Latest news with #trafficcongestion
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Furious homeowners in leafy road condemn 'bullying' parents on school run for blocking driveways and abusive rants
Furious homeowners along a leafy road have hit out at 'bullying parents' on the school run for blocking driveways and embarking on abusive rants. Families living on Spetchley Road in Worcester claim dozens of cars pile into their street between 8am and 9am every day as people drop their children off at Nunnery Wood High School, which has 1,483 pupils. The scrum gets even more chaotic when the 1,750 students from nearby Worcester Sixth Form College arrive for morning classes. And the ordeal on the road, where the average house price is £555,000, happens all over again later in the day as parents come to collect their children and older pupils drive home. The congestion has resulted in visiting vehicles clogging up driveways, leading to bitter arguments and even signs being erected asking them to stop. Retired Royal Navy engineer Royston Roberts, 82, said: 'People have parked on my drive which is never a good scenario. 'You can ask them to move but it's a civil matter. The police can't do anything. The problem for us is that I can't get access to the highway or get in or out of home a lot of the time. 'It's tight, too. It can be very inconvenient. I have an older Land Rover and I can't access my drive because they park so far over blocking it. 'Deliveries are a problem for people on both sides of the road. If you want building materials, it's impossible. You have to work it out for a non-school day or a weekend, which is an inconvenience. 'Students can apparently use the car park at the college, but they're the worst offender. I can't report them to the school because the cars they are driving are not often registered to them.' Mr Roberts has lived on the road with his wife Maureen since 1983 and suggested parents should use a disused county hall space over the road instead. 'The county hall has a huge car park 100 yards away,' he added. 'There's no resolution - zigzag lines and warning people doesn't work. 'If someone has arrived late, they'll park their car halfway across the drive. They'll dump their cars, but it's on both sides of the road - it's chaos.' Michael Harding, 79, said the hearse carrying his late wife was forced to reverse down the street after being blocked by double-parked cars. He said: 'My wife had terminal cancer for two years and she sadly died in April this year. 'The hearse picked her up from the family home. It got around the corner but it couldn't get through as some idiot was parked on double yellow lines. 'We had to turn back, it made us late for the service. Both cars had to reverse back down the road and turn around. 'He was parked on double yellow lines on a bend with another car parked across from it. 'Sometimes I cannot get my car off the drive, they park way over the drive. I virtually have to park onto my neighbours drive to get off, fortunately he's kind enough to let me. 'As well as the school-run parents it's the students leaving their cars on the road all day while they are at college. If you say anything to them, they swear at you. The language is foul, you get some really horrible responses. 'It's really everyone who is suffering here, it's not just me. They park across drives. You try to drive up Spetchley Road at 3pm and it's dangerous. We've had enough.' Father-of-two Ben Gillman, 27, said: 'I've seen bus and coach drivers get stuck because of the cars parked everywhere. 'There's tension boiling over when we have inconsiderate parking. I've had a few times when I can't get out of my drive and, when I say something, they look at me like death.' Another local said: 'I just want to move away, I wake up in the night dreading the mornings because I need to drive to work. 'It means I literally have to battle with mums, dads and students all using our driveways. 'Some of the parents are so rude, they say "We'll only be a minute" but that minute means I'm late for work.' Councillor Elaine Willmore admits the situation has become 'intolerable' and could get even worse. She said: 'When it's bad it's intolerable. Residents say it makes them want to leave and move away. 'When you have parents dropping off at the high school, it becomes chaotic. 'It tends to be the parents parking on the driveway. They've gone out to tell them and they say "I'm just waiting for my kids" or "I'll only be five minutes". 'There's been lots of near misses, too. I think this could definitely get worse.' A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: 'The parking situation on Spetchley Road has been a concern of local residents, and in response, the County Council implemented some targeted parking restrictions. 'While these measures have had some positive impact, there continue to be requests for more comprehensive restrictions. 'We would need to consider the wider effects of adding more restrictions. 'As with all traffic management measures, parking restrictions involve a balance of benefits and drawbacks, and it is important to aspproach any change with this in mind.' 'There may be scope to explore additional restrictions on Spetchley Road in the future; however, any such proposals would require thorough investigation and a formal consultation process to ensure all potential impacts are properly assessed and community views are taken into account.' It is not just this leafy part of Worcestershire where driveways are providing the stage for ill-tempered local disputes. In Longton, near Stoke, an elderly couple have been forced to cancel their holiday as a skip filled with building materials remains stuck in their front yard. Ann and John Espley ordered the waste disposal unit to their home in March while they had renovation work done. Three months later, the skip is still parked in front of their property after Staffordshire Waste Recycling Centre had their permit suspended by the Environment Agency. Calls to the company and the council have proved fruitless and mean the couple are now too scared to go on holiday in case someone finally comes to collect the huge unit. They have also been forced to park their car on the road, while their son leaves his vehicle on their neighbour's driveway. The pair branded the saga 'an absolute nightmare' as they remain in the dark over when the heaving full skip will be collected. And in a leafy cul-de-sac street in Camberley, Surrey a mother who parked a double decker bus on her driveway has been ordered to remove it after 'snobby' neighbours complained it was spoiling their view. Wendy Salmon was criticised by locals when she left the vehicle at the end of the road on a temporary basis with hopes of renovating it. It sparked a row with families on the street - who escalated matters and reported her to the council. Now Ms Salmon, 55, has been ordered to take it away, despite the council initially accepting she was 'not breaking any laws'. Following a two-year-battle, the mother-of-two must remove her vehicle by June 20 Ms Salmon argued her neighbours were 'treating [her] like a criminal' and going behind her back.
Khaleej Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
UAE: E311 truck congestion causes 6 deaths, 137 accidents; lawmaker calls for action
Traffic congestion caused by lorries along the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road (E311) has resulted in six fatalities and 137 accidents since January, the Federal National Council (FNC) heard on Wednesday. FNC member Mohammed