A8 Newbridge to Gogar Limit Reduced
Discussion
Been like this for around a month, maybe more?
I always wondered why it was as high as 70 when you look at other comparable road speed reductions.
Plenty junction hazards, queuing traffic each end at rush hour, as well as many folk sitting at 50, and on it so a wide range of speeds - still mighty annoying for it to be all 40 - I think 50 would have been more appropriate.
When heading off onto the M8 from north west Edinburgh I always went this way to Newbridge instead of going up to Hermiston Gait, but I suspect this change also helps to force more up this way.
Getting in and out of Edinburgh is getting harder and harder regardless of which method of transport you use
I always wondered why it was as high as 70 when you look at other comparable road speed reductions.
Plenty junction hazards, queuing traffic each end at rush hour, as well as many folk sitting at 50, and on it so a wide range of speeds - still mighty annoying for it to be all 40 - I think 50 would have been more appropriate.
When heading off onto the M8 from north west Edinburgh I always went this way to Newbridge instead of going up to Hermiston Gait, but I suspect this change also helps to force more up this way.
Getting in and out of Edinburgh is getting harder and harder regardless of which method of transport you use
Yes totally agree with all that. I’m not on it any more than a couple of times a month. Full motorway speed feels quick in traffic, but in my experience the traffic keeps speeds down anyway to around 50 which seems grand.
They’ve also hatched off the slip roads with solid lines so now traffic will have to slow right down on the main carriageway to turn into, eg, Norton House Hotel or the BP. Seems a recipe for disaster. I’m not particularly aware of a prevalence of accidents on the road either. M8 through West Lothian seems to have them daily now, though.
They’ve also hatched off the slip roads with solid lines so now traffic will have to slow right down on the main carriageway to turn into, eg, Norton House Hotel or the BP. Seems a recipe for disaster. I’m not particularly aware of a prevalence of accidents on the road either. M8 through West Lothian seems to have them daily now, though.
simoid said:
They’re putting in a pedestrian crossing at Ingliston by the BP. Fun fun.
The amount of other places that they’ve got pedestrian crossings holding up traffic and generating emissions, where there are already bridges or underpasses for pedestrians and cyclists, is quite incredible.
That's unbelievable! Driving into Edinburgh every morning literally has me counting the days til I can retire The amount of other places that they’ve got pedestrian crossings holding up traffic and generating emissions, where there are already bridges or underpasses for pedestrians and cyclists, is quite incredible.
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/traffi...
Undoing some of the A8 changes already. Muppets.
Undoing some of the A8 changes already. Muppets.
well, while I have to agree that "they" (thats CEC) have to do "something" as the congestion in Edinburgh isnt ever going to get better without a real rethink, so they should be applauded for trying "something" - I do wish "they" would actually think a wee bit more about the impact of their changes.
I have no real issue with the 40mph limit on the A8 - 50 may have been OK IMO but 70 was too much for the average myopic car-driver.
The crossing of Gogarstone road while walking or using the cycle-path is definitely a nightmare - you cannot see anything until you are on the road and in danger, so they have tried to make it better, but tried this in the laziest and cheapest way (cynic mode on ...to be seen to do something....)
From a walking/cycling perspective, there is nothing they can do to this junction to make it safer, without completely re-modelling the junction (thats roads, not painted lines). It needs walls/roads/pavements moved.
From a car perspective its more dangerous now in my opinion - you used to be able to come down turn left into the slip and accelerate smoothly out into the traffic easily - now you have to stop, at an angle that makes seeing the A8 traffic awkward, and pull out into traffic already bunching up and slowing due to the airport slip. ALL the other exits westbound are also now more dangerous.
ANYTHING "they" can do to make the traffic-flow worse seems to win IMO.
"I know says CEC traffic-man, lets make it safer by making car-drivers stop unpredictably and also restrict the airport slip so that the A8 becomes a queue"
the cynic in me says that the traffic in this area will NEVER improve as the only real solution is a big park and ride at say Winchburgh for M9 and Claylands for M8 - neither of which would ever happen as they would stop people using the park-and-ride serviced by CEC's own bus/tram company at the airport.
until politicians (local and National) stop looking beyond their next re-election term, we will never have a coherant and useful transport policy.
