Amber gamble: Mayor hopeful promises to switch off traffic lights
A MAYORAL candidate has promised to switch off some of Bristol's traffic lights at night if he is elected as the city's new leader.
Liberal Democrat Jon Rogers, above, said the lights could be switched to flash amber instead, a system used in France which tells road users to proceed with caution.
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Dr Jon Rogers
Dr Rogers, who was in charge of the council's transport department for more than two years, said there was no reason why road users – including cyclists – should be held up at junctions at night when there was little traffic about.
He said he accepted that some traffic lights should be in use at all times for safety reasons but there were many more which he believed could be switched to flashing amber.
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Dr Rogers told the Post: "If you are driving home at two in the morning, it is very frustrating to find yourself waiting at a red light when there is no other traffic about.
"If we had them flashing amber, it would reduce the frustration, it would reduce the pollution and it would shorten journey times."
He said obvious examples where flashing amber lights could be used were at the bottom of Cromwell Road, where it meets Gloucester Road at the Arches in Cotham and at the end of Ashley Down Road, where it meets Gloucester Road.
Dr Rogers said he thought council and government highway civil servants would be very reluctant to see traffic lights switched off completely but he was "up for it" if local communities came forward and argued the case against them.
The Post ran a campaign two years ago to get traffic lights in the city switched off at night, which led to success at a couple of junctions.
Following our campaign, the council's highways experts looked at the issue and traffic lights in Prince Street and at the junction between Nelson Street and Union Street were turned off at night.
The campaign was triggered by moves at Portishead's Cabstand junction, where controversial new traffic lights caused unprecedented tailbacks. Eventually, North Somerset Council agreed to remove them.
Dr Rogers, a keen cyclist, admitted that when he was in charge of transport, he tried to get traffic lights switched off but the idea was squashed by the Government's Department for Transport.
He said: "Since then, the department has become much more flexible to new ideas and if I was elected mayor, then I would want to push for a pilot scheme to try out switching off some traffic lights as a trial and have them flashing amber instead.
"I think most people would welcome this move and see the sense in ending unnecessary frustration at night when there is much less traffic about."
He said if elected, he would want to set up a pilot in 2013.
Comments
by takeabullet4u
Friday, September 21 2012, 1:06PM
“These are the lovely people behind the badger cull.. !
The Conservative chief whip was threatened with arrest after allegedly telling officers they had "best learn your f------ place" and accused them of being "f------- plebs".
http://tinyurl.com/92du9x6
The idea that a Cabinet minister could behave like this towards police officers doing their job is an utter disgrace. It tells you all you need to know about this out-of-touch Government and its attitude to public servants and people of Britain.”
by snowymalone
Monday, September 17 2012, 5:02PM
“There's a drinking game you can play with LibDem newsletters. Have a shot every time they mention the candidate / member / MP's name. Best one for this is the MEP, Graham Watson. In his last missive to the region, you'd be sozzled by halfway down page 2. His name was mentioned about 40 times! "MEP Graham Watson thinks blah. "I think blah!" says Graham Watson, LibDem MEP for the South West, whose MEP is Graham Watson. "And furthermore," continued Graham Watson "blah blah blah, and the LibDems are are the forefront of blah". Graham, the MEP for the South West.." you get the idea. It's hilarious.
See how many red arrows I generate for that one (I love making honest and reasonable observations on here, and see how quickly the bat-eared ones have a thromby..)”
by bris28
Monday, September 17 2012, 2:40PM
“Have you noticed how someone called Jon Rogers comes up with a different idea (almost every day) on how to keep Bristol moving? Can't remember him doing that on the benches of the Counts Louse on College Green. Have you noticed how the good doctor has adoipted a new doorstep manner - he appears in a suit. Used to be casual dress for BCC meetings.
