Well done Chris. Lets solve some more local puzzles. Thanks for starting the topic GEODGCHughie wrote:That appears to be it, Michael. That access road you mention is short and if perhaps around four cars wanted to turn into that housing estate, the last might block the roundabout,michaelm wrote:Maybe something to do with the short access rd. that allows traffic on the right to cross the carriageway and enter the Kilwinning rd. housing estate on the left?
Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.
Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.
There was an article about this in the A&S herald this week, and they came up with a slightly different story. Apparently the lights were installed when the bus lanes were built. There was a concern that at times there may be congestion at the roundabout, since there is another set of lights at the Hayocks Rd exit, and these lights would allow traffic coming in from the dual carriageway to be held back to allow the congestion at the roundabout to clear.
I guess that’s not too different from the story above.
However, that congestion has never really been a problem, so the lights haven’t been enabled and stay at green all the time. They’re being kept there in case they’re needed in the future.
I guess that’s not too different from the story above.
However, that congestion has never really been a problem, so the lights haven’t been enabled and stay at green all the time. They’re being kept there in case they’re needed in the future.
Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.
I reckon the reason(s) for installing these lights may have been twofold, but I'm still scratching my head a bit here.
I can see why they may have been installed if the initial idea was to allow access from the right into the Kilwinning road. housing scheme. Personally speaking though, I don't see any real need for that access lane at all. Traffic that have gone through the Hayocks roundabout have another - though slightly narrower - turn off into that scheme near to the start of Hillcrest Drive.
Also, it wouldn't make sense to be sat in an access lane waiting or hoping for lights to change when all I had to do was travel no more than a couple of hundred yards further on then do a U-turn at Hawkhill Cemetery roundabout, at which I'd pretty much have right of way anyway.
The other explanation - in this weeks A&S Herald - is baffling as these lights were put there sometime in 2006 after the Threetowns Bypass opened in 2005. You'd have thought it would have been obvious to anyone with half a brain in Roads/Planning/ that the bypass itself would greatly reduce the volume of traffic passing through that area, so the chances of tailbacks happening at Townhead Street would be even lower.
There's also two other sets of lights in that wee locale, the ones at the bottom of Hayocks road between "Pops" and the "Blue Star Garage" and the ones a bit closer to Hawkhill Cemetery.
The Herald article has a small paragraph in it about the supposed lack of crossing facilities there but in fact that's complete Bulls..t! as both the above mentioned sets of lights are "Pedestrian Crossings"
Mind you, when did a newspaper ever let the truth get in the way of a decent story.
I can see why they may have been installed if the initial idea was to allow access from the right into the Kilwinning road. housing scheme. Personally speaking though, I don't see any real need for that access lane at all. Traffic that have gone through the Hayocks roundabout have another - though slightly narrower - turn off into that scheme near to the start of Hillcrest Drive.
Also, it wouldn't make sense to be sat in an access lane waiting or hoping for lights to change when all I had to do was travel no more than a couple of hundred yards further on then do a U-turn at Hawkhill Cemetery roundabout, at which I'd pretty much have right of way anyway.
The other explanation - in this weeks A&S Herald - is baffling as these lights were put there sometime in 2006 after the Threetowns Bypass opened in 2005. You'd have thought it would have been obvious to anyone with half a brain in Roads/Planning/ that the bypass itself would greatly reduce the volume of traffic passing through that area, so the chances of tailbacks happening at Townhead Street would be even lower.
There's also two other sets of lights in that wee locale, the ones at the bottom of Hayocks road between "Pops" and the "Blue Star Garage" and the ones a bit closer to Hawkhill Cemetery.
The Herald article has a small paragraph in it about the supposed lack of crossing facilities there but in fact that's complete Bulls..t! as both the above mentioned sets of lights are "Pedestrian Crossings"
Mind you, when did a newspaper ever let the truth get in the way of a decent story.
Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.
Part of the problem is the road Stevenston to Kilwinning is a Dual Carriageway not a conventional one but it is. The inner lane being a bus lane,that limits the accesses and crossings to be of dual carriageway standard,
The Hillcrest entrance is to that standard, plus originally the "dossers"( Burgh Councillors) wanted to shut that off and enter via bottom of Dubbs Road (that was years and years ago possibly the late 60s when they were making an erse of town centre and New street)
If you remember there were 2 very short slip roads at the T junction traffic lights , the council's logic was " they are private houses"
what is there now is an evolution of up rated regulations of highways and traffic control fitting in with a long time process of upgrading a road( the two are different because the road was upgraded a little at a time)
What else comes into the equation is .....Traffic Incidents ..which add up to produce figures and therefore statistics triggering safety levels at the road section(s)
The crossings are there in part due to crossings being there within a certain duration and time frame and therefore have to be within a certain distance, that is not Highways etc but something akin to "grandfather type rights"
BTW at one point the council were either going to sell of or develop the grassy section at Hillcrest
Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald ? as Nelson Muntz would say............"HaHa"
The Hillcrest entrance is to that standard, plus originally the "dossers"( Burgh Councillors) wanted to shut that off and enter via bottom of Dubbs Road (that was years and years ago possibly the late 60s when they were making an erse of town centre and New street)
If you remember there were 2 very short slip roads at the T junction traffic lights , the council's logic was " they are private houses"
what is there now is an evolution of up rated regulations of highways and traffic control fitting in with a long time process of upgrading a road( the two are different because the road was upgraded a little at a time)
What else comes into the equation is .....Traffic Incidents ..which add up to produce figures and therefore statistics triggering safety levels at the road section(s)
The crossings are there in part due to crossings being there within a certain duration and time frame and therefore have to be within a certain distance, that is not Highways etc but something akin to "grandfather type rights"
BTW at one point the council were either going to sell of or develop the grassy section at Hillcrest
Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald ? as Nelson Muntz would say............"HaHa"