£4 million grant to improve Brighton's Lewes Road (From The Argus)

the lewes road already has cycle lanes and bus lanes and a pedestrian crossing every 20 yards, this is what is causing the traffic chaos. the lewes road badly needs investment in new paving, trees and making it more attractive, the area needs opening up not more restriction. where on earth are they going to spend £6m if there is already bus and cycle lanes, oh I know just re do them and make even more of a mess. it is a main artery in from the east so please spend the money on a park and ride or allowing the traffic to flow. cycle lanes need to be separated from traffic that is the only way and pedestrians need educating that they must use all these crossings we are providing and not just step out in front of moving traffic with their headphones on. simple. please spend the money on making the area more attractive, greener with better shops and shop fronts (less selling alcohol). this could easily be an extension of the North laine vibe with the student catchment.

bug eye wrote:
the lewes road already has cycle lanes and bus lanes and a pedestrian crossing every 20 yards, this is what is causing the traffic chaos. the lewes road badly needs investment in new paving, trees and making it more attractive, the area needs opening up not more restriction. where on earth are they going to spend £6m if there is already bus and cycle lanes, oh I know just re do them and make even more of a mess. it is a main artery in from the east so please spend the money on a park and ride or allowing the traffic to flow. cycle lanes need to be separated from traffic that is the only way and pedestrians need educating that they must use all these crossings we are providing and not just step out in front of moving traffic with their headphones on. simple. please spend the money on making the area more attractive, greener with better shops and shop fronts (less selling alcohol). this could easily be an extension of the North laine vibe with the student catchment.

hmmm. If you allow traffic to flow freely then you get more traffice taking that very same route. Can you see the quandary?
The only way to reduce the pollution is, if people continue to drive into town, is price them off the road - harsh but true.
If you do a park and ride then yes people will probably use it, but then the freed up space will be taken up by others who then see it is easier to drive in once again instead of getting the bus.
Theres no easy solution here and the only sure fore way to reduce pollution sustainably over a period of time is a mixture of pricing drivers off the road (that includes the cost of fuel) and introducing cleaner energy.

Otherwise I agree with your comments about making it a more attractive environment. But alas, if you cant reduce the amount of traffic then it will continue to smell pretty awful.

why not make all public transport absolutely free...people would then use the buses much more and the 6mil could be used to help subsidise that cost.

MORK-MINDY wrote:
why not make all public transport absolutely free...people would then use the buses much more and the 6mil could be used to help subsidise that cost.

Fabulous idea. If not permanently, then for six months to give people encouragement to at least try it out for their regular journeys. The price of petrol is so high now that I'm sure it would be a hit.

How about spending some of it sorting out the stupid gyratory system. I agree that cycle lanes need to be seperated from the traffic. There is always going to be extra traffic on this route as there are 3 cemetaries in the area which for lots of people means travelling along Lewes Road to access Coombes Road, Hartington Road etc to reach these, whether its going to funerals or visiting graves/memorials many relatives/friends come from outside Brighton.
Its all very well penalising the motorist every time but some people need to use vehicles whilst going about their daily business i.e. builders/boiler repair companies/delivery lorries/community nurses.......the list goes on.
How about spending some on teaching people the right way to cross roads & cyclists that whilst using the roads the highway code applies to them as well as the motorists, & yes certain motorists seem to think the road belongs solely to them, but I have to say whether driving or walking I've witnessed some very bad behaviour by ALL who use the roads.
The answer is not to just look at vehicles but the overall situation.

To get traffic (and cyclists flowing more freely):
1) Remove the bus lane at the bottom of Bear Road - buses cannot even reach the lane due to the heavy traffic and not all buses even use it
2) Remove the pelican crossings and replace with zebras - the pelican buttons get pushed continually by passing people for no reason
3) Place the cycle lane in the central reservation in a protected lane (with railings) so traffic turning right up Coombe Road does not sit stationery due to cycles heading into town
4) Remove the gyratory/Bear Road one way system
5) Stop cars parking in the cycle lanes all along this route
6) Place more railings along the pavements to prevent pedestrians just walking out and making the traffic stop

TheInsider wrote:
To get traffic (and cyclists flowing more freely): 1) Remove the bus lane at the bottom of Bear Road - buses cannot even reach the lane due to the heavy traffic and not all buses even use it 2) Remove the pelican crossings and replace with zebras - the pelican buttons get pushed continually by passing people for no reason 3) Place the cycle lane in the central reservation in a protected lane (with railings) so traffic turning right up Coombe Road does not sit stationery due to cycles heading into town 4) Remove the gyratory/Bear Road one way system 5) Stop cars parking in the cycle lanes all along this route 6) Place more railings along the pavements to prevent pedestrians just walking out and making the traffic stop

More railings? Why do cars own the roads? What divine right to cars have to take up that space eh?
Why cant pedestrians own that space too?
Thats what is wrong with seggrating users of a given space - the user thinks they have the divine right to do as they please to the exclusion of other types of users.

Railings have been taken down all over Brighton as many studies suggest that by removing railings it leads to better observance by car drivers of their surroundings, and this has been proved in Holland many times over.

