Coronavirus: Private and Commercial transport

[Tsar Castic]

Greetings from a newbie. Working on M6 13-15 SMP. Traffic is similar to early Sunday morning everywhere. A bit eerie really. Still plenty of hgv's though. Loaded with bog rolls I would imagine!

[Piatkow]

So far I have resisted the temptation to take a senic route home from the shops but after a week at home or walking around the same few fields the desire just to look at a different bit of countryside, even if only through the windscreen, is very great.

[someone]

Rather than start a new thread for just one question, and it is sort of related, in an inverse manner, those who live near railways and see what's running, does there appear to have been an increase in freight traffic, especially railway works trains?

The Kent and Sussex region account for Network Rail on Twitter is excellent for giving detailed technical yet simple explanations whenever things go wrong.

You might be interested in a thread they posted because "People have asked us (and @Se_Railway , @SouthernRailUK + @TLRailUK) why we’re still doing engineering work on the railway, and why we can’t just stop it. Some are asking also why we don’t do it all now."

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSE/statu ... 3619352576

[brummie_rob]

Greetings from a newbie. Working on M6 13-15 SMP. Traffic is similar to early Sunday morning everywhere. A bit eerie really. Still plenty of hgv's though. Loaded with bog rolls I would imagine!

Has there been any thoughts on closing extra lanes to speed work up whilst quiet? I know the A14 Cambs project have decided to close one lane whilst traffic levels are low to speed things up which is good.

[haymansafc]

The majority of vehicles I've been seeing on the roads this week is commercial traffic. I'm still seeing a couple of cars I see most days on my daily commute but otherwise getting to and from work has been almost entirely trouble-free for a week, now.

Last night I noticed two police BMW's in this layby on the A494 on my way home. Blue lights flashing… It appears they pulled over an old man in a Renault Megane, who had his window down talking to them. I noticed he had one of those white masks on, covering his mouth. One of the police cars was pulled up almost up to rear bumper of the Megane and the other police car was at a 45 degree angle across the offside front - blocking it in. I've no idea what that was about…

[Truvelo]

I'm sure this is a great opportunity to get construction work done whilst traffic levels are low. For example, the A14 viaduct at Huntingdon requires rail possession to get it demolished so do it now while there are few trains running. Likewise with the various smart motorway works. Instead of maintaining three narrow lanes it should be possible to have just one lane open whilst allowing more space for workers to get on with their work. Unfortunately it seems the opposite is happening. A lot of work has stopped due to fears of workers contracting the virus even though roadworks I've driven through a couple of weeks I saw the workforce working well apart from each other.

A shame really as this is a golden opportunity to get cracking with many schemes that would otherwise cause great disruption during normal traffic levels.

[AndyB]

That is true, but the problem is that there are limited numbers of road construction workers and plant available when there isn’t a fairly serious pandemic happening, never mind when there is.

Also true with railway schemes, you can have plenty of schemes shovel ready but nobody available to hold said shovel.

[darkcape]

I'm sure this is a great opportunity to get construction work done whilst traffic levels are low. For example, the A14 viaduct at Huntingdon requires rail possession to get it demolished so do it now while there are few trains running. Likewise with the various smart motorway works. Instead of maintaining three narrow lanes it should be possible to have just one lane open whilst allowing more space for workers to get on with their work. Unfortunately it seems the opposite is happening. A lot of work has stopped due to fears of workers contracting the virus even though roadworks I've driven through a couple of weeks I saw the workforce working well apart from each other.

A shame really as this is a golden opportunity to get cracking with many schemes that would otherwise cause great disruption during normal traffic levels.

If it was other circumstances it would be a great opportunity but sadly there's multiple reasons why only certain sites can take advantage:

- planning & contractual restrictions on working hours, times, and lane/carriageway closures
- site resources reduced due to staff self isolating
- suppliers closing due to lack of staff and customers (currently a vicious circle)
- an acceleration of works to take advantage generally requires planning for addition supplies and resource etc which we don't have

Yesterday one of our sites was targeted by a member of the public who managed to take some photos that allegedly showed workers closer than 2m* and threatening to send them to whichever newsrag would pay the highest- so now works are having to be concentrated away from the public eye to avoid potentially damaging PR in what is already a difficult time.

*our sites have taken specific measures to ensure we can work safely - you can't physically stop people from walking within 2m of each other but protocols are in place to ensure this doesn't need to happen. No different to walking past someone on a narrow footway.

[NICK 647063]

While it is an ideal time for roadworks the staff just are not available for so many roadworks, the A64 eastbound in Leeds had the surface removed as they were starting resurfacing works, it started on Monday 23rd March and after removing all the surface we had the announcement from the PM on that evening and nothing has happened since, all signs have had “suspended” put across the roadwork warning signs, some other patching works are going on around Leeds but as the A64 resurfacing was quite a big scheme they simply do not have the staff to do the works, so it’s suspended for the foreseeable future.

