Coronavirus: Private and Commercial transport

[DavidB]

BBC Radio Berkshire's traffic news this morning is reporting that the M4 is closed in both directions between J14 & J15 due to a serious accident and that traffic is being diverted via the B4192 which is 'at a standstill' through the village of Chilton Foliat.

[SteveA30]

Traffic maps are not showing any congestion on the old A419 (B4192) or on the A4. 1955 levels of traffic don't cause problems. Just as well really. Does going to see a diversion on an old trunk road count as an essential journey? How do you explain that to the nice officer? I'll keep monitoring from home.

[solocle]

Traffic maps are not showing any congestion on the old A419 (B4192) or on the A4. 1955 levels of traffic don't cause problems. Just as well really. Does going to see a diversion on an old trunk road count as an essential journey? How do you explain that to the nice officer? I'll keep monitoring from home.

It's showing traffic now. Although diverting a motorway down a B road with parked cars would normally be unthinkable.

I could ride up for a peep as my daily exercise, but doing so would take all day (200 km round trip), so will also be staying at home.

[SteveA30]

From previous visits, much traffic takes the A4, as well as the B4192 and rat run lanes as well. I don't know whether it's Satnav or signage that splits the traffic flows. E/bnd reopened already.

[nowster]

The third photo shows typically poor lane discipline when traffic is light. No one is using lane 1 heading towards us

Lane 1 on the M50 Dublin is the second one from the left, according to the original drawings. The left-most lane was designated a weaving lane, numbered lane 4.

[TomJ]

Not sure if it's been mentioned upthread or not, but how will the current reduced levels of traffic impact this years AADT figures? I'm not sure how easy it would be to compensate for the current reduced level when things are back to normal (hopefully) later this year, so how will this be accounted for in counts that are taken at a normal level? If this does impact the AADT figures, then surely they're all going to be anomalies and no use for basing any evidence towards future road plans off. Finally, what happens to the counts that should be going ahead at the moment? I'd imagine that both the manual and automatic counts will be deferred to a later date, but what about the automatic counts that were taking place before lockdown?

[cb a1]

Not sure if it's been mentioned upthread or not, but how will the current reduced levels of traffic impact this years AADT figures? I'm not sure how easy it would be to compensate for the current reduced level when things are back to normal (hopefully) later this year, so how will this be accounted for in counts that are taken at a normal level? If this does impact the AADT figures, then surely they're all going to be anomalies and no use for basing any evidence towards future road plans off. Finally, what happens to the counts that should be going ahead at the moment? I'd imagine that both the manual and automatic counts will be deferred to a later date, but what about the automatic counts that were taking place before lockdown?

You can see all sorts of events in AADTs. I've a graph I use where I point out the 2000 fuel demo, various winters, high fuel prices, 2008 recession, etc. This will be no different, albeit more extreme.

Automatic counters are still going - when you see the first slide of the No 10 daily COBR briefing, that's what it's based on.

I've cancelled all manual counts that are aimed at understanding 'typical' or normal travel behaviour.

As for future transport plans, an anomaly in this years AADT is way down the list of concerns.

[TomJ]

You can see all sorts of events in AADTs. I've a graph I use where I point out the 2000 fuel demo, various winters, high fuel prices, 2008 recession, etc. This will be no different, albeit more extreme.

Automatic counters are still going - when you see the first slide of the No 10 daily COBR briefing, that's what it's based on.

I've cancelled all manual counts that are aimed at understanding 'typical' or normal travel behaviour.

As for future transport plans, an anomaly in this years AADT is way down the list of concerns.

Thanks for the info - never realised that the AADT reflected these events quite so heavily - but I'd be interested in hearing how it's accounted for in the years manual counts? These surely wouldn't be taking place at the moment and when they do, the traffic levels will be far closer to usual. Or is this kind of date dependent variance in the manual counts normal, just exaggerated this year? I'm not hugely clued up on it, but to me, AADT means the average amount of daily traffic over the year. Therefore, I would have thought that these last few and coming weeks would bring this number down by a fair margin - something that I can't see how it would be reflected by a manual count on a set day.

I had guessed that the graphs from No. 10 were based on the automatic counters already deployed, with perhaps some ANPR data included. But I could very well be wrong with that.

[cb a1]

Thanks for the info - never realised that the AADT reflected these events quite so heavily - but I'd be interested in hearing how it's accounted for in the years manual counts? These surely wouldn't be taking place at the moment and when they do, the traffic levels will be far closer to usual. Or is this kind of date dependent variance in the manual counts normal, just exaggerated this year? I'm not hugely clued up on it, but to me, AADT means the average amount of daily traffic over the year. Therefore, I would have thought that these last few and coming weeks would bring this number down by a fair margin - something that I can't see how it would be reflected by a manual count on a set day.

I had guessed that the graphs from No. 10 were based on the automatic counters already deployed, with perhaps some ANPR data included. But I could very well be wrong with that.

