M4 Congestion

[WJ99mobile]

Fixed 50mph speed limit proposed for M4 around Newport
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/50mph-speed-limit-m4-newport-17432922

Keep more cars on the road for longer. Great idea.

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

It's been a max of 50mph most of the time (although usually 40mph when I travel) since the variable speed limit was introduced. It was criminal of WAG to simply shelve the relief road without any idea what to do instead, especially after wasting £44m on the inquiry. That stretch of road is a major hindrance to south Wales's economic development and causes misery for commuters every day.

They deserve to be voted out of office at the election in 2121.

[The Bob Banker Spanker]

It's been a max of 50mph most of the time (although usually 40mph when I travel) since the variable speed limit was introduced. It was criminal of WAG to simply shelve the relief road without any idea what to do instead, especially after wasting £44m on the inquiry. That stretch of road is a major hindrance to south Wales's economic development and causes misery for commuters every day.

They deserve to be voted out of office at the election in 2121.

First real decision the First Minister had to make and bottled it.

[cyril evans awaydays]

I agree with the recommendations on the slip road at 25A. Most of the delays through the tunnel seem to be drivers using the lane as a means to beat the traffic and cutting in late causing braking and a concertina effect further up the westbound carriageway.

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

I agree with the recommendations on the slip road at 25A. Most of the delays through the tunnel seem to be drivers using the lane as a means to beat the traffic and cutting in late causing braking and a concertina effect further up the westbound carriageway.
As someone who turns off at 25A that does annoy me. But it has a negligible effect on the through traffic. It's the three lanes into two which causes the bottle-neck.

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

By the way, has there ever been a less inspiring leader than Drakeford. He looks and sounds like a downtrodden vicar of a small suburban church.

[Toadstool]

I thought it has been reduced a while back and then recommended that it was increased to stop congestion!

[Rjk]

As someone who turns off at 25A that does annoy me. But it has a negligible effect on the through traffic. It's the three lanes into two which causes the bottle-neck.

It's also that people use the M4 to get from one side of Newport to the other. You see plenty of people getting on at j25 and straight off again after the tunnels.
This makes it more like going down to one lane as the inside lane is taken up with local traffic

[goats]

They should just build a bridge or barrage across the Severn from Cardiff bay link rd to the m5 by Clevedon. We can all forget about Newport, get to Bristol in 15 mins and free electricity. Get it on folks

[Rjk]

They should just build a bridge or barrage across the Severn from Cardiff bay link rd to the m5 by Clevedon. We can all forget about Newport, get to Bristol in 15 mins and free electricity. Get it on folks

Yes! The original route from penarth to Brean would also have meant that Cardiff was the nearest city centre for about another 200k people.

The plans they had though didn't include any road or rail benefits in their costings.

[Chris Pontprennau Blues]

Fixed 50mph speed limit proposed for M4 around Newport
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/50mph-speed-limit-m4-newport-17432922

Keep more cars on the road for longer. Great idea.

A greater idea would have been a M4 relief road but the Welsh Labour Government cancelled after spending £120M on it - :facepalm::yikes::puke:

[BLUETIT]

A greater idea would have been a M4 relief road but the Welsh Labour Government cancelled after spending £120M on it - :facepalm::yikes::puke:

Very nice for the “back pocket” brigade !!!!

[dembethewarrior]

But it has a negligible effect on the through traffic. It's the three lanes into two which causes the bottle-neck.

Correct.

Most people are cutting in there because they use the left lane to keep moving when the others are crawling or stood still. Not sure how someone moving back in causes someone at a standstill or crawling to break and cause a backlog, also, when the traffic is flowing people stay in the middle/right.

[dembethewarrior]

I thought it has been reduced a while back and then recommended that it was increased to stop congestion!

I love it when it’s 60 in the mornings until you get through the tunnel then for some reason drops to 40 the other side. Safe as **** tactics them.

Some right idiots in charge of them speed limits.

[The Bloop]

2 minutes 45 seconds

That's the difference between travelling 8 miles at 70mph and 50mph. Is it really that much of an inconvenience?