I have no real issue with the 40mph limit on the A8 - 50 may have been OK IMO but 70 was too much for the average myopic car-driver.
The crossing of Gogarstone road while walking or using the cycle-path is definitely a nightmare - you cannot see anything until you are on the road and in danger, so they have tried to make it better, but tried this in the laziest and cheapest way (cynic mode on ...to be seen to do something....)
From a walking/cycling perspective, there is nothing they can do to this junction to make it safer, without completely re-modelling the junction (thats roads, not painted lines). It needs walls/roads/pavements moved.
From a car perspective its more dangerous now in my opinion - you used to be able to come down turn left into the slip and accelerate smoothly out into the traffic easily - now you have to stop, at an angle that makes seeing the A8 traffic awkward, and pull out into traffic already bunching up and slowing due to the airport slip. ALL the other exits westbound are also now more dangerous.
ANYTHING "they" can do to make the traffic-flow worse seems to win IMO.
"I know says CEC traffic-man, lets make it safer by making car-drivers stop unpredictably and also restrict the airport slip so that the A8 becomes a queue"
the cynic in me says that the traffic in this area will NEVER improve as the only real solution is a big park and ride at say Winchburgh for M9 and Claylands for M8 - neither of which would ever happen as they would stop people using the park-and-ride serviced by CEC's own bus/tram company at the airport.
until politicians (local and National) stop looking beyond their next re-election term, we will never have a coherant and useful transport policy.
simoid said:
I’m surprised they didn’t do it in that case. Sounds like a flippant comment but it’s exactly the kind of s
t they’d pull - anything to slow cars down, make them wait longer, pollute more, so there’s further reason to slow cars down, make them wait longer, pollute more...
The reason they didn't: "It would slow the buses down as Blackhall is effectively single-lane!"t they’d pull - anything to slow cars down, make them wait longer, pollute more, so there’s further reason to slow cars down, make them wait longer, pollute more...The buses would get stuck in the traffic else they would have!!
The 40 limit was brought in so that they don't need to sign for any events at the showground.
They have also removed a lot of the road space around junctions on that stretch which in my opinion is sheer idiocy. deliberately removing safety features to make it more dangerous to justify what they have done.
Ive done 30 months of commute at peak times along this road and the city bypass and to tell you the truth with some simple modifications they could sort it out pretty simply. but that would only inflame the city of Edinburgh councilors who want to make it hard for drivers.
Gyle roundabout sort this out and find away to make it flow easier. it just grid locks and no one goes anywhere during peak times.
Newbridge - traffic heading for the M9 west gets stuck here and there is no easy way to speed up the flow
They have also removed a lot of the road space around junctions on that stretch which in my opinion is sheer idiocy. deliberately removing safety features to make it more dangerous to justify what they have done.
Ive done 30 months of commute at peak times along this road and the city bypass and to tell you the truth with some simple modifications they could sort it out pretty simply. but that would only inflame the city of Edinburgh councilors who want to make it hard for drivers.
Gyle roundabout sort this out and find away to make it flow easier. it just grid locks and no one goes anywhere during peak times.
Newbridge - traffic heading for the M9 west gets stuck here and there is no easy way to speed up the flow
Just before it was dropped to 40 I witnessed a chap in an old Golf (think it was a mk1) doing a good 70 ish. Just before the airport slip heading city bound, a small white van pulled out to overtake someone slowing to the airport slip road. Bang right into the Golf shifting along in the outside lane.
I did wonder if that was another nail in the coffin to the (then) 70 limit. 40 does seem a bit slow but then you could argue, 40/70 over such a relatively short distance, any real gain in times???
I did wonder if that was another nail in the coffin to the (then) 70 limit. 40 does seem a bit slow but then you could argue, 40/70 over such a relatively short distance, any real gain in times???
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