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What’s with the lights?
Tuesday 28th April 2009, 7:31AM BST.
LETTER: Could someone please tell me why at 5.30 in the morning, when I am the only one on the road, do I have to stop at every traffic light on both Dobbies Island and Emstrey?
Also why are there lights actually on the island? I thought they were meant to be only on at peak times and to solve problems, not create problems.
Am I the only one that thinks like this?
Karen Howells
Shrewsbury
* Editor’s note: Tell us where you think are Shropshire’s most annoying or unnecessary traffic lights. Is there a road which was easy to drive along until planners decided to put lights in? Tell us all about it in the comment box below, and we’ll make sure your views are seen by those in charge.
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Why should we in Telford be the only ones to suffer from ‘traffic Light’ syndrome. It’s about time Shrewsbury had their fare share. Get on with it, we have to.
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Often traffic flows much better at roundabouts without lights. However, Dobbies is definitely benefiting from lights. The queues are much shorter since the lights were introduced. Not to mention the reduction in accidents!
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What a pointless moan, just deal with it.
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Get over it and stPp moaning, its fantastic at peak times1
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Get over it and stop moaning, the lights are fantastic at peak times!
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I agree that traffic lights on certain islands can help the traffic flow during busy periods. It’s of particular benefit to traffic coming in from minor roads where there’s a relentless flow of traffic from the right.
However, that’s not the point of this letter. I agree that island traffic lights should be switched off when not required. It’s completely illogical to sit at a red light, pumping out exhaust fumes, when there isn’t another car within a square mile. You can bet your last penny that if you did drive over the red light one morning then there would be another car nearby – it would be a police car.
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I think the lights at dobbies seem to work well enough. however the lights at emstrey are ridiculous. this roundabout used to flow pretty well and only occasionally would you be held up(these were around 5.30pm on the approach to the roundabout from dobbies direction). the only entrance onto the roundabout that ever caused a problem was the shrewsbury business park entrance, however was it really bad enough to spend £x amount on lights for the whole island.
this roundabout has now become a joke. whichever way you approach the roundabout you always find yourself in a que.
i wonder which roundabout the council are planning on ruining next??
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What bothers me more about Dobbies and Emstrey island is the lane markings – some of which lead to nowhere. As for julian’s comment on the reduction in accidents, I have experienced far more ‘near misses’ with other drivers since the lights were installed at both islands. There is too much to have to be aware of as you go around – particularly when queueing traffic in one direction backs up into the lane you’re travelling into. Its an absolute nightmare.
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Easily the most annoying are the lights on Telford Town Centre ring road, by the bus station, between Beatties and the Council offices.
Even in the early hours, when there is not a soul about, they can be seen to be green from a distance only to turn red if any traffic approaches. As soon as the traffic stops, they go green again. They’re clearly placed there just to annoy people and waste their time and fuel.
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Meole Island traffic lights work very well, possibly because the island istelf is 10 times bigger but they sync up much better than either Dobbies or Emstry. There are many systems around the country operate part time lights, surely both Emstry and Dobbies would be better served with peak time traffic lights only.
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The problem for me with the Emstrey lights is that I now sit in a queue of traffic coming from Telford on the ‘old A5′ waiting for the 10 second green light. Previously this did not occur but I can see how traffic queues have been reduced from the ‘new A5′ directions.
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cctv probably thinks you are dodgy driving at that time in the morning and wants you to do something stupid at the lights ,inform the plods and get you done for a driving offence.
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I have to agree that the lights at Emstry are completely unnecessary. I used to work in Wellington and drove through that island at peak times, and the traffic queues were never enough to justify putting in traffic lights. The lane markings are over-the-top and cause so much confusion, you always get someone who is lane-drifting and someone else who sticks to the markings and the result is much horn-honking and ‘finger gesturing’. I think the lights make sense at Dobbies (although I agree with the OP) but at Emstry, they’ve made the situation worse.
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It’s the council ticking the boxes for road safety issues, money money……..
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It’s the council ticking the road safety boxes for the grants,money money….
And while we are on the subject meole brace island
no need for lights.
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Fair point, it’s the same in Telford.
Lights at Telford Town Centre, Trench and for my needs more at the Wrekin Retail park should be turned off during non peak times.
Countless times I am held up at this Island with not a car in sight, the island worked fine before they were introduced and I have read stories of volunteer Fireman who can no longer get to the station since they were introduced.