As touched on before, the problems are mainly caused by 3 lanes dropping to 2 and drivers mis-using the dedicated inside lanes before junctions.

[goats]

2 minutes 45 seconds

That's the difference between travelling 8 miles at 70mph and 50mph. Is it really that much of an inconvenience?

As touched on before, the problems are mainly caused by 3 lanes dropping to 2 and drivers mis-using the dedicated inside lanes before junctions.

Time diff at slower speed is very revealing. I travel to Pembrokeshire a lot and the diff if I go within the limits or try and rush came down to about 10 minutes more....

[Heathblue]

They should just build a bridge or barrage across the Severn from Cardiff bay link rd to the m5 by Clevedon. We can all forget about Newport, get to Bristol in 15 mins and free electricity. Get it on folks

If something like this happened I'd start taking the climate crises more seriously. Only 12 years and we are still drilling for oil!!!! 😂😂

[nugent]

I was working in Glasgow in the summer, I'd fly one week, drive the next.
Anyway, one drive down, I flew down all the way, with the exception of the road works at West Brom, the only bloody traffic I hit, was in magor.

The welsh assembly need shooting.

[splott parker]

I was working in Glasgow in the summer, I'd fly one week, drive the next.
Anyway, one drive down, I flew down all the way, with the exception of the road works at West Brom, the only bloody traffic I hit, was in magor.

The welsh assembly need shooting.
‘One drive down, I flew all the way’, what d’you f*cking expect taking an aeroplane on the motorway:facepalm:
Hope the missus left the landing light on:xmashehe:

[The Bloop]

Time diff at slower speed is very revealing. I travel to Pembrokeshire a lot and the diff if I go within the limits or try and rush came down to about 10 minutes more....

As an example the difference travelling 150 miles (eg Cardiff to London) at 80 mph against travelling at 65mph is just 20 minutes. People get more stressed when stuck in traffic as opposed to when moving, even at lower speeds.

[dembethewarrior]

As an example the difference travelling 150 miles (eg Cardiff to London) at 80 mph against travelling at 65mph is just 20 minutes. People get more stressed when stuck in traffic as opposed to when moving, even at lower speeds.
They’ve put the a470 at 50 for a stretch and tbh it’s not an inconvenience over the short distance, but it does become annoying when you’re forced to do 45 because people are paranoid about the cameras. Some people still go fast and slow down for the cameras and speed back up, it’s a real eye opener..

Back on track.. it probably wouldn’t be 50 it would be slower as people always seem to drive under.

I don’t see how a steady 50 solves the issue of 2 lanes.

[Joe Gillis]

By the way, has there ever been a less inspiring leader than Drakeford. He looks and sounds like a downtrodden vicar of a small suburban church.

He always reminds me of a corner shop owner from Carmarthen. Totally out of his depth down here.

[tomm]

I'm no fan of Drakeford but those in favour of a relief road need to take a quick look at what's happened in LA where they've been building more roads to try to make the traffic go away...

[dembethewarrior]

I'm no fan of Drakeford but those in favour of a relief road need to take a quick look at what's happened in LA where they've been building more roads to try to make the traffic go away...

There’s a bit of a population difference.

[tomm]

There’s a bit of a population difference.

Same principal. More roads means more car journeys.

[dembethewarrior]

Same principal. More roads means more car journeys.
I don’t think we will grow at the same rate,not even close tbh.

There is only so much demand here, I don’t really believe we will all of a sudden magic more cars and more car drivers because we have another road, maybe in YEARS yes, but better to be ahead of the battle than always catching up surely?

They obviously didn’t think past 2 lanes when they built the Brynglass tunnel and now look what we’re lumbered with, way too long journeys for vans and vans of workers from the south west of England!

[splott parker]

I don’t think we will grow at the same rate,not even close tbh.

There is only so much demand here, I don’t really believe we will all of a sudden magic more cars and more car drivers because we have another road, maybe in YEARS yes, but better to be ahead of the battle than always catching up surely?