By the way his supporters have just put six (yes six) copies of some rag called Bristol Reporter through my letter box despite a notice saying "No Junk Mail. Perhaps these Lib Dems can't read. Not a good advert for our education system. Anyway, Im sending them back to Jon at his home address. He canu pay for the return postage out of his election campaign expenses.”
by snowymalone
Monday, September 17 2012, 1:18PM
“Is it me or some posts gone walkies? Just wondering..
Anyway, I was going to post an opinion yesterday, but as the "discussion" veered off and down the embankment, as it so often does these days when certain characters (and I think I use the word advisedly) get going, I thought I'd keep my powder dry.
Here goes: why not just switch them off outside peak-times (traffic lights, not opinionated posters who may or not be sock-puppets)? Or just keep the lights on 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., especially at roundabouts etc? There are far too many traffic lights. Yes, you do need some, and I agree that more are needed during rush-hour, but the rest of the time traffic can sort itself out.
Credit (most) drivers and bikers, and (most) cyclists, with some road sense and maybe they'll be more responsive to whatever mind-boggling traffic scheme de jour is on the table.”
by stevebatkin
Monday, September 17 2012, 11:58AM
“I stood in two Mayoral elections in Stoke-on-Trent in 2002 and 2005 and observed very closely how the process works. There was very little room for change even when substantially raising council tax to a level which enraged the public. The extra money still seemed to go nowhere! It's no surprise there is these petty initiatives put forward by candidates because their scope for real change is so narrow.
http://tinyurl.com/c5fch56”
by stevebatkin
Monday, September 17 2012, 11:03AM
“With Britain's three main parties Labour/Tory/Lib-Dem all having exactly the same political policies their isn't much their candidates can say. The whole game has come down to such petty sound bites because real change is an impossibility. Even if someone outside the mainstream won the election and tried to implement a real diffence, I have no doubt change would be blocked. In Stoke-on-Trent a few years ago the political establishment was challenged by a coalition of anti-establishment politicians so they changed the rules of engagement!
http://tinyurl.com/c5fch56”
by dayofthedog
Monday, September 17 2012, 10:56AM
“Typical Lib-Dem mediocre rubbish...
Just because they do it in France we should do it here in the UK?
I'll wager Dr Rogers probably owns a converted farmhouse in Provence and would just love us all to have a 2 hour lunch break (spent sleeping with your best friends wife) and chain smoking gauloises.
France, is a much larger, more rural and less traffic obsessed nation than ourselves so it is a totally meaningless comparison.
I really like France, beautiful women, fine food and drink, a celebration of life and stunning scenery...but our green and pleasant Isle deserves much better than Dr Roger's 'Continental' model of non-perfection.”
by Charlespk
Monday, September 17 2012, 9:24AM
“Without "business"; 'trading'; there is nothing except North Korean type total state control and failure.
From your local chippy to major defence contractors like BAE systems.
Wake up and smell the coffee artglad. . The only money politicians have to spend is what we pay them in taxes.
"Welcome to the post-democratic era."
http://tinyurl.com/9tbznlm (open in a new window)”
by artglad
Monday, September 17 2012, 2:53AM
“The constant references to George Ferguson being independent are rather misguided , he is the Merchant Venturers candidate , and will certainly only acting in the interests of the businessmen of Bristol, and not the majority of Bristol citizens , he certainly can not be trusted to be involved in local politics , you just have to look at the way North Street in Bedminster has been turned into a yuppie paradise by his unelected influence, powered by his wealth , driving the original inhabitants away from the area.
I think that normal people , on normal incomes , do not want a rich man to turn central Bristol into a rich man's ghetto, by an arrogant individual that has no understanding of how normal people exist ,for the benefit of his pals , very much like the present prime minister.”
by smoosername
Sunday, September 16 2012, 11:57PM
“@mark1864 - "Traffic lights are like valves, regulating the flow."
I would have to disagree.
Traffic lights are either on or off (stop/go). Either the traffic is allowed to pass or it's not.
Valves can regulate the flow of traffic by moving between open and closed at various different degrees based on the pressure behind the valve.”