Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Micro The Maniac
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Micro The Maniac »

SJobson wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 12:36 On the M5 and M6 over the last week I've seen plenty of 'Reduce Travel' messages on the overhead gantries.
Heading south on the M1 this morning, I spotted these...

I wasn't sure of the point... was I supposed to suddenly have an epiphany, and decide "Oh, heck, they're right" and pull over onto the hard shoulder?
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Big L »

There's a "Warks" southbound and a "Staffs" northbound where the M6Toll and M42 run together.
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trickstat
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by trickstat »

Duple wrote: Sun Dec 13, 2020 18:44 "STAFFS
REDUCE TRAVEL"
I disagree - some people use them as an aid for walking. :wink:
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Big Nick
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Big Nick »

DavidBrown wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 12:46
SJobson wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 12:36 On the M5 and M6 over the last week I've seen plenty of 'Reduce Travel' messages on the overhead gantries. Always preceded by a location; until last night they stated the local area (West Midlands - Reduce Travel, for instance) but I saw one last night which said 'South Gloucs - Reduce Travel' as I was in Worcestershire.

Did I miss the guidance to travel less now, as opposed to at any other time since March?
They're specifically referring to tier 3 areas.
I guessed at that when I saw one on the A1 or A19 northbound stating 'Middlesbrough - Reduce Travel'. Pretty sure I also saw one on the M6 south regarding Manchester.
Meaningless really as by the time you've seen it you're already travelling :?

It's actually quite hard to know which Tier an area you've just arrived at is in. There's no official app to warn you that a town or county is in Tier 3 when you get there. I don't think the Track & Trace app even tells you, if you are using it.
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Barkstar
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Barkstar »

Big Nick wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 19:30
It's actually quite hard to know which Tier an area you've just arrived at is in. There's no official app to warn you that a town or county is in Tier 3 when you get there. I don't think the Track & Trace app even tells you, if you are using it.
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darkcape
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by darkcape »

Big Nick wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 19:30
It's actually quite hard to know which Tier an area you've just arrived at is in. There's no official app to warn you that a town or county is in Tier 3 when you get there. I don't think the Track & Trace app even tells you, if you are using it.
When Leicester went into the first local lockdown the strategic VMS on approaching trunk routes warned of it and the council installed mobile signs to further warn. Now there's nothing.

There's better signage for the bird flu outbreak warning of "avian influenza control zones & checkpoints" around the county than there is for Covid currently.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Monroads »

Every Southbound VMS all the way down the M1 , A42/M42 and M40 from saying travel to France Closed/ Avoid Kent last night.

Although it’s not really a pointless message
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by ManomayLR »

Barkstar wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 22:05
Big Nick wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 19:30
It's actually quite hard to know which Tier an area you've just arrived at is in. There's no official app to warn you that a town or county is in Tier 3 when you get there. I don't think the Track & Trace app even tells you, if you are using it.
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The VMS have now been saying "STAY LOCAL" at tiers 2 and 3, and "STAY HOME" at tier 4. I don't think any tier 1 areas have roads major enough to have VMS.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by darkcape »

I also noticed that on the M1 NB at J23a the consecutive gantries read Notts / Derbys Reduce Travel respectively...despite still being in Leicestershire at that point. Does HE not recall the East Mids civil war that nearly erupted when the airport tried to prefix "Nottingham East Midlands Airport" as it's name?
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by roadtester »

Today repeatedly on the M6 westbound between Catthorpe and Coventry ‘Report of Cyclist 50”.

Never did see him/her.
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Matthew
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Matthew »

roadtester wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 18:16 Today repeatedly on the M6 westbound between Catthorpe and Coventry ‘Report of Cyclist 50”.

Never did see him/her.
I don't see this as pointless at all.
Opinion is purely my own and all those other exceptions and excuses.
BeenEverywhere
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by BeenEverywhere »

roadtester wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 18:16 Today repeatedly on the M6 westbound between Catthorpe and Coventry ‘Report of Cyclist 50”.

Never did see him/her.
If he's doing 50, he was probably outrunning you and the rest of the traffic down there :lol:
Been everywhere... can't remember any of it

Was fun though :laugh:
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by avtur »

On a recent trip, I completed a 550 miles to the North West, mostly on motorways, M23 & M25 then using the M1 to travel north to Sheffield, Woodhead route over to Manchester and then M6, 42 & 40 to travel back south. I think every overhead sign displayed a virus-related message of some sort, except for a short stretch of M1 north around Sheffield which stated speed limit reduced to 60 to limit emissions and a similar message on the M6 south through Birmingham. At the southerly end of the M40 the signs made it clear it was a Tier 4 area.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by RichardA626 »

BeenEverywhere wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 01:08
roadtester wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 18:16 Today repeatedly on the M6 westbound between Catthorpe and Coventry ‘Report of Cyclist 50”.

Never did see him/her.
If he's doing 50, he was probably outrunning you and the rest of the traffic down there :lol:
I've seen Report Of Pedestrian on an overhead sign, I can't remember the speed.
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the cheesecake man
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by the cheesecake man »

Matthew wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 19:45
roadtester wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 18:16 Today repeatedly on the M6 westbound between Catthorpe and Coventry ‘Report of Cyclist 50”.

Never did see him/her.
I don't see this as pointless at all.
Not pointless but there's a boy who cried wolf effect after you've seen a few reports of accidents/ obstructions/ pedestrians/ cyclists/ animals that fail to materialise.
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Matthew
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Matthew »

It's not cry wolf though, is it? Firstly it says "reports of" which means at least one person has called it to the Police or Highways England. Secondly, just because it's not seen by the poster, it doesn't mean it wasn't / isn't there.

It would be unwise to go back to "incident | slow down" without any specific message or, worst still, leave the VMS offline until confirmed.
Opinion is purely my own and all those other exceptions and excuses.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by A303Chris »

EpicChef wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 22:59 The VMS have now been saying "STAY LOCAL" at tiers 2 and 3, and "STAY HOME" at tier 4. I don't think any tier 1 areas have roads major enough to have VMS.
The only permanent one I know of in Tier One Cornwall, is Eastbound on the A30 Bodmin bypass , which gives time to the M5 via the A30 and A38.

There are temporary ones approaching Carland Cross and Hayle westbound and approaching Chiverton eastbound and a couple each way on Bodmin Moor, but that's it.

There's a permanent temporary one on the A38 just after the Saltash tunnel which proballey says. "No entry Tier One " now :D
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Bryn666 »

Matthew wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 13:04 It's not cry wolf though, is it? Firstly it says "reports of" which means at least one person has called it to the Police or Highways England. Secondly, just because it's not seen by the poster, it doesn't mean it wasn't / isn't there.

It would be unwise to go back to "incident | slow down" without any specific message or, worst still, leave the VMS offline until confirmed.
Would "Cyclist reported" be a better wording than "Report of cyclist"? Genuine question, as I get why it's done but the wording has never sat right with me. Obviously difficult to fit anything meaningful on a 2 line gantry VMS, bit easier on a giant MS4 with pictogram.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by frediculous_biggs »

trickstat wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 19:04
Duple wrote: Sun Dec 13, 2020 18:44 "STAFFS
REDUCE TRAVEL"
I disagree - some people use them as an aid for walking. :wink:
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Big Nick »

On the M25 east before J26 - "EAST HERTS - REDUCE TRAVEL". Still busy though.
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