I would typically only quote an AADT from a permanent counter. If no permanent ATC available, then I'd commission a three week temporary ATC and use a suitable permanent site (similar type of road, same region, check for similar pattern to the temporary site) to scale that up for an AADT.

Manual counts are useful for validating the permanent count sites both by volume and by classification.

I appreciate that the DfT do use manual counts to generate AADT (roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk), but you'd have to ask them how they plan to deal with COVID19. I suspect they are currently scratching their heads about this.

I would expect the No 10 graphs to be based on permanent counters as these will typically be reporting, if not live data, then daily back to a central database.

[PhilC]

I had to go to an appointment at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham yesterday. It is about 7 miles from home and normally takes around 45 minutes, depending on the time of day. Yesterday, even allowing for a diversion because there was a building fire on my normal route, it took 25 minutes door to door. An added bonus was that the car park was almost empty.

Traffic levels were very low, although I saw more joggers than I usually do. I also saw far more police cars than normal, probably 8 or 9. Whether this is to discourage people from congregating in big groups or to keep officers away from the police station I don't know.

[the cheesecake man]

Time to report three tiny increases in traffic.

I was passed by an incredible five police cars during today's permitted daily exercise. I guess it's because they're not swamped by shoplifters and drunks.

The postman has started arriving by van instead of walking.

This morning I saw a bus with two passengers.

[AndyB]

You have a postman? We haven’t seen one of those since last Thursday... And yes, I do have at least three things which should have been delivered in that time. Even first class post is now taking a week or more.

It reduces traffic of course...

[bothar]

[Runwell]

Overnight works on the A414 dualling at Harlow were suspended due to the Coronavirus this week. Now they will be shutting the westbound carriageway from Tuesday 24/7 until the end of the month, whilst traffic is so light, to get the work done without issues with social distancing. This long overrunning project was supposed to be complete by now, but the bad winter ensured it dragged on in to the pandemic period.

[Big Nick]

Overnight works on the A414 dualling at Harlow were suspended due to the Coronavirus this week. Now they will be shutting the westbound carriageway from Tuesday 24/7 until the end of the month, whilst traffic is so light, to get the work done without issues with social distancing. This long overrunning project was supposed to be complete by now, but the bad winter ensured it dragged on in to the pandemic period.

https://www.essexhighways.org/highway-s ... -road.aspx

About firking time too! Getting this mess cleared up will be the best thing for me during this period.

But hang on a minute.... That means you can't get into Tesco from the A414. You have to go around the block and I don't just mean the neighbouring undustrial estate, I mean half of Harlow!
https://www.essexhighways.org/uploads/H ... 0DIVER.jpg

[someone]

But hang on a minute.... That means you can't get into Tesco from the A414. You have to go around the block and I don't just mean the neighbouring undustrial estate, I mean half of Harlow!
https://www.essexhighways.org/uploads/H ... 0DIVER.jpg

You can use the Church Langley one you would normally have to pass anyway?

But diversions are always like that because they are designed to be the suitable for all traffic, including lorries. Anyone with local knowledge, the sort of people coming into town for Tesco from the south and east, will use just use First or Second Avenue to go via the Stow.

[Big Nick]

But hang on a minute.... That means you can't get into Tesco from the A414. You have to go around the block and I don't just mean the neighbouring undustrial estate, I mean half of Harlow!
https://www.essexhighways.org/uploads/H ... 0DIVER.jpg

You can use the Church Langley one you would normally have to pass anyway?

But diversions are always like that because they are designed to be the suitable for all traffic, including lorries. Anyone with local knowledge, the sort of people coming into town for Tesco from the south and east, will use just use First or Second Avenue to go via the Stow.

Eww, Church Langley?
Whichever I use it can't be worse than Asda was today. Too many people in there for comfort. Sainsbury was far quieter.

The real issue with that road closure is that it gets everybody who wants to go that way. Edinburgh Way has been awful since they opened Homebase and KFC. At least the roads will be much quieter the next couple of weeks and the final outcome will be a vast improvement.

[Helvellyn]

I live pretty close to the A6 Chapel-en-le-Frith bypass. Very noticeable today how there's hardly any noise from it (during the day during the week there was quite a bit, with a high proportion being HGVs). Usual Bank Holiday traffic heading to the Peak District consipicuous by its absence.

[trickstat]

Traffic was exceptionally quiet on today's daily walk. Of course, with it being Easter Sunday the medium to large supermarkets are closed so it is very unlikely that many people are doing their weekly shop today.

[owen b]

Traffic was exceptionally quiet on today's daily walk. Of course, with it being Easter Sunday the medium to large supermarkets are closed so it is very unlikely that many people are doing their weekly shop today.

Yes, same here in Luton today. The roads seemed to be slightly busier on Thursday afternoon, but today has been as quiet on the roads as I've seen them during the crisis.