Turn them off at night!
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Not that i’m one for sticking up for councils but all you that are blaming the Council for the lights at these islands need to get your facts right, the road is HIGHWAYS AGENCY, which means it is nothing at all to do with the local authority. Although being as many of you act like you know everything, you should already know this……thought not.
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I can’t really see the problem, if theres no-one about and safe to do so, just jump them.
Alot of people just don’t understand what the different colours mean so I shall explain:
Green = Go
Amber = Keep Going
Red = A few more won’t matter
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Didn’t anyone see the report on the BBC News website last week? The government have for years encouraged local councils to set traffic lights to default to red on main roads when no traffic is present. The reason given was that it causes motorists to burn more fuel by stopping and starting and thus pay more fuel tax!
The government are now allowing councils to set create ‘green routes’ where if you encounter a light on green and stick to the speed limit all other subsequent lights will be on geeen.
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Well well – the Shropshire Star are going to run a campaign to sort out unnecessary traffic lights – I hope they have more success talking to the councils rhino skinned idiots than I have had.
Lets start the list in Telford:
Town centre exhibition centre lights – regularly on red when there is no other traffic
ring road outside Fawlty Towers (council building) – go to red when traffic approaches – council claim this is traffic calming measure
Asda petrol station lights – only in existence because the council decided to let buses go against the flow of the ring road thus creating the lights and some excellent accidents with buses hitting cars
Hollinswood island – lights stop you even in the dead of night
Ketley brook – same as above
Trench lock – WHY OH WHY?
Lawley – a fabulous piece of design to delay traffic at every opportunity
Oh, and while your at it could you get the drainpipes in the road at the lawley roundabout removed.
Traffic systems should be designed to keep the traffic moving not to cause maximum congestion – how about the council pay the road users £1 for every minutes delay – that might focus there barely functioning minds!!
Good luck with the campaign Mr Editor – I won’t be holding my breath!
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Whole heartedly agree with Peter(different), its taking me 10 minutes longer to get through Emstrey Island from the old A5 in a morning now that we now have traffic lights.
Also because the light are on green for such a short period there is alot of jumping of red lights going on.
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I can not believe that so many people do not have the foresight to see that the lights are providing a benefit at the worst times. As someone who uses Dobbies roundabout a number of times a day, it doesnt bother me one bit that i’m held up for a few seconds off peak because i now do not have to sit in 15minutes of queuing at least at peak times.
Please stop thinking about yourself and think of others.
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@Tom “Please stop thinking about yourself and think of others”
Why should the letter writer stop thinking about herself? She’s inconvenienced for no reason at a time when most of us are conveniently tucked up in bed. It’s surely a simple thing for the lights to come on when they’re needed and off at all other times. That way everybody’s happy. That’s all she’s asking.
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To be fair there needed to be some sort of traffic management system put in place on that island BUT the way they have set out the new road markings is ridiculous, I can gurantee that EVERYTIME i’m on that island you hear several car horns because no one knows what lane to use, secondly they only need to be operational from 7am till 6pm…you’ll find the roundabout is quiet at any other time. These designers/contractors need to experience using the roundabouts and roads before plonking traffic lights on them else they arent effective!
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dobbies – good idea and much safer
emstry – a total waste of time and money!!
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In the morning I use both main islands – Dobbies is great as the traffic flows quite freely but Emstrey is a total nightmare.
I’m waiting 10 minutes to turn left down the bypass because of traffic for the Otley & London roads stacking back on the island.
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As a builder of such magnificent creations and given the dire state of the economy, I think the editor should be campaigning for MORE traffic lights. Us builders need some work and despite what people think, traffic lights at peak times do increase capacity. The problem is sometimes the best capacity cannot simply be turned on and off as ‘we drivers’ tend to crash left right and centre if things change too often.
The Authority responsbile should be monitoring the lights (this can be done remotely by computer) and should respond and adjust the lights if there are genuine reasons they are not working.
Driving style can also help and if you are approaching the lights in the small hours, ease off a bit and you might find they change for you – they can sense how fast you go so may stay on red just to slow you down a bit (which is a good thing I say).