TheInsider wrote:
To get traffic (and cyclists flowing more freely): 1) Remove the bus lane at the bottom of Bear Road - buses cannot even reach the lane due to the heavy traffic and not all buses even use it 2) Remove the pelican crossings and replace with zebras - the pelican buttons get pushed continually by passing people for no reason 3) Place the cycle lane in the central reservation in a protected lane (with railings) so traffic turning right up Coombe Road does not sit stationery due to cycles heading into town 4) Remove the gyratory/Bear Road one way system 5) Stop cars parking in the cycle lanes all along this route 6) Place more railings along the pavements to prevent pedestrians just walking out and making the traffic stop

Totally agree

Hire traffic wardens for the busy bit of lewis road so thats congestion sorted deter people parking there and encourage them to fine redlight jumpers.

Ah yes point 6) Place a camera on the Coombe Road lights as motorists are always, always, always jumping the red lights art high speed as they head out of the city along this route.

One does wonder what these planners are on; here we have a plan to remove cars from the Lewes Road spending several millions. There is another plan to build a park and ride for the new Albion Stadium at the race track necessitating hundreds of cars driving to the centre of Brighton and coaches taking them back out of town again before the match then coaches taking the fans back into town again after the match so hundreds of cars can drive back out again. This required several millions being spent on the junction improvements at Falmer and Woodingdean.
Why not spend the money and build a stonking great car park near the stadium with direct access to the A27 for use by football fans on match days and a park and ride (or possible park & train) for Brighton at other times. I doubt much is going to damage the visual aspect of the area now the stadium is there.

graham seagull...I suggest the railings as this route is filled with people using the pubs who roll off pavements ignoring the crossings completely pi**ed and students and kids walking out into the road without even looking. As a cyclist they are an absolute menace.
The railings would protect the pedestrians, prevent cars and lorries bumping up the pavements along this route blocking the road.
I often walk this route and it's now a nightmare to cross due to the crossings, the illegally parked vehicles, the shop A boards the junk left on the pavements and the **** people falling out of the Gladstone and the Franklin Tavern.

It would help if the report told us what the detailed plans were!

you cannot and never will stop the cars they are part of our society and economy, therefore this could be made a shared space like New Road where the road is the same level as the pavement naturally slowing cars. also more roundabouts, they work wonders in france where once again traffic is naturally slowed but not stopped, ones that are planted beautifully or with sculptures also make cars slow down. i feel however as with everything in this city masses of money will be spent and the problem made worse. some bright council spark has already placed cycle lanes and bus lanes and no end of pedestrian crossings but obviously these are thought of as useless to be given this money. the suggestion that the more you free up the road the more cars you get, well surely this is better than stationary traffic causing chaos and pollution. and finally whoever gave permission for a park and ride at the racecourse for albion match days should not be working for planning in any way shape or form. they must have decided it a good idea to bring traffic into brighton then take it out again then bring them back again then let them drive out again, very green.

Has the time not come for a total re-think of the traffic flows. The bus lane at the bottom of Bear Road makes the Vogue Gyratory more congested which has a knock on effect, particularly on Hollingdean Road. The gyratory itself needs a complete re-think particularly with the phasing of the lights which filters traffic heading for Hollingdean Road or Sainsburys directly in to traffic from Upper Lewes Road. The theory is that the traffic should zip but the reality is that it is everyone for themselves. I have always though that this system was designed by an idiot.

Iv got a better idea, do nothing because any change wont make the slightest difference,and buy 6million quids worth of fridays euromillions,then the council could buy 5 piers and turn them into car parks!! Hehehe,just an idea

turn it into an area where you can buy drugs or sex at any time of day or night...........
oh, wait...........

Could this be the humble beginnings of the fabled Lewes Rd 'Literary Quarter' idea that has been bandied about for several years? The idea that proposed a pedestrian only street populated by lush green trees and a thriving cafe culture? The smell of fresh mochachinos permeating the air, whilst gaunt wordsmiths drape themselves about the place in crepe velvet suits and loafers, working on their latest novella...'Down and out in Coldean and Moulsecoomb'...

Simple be a bit futuristic for a change and build a monorail,whether Mr French likes it or not.

Ease congestion by increasing the speed limit to get out of town and keep it to 30 coming in.

What exactly are they going to do?

The road already has a bus lane and cycle lanes. What is needed is better management of the existing structure. The road is always going to be busy whether people like it or not, wouldn't it be better to accept that fact and get on with making it easier for everyone to drive around?

The place could do with brightening up, that's for sure, but that comes down to preventing it in the first place rather than clearing it up after the event. Shabby shop fronts, uneven badly laid pavements, patchwork tarmac could all have been prevented with planning and contractor controls and would help pick the area up. It's amazing the amount of money the council has to do these things, if they used it in the right way things could be awesome...

keswick wrote:
Has the time not come for a total re-think of the traffic flows. The bus lane at the bottom of Bear Road makes the Vogue Gyratory more congested which has a knock on effect, particularly on Hollingdean Road. The gyratory itself needs a complete re-think particularly with the phasing of the lights which filters traffic heading for Hollingdean Road or Sainsburys directly in to traffic from Upper Lewes Road. The theory is that the traffic should zip but the reality is that it is everyone for themselves. I have always though that this system was designed by an idiot.

