Northampton - Worst place to drive

[Jack Pearson]

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

Is it really that bad?

[central]

Kettering one-way system?

[uktrailmonster]

It's bad, but Oxford is worse.

[tom617]

i think the only reason northampton is so bad is because it is so badly organised. they think they can solve everything by putting in traffic lights and they are more interested in making the town look good than having good road management. (for example the work they are doing by the train station so it makes the town look good when you get of the train) i think they should stop wasting money on stupid things and use it to make the roads half decent because you can't go anywhere in northampton without avoiding pot- holes and it makes me really .

p.s sorry for the rant but just had to get it of my chest

tom

[Nicol@]

When I came to Northampton 7 years ago, I loved the quiet, reasonably conditioned roads.

Now the place is congested and pot-holed. The place can't cope with the increase in population and associated traffic.

[uktrailmonster]

tom617 said:

they are more interested in making the town look good

We are talking about Northampton England aren't we?

[Pupp]

central said:

Kettering one-way system?

The same one that conveniently routes lost souls past the Earl, and past, and past, and past....?

There is the urban myth of the ex-krettin couple who returned to the town after some years' absence, only to fail to get off the one-way at all after several hours of laps. It's not THAT bad TBH

[The_Burg]

central said:

Kettering one-way system?

Does exactly what it says on the can though. There is only one way, North to South, unless you know the rat run there really is no obvious way back.

Even now after 10 years i still occasionally forget and end up at the wrong end.

Defiantely far worse than Northampton, how such a tiny town centre could have been so f@cked up!

Not sure if it's true, but it was said at the time the chap who designed it had never even been to Kettering!

[ScoobieWRX]

I thought Northampton was OK comparing it to somewhere like Luton where i used to live. The B-roads around Northampton are excellent and there are plenty of quiet lanes that rarely get used so i don't see much of a problem there, although parking admittedly is abslolutely crap!!

[thompsonusa]

Your all missing the point....... Every town in this country is full of badly organised roads.. what you have to remember is, "DRIVING IN THIS COUNTRY IS LIKE RIDING IN THE BACK OF A STAGECOACH, ALWAYS STUCK BEHIND 2 A**HOLES"

[Podie]

ScoobieWRX said:

The B-roads around Northampton are excellent and there are plenty of quiet lanes that rarely get used so i don't see much of a problem there...

Oh

[sylva41]

tom617 said:

i think the only reason northampton is so bad is because it is so badly organised. they think they can solve everything by putting in traffic lights and they are more interested in making the town look good than having good road management. (for example the work they are doing by the train station so it makes the town look good when you get of the train) i think they should stop wasting money on stupid things and use it to make the roads half decent because you can't go anywhere in northampton without avoiding pot- holes and it makes me really .

p.s sorry for the rant but just had to get it of my chest

tom

Living near the town centre means any journey takes 10mins longer than any route planner suggests, lights, lights, and more lights...if only they'd move the PictureDrome I could move out of town....

[Mrs BlueCerbera]

I always thought Northampton was pretty good for driving, although I'm rarely out in the car at the busy times so maybe I've just not seen all these jams. Can't say I've ever had trouble finding a parking space etc and the speed cameras seem to be in reasonably sensible places in general.

Maybe I'm just too easily pleased

[Shnozz]

Agree with what has been said. Since relocating from Southampton last year I have found Northants roads to be far less congested, better quality and more plentiful B roads (with better scenery) and in particular the rush hour is hilariously lacking in congestion. I rarely spend more than 10 mins getting from the A45 into central Northampton, whereas a similar distance of a commute into Southampton would take me 30 mins for certain, and on some days an hour. Not too sure on vehicle crime, not been a victim - touch wood. As for parking, seems enough to go around most of the time and never myself had an problems.

Oh, and petrol is cheaper here than down south. Overall, the driving experience is massively better than where I am from. There may be better out there, but to make it into the top 5 worse driving experiences seems incredible.

[Podie]

Shnozz said:

...and more plentiful B roads (with better scenery) ...

Must compare notes - found some seriously hairy ones round our way.

Talking of which, if you're near us sometime, give us a and drop in for and

[uktrailmonster]

Shnozz said:

Agree with what has been said. Since relocating from Southampton last year I have found Northants roads to be far less congested, better quality and more plentiful B roads (with better scenery) and in particular the rush hour is hilariously lacking in congestion. I rarely spend more than 10 mins getting from the A45 into central Northampton, whereas a similar distance of a commute into Southampton would take me 30 mins for certain, and on some days an hour. Not too sure on vehicle crime, not been a victim - touch wood. As for parking, seems enough to go around most of the time and never myself had an problems.

Oh, and petrol is cheaper here than down south. Overall, the driving experience is massively better than where I am from. There may be better out there, but to make it into the top 5 worse driving experiences seems incredible.

I think they were talking about Northampton town centre rather than Northants as a whole. I think the roads in the town are pretty crap, as is the town itself, but not the worst ever. But out in the Northants countryside, the roads are pretty good for drivers and largely deserted.

[missdiane]

Usually Northampton is not too bad, but the past few months has been crap all of a sudden loads of road works have appeared, our routes to work have been congested, I hope they get their asses into gear and finish it, not only that we have to contend with MK J14 roadworks and until recently the Ridgemont J13 roadworks too.
So thats where our £60 goes, no wonder they need so many cameras

[Alfahorn]

My home town of Watford (the one in Herts!) that's a dogs dinner to drive around ever since they built the Harlequin essentially in the middle of the one way system.