No matter what gets built, someone will complain – queues off-peak, queues at peak, traffic is too fast, too many accidents, cannot walk across road. To me it boils down to the fact we have too many cars driven by people only interested in themselves – I am one sometimes too and get steamed up by too many roundabouts, too many cameras, too many speed humps but there is always a good reason for them it might just not be obvious.
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As a builder I know we cannot win. Leave it as a roundabout and you get complaints off peak hour queues and speeding traffic at other times and poor access for pedestrians. If you write in to them, they have to take notice, get your local councillor to ask some questions too, it all helps but only if there is a REAL reason not just petty complaints.
All the same, as a builder, creating these things pays my wage and that of my colleagues. I know they are well designed and there for a reason – to improve something that was either full or unsafe.
Sometimes, things don’t work 100% so need tweaking and the Authority in charge usually monitor these lights as it can be done remotely by computer.
Sometimes its the drivers that don’t work – if you slow down a bit, the signals might actually chnage for you if there is nothing else moving as there are sensors in the road. If you race up to the lights then don’t expect them to change, be more patient, coast the last 100 yards and you will save loads of petrol and brake pads.
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Captain Cynical is spot on with his observations. Interestingly, the lights by Telford International Centre used to give priority to traffic on the arterial route through town and serve the car parks on request. They were then replaced by “new” lights at no small cost which could only follow a sequence. They have since been upgraded (at no small cost??) but even so, every time an engineer tinkers with them they default to sequencing mode. They really are pointless when the multi storey car park and Internatinal Centre/bingo hall/ice rink are closed overnight.
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Try sitting at the lights on a motorbike, even with a 6ft 5in man and a 1000cc bike, the pads in the road do not work and you have to wait for a car to trigger the lights
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Funnily enough, about three weeks ago my wife & I had to visit Shrewsbury. So we took the scenic route on the back roads (good excuse for a bit of a blat as well!), and we ended up turning right just before Atcham near the antiques shop.
Driving through Atcham, over the Severn, and about 1/4 of a mile from the island on the A5 we came to halt. We both commented how odd this was. It shouldn’t be this bad at 2.00 of a Saturday afternoon! Then, after a while, we saw the lights. It was infuriating.
Green lasted for no more than 10 seconds, letting through (we counted) no more than four cars at a time. No wonder the traffic on the old A5 was so bad. Heading home at about 4.30 p.m., we approached the island on the A5 dual from Dobbies (thinking it would be better; you know, main road, more priority and all that). But no. Same 10 second green phase, and queues back to the Sutton Farm exit. On a Saturday afternoon.
And since Trench Block came into force, we avoid it at all costs. It saves time, money, and fuel, and is better for the environment if we do so.
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Funnily enough, about three weeks ago my wife & I had to visit Shrewsbury. So we took the scenic route on the back roads (good excuse for a bit of a blat as well!), and we ended up turning right just before Atcham near the antiques shop. Driving through Atcham, over the Severn, and about 1/4 of a mile from the island on the A5 we came to halt. We both commented how odd this was. It shouldn’t be this bad at 2.00 of a Saturday afternoon! Then, after a while, we saw the lights. It was infuriating. Green lasted for no more than 10 seconds, letting through (we counted) no more than four cars at a time. No wonder the traffic on the old A5 was so bad. Heading home at about 4.30 p.m., we approached the island on the A5 dual from Dobbies (thinking it would be better; you know, main road, more priority and all that). But no. Same 10 second green phase, and queues back to the Sutton Farm exit. On a Saturday afternoon. And since Trench Block came into force, we avoid it at all costs. It saves time, money, and fuel, and is better for the environment if we do so.
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Funnily enough, about three weeks ago my wife & I had to visit Shrewsbury. So we took the scenic route on the back roads (good excuse for a bit of a blat as well!), and we ended up turning right just before Atcham near the antiques shop. Driving through Atcham, over the Severn, and about 1/4 of a mile from the island on the A5 we came to halt. We both commented how odd this was. It shouldn’t be this bad at 2.00 of a Saturday afternoon! Then, after a while, we saw the lights. It was infuriating. Green lasted for no more than 10 seconds, letting through (we counted) no more than four cars at a time. No wonder the traffic on the old A5 was so bad. Heading home at about 4.30 p.m., we approached the island on the A5 dual from Dobbies (thinking it would be better; you know, main road, more priority and all that). But no. Same 10 second green phase, and queues back to the Sutton Farm exit. On a Saturday afternoon. And since Trench Block came into force, we avoid it at all costs. It saves time, money, and fuel, and is better for the environment if we do so.
