009, 10:57 AM

to save costs the yearly balance sheet, yes. To save costs, no.

Posted by: Gumbo Jul 9 2009, 11:16 AM

That makes perfect sense

Posted by: dannyboy Jul 9 2009, 01:17 PM

It goes like this,

You build a hospital for £75 million. Cost on books of hospital building programme for that financial year £75 million.

or you fund the hospital on a 25 year PFI scheme paying the PFI contractor £25 million a year. Cost on books of hospital building programme for that financial year £25 million. So you announce massive savings with out a cut in services. Or announce due to wizzo policies you are building 3 new hospitals with no increase in spending.