Traffic queues approaching Rayleigh Weir were particularly bad last night (Tuesday)
However the lights were working during the rush hour. We checked and were told that the lights went around lunchtime Monday and a repair was made by 13.20. Unfortunately the repair did not hold and they went out again on Tuesday am when new equipment was replaced. Lights functional again by 11.15.
So it was probably the ‘Progress Road improvements’ over the border in Southend which were causing the delays in the evening.
If anyone has had enough of sitting in traffic queues around town, I note that Rayleigh is now on Google Streetview, so we can travel round town virtually in cyberspace instead.
Glad I painted the front of the house recently.
The traffic on Rawreth Lane/Hullbridge RD mini roundabout has been EXTREMELY busy of late. However can anyone tell me what the strange camera near the junction was doing?? Watching out for the inevitable prang or just counting traffic? A greater service would have been to have sited it further back and covered the Zebra crossing too. It takes many drivers by surprise to see a pedestrian in the middle of the road! Near misses by unprepared drivers is very unnerving to say the least.
Of course, traffic may move a little easier at this junction if people knew their Highway Code and gave way to vehicles on the right!
This is particularly noticeable when trying to turn right from Rawreth Lane where people coming from the Hullbridge direction apply the “I am going faster than you” principle and put their foot down to get across the junction instead of giving way!
Sometimes I wonder if people have ever taken a driving test in these parts!!
CCR that’s what I often say – is it a different driving test in Essex? 🙂 Mini roundabouts do seem to be a particular problem with folk sitting and looking at each other waiting for someone else to move first or as you say just speeding straight across without looking! The mini roundabouts in Rayleigh town centre are other examples! As Carole says the numerous zebra crossings in Rayleigh are sited too close to the mini roundabouts which also inhibits the flow of traffic.
The problem with many mini-roundabouts is that they are often just converted T-junctions. This means that traffic on what used to be main road are travelling straight when they approach the junction, and just carry their speed across the round about. They also tend to have a better line of sight. People trying to pull out of what used to be the side road have to turn 90 degrees to exit the roundabout junstion, so have to slow down a lot more, will be slower to accelerate, and have less view of approaching traffic.
If the roundabouts were offset to break up the “straight across” design of former T-junctions, it may help slow traffic to a more suitable speed and even up the chances for all approaches to the junction. I assume it is usually cost and space that prevents this from happening.