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Just as bad as having to stop at the traffic lights in the morning rush hour, heading North on the A442 at the Trench Lock Islands. The main flow of traffic stops at the lights to let traffic out of BAE systems – when there never is any!! I won’t mention the new road layout around the Lawley Development, or traffic lights outside T-Cat, with a give way line two metres after the lights turn green. As most people have said we just have to get on with it! It’s just a pity some idiot gets paid to come up with these idea’s!! :-)
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As a builder I know we cannot win. Leave it as a roundabout and you get complaints off peak hour queues and speeding traffic at other times and poor access for pedestrians. If you write in to them, they have to take notice, get your local councillor to ask some questions too, it all helps but only if there is a REAL reason not just petty complaints.
All the same, as a builder, creating these things pays my wage and that of my colleagues. I know they are well designed and there for a reason – to improve something that was either full or unsafe.
Sometimes, things don’t work 100% so need tweaking and the Authority in charge usually monitor these lights as it can be done remotely by computer.
Sometimes its the drivers that don’t work – if you slow down a bit, the signals might actually chnage for you if there is nothing else moving as there are sensors in the road. If you race up to the lights then don’t expect them to change, be more patient, coast the last 100 yards and you will save loads of petrol and brake pads.
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Trench is a disatser no doubt, the lights are probably OK but the figure of eight road circuit, bus only alnes and random no-right turns are just stupid.
A442 at ketley seem to work fine to me.
Cannot comment on Lawley as its still being built but what could be worrying are all the bits of junctions they have built which are ready to receive more traffic lights, I think I counted another 5 or 6 sets of signals but I know they are putting 3 or 4 thousand houses in there so chaos will be inevitable anyway.
By comparison, the new roundabout on the southern ring near Lightmoor is just as bad as a set of lights, its reduced a 2 lane section to 1 lane and you can imagine hold ups when they get round to putting the houses in.
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Its all called “Progress”.
Perhaps someone could explain why the traffic island at Trench has lights specifically designed to STOP you ON the roundabout, thereby actually causing a blockage where none should exist.
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Thomas Telford,
Those lights cost millions didn’t they and you say they are computer controlled?
My central heating system has a wonderful new invention, it’s a gadget called a TIMER, I set it to turn the system off when I don’t need to use it (usually at night when I and most others are asleep) I can highly recommend this new invention and will happily sell you one for less than £1Million.
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Brian2
I think you will find the lights cost 100k, the road layout changes cost the rest.
Sadly its not as simple as turning them off. We drivers do not cope well, lights have many functions, slowing traffic is actually an aim sometimes, giving pedestrians a safe crossing is another and you may not simply be able to switch them off and leave a safe road. Hoever, if the lights are just plonked onto an existing rounabout with no material changes other than white lines then yes, they could and probably should be turned off at night and maybe 10am to 2pm when there are fewer pedestrians and cars about. I doubt that trench lock would work with no lights, it would be carnage.
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I was just wondering if any of you boffins could tell me what happens if there is a power cut?
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its because of socialists in the Council who want to control you and tax you
get them out bring back the tories and we’ll tear down the traffic lights and make shropshire great again with free parking for all and we’ll bring back hanging and get out of the EU and bring back weekly bin day
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Lucy,
Maybe we have to think for ourselves just like we have done for decades…….just because traffic light designers can’t think for themselves, it’s a shame….lucky for us there isn’t many on the roads!
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Thomas T,
I have never heard so much rubbish in my life….you should be a comedian, you would be better at it than a lights designer or spokesman for common sense.
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well if there is a power cut the lights will go off bit obvious isnt it DURR
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The traffic lights on Dobbies have been very successful. However, the lights on Emstry island are awful! They make queues on the island itself every morning and I am often held up in traffic queues waiting to go onto the island. The lanes do not make any sense as they are poorly layed out. I think it was a complete waste of time and was much better before the lights were there.
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stop moaning ,
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I have to use both Dobbies and Emstrey islands twice a day as I commute from Oswestry to Telford. I was very concerned initially about the Dobbies island but experience has shown that (perhaps I am lucky!) although I generally get stopped for a short while on the way to work I can generally get past most days coming back.
