CAUSING CONGESTION

Derby City Council's head of traffic David Gartside warned motorists queuing on the A52 that things will only get worse, until commuters start using other forms of transport. Drivers heading into the city from Long Eaton and Nottingham have endured lengthening queues recently. The council says this is caused by more vehicles using Raynesway to join the A52, rather than the traditional routes from the south, along London or Osmaston roads.

Traffic for Pride Park is also likely to increase. Mr Gartside said, "What has made this route increasingly popular was the A6 Alvaston bypass to link Raynesway with the A50. We started noticing a big change about six months after that, in the middle of 2004, and more people have continued to use it ever since. Pride Park is under particular pressure, and because there are only three routes in and out it has led to big queues. That's only going to get worse." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Nov/06)

Derby ground to a rush-hour standstill as the city's roads struggled to cope with tailbacks from roadworks on the A52. Between about 5pm and 7pm, the entire city centre was at crawling speed as motorists struggled to get home from work because of the delays. The roadworks, at the bridge where Raynesway crosses the A52 in Spondon, were the main cause of the congestion. One lane of the A52 in each direction has been shut and a 40mph speed restriction has been put in place. As early as 3pm, motorists were reporting that traffic was backed up from the roadworks to beyond Pentagon Island and traffic was moving slower than usual.

By 4pm, motorists travelling eastbound along the A52 from the Pentagon were reporting that the journey as far as Spondon was taking about 20 minutes rather than the usual five minutes. And by 5pm, the road had become gridlocked, with traffic stretching back around St Alkmund's Way and into the city centre. By about 7pm, motorists said the traffic was the equivalent to what they would normally expect at around 5pm, and by 8pm it was running smoothly again. Highways agency spokeswoman Jo Sheppard said, "We weren't made aware of any specific congestion problems." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

Motorists are facing months of traffic jam misery in the city centre. Gridlock occurs every rush hour because of work on the inner ring road and this work is being extended to cover the main stretch of St Alkmund's Way. The slip road from Derwent Street on to this road will be closed until September and for three weeks in August, the underpass from Eastgate westbound will also be closed. Although the road system in the city appears to be in chaos the city council insist that the works around the city had been co-ordinated. Councillor Chris Wynn has asked people to be patient while the maintenance scheme is being carried out. He said, "If motorists can bear with us during this time, then they will see a substantial improvement in traffic around the city." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Jul/06)

Motorists were delayed in Derby due to a Highways Agency traffic census when Scott Wilson Consulting Services carried out the census on Sir Frank Whittle Road and Alfreton Road. Motorists were stopped and given cards, requesting details about their daily journeys into Derby. The survey aims to assess whether motorists are avoiding using the A38 junctions with the A5111, A52, and A61 because of congestion problems. The surveys are being carried out as part of the A38 Junctions Road-Based Study, which aims to improve safety and relieve congestion.

Highways Agency officials will not give motorists advance warning of the times and locations of the surveys, but they have apologised for the delays. Project manager Shifeek Hussain said, "I would urge drivers to be patient while we carry out these voluntary interviews - they only last two minutes and we will try as best as we can to minimise delays." The first days survey caused long delays with traffic queuing back to the Coxbench junction of the A38.

Further delays were caused to motorists travelling into Derby as a Highways Agency traffic census was carried out for a second day. This time, they had moved their operations to Duffield Road, which caused rush-hour traffic to back up beyond the A38 Palm Court traffic island at Allestree. On day three, surveyors were on Uttoxeter Road, near Derby City General Hospital, and Ashbourne Road, Mackworth. A police spokesman said officers had received no complaints about any resulting traffic congestion. Well, it would be pointless wouldn't it?

The daily commute to and from work on the roads has grown by up to two hours in the past five years. Almost 43% said their commute now took 20 minutes longer than it did in 1997, with more than 36% saying it took an hour longer. An unlucky 7% reported that their daily drive to and from the workplace took more than two hours longer than it did five years ago. Nearly 1,000 drivers were asked about their commute in 20 towns and cities and 86% said they spent more time in their cars now than they did in 1997. Virtually all the motorists (96%) agreed that congestion was getting worse and more than 54% called for better public transport. Almost 62% said they would consider switching to buses and trains if public transport improved.

The AA's head of roads and transport, Paul Watters, said, "The figures speak for themselves. Public transport is so poor that drivers are forced to spend hours sitting in traffic jams rather than risk a journey on an overcrowded train or a bus that doesn't turn up. Many have so little faith in alternative modes of travel that, even if public transport were improved, they would still use the car." Drivers pay £8 billion a year in motoring taxes, he said, but get "chronic road congestion, a public transport system that resembles something out of the dark ages and the threat of being charged to drive on roads" in return. Congestion charging came in for particular criticism from drivers with 83% saying they were against the idea of charges to use roads.