A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

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Micro The Maniac
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A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by Micro The Maniac »

After what seems like an eternity, the A3095 between Crowthorne and Bracknell is now fully reopened (and may have been for a bit, I just haven't gone that way)
  • The Hanworth roundabout has been hamburgerized :( meaning that the peak-only traffic lights are now 24/7. I'm not sure this was necessary, as (other than peak time) I've never had to queue for long here. And at 1am, predictably this meant that I sat at a red light for ages, with no other cars in sight.
  • But the big shock... the Nine Mile Ride roundabout has been replaced with a flat, traffic light controlled junction. Yes, Bracknell has lost a roundabout. Again, I do not understand this, as the roundabout worked (even at peak time).
Given the work that has been undertaken, why oh why oh why were the traffic lights not fitted with flow control. Why was it necessary for the only car in sight to be sat at two sets of red lights, while they rotated through their respective sequences (including the slots for the non-existent pedestrians to cross)?

From the SABRE Wiki: A3095 :

The A3095 is a short semi-rural A-road providing a route to Bracknell from certain parts of eastern Berkshire. As may be expected from a road passing through a New Town, its route has changed considerably over the years and it is very difficult to determine its former route.


The road now starts at a TOTSO on the A321 on the edge of Sandhurst. This section of the road acts simultaneously as a bypass for parts of Sandhurst and the neighbouring town of Crowthorne. After

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DB617
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by DB617 »

Micro The Maniac wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 19:09

Given the work that has been undertaken, why oh why oh why were the traffic lights not fitted with flow control. Why was it necessary for the only car in sight to be sat at two sets of red lights, while they rotated through their respective sequences (including the slots for the non-existent pedestrians to cross)?
It's cheaper. It's harder than ever to find a quality scheme at the moment. Like pretty much all 'pinch point' signalisations etc, they have ignored decades of flow control technology development in favour of cheapness and sequences that can be programmed in a 6th Form level software package.
geofftswin
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by geofftswin »

The Golden Retriever junction works much better now than it ever did as a roundabout in my opinion. Particularly on the approach from the Coral Reef - we've used it several times since the work finished and I don't think we've ever had to either queue from halfway along the road or had to wait particularly long for the lights to change to allow us to turn right.

My only issue with the Hanworth roundabout is that it seems to have shifted the queues on Ringmead onto the Hanworth Road.
Peter Freeman
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by Peter Freeman »

DB617 wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 23:08
Micro The Maniac wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 19:09
Given the work that has been undertaken, why oh why oh why were the traffic lights not fitted with flow control. Why was it necessary for the only car in sight to be sat at two sets of red lights, while they rotated through their respective sequences (including the slots for the non-existent pedestrians to cross)?
It's cheaper. It's harder than ever to find a quality scheme at the moment. Like pretty much all 'pinch point' signalisations etc, they have ignored decades of flow control technology development in favour of cheapness and sequences that can be programmed in a 6th Form level software package.
Does this means that the signals are on a timed sequence, and not activated by detector loops? I had no idea that such controllers are still used!
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by Peter Freeman »

Perhaps these two improvements are the beginnings of (stealthily) facilitating one or more de-facto bypasses of the signed A322/329 through Bracknell, driven by the desire to avoid M25 congestion just south of the M4. We discussed this quite recently -
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42827&hilit=south+west+orbital
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Truvelo
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by Truvelo »

Peter Freeman wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 10:42
DB617 wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 23:08
Micro The Maniac wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 19:09
Given the work that has been undertaken, why oh why oh why were the traffic lights not fitted with flow control. Why was it necessary for the only car in sight to be sat at two sets of red lights, while they rotated through their respective sequences (including the slots for the non-existent pedestrians to cross)?
It's cheaper. It's harder than ever to find a quality scheme at the moment. Like pretty much all 'pinch point' signalisations etc, they have ignored decades of flow control technology development in favour of cheapness and sequences that can be programmed in a 6th Form level software package.
Does this means that the signals are on a timed sequence, and not activated by detector loops? I had no idea that such controllers are still used!
M5 Junction 2 certainly seems that way. The only way to emerge is to jump the red light as you'll be waiting for an eternity otherwise and this happens a lot so just be careful plod isn't around when doing this. The problem with these so-called pinch point schemes is they attempt to solve peak hour congestion but worsen things at night. The majority of them should have part time signals.
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trickstat
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by trickstat »

Peter Freeman wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 10:42
DB617 wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 23:08
Micro The Maniac wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 19:09
Given the work that has been undertaken, why oh why oh why were the traffic lights not fitted with flow control. Why was it necessary for the only car in sight to be sat at two sets of red lights, while they rotated through their respective sequences (including the slots for the non-existent pedestrians to cross)?
It's cheaper. It's harder than ever to find a quality scheme at the moment. Like pretty much all 'pinch point' signalisations etc, they have ignored decades of flow control technology development in favour of cheapness and sequences that can be programmed in a 6th Form level software package.
Does this means that the signals are on a timed sequence, and not activated by detector loops? I had no idea that such controllers are still used!
There's a set of lights on the B656 (formerly the A505) about a mile from where I live that I am sure has no detector loops. You are often stopped here on the mainline when there is nothing going in or out of the turning that accesses an industrial estate and a retail park.
DB617
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by DB617 »

Peter Freeman wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 10:42
DB617 wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 23:08
Micro The Maniac wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 19:09
Given the work that has been undertaken, why oh why oh why were the traffic lights not fitted with flow control. Why was it necessary for the only car in sight to be sat at two sets of red lights, while they rotated through their respective sequences (including the slots for the non-existent pedestrians to cross)?
It's cheaper. It's harder than ever to find a quality scheme at the moment. Like pretty much all 'pinch point' signalisations etc, they have ignored decades of flow control technology development in favour of cheapness and sequences that can be programmed in a 6th Form level software package.
Does this means that the signals are on a timed sequence, and not activated by detector loops? I had no idea that such controllers are still used!
IME most of the sets are fitted with plenty of detector loops etc, but they almost seem to act like pedestrian beg buttons, just telling the set to give a green aspect to that side on the next go around. Perhaps the detection equipment brings the cycle forward by a few seconds, but not even close to enough at off peak times. It's theoretically possible to give a green to every vehicle that approaches solo (with no conflicts from other arms) but it seems the programming legwork isn't being done. Suspect the programming people are being offered very minimal payment. GIGO.
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Vierwielen
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by Vierwielen »

DB617 wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 15:06
Peter Freeman wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 10:42
DB617 wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 23:08

It's cheaper. It's harder than ever to find a quality scheme at the moment. Like pretty much all 'pinch point' signalisations etc, they have ignored decades of flow control technology development in favour of cheapness and sequences that can be programmed in a 6th Form level software package.
Does this means that the signals are on a timed sequence, and not activated by detector loops? I had no idea that such controllers are still used!
IME most of the sets are fitted with plenty of detector loops etc, but they almost seem to act like pedestrian beg buttons, just telling the set to give a green aspect to that side on the next go around. Perhaps the detection equipment brings the cycle forward by a few seconds, but not even close to enough at off peak times. It's theoretically possible to give a green to every vehicle that approaches solo (with no conflicts from other arms) but it seems the programming legwork isn't being done. Suspect the programming people are being offered very minimal payment. GIGO.
Not the programming people, but the managers who write the specs. I have had many years of experience of poor specs and those responsible for writing the specs not willing to upgrade them.
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trickstat
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Re: A3095: Bracknell has *lost* a roundabout

Post by trickstat »

Micro The Maniac wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 19:09 Yes, Bracknell has lost a roundabout.
As someone born and raised in Stevenage, I'm not sure if Bracknell can call itself a New Town anymore. :wink:
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