The Emstrey is a different matter and there are usually queues coming back – going so early in the morning not too bad altough I always have to wait and the timing for green seems very short.
BUT, If I want to come from Telford and turn right at Emstrey to get to Shirehall for a meeting … I hate it – the lanes are not market to allow you to filter out and I keep being cut up by people who are in the wrong lane!
It never used to be this bad.
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I rode my bike from Wellington to Shrewsbury last Tuesday and had to make the decision to pedal around emstry or get off and walk around. I found out that it was similar to shall i jump of the cliff or get someone to push me. If you use a bike do not go this way you will be killed. The police were dealing with an accident as i a got there a lorry had hit a car it is a nightmare
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It doesn’t look like you got this one right,Thomas Telford, maybe you should stick to designing bridges?
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Tory Boy,
You see to have forgotten the Thatcher years and all that the tories destroyed which has eventually lead us to this economic collapse. Bringing back weekly bin emptying isn’t going to change the country or the fact that the Tories lead us into a recession the last time.
Terry
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I’m not sure if Tommy Telford built any bridges in Shropshire, Abraham Darby did a nice job at Ironbridge, but wasn’t that a spot of luck that the place was called Ironbridge and Abes thought to himself “hmmmm? wouldn’t it be a good idea if I made a real iron bridge there?”
I think Tommy’s contribution to Shropshire roads was some pot-holeing on the A5.
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We have too much government, there are too many people in public service sitting on large chunks of tax payers’ money often needing to be spent before the end of the tax year. This combines with the control-freakery of the current incumbents and their focus on enforcement resulting in too much intervention e.g. unnecessary traffic lights.
Roundabouts with traffic lights is a contradiction in terms and is one of my pet driving hates.
The lights on Meole Island are a joke. Some people point out the amount of traffic on the roundabout but the impression of high traffic volume is usually created by the traffic light queues. In the early hours I have often taken the decision not to sit at a red light with no other vehicles in sight.
Emstrey is pointless. Dobbies it could be argued was necessary. But how long will it be before all the roundabouts on the ring road have been infested with traffic lights – won’t that be a joy!
Shrewsbury town centre too is beleaguered with unnecessary traffic lights causing congestion, pollution and frustration.
Finally, if man-made global warming is supposedly such a threat to the planet surely we should not brake-idle-accelerate thousands of vehicles a day at new traffic light systems?
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Terry, you’re going off the subject, but don’t hark back to the Thatcher period as the reason for today’s economic disasters. She and her government made some real howlers – granted and the seeds of greedy capitalism were certainly sown back then, but they indisputably also gave us back our self respect at a time when this country was dying, and the economy, and reserves were in good shape when labour took control in 97. Everything since then is all their doing. Why did Brown flog off our gold reserves at such an inopportune time? The credit crunch wouldn’t have hit us nearly so hard, but for their softening of regulations governing the financial services sector and the creation of the thoroughly inept FSA. Tory Boy is just a wind up merchant looking for somebody like you to bite at his remarks.
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I think, T T did the buildwas bridge. There’s a story that he was jealous of Darby’s bridge at Ironbridge and decided he could do better at Buildwas ….unfortunately for him it wasn’t as popular BUT, if he had thought to put traffic lights on it at the time, then it may have been a different story.
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Actually the question is a valid one and the disenters who have posted crass comments are the reason this country is in a mess. We are fed rubbish and never question its reason. prevoiuse governments, not just this one have had the technology to let the lights stay green if no other traffic is present, but witheld the use of this tecgnology as the there would be a loss of fuel tax. Only now are they considering using it under the guise of meeting Co2 targets.
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I hope Lucy W is being funny and does not really think that the place where they built an Iron Bridge was already called Ironbridge before tey put the bridge in. I think you will find the names Coalbrookdale and Benthall actually existed first.
As for this TT iii, my contribution to your daily lives is gridlock and misery with my endless cones, traffic lights and workmen noisily digging trenches. Enjoy my labours people as you are paying my wages don’t forget. I wouldn’t want to disappoint you and divert your attention onto something meaningful.
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Hopefully TT this recession and a change of government will see the end of “jobs for the incompetents” amongs us and wages will have to be earned soon in neccessary jobs like nurses etc and many council employed freeloaders such as yourself will be shed.
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You all seem to be waffling a load of old rott as long as they are green foe me i dont care.
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