Hilden Island

[observer]

A large round a bout which used to have plently of road space around it: but not any more: they've white lined it into a single lane and, added some raised curbs, just to make sure they choke the traffic flows - someone in Highways is having a laugh.

[Peter T]

They've got to spend that money they haven't got somehow.

Just think, when the lycra man gets 20mph everywhere, the town will gridlock quicker.

[Sue Durnim]

What they should have done is to make the round-about smaller,

to save money on the landscaping?

[Bill]

What they should have done is stop wasting our money on expensive projects seemingly designed solely to frustrate motorists. Who ever is responsible for dreaming up these crazy ideas should be the first to be sent packing in the cutbacks!

 

At least it was mainly paint and not more traffic lights!

 

Bill

[Legion]

Shhh!!! christs sake! don't tell them theres a roundabout without traffic lights!

[observer]

Give 'em time Bill, the T/lights could come later!

[Peter T]

Slightly off topic, but does anyone know why they have messed with the traffic light timing around town? They have made a right pigs ear of things.

[observer]

Sue, thought our Islands were funded by sponsors who put their advertising boards on the Islands, to distract drivers?!

[vic]

Hilden island was never really suitable for allowing two lanes of traffic round it. I'm not sure it needed any paint to make that clear, but you'd have to check accident stats to see if it's justified.

[observer]

Fortunately, tail backs along Long Lane and from Kingsway, havn't quite reached Hilden Island yet, so perhaps reducing road space isn't so much of a problem - yet!

[Sue Durnim]

Sue, thought our Islands were funded by sponsors who put their advertising boards on the Islands, to distract drivers?!

 

Observer, you are correct, but I suppose in the current economic climate, sponsors may be hard to find, so the financial burden will fall back on the tax payer once more.

 

Although it is a great idea to sponsor traffic islands and is common place through out the country it still cost money to administer.

[observer]

Hows about planting trees on them to absorb the roadside CO2, and leaving them?!

[Evil Sid]

probably a no no on elf and safety grounds.

 

1) they would obstruct the view of the traffic.

2) the council would have to shut the island off so that they could prune them.

3) the leaves falling in autumn would cause a road hazard to the cyclists

[Sue Durnim]

Roundabouts, it could be worse, check this one out in Swindon!

 

http://picdit.wordpress.com/2008/09/13/2-hardcore-roundabouts/

[observer]

Don't give our Highways folk ideas Sue!

[wahl]

I believe the mess as Hilden roundabout was funded by a grant from EU via Mrs Jones. They wanted to waste some money and Hilden was the target. The road is now unsafe with stupidly placed obstructions and road narrowings. Buses cannot circumnavigate the roundsabout now without crossing to the other side of the road. The pavgements for invisible pedestrians going nowhere were another example of the ivory tower planning prelevant in WBC traffic mismanagement department, where there is a competition for a better way of obstructing traffic than the ASDA lights. Next attempt is at Parker Street / Sankey Street where another change to road traffic is going to be made to waste more labour money. Perhaps they will use the tarmac they dig up to fill some of the potholes.

ttra

[observer]

Just about sums up the EU, the MP, and the Highways Dept Wahl!

[darrenforster99]

Just got back off holiday and went onto Hilden Island to go up to Birchwood Expressway.

 

I remembered they'd put the hash markings in place before I went on holiday, but now bollards as well??

 

I came from Long Lane onto the roundabout, went round and come off onto Orford Road at 30mph and started going to the left to get into the left hand lane for Birchwood Expressway.

 

Next thing I had to swerve out into the middle of the road, nearly having a head on collision with a van on the other side.

 

What kind of idiot put bollards and raised curb in the middle of the road, especially where the road splits to go left onto a 60mph road.

 

And to make it worse them bollards they've put up there look like there not the ones that would just bend if hit, added to the fact there is now curb as well, which if hit has a high possibility of rolling a vehicle.

 

I'm very surprised that in this world of health and safety that the H&S officer allowed Warrington Borough Council to obstruct a road in such a very dangerous way, with no clear warning signs either about the road narrowing as your coming off the roundabout, and not only that these bollards aren't even bright yellow, but white and red, very easy to miss.

 

Warrington Borough Council are constantly messing up more and more of the Long Lane area and wasting more and more money. What is the exact point of the 20 zone on Long Lane? I think I'm one of the very few drivers that actually goes down there at 20. I noticed when I was on holiday the 20 zones were far more better. They were only in operation during school times with flashing lights to warn you that 20 zone was in operation, this made cars slow down a lot more than a constant 20 zone as they notice it more, and the 20 zones were a lot more shorter, it is very easy to lose concentration on that road when just cruising down there at 20 as it's such a relaxing and slow speed, especially in an automatic when you don't need to change gears.

[observer]

Roundabouts and crossroads are the main points of congestion in the Town, mess them up and you mess the whole traffic system up. EG. they changed the timer on the lights at Pinners Brow - result - line of traffic all the way down Orford Lane. This was to free up the A49, which they've messed up the Islands along up to Bridge Foot. They are constricting traffic flows, by changing three lanes to two, and two lanes to one; plus all this expensive bollard nonesense - talk about a waste of our money.

[Peter T]

With your contacts, surely you can ask them why?

[observer]

You jest!

[vic]

Just got back off holiday and went onto Hilden Island to go up to Birchwood Expressway.

 

I remembered they'd put the hash markings in place before I went on holiday, but now bollards as well??

 

I came from Long Lane onto the roundabout, went round and come off onto Orford Road at 30mph and started going to the left to get into the left hand lane for Birchwood Expressway.

 

Next thing I had to swerve out into the middle of the road, nearly having a head on collision with a van on the other side.

 

What kind of idiot put bollards and raised curb in the middle of the road, especially where the road splits to go left onto a 60mph road.

 

And to make it worse them bollards they've put up there look like there not the ones that would just bend if hit, added to the fact there is now curb as well, which if hit has a high possibility of rolling a vehicle.

 

I'm very surprised that in this world of health and safety that the H&S officer allowed Warrington Borough Council to obstruct a road in such a very dangerous way, with no clear warning signs either about the road narrowing as your coming off the roundabout, and not only that these bollards aren't even bright yellow, but white and red, very easy to miss.

 

Well, if you'd not driven over the white hatching, you'd not have had to swerve...

 

Whether it's all worth it is another matter, but the layout is designed to protect cyclists coming off the segregated cycle lane back onto Orford Road.

 

Let's face it, any kerb is a bit of a hazard if you try and drive over it rather than around it... Seriously, if the hatchings fade, you may well be right that it could be rather dodgy (e.g.) on a grotty rainy night.

[observer]

Obviously the Highways Dept have more money than they know what to do with, perhaps it would be better spent re-surfacing our roads?

[wahl]

As I said before, the hilden mess is caused by WBC planners having to devise how to waste the money allocated by EU to bettering the lives of cyclists and to hell with everyone else. the only things they missed were some traffic lights to create some congestion and bring the roundabout in line with the ASDA one. and a flagpole to fly the euro flag so that everyone would know where the money had come from. Perhaps schoolchildren could be given a task to copy the flag or some other useless homework.l

 

 

Because money is allocated for some useless idea, apparently planners etc are not allowed to spend it where it would be of benefit.

Perhaps this is a task that should be allocated to the accountants as they are fairly adept at moving figures sround in accounts. They could sub charge the useless project for costs in doing some useful project such as filling in all potholes in a fifty mile radius to enable easier access to hilden roundabout. Come on wbc accountants get your imagination working !!.

[observer]

LA's arn't noted for imagination!