I agree. Much like the dials, I always feel like I'm taking my life into my hands when I go around the gyratory. There isn't a lot of control there... hit and hope!!

Brighton Belle, with regards to picking up the area, the problem is the inconsistent approach by successive councils with regrads to managing all sorts of policies.
Estate agents are not allowed to place sale boards in conservation areas, yet every other area has to have them plastered everywhere, even if they are tatty and hanging off walls.
In the conservation areas people are not allowed to leave recycling boxes out and have to have permission to alter shop fronts, in other areas, anything goes.
There are some shocking shop fronts on the Lewes Road, most recenlty a fast food outlet was putting up black and white tiles on the front of the shop which look like they had been found on a tip. They were so badly installed it was like something you see on the roadside on South America.
We are all residents, we all pay council tax and the council should enforce rules across the whole of the city.
I drove up Coombe Road yesterday and the road was full of furniture and black bags of rubbish thrown onto the streets by etsate agents and landlords.
This is illegal yet none of the Labour councillors serving this area or the Green party do anything about it.
When will this council be accountable.

panda_electrical wrote:
One does wonder what these planners are on; here we have a plan to remove cars from the Lewes Road spending several millions. There is another plan to build a park and ride for the new Albion Stadium at the race track necessitating hundreds of cars driving to the centre of Brighton and coaches taking them back out of town again before the match then coaches taking the fans back into town again after the match so hundreds of cars can drive back out again. This required several millions being spent on the junction improvements at Falmer and Woodingdean. Why not spend the money and build a stonking great car park near the stadium with direct access to the A27 for use by football fans on match days and a park and ride (or possible park & train) for Brighton at other times. I doubt much is going to damage the visual aspect of the area now the stadium is there.

Thats one of the most sensible ideas I have heard. The carpark for the football would only get used once a week so why not have it as park and ride the rest of the time.

TheInsider wrote:
Brighton Belle, with regards to picking up the area, the problem is the inconsistent approach by successive councils with regrads to managing all sorts of policies. Estate agents are not allowed to place sale boards in conservation areas, yet every other area has to have them plastered everywhere, even if they are tatty and hanging off walls. In the conservation areas people are not allowed to leave recycling boxes out and have to have permission to alter shop fronts, in other areas, anything goes. There are some shocking shop fronts on the Lewes Road, most recenlty a fast food outlet was putting up black and white tiles on the front of the shop which look like they had been found on a tip. They were so badly installed it was like something you see on the roadside on South America. We are all residents, we all pay council tax and the council should enforce rules across the whole of the city. I drove up Coombe Road yesterday and the road was full of furniture and black bags of rubbish thrown onto the streets by etsate agents and landlords. This is illegal yet none of the Labour councillors serving this area or the Green party do anything about it. When will this council be accountable.

Absolutely.

I'm always amazed at the different rules for different areas of the town. I spent a few years living just behind the Lewes Road, and it's a shame it looks that way. The same goes for London Road, etc etc. The places could look so much nicer with a little more control.

I can't quite understand what goes through ANY council's minds when they allow this kind of work to take place, there is a complete lack of consistency across town and a lack of basic standards. B&H could be a much nicer place if simple basic controls were enforced by the council, and if the area looks better the residents and visitors will be more inclined to keep it so.

The double standards annoy the life out of me, especially when I see the shoddy work our council tax is spent on. Roads, pavements, public facilities all patched together with cheap materals and bad workmanship. Badly thought out infrastructure, cycle lanes, bus lanes, crossings that appear to just be dumped in certain places without regard for what is actually needed.
Then there's the people with no respect dumping their rubbish and litter all over the place, it's disgusting.

I wish they would pull their finger out and clamp down on these issues, but of course, they won't, and will continue to run this place into the ground.

I forsee the worlds one and only kayak lane how much canal can you dig for £6 million?
it would be green

Brighton_Belle wrote:

keswick wrote:
Has the time not come for a total re-think of the traffic flows. The bus lane at the bottom of Bear Road makes the Vogue Gyratory more congested which has a knock on effect, particularly on Hollingdean Road. The gyratory itself needs a complete re-think particularly with the phasing of the lights which filters traffic heading for Hollingdean Road or Sainsburys directly in to traffic from Upper Lewes Road. The theory is that the traffic should zip but the reality is that it is everyone for themselves. I have always though that this system was designed by an idiot.

I agree. Much like the dials, I always feel like I'm taking my life into my hands when I go around the gyratory. There isn't a lot of control there... hit and hope!!

only out of towners get confused. That's why it's there.

woodybrighton wrote:
I forsee the worlds one and only kayak lane how much canal can you dig for £6 million?
it would be green

None as the £6million would be swallowed up by all the consultations and the 72 hour risk assessment to allow you to pick up the pen to fill in the form...