Traffic lights / traffic flow Bham city centre.

[B.C Driver]

The traffic lights around Moor St Queensway are not set up to help the flow of traffic. It is bad enough as it is with the amount of traffic lights in such a short area, but with a few tweaks things could improve a bit.

For example the lights at the junction of Moor St Queensway and Albert St are not working as they should. Traffic going downhill (by the 97 stop) change onto green, where as traffic going uphill (by 33 stop) are forced to wait about 15 seconds unnecessarily until the lights change onto green.

The pedestrian lights opposit Moor St station (end of tunnel) change regardless of wether anybody has pressed them or not. This is particually infuriating at night time trying to run to time and being stopped for no reason.

Also coming through the tunnel towards New St there is an increased problem with taxis making illegal right hand turns into New St station, thus holding up buses trying to exit the city.

Who would be the best people to contact about this? Bham city council or Highways Agency?

@Tony could you try to help please?

[Kevin]

Similar vein....
The lights on Bull Street / Corporation Street are ridiculous.
Stay on red for Bull Street traffic for ages (ie, all the Birchfield Road, Expressway, 82/87 buses - about 80 vehicles an hour) for Corporation Street traffic (max 10 trams per hour each way and a similarly small number of cars/vans)
Combined with rush hour loadings basically means a bus arriving on Bull Street a minute before it's due can be already 10 late by the time it gets around Old Square and through the three pedestrian lights there

[B.C Driver]

Similar vein....
The lights on Bull Street / Corporation Street are ridiculous.
Stay on red for Bull Street traffic for ages (ie, all the Birchfield Road, Expressway, 82/87 buses - about 80 vehicles an hour) for Corporation Street traffic (max 10 trams per hour each way and a similarly small number of cars/vans)
Combined with rush hour loadings basically means a bus arriving on Bull Street a minute before it's due can be already 10 late by the time it gets around Old Square and through the three pedestrian lights there

Ive noticed that too. You wait there on red for an eternity.

Also Pedestrian lights at Carrs Lane / High St change automatically wether pressed or not. WHY?? If somebody presses them fair enough, but why make traffic stop needlessly?

And whos idea was it to put pedestrian lights a few meters from the main traffic lights by Matthew Boulton College the way the 33, 51, 52 etc come into town.

[Steve3229vp]

The biggest problem for buses in Birmingham is that it takes too long to get in and out of the City Centre e.g:

58, 59, 60, X1 and X2 which terminate at Moor Street (near Carrs Lane) have to travel all the way down Moor Street then down Park Street just to get out of the City Centre - I would suggest a cutting just after Carrs Lane jnc. to enable to turn out of the City just like the 35 and 50.

All buses from Lower Bull Street and The Square Peg have go around that stupid big Island at The Old Square - I would suggest a single Lane passing through it (moving Tony Hancock to the left or the right) so bus can go straight across.

[j789]

The traffic lights around Moor St Queensway are not set up to help the flow of traffic. It is bad enough as it is with the amount of traffic lights in such a short area, but with a few tweaks things could improve a bit.

For example the lights at the junction of Moor St Queensway and Albert St are not working as they should. Traffic going downhill (by the 97 stop) change onto green, where as traffic going uphill (by 33 stop) are forced to wait about 15 seconds unnecessarily until the lights change onto green.

The pedestrian lights opposit Moor St station (end of tunnel) change regardless of wether anybody has pressed them or not. This is particually infuriating at night time trying to run to time and being stopped for no reason.

Also coming through the tunnel towards New St there is an increased problem with taxis making illegal right hand turns into New St station, thus holding up buses trying to exit the city.

Who would be the best people to contact about this? Bham city council or Highways Agency?

@Tony could you try to help please?

It really can be a nightmare driving in the city centre. Increasingly, when I am driving the 144 and attempting to make the turn on Smallbrook Queensway, just before New St Station, to turn around , there are cars (usually taxis) blocking the turn which means we then hold everything up behind us. Because this is happening much more often now, the company has told us to report any vehicles parked there and they will take it up with Network West Midlands. Fortunately, I know the layout of the City centre well so can continue to Moor St to turn around if it is blocked but many of our drivers are not so familiar with Birmingham so could get lost. Something definitely needs to be done asap.

[Kevin]

58, 59, 60, X1 and X2 which terminate at Moor Street (near Carrs Lane) have to travel all the way down Moor Street then down Park Street just to get out of the City Centre - I would suggest a cutting just after Carrs Lane jnc. to enable to turn out of the City just like the 35 and 50.

A new u-turn facility further down would be better than the current tbf, seen some dangerous lane changes made by the 50s and 35s

[B.C Driver]

This city should be trying to make public transport more appealing by doing their best to speed up bus journeys. Instead of having traffic lights that are out of sync or pedestrian ones that change for no reason. I get the impression the powers that be couldnt care less.

[Tony]

This city should be trying to make public transport more appealing by doing their best to speed up bus journeys. Instead of having traffic lights that are out of sync or pedestrian ones that change for no reason. I get the impression the powers that be couldnt care less.

I spend my working day working with Amey on Traffic light flows.

Your complaint about the delayed start from Hotel LaTour on Moor Street is for safety reasons for pedestrians crossing.

The pedestrian lights by Moor Street Station should only change if pressed, I'll check that one out tomorrow.

The pedestrian lights by Matthew Boulton College work in conjuction with the main set at the bottom and don't delay traffic.