I suspect staff shortages will be commonplace at present and obviously the safety of the workers has to come first.

[232milesof]

I drove over a few of the M6 bridges yesterday and it was weird. Just HGVs as far as the eye could see. Oh and one guy pootling along in the middle lane!

[AndyB]

I took 11 minutes to get home from work last night, instead of the usual 20. It would have been ten minutes but I had to park in the next street.

[Al__S]

in Los Angeles, traffic has fallen by 60%, motor vehicle collisions by 50%.

It's harder to crash when you're stuck in a traffic jam?

[trickstat]

in Los Angeles, traffic has fallen by 60%, motor vehicle collisions by 50%.

It's harder to crash when you're stuck in a traffic jam?

Maybe the safer drivers that have fewer crashes are more likely to be staying home more?

[Truvelo]

Are the M6 Toll traffic figures for March available yet? I wonder how it's affecting traffic levels. Obviously with the free M6 being clear of traffic there is no incentive for through traffic to use the toll so I imagine all traffic using it will join or leave at one of the intermediate junctions.

[Big L]

Are the M6 Toll traffic figures for March available yet? I wonder how it's affecting traffic levels. Obviously with the free M6 being clear of traffic there is no incentive for through traffic to use the toll so I imagine all traffic using it will join or leave at one of the intermediate junctions.

I drove over it twice yesterday at Churchbridge and it was empty, except one car joining there.

[Conekicker]

Well there's your answer, 1955.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... 1585915467

[XC70]

I'm sure this is a great opportunity to get construction work done whilst traffic levels are low. For example, the A14 viaduct at Huntingdon requires rail possession to get it demolished so do it now while there are few trains running. Likewise with the various smart motorway works. Instead of maintaining three narrow lanes it should be possible to have just one lane open whilst allowing more space for workers to get on with their work. Unfortunately it seems the opposite is happening. A lot of work has stopped due to fears of workers contracting the virus even though roadworks I've driven through a couple of weeks I saw the workforce working well apart from each other.

A shame really as this is a golden opportunity to get cracking with many schemes that would otherwise cause great disruption during normal traffic levels.

If it was other circumstances it would be a great opportunity but sadly there's multiple reasons why only certain sites can take advantage:

- planning & contractual restrictions on working hours, times, and lane/carriageway closures
- site resources reduced due to staff self isolating
- suppliers closing due to lack of staff and customers (currently a vicious circle)
- an acceleration of works to take advantage generally requires planning for addition supplies and resource etc which we don't have

Yesterday one of our sites was targeted by a member of the public who managed to take some photos that allegedly showed workers closer than 2m* and threatening to send them to whichever newsrag would pay the highest- so now works are having to be concentrated away from the public eye to avoid potentially damaging PR in what is already a difficult time.

*our sites have taken specific measures to ensure we can work safely - you can't physically stop people from walking within 2m of each other but protocols are in place to ensure this doesn't need to happen. No different to walking past someone on a narrow footway.

The problem I find is that this whole situation is bringing out the inner vigilante in the public. People on Question time last night were asking about more roadblocks FFS!

The government has only shut a small proportion of businesses. Most businesses are allowed to keep trading, but they need to take more precautions and allow home working if at all possible. I work in food supply chain and we are all still working in the factory. It would be a right pain in the backside if my factory team were being repeatedly stopped at checkpoints. I have given them all letters of explanation to show to the plod.

Regarding the member of the public on your scheme. Perhaps remind them that the government regulations specifically allow groups of more than 2 people to gather where it is necessary and unavoidable for the performance of their work duties.

[Tsar Castic]

Greetings from a newbie. Working on M6 13-15 SMP. Traffic is similar to early Sunday morning everywhere. A bit eerie really. Still plenty of hgv's though. Loaded with bog rolls I would imagine!

Has there been any thoughts on closing extra lanes to speed work up whilst quiet? I know the A14 Cambs project have decided to close one lane whilst traffic levels are low to speed things up which is good.

With the contraflow they already have 2 lanes behind the asset barrier to carry out the verge works. Would help the c.res though!

[Big Nick]

In these parts the locals are screaming for all the car parks in Epping Forest to be locked off. Something about too many east Londoners driving out away from their small flats and narrow streets for a chance to exercise in a large open space.

I'm just glad that so much of the forest is actually within the M25. https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things- ... st-map.pdf

Sadly, part of it has to be used for a temporary mortuary https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pict ... n-n1175811

[haymansafc]

Well, I had one of the easiest Friday's in terms of getting home from work. It was notoriously the worst day as most businesses in the area seemed to leave at the same time. It used to take me the best part of ten minutes just to get 300yds away from the building because of one particular factory clocking-off. All in all, it usually takes around half an hour to get home from work when it's time for the weekend.

Today? 16 minutes... A good couple of those minutes we're spent held up at the usual poorly-timed traffic lights – giving green light time to thin air.