Work to smooth out delays on Bath's London Road

“Why wasn't this done when Morrisons (Safeway) was first built? Weren't traffic flows and pedestrian requirements thought about then? The traffic lights need to be co-ordinated with those at Cleveland Bridge and the bottom of Lansdown Hill so that traffic can flow through unimpeded, especially as the closure of the top of Gay Street (going up) will force many more vehicles on to the London Road causing more congestion and pollution in that area. There are huge hold ups there now which are caused by unco-ordinated lights.”

“Not much for £27 million”

“YESTERDAYS NEWS ....Regurtertated!!”

“I remember using the London Road before it's two lanes carrying general traffic into the city were reduced to one for general traffic and the other converted to a Bus Lane. The level of traffic was busy then but traffic intending to turn left at Cleveland Bridge could get into the left lane from Lambridge lights through to the left turn which was and still is governed by a filter traffic light. Traffic intending to go into Walcot Street or the Paragon and beyond used the right hand lane.

Then the Bus Lane was created and forced general traffic, irrespective of intended route to travel in one lane for most of the London Road. Congestion built up and tailbacks onto the bypass resulted.

Then Morrisons was built and the ensuing junction control system to enter and leave the store was added to the London Road. An already congested route with slow moving traffic was made worse by planners with seemingly little or no understanding of traffic matters. But I suspect much of the thinking behind many of Bath's traffic traffic projects is to remove traffic from Bath not control it in any viable and efficient manner. Politics play a large part, for congestion caused by poorly designed traffic systems, or needless intervention on roads with free flowing traffic over recent years, only serves to support political agendas with little or nothing to do with true road safety or anti-congestion, indeed, congestion has been caused where little existed before, and with it a rise in pollution.”

“..."Thank heavens that they've finally figured out that this junction is the bane of the London Road."

Or they always new it would be unsatisfactory and a cause of congestion, and whether because of or despite this, then went ahead with it anyway.”

“Thank heavens that they've finally figured out that this junction is the bane of the London Road.

My partner will be happy, as I'm sure that she's fed up with me mentioning this glaringly obvious fact everytime we travel into Bath.”

“..."Bath & North East Somerset Council has identified this section at the Morrisons junction as a particular problem..."

Of course they've carried out the easiest job in the world and identified the problem. It's one they created in the first place.

No doubt B&NES taxpayers are expected to pay, yet again, for "action" to be taken to address a cause of congestion for which no-one, it appears, is officially responsible.

I think someone somewhere is making a lucrative lifelong career out of Bath's traffic miseries. Who are they and why are they allowed to fix their own mistakes?

For some who like to play with traffic flows, signals, route layouts and junctions, perhaps installing a model train set at home should be the limit of ambition.”