We need the roundabout at Old Square for buses turn turn around, removing it would mean nowhere for the 74 or 94etc to turn. The traffic lights on the roundabout aren't currently linked properly, but hopefully that will be sorted soon. The lights by the square peg were installed by the council and haven't been handed over to Amey yet for them to get the timings sorted properly. Hopefully not long on that one either

As for a U-turn further down Moor Street, there isn't room. The road is narrower and single decks can only just make the one outside the station

[Steve3229vp]

I spend my working day working with Amey on Traffic light flows.

Your complaint about the delayed start from Hotel LaTour on Moor Street is for safety reasons for pedestrians crossing.

The pedestrian lights by Moor Street Station should only change if pressed, I'll check that one out tomorrow.

The pedestrian lights by Matthew Boulton College work in conjuction with the main set at the bottom and don't delay traffic.

We need the roundabout at Old Square for buses turn turn around, removing it would mean nowhere for the 74 or 94etc to turn. The traffic lights on the roundabout aren't currently linked properly, but hopefully that will be sorted soon. The lights by the square peg were installed by the council and haven't been handed over to Amey yet for them to get the timings sorted properly. Hopefully not long on that one either

As for a U-turn further down Moor Street, there isn't room. The road is narrower and single decks can only just make the one outside the station

I accept what you're saying but could the Coventry Road services be changed in the City to take out that slow down Moor Street and then Park Street nonsense, it takes too long

[2206]

I accept what you're saying but could the Coventry Road services be changed in the City to take out that slow down Moor Street and then Park Street nonsense, it takes too long

How would you change it in the City Centre then, there are already enough buses using Carrs Lane, buses parked at the stops on Carrs Lane and 6/37 often block other buses from getting past.

[Tony]

Not easily without moving it from its current stop. In the last few months the lights have been retimed to speed traffic up along Moor Street Queensway which has helped with ordinary traffic flow as well as the bus lane.

Taking out that slip road at the bottom of Moat Lane has speeded inward journies up as well. That will be reopened soon as a bus lane to allow Bradford Street services to not use Rea Street

[AndrewLee]

Not easily without moving it from its current stop. In the last few months the lights have been retimed to speed traffic up along Moor Street Queensway which has helped with ordinary traffic flow as well as the bus lane.

Taking out that slip road at the bottom of Moat Lane has speeded inward journies up as well. That will be reopened soon as a bus lane to allow Bradford Street services to not use Rea Street

Now that's a good idea. I don't drive those services and I'm glad. Traffic turning right into Rea St is a nightmare. Only question is, will that bus lane be enforced? Cars already try to zig-zag around the blocked junction!

[Tony]

Now that's a good idea. I don't drive those services and I'm glad. Traffic turning right into Rea St is a nightmare. Only question is, will that bus lane be enforced? Cars already try to zig-zag around the blocked junction!

Yes, camera going there from day 1.

The reason Rea Street is so bad at the moment is all the traffic lights in Digbeth are currently 'off-line' as the main controller for all of them is in the junction of Heath Mill lane which is currently being refurbished, so is switched off

[B.C Driver]

I spend my working day working with Amey on Traffic light flows.

Your complaint about the delayed start from Hotel LaTour on Moor Street is for safety reasons for pedestrians crossing.

The pedestrian lights by Moor Street Station should only change if pressed, I'll check that one out tomorrow.

The pedestrian lights by Matthew Boulton College work in conjuction with the main set at the bottom and don't delay traffic.

We need the roundabout at Old Square for buses turn turn around, removing it would mean nowhere for the 74 or 94etc to turn. The traffic lights on the roundabout aren't currently linked properly, but hopefully that will be sorted soon. The lights by the square peg were installed by the council and haven't been handed over to Amey yet for them to get the timings sorted properly. Hopefully not long on that one either

As for a U-turn further down Moor Street, there isn't room. The road is narrower and single decks can only just make the one outside the station

Thanks for your reply.

The lights at the junction of Moor St and Albert St dont affect pedestrians, they have their own crossing further up. A whole lot of services are being held on red for 15 seconds needlessly 16 33 51 52 All Sutton routes x61 x64 98 99 934 etc.

I have a feeling the pedestrian lights at the end of the tunnel ( just before 16 82 87 stop) are set to change regardless if they have been pressed as its a very busy area. But at night time trying to run to time it is infuriating to stop for no reason.

Can something be done regarding the taxis turning right into New St Station? They know they are not allowed to do this but show a total disregard to this.

Many thanks again Tony.

[Tony]

Thanks for your reply.

The lights at the junction of Moor St and Albert St dont affect pedestrians, they have their own crossing further up. A whole lot of services are being held on red for 15 seconds needlessly 16 33 51 52 All Sutton routes x61 x64 98 99 934 etc.

I have a feeling the pedestrian lights at the end of the tunnel ( just before 16 82 87 stop) are set to change regardless if they have been pressed as its a very busy area. But at night time trying to run to time it is infuriating to stop for no reason.

Can something be done regarding the taxis turning right into New St Station? They know they are not allowed to do this but show a total disregard to this.

Many thanks again Tony.

The Albert Street lights, although not an official crossing, people do cross in front of the 97 stop when those lights are on red. The setting for the delayed start are a DfT requirement for the layout.

The two pedestrian crossings by the tunnel are linked together always both change together. This is done so traffic coming up the side of Selfridges only has to stop once, but both will change if only one is pressed.

If you are driving along Smallbrook Queensway towards the tunnel and a taxi turns right from the other way in front of you illegally you could put a near miss report in.