claire.burt
Posts:24
 |
| 12 Nov 2008 15:20:45 |
 Alert
|
I wish to raise my concern over the new lane layout at the Kingwells roundabout that came in force a couple of weeks ago.
The new lay-out now forces all traffic from Kingswells wishing to turn left onto the dual-carriageway towards Hazlehead or straight on towards Cults into the left hand lane. Traffic wishing to turn right towards Westhill remains in the right hand lane. As a result, especially at peak times when the traffic lights are in operation, there is a huge build up of traffic using the left hand lane - traffic travelling towards Cults is halted on the roundabout and traffic wishing to turn left cannot do so. Thus a huge tailback from Bucksburn is created. In turn, drivers are turning into Kingswells and using the village as a rat-run, more often than not ignoring the 30 mph speed limit, they then drive their cars into the Fairley area of Kingswells to try and further escape the bulid-up of traffic and travel far in excess of the 20 mph limit imposed there.
There are also many drivers ignorning the left hand lane only signs for travelling straight on and join the right hand lane, which is usually almost empty, and go straight ahead - leading to blasts of the horn etc!
Posted by Claire Burt on behalf of a resident - Debbie
|
|
|
|
|
IanC
Posts:119
|
| 12 Nov 2008 17:14:16 |
Alert
|
The new layout was supposed to help the traffic congestion by allowing extra queueing at the roundabout. Somehow ACC have also changed the lane the 'straight on' traffic approaches in. This causes worse congestion than there was before the change.
ACC roads department was advised of the mess that results from the changes last week. The head man is reviewing the changes this week. |
|
|
|
|
DebbieR
Posts:1
|
| 13 Nov 2008 04:07:57 |
Alert
|
| Hope that the Head Man from ACC roads department reviews the changes and quickly. The volumne of traffic using Kingswells as a rat-run was pretty bad this morning. |
|
|
|
|
Saxon
Posts:21
|
| 13 Nov 2008 07:16:33 |
Alert
|
I cross the roundabout towards Cults every morning, for years I've queued on the inside lane then squeezed into the old small outside lane to go straight ahead. I thought the new lane was great until I saw the turn right only arrow !
I must admit I (sometimes) still use the almost empty outside lane and have managed to negotiate the roundabout perfectly safely.
There does seem to be a problem with some drivers who can't wait to get into the new lane and drive over the chevroned area's, I have seen a couple of near misses with cars legitimately pulling into the outside lane being surprised by someone already whizzing down the centre of the road. |
|
|
|
|
Bridget
Posts:19
|
| 16 Nov 2008 14:12:04 |
Alert
|
| I'm glad to see it's not just me who thinks the so-called "improvements" have made the situation worse! Fridays are usually a bit quieter than the rest of the week, and in-service days (as on the 14th) even more so. However, the queues leading up to the roundabout were as bad as ever, though it was a straight run through to the crematorium. Surely this proves the point. I was also a bit surprised to see that both lanes are initially marked with a "straight ahead" arrow, which must confuse the issue. |
|
|
|
|
Ian
Posts:11
|
| 23 Nov 2008 15:31:35 |
Alert
|
The roads department will be out counting cars Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully their count will confirm what everyone knows, and they can improve the flow of traffic.
|
|
|
|
|
marcyboy
Posts:27
|
| 25 Nov 2008 13:39:17 |
Alert
|
Everyone that has posted so far. I completely agree.
I am a Kingswells resident that turns 'Right' at the roundabout in the morning. The new addition to the lane is excellent for me, except from when I turn Left out of the traffic lights at Kingswells. It takes about 5 minutes for the traffic to clear enough for me to get into the 'turn right' lane.
There are some Idiots who find it funny to tear down the 'turn right' into the Park and ride and continue onto into the lane skipping the traffic. Yes ok we are all in a hurry in the morning, but I've watched so many accidents just about occur in the morning.
Some adequate signing and markings on the road, as well as the council doing a half decent job of the bloody road surface in the first place might have been a good start. when you drive on it - it is the pits! What would it have taken for the council to get a road sweeper onto that lane once they burnt off all the white markings that used to be there, and sweep up all the loose stones and chips that were there!
I tell you another dangerous point, is when I come from Westhill at 5pm, the traffic lights only let 4/5 cars through if you are lucky (Turning Left to kingswells) and if someone wants to turn 'right' into the first kingswells entrance - then the traffic backs up onto the roundabout -as everyone Ignores the 'keep clear' box, and the traffic lights are green to go at the roundabout for traffic going to Cults / Town / turn right.... This has also caused people to come screaming round the roundabout and just about swipe the back of the car. You are stuck - this in turn causes the people from Westhill to be stuck - on about 2 cycles (nearly 15/20 cars) which could have been through - just because one car wants to turn right.
What the council should really have done is opened up that existing piece of road which sits along the front of the park and ride (coming from Westhill) ... This is still a perfectly decent piece of road- this would allow traffic to flow freely from Westhill (in a third lane) to Kingswells, this could be loooped round the corner to create a 'second' lane filtering the traffic round stationary vehicles turning right into the 1st Kingswells turn off (Currently Keep Clear)
They just never consult the people that matter I Guess!
Another Waste of Council Tax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
Ian
Posts:11
|
| 25 Nov 2008 16:34:46 |
Alert
|
| If traffic turning right towards Fairley Road continues to be a problem then there is a good chance that the link road will be made a one-way road out of the village. |
|
|
|
|
marcyboy
Posts:27
|
| 28 Nov 2008 08:31:52 |
Alert
|
To be honest Ian
this is an action which needs to be seriously thought about. It would cost less than building a 'slip' pass off the Westhill Dual carriageway (Which would be the most sensible Option), but I would imagine the people at the south side of kingswells would oppose this (Incl the 4 Mile inn... Loss of business etc...
The other more sensible option would be to open up the old lang stracht again... |
|
|
|
|
Ian
Posts:11
|
| 30 Nov 2008 18:56:25 |
Alert
|
Marcyboy,
The suggestion to close the link road is not mine. It is what the roads dept said they would consider if the road was blocked by traffic trying to turn right into the link road to Fairley Road. I suppose the message to take from this is "use the junction properly or lose it".
The changes made were relatively cheap and easy to make. In these times of cuts there is probably no budget available to make major changes to the junction. There is little point - when the AWPR goes ahead the amount of traffic predicted to use the back road to Bucksburn / Dyce is greatly reduced so there will not be the same level of congestion. Most of the traffic will be on the A944 and the priorities at the roundabout will change so you will probably find that more 'green time' will be given to the traffic on the A944.
|
|
|
|
|
marcyboy
Posts:27
|
| 02 Dec 2008 07:30:13 |
Alert
|
Fair Enough if it is done on the cheap? what are the chances of Aberdeen City council getting a Roadsweeper along to clean up all the loose chippings that were left behind when the 'hatching' was burnt off that lane before?
Perhaps a ban on Turning right is the way forward... Might stop people using this as a rat run also. |
|
|
|
|
Saxon
Posts:21
|
| 03 Dec 2008 07:11:34 |
Alert
|
This morning there was a stream of traffic (including trucks) going down the centre of the road (at speed) prior to the park and ride turn off then entering the new turn right lane.
Sooner or later theres going to be a big accident here. |
|
|
|
|
Sandra
Posts:4
|
| 10 Dec 2008 12:52:11 |
Alert
|
I agree with everyone's concerns about the new road layout. I cannot believe that the council did not anticipate these problems before going ahead with the change - it has made the congestion ten times worse. I have seen about 4 or 5 cases of 'road rage' due to near misses when people are speeding down the right hand lane and then ignoring the turn right only sign at the roundabout and going straight ahead. This is understandably causing frustration to those drivers (including myself) who have sat patiently in the left hand lane waiting to carry on over the roundabout to Cults.
As a Kingswells resident, I have also noticed that drivers travelling over the back road from Newhills to Kingswells are starting to cut through the village to avoid the tailback. They are coming down Kingswells Crescent past the opening to Webster Park and then turning right at the end of the Crescent and going along past the shops. They then join the traffic either at the lights or they cut down Fairley Road and come out nearer the roundabout. Often they are travelling through the village at some speed. I'm getting more annoyed about this on a daily basis!
I hope the council see sense and bring back the old layout. It was better the way it was. |
|
|
|
|
Ellier
Posts:20
|
| 11 Dec 2008 13:52:02 |
Alert
|
I agree with Sandra about the increase in traffic cutting through Kingswells. I walk my dog up to the shop about 5 o'clock and the volume of traffic has really increased. I am amazed at the amount of cars that travel at well over 40 mph up Kingswood Drive.
I went to Westhill yesterday at half past nine and couldn't believe the queue in the left hand lane and that there was no queue to turn right. I can see why they extended the righthand lane but why they changed it to turn right only I don't know!!!! |
|
|
|
|
marcyboy
Posts:27
|
| 12 Dec 2008 07:55:15 |
Alert
|
| How do we demand something is done? |
|
|
|
|
Sandra
Posts:4
|
| 12 Dec 2008 16:06:44 |
Alert
|
| I wrote to Councillor Peter Stephen expressing my concerns, and he has replied to me saying that some further changes were agreed on 1 December and he is now just waiting for the work to be carried out. He also stated that he agreed with all the points I had made regarding the increased congestion and colume of traffic through Kingswells. |
|
|
|
|
Sandra
Posts:4
|
| 15 Dec 2008 14:50:55 |
Alert
|
| I have now received a letter from the Council with regard to the changes that are to be implemented. If anyone would like to have this forwarded to them, please let me have your e-mail address and I'll be happy to pass it on. |
|
|
|
|
marcyboy
Posts:27
|
| 15 Dec 2008 19:27:37 |
Alert
|
Sandra,
Just breifly, what are those said changes going to be ? |
|
|
|
|
Ian
Posts:11
|
| 15 Dec 2008 19:30:14 |
Alert
|
The changes are that:
1. the left lane will take left turning and straight through traffic - markings changed to suit.
2. the right lane will take right turning and straight through traffic - markings changed to suit.
3. a solid white line will divide north and south bound traffic the whole length of the central lane.
4. a merge lane arrow will be painted at beginning of the Cult Road.
5. If traffic turning right into Fairley Road link is a problem the road will become a one way road out of Kingswells - presumably with the exception of buses.
6. Existing road sign will be removed.
7. Monitoring will continue.
Changes will be made ASAP - possibly this week if weather permits.
Ian |
|
|
|
|
Sandra
Posts:4
|
| 16 Dec 2008 09:04:32 |
Alert
|
Marcyboy - Ian beat me to it. He's pretty much summarised it in a nutshell.
I certainly get the impression from the Council that the changes have not worked as they envisaged and so they're having to implement these changes to try to improve the congestion and flow of traffic. I think that most people will probably go back to using it the way it was before ie. using the right hand lane if they are going straight ahead.
Hopefully it will mean an improvement to the current congestion and other problems caused by the new layout. |
|
|
|
|