They obviously didn’t think past 2 lanes when they built the Brynglass tunnel and now look what we’re lumbered with, way too long journeys for vans and vans of workers from the south west of England!
‘Planners’ must be the most inept of all local authority/government employees. It’s actually in the job title for Christ’s sake, estates have been built in Cardiff over the years with no thought to how folk can get off the buggers in the morning to get to work. Llanrumney for example, it must have the population of a small town yet has two exit roads, Llanrumney Avenue & Mount Pleasant Avenue, the Eastern Avenue runs along the bottom of the estate practically, yet no access to it, ridiculous. Houses going up all over, two vehicles per household is now the norm but no thought to the road systems, madness. That mini roundabout by The Heathcock is going to be swamped even more than it is now shortly.

[tomm]

I don’t think we will grow at the same rate,not even close tbh.

There is only so much demand here, I don’t really believe we will all of a sudden magic more cars and more car drivers because we have another road, maybe in YEARS yes, but better to be ahead of the battle than always catching up surely?

They obviously didn’t think past 2 lanes when they built the Brynglass tunnel and now look what we’re lumbered with, way too long journeys for vans and vans of workers from the south west of England!

It's not about population growth. Fact is that if car journeys are made easier, more people use cars. What Drakeford and co should be focussing on is building a public transport infrastructure within Wales that's fit for purpose. That's the way you fix road congestion.

[dembethewarrior]

It's not about population growth. Fact is that if car journeys are made easier, more people use cars. What Drakeford and co should be focussing on is building a public transport infrastructure within Wales that's fit for purpose. That's the way you fix road congestion.
Aren’t they already easier and more convenient though?

I’d rather sit in my car in traffic than walk in the pissing down rain to get in an overcrowded late train, I don’t see that side of it improving much neither tbh.

[sneggyblubird]

50mph on that streatch,chance would be a fine thing.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

They should just build a bridge or barrage across the Severn from Cardiff bay link rd to the m5 by Clevedon. We can all forget about Newport, get to Bristol in 15 mins and free electricity. Get it on folks

Suits me. Catching Cardiff during the back end of the rush hour when driving up for weekday evening games takes me to to three hours - and there aren't any trains that leave Cardiff after the game that will get me back to Taunton that day.

[Jimmy the Jock]

Homeless people is the solution here. Very few have cars therefore cuts down on pollution and congestion.

[Dobbo]

Agreed.I have come to the conclusion that the cause of traffic and delays around Newport between J24 and J27 is solely down to the variable speed limits.The only time reduced limits are required is when there is an accident or breakdown.Many times i have driven this stretch in the middle of the night when traffic is light and the 50mph signs are still displayed.Someone in authority needs to get a grip.

[Rjk]

Agreed.I have come to the conclusion that the cause of traffic and delays around Newport between J24 and J27 is solely down to the variable speed limits.The only time reduced limits are required is when there is an accident or breakdown.Many times i have driven this stretch in the middle of the night when traffic is light and the 50mph signs are still displayed.Someone in authority needs to get a grip.

There was congestion long before the variable speed limits

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

Agreed.I have come to the conclusion that the cause of traffic and delays around Newport between J24 and J27 is solely down to the variable speed limits.The only time reduced limits are required is when there is an accident or breakdown.Many times i have driven this stretch in the middle of the night when traffic is light and the 50mph signs are still displayed.Someone in authority needs to get a grip.

I'm not a fan of the variable limits. They seem a bit ironic when they limit you to 40mph and you can only actually do 20mph, stop-start. And they do, as you say, limit speed when there is nothing much on the road occasionally.

But as someone who has been commuting along that stretch for 20 years now it's nonsense to say they are what causes the chaos. There have been tailbacks at the tunnels forever and what has made them worse recently has been the removal of the tolls not the speed limits. Fortunately I have two more days in work then I retire so I won't have to put up with it for long :xmashehe:

[dembethewarrior]

Agreed.I have come to the conclusion that the cause of traffic and delays around Newport between J24 and J27 is solely down to the variable speed limits.The only time reduced limits are required is when there is an accident or breakdown.Many times i have driven this stretch in the middle of the night when traffic is light and the 50mph signs are still displayed.Someone in authority needs to get a grip.

Travelled it regularly on nights and been coming home 3am for example and they’re still on. On again 1pm when there is **** all traffic.. it’s pathetic.