North East Buses

I had this idea for this thread when I watched this video... https://youtu.be/lDx2XQY2KSM


I would like to know what barmy ideas Local Authorities have had for junctions and road layouts etc.... 
And what your opinions are of things like Askew Road and South Gosforth, as well as your suggestions.....  

I look forward to reading about these 'gems or mishaps'  

(21 Jan 2023, 2:51 am)logidoodah wrote [ -> ]I had this idea for this thread when I watched this video... https://youtu.be/lDx2XQY2KSM


I would like to know what barmy ideas Local Authorities have had for junctions and road layouts etc.... 
And what your opinions are of things like Askew Road and South Gosforth, as well as your suggestions.....  

I look forward to reading about these 'gems or mishaps'  

I have to say i drove through south Gosforth on way to freeman at 1pm in the afternoon and it was spot on... I had to return at 830 the following morning and although there was a q of traffic it moved quickly enough for me to get to my appointment. my sat nav did try to send me down a closed road too!

Im one of the few who seem to think askew road is a good idea... the buses i use certainly get to town quicker on grape is that the lights letting buses onto the 167 so be pro bus and should change to green when a bus approaches s it does seem a very long wait if you get there and they just change to red!

I give this one to Newcastle city council.  The road leading from Percy street up to the Gallowgate, They have put a bus lane on the outside lane and other traffic inside lane.  The lights give priority to the bus lane as they change first then about 5 seconds later the inside lane changes...... BUT even the the outside bus lane has arrows pointing straight ahead BUSES and taxis like to turn left onto st james boulevard meaning they are crossing the line of traffic on the inside lane..... saw loads of near misses.... and would be interesting as to whos would be at fault!

Roundabout at the eastern side of New York, can't do any more than 5mph on the approach due to the useless new cycle infrastructure.

Junction outside of the City Library in Newcastle, stopping at the stop lines will cause carnage and causes difficulties to turning buses.

Certain chicanes around Newcastle have the give way line too close to the obstacle, so can't get a bus through if a car pulls right up to it.

Any junction on the Central Motorway.

A lot of the infrastructure is designed with the clearance of a bin lorry and not a bus.

Askew Road - Stupid and has gridlock the backend of Gateshead including Bensham Road, the whole area badly needs a rethink.
South Gosforth - Waste of money and no improvement and took an absolutely ridiculous amount of time to do it.

Worst ones:
Four Lane Ends - The traffic lights have made it much worse and coming from the Coast Road there's no right filter light but there is one in the opposite direction which is dangerous.
Sandy Lane - Already congested road, now has traffic lights which back up every night onto Gosforth Park roundabout which in turn on bad days can back upto the Findus Roundabout
Gosforth High Street - Ridiculous dropping it to one lane for cycles when there's a decent cycle route running behind - congestion which affects buses aswell.
Findus Roundabout - No issues in the first place.
Cowgate Roundabout - No improvement
Durham Road / Shipcote Terrace - No improvement and a pointless hump which is annoying for everyone especially cycles.
Heworth Roundabout - No improvement, if anything worse than ever.

This roundabout on Chester Road is just nightmares for me unless I'm going left, especially when it's busy and seems to be quite the bottleneck.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/54%C2%...-1.4296574

Personally I'd rather it just be traffic lights.

The one in Durham at the bottom of the A690, near Gilesgate can be a right pain.

(21 Jan 2023, 1:18 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]This roundabout on Chester Road is just nightmares for me unless I'm going left, especially when it's busy and seems to be quite the bottleneck.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/54%C2%...-1.4296574

Personally I'd rather it just be traffic lights.

I avoid this this when cycling. Terrible roundabout.

Now that they've closed the rat runs through Heaton, North Rd is now the main connector and that is busier than ever. Saw quite the queue last night now there's work at the lights

(29 Apr 2023, 1:35 pm)logidoodah wrote [ -> ]Now that they've closed the rat runs through Heaton, North Rd is now the main connector and that is busier than ever. Saw quite the queue last night now there's work at the lights

Temporary lights always take longer to get through, but as it says on the tin it’s temporary. No need to reopen rat runs over.

Clousden Drive in Forest Hall is always used as a shortcut to avoid the Traffic Lights next to the Clousden Hill Pub

(21 Jan 2023, 8:42 am)omnicity4659 wrote [ -> ]Roundabout at the eastern side of New York, can't do any more than 5mph on the approach due to the useless new cycle infrastructure.

Don't know about the 308, but I've noticed with the new 309 timetable that it sometimes struggles to keep to time even with 10 minutes layover in Blyth and 7 minutes at Haymarket.

Thinking about all the so called 'road improvememts' between Whitley Bay Cemetery and Rake Lane that have happened over the years.

Now it could be High Farm & Mullen Road slowing things down due to it being quite residential or even reliefs at New York running late from breaks or earlier duties. But Whitley Bay to Rake Lane has been an increasing issue for years.

Could the 308 & 309 not just pick up from Park Avenue instead of Whitley Road in Whitley Bay to save time? Far cry from the days of 2hr 15m round trips on the 308 or 2hr round trips on Sundays.

Surprised nobody has mentioned the absolutely farcial set up of the lights off Bridge Street onto the A183/A1018 roundabout onto the Wearmouth Bridge.

(29 Apr 2023, 6:44 pm)L469 YVK wrote [ -> ]Don't know about the 308, but I've noticed with the new 309 timetable that it sometimes struggles to keep to time even with 10 minutes layover in Blyth and 7 minutes at Haymarket.

Thinking about all the so called 'road improvememts' between Whitley Bay Cemetery and Rake Lane that have happened over the years.

Now it could be High Farm & Mullen Road slowing things down due to it being quite residential or even reliefs at New York running late from breaks or earlier duties. But Whitley Bay to Rake Lane has been an increasing issue for years.

Could the 308 & 309 not just pick up from Park Avenue instead of Whitley Road in Whitley Bay to save time? Far cry from the days of 2hr 15m round trips on the 308 or 2hr round trips on Sundays.

Tbh matey, the whole road network in that area is an absolute farce

(30 Apr 2023, 12:51 pm)54APhotography wrote [ -> ]Surprised nobody has mentioned the absolutely farcial set up of the lights off Bridge Street onto the A183/A1018 roundabout onto the Wearmouth Bridge.

I was just thinking about that when watching the usual chaos when not being able to join from the lights from Fawcett Street as usual. They just need to get rid of the roundabout for me. No U-turns, they can use other roundabouts for that, would get rid of the problems of people blocking on the box junctions.

(08 May 2023, 8:12 am)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]I was just thinking about that when watching the usual chaos when not being able to join from the lights from Fawcett Street as usual. They just need to get rid of the roundabout for me. No U-turns, they can use other roundabouts for that, would get rid of the problems of people blocking on the box junctions.

Absolutely,  that ridiculous box for eastbound traffic causes more chaos than anything else, council made a big claim about it being a route to the Docks, then foul up what should be a straight 4 way junction. Bridge Street needs to be one way Buses only. And that's just the start!

(08 May 2023, 8:12 am)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]I was just thinking about that when watching the usual chaos when not being able to join from the lights from Fawcett Street as usual. They just need to get rid of the roundabout for me. No U-turns, they can use other roundabouts for that, would get rid of the problems of people blocking on the box junctions.

The roundabout will be gone in a few years time under the council regeneration plan, with the main flow of traffic heading east to and from wearmouth bridge




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(08 May 2023, 8:21 am)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]The roundabout will be gone in a few years time under the council regeneration plan, with the main flow of traffic heading east to and from wearmouth bridge




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

lol, with no thought to bus flow or management. Standard north east council stuff.

this previous week the West Road has been chaos as there is 4 sets of temporary traffic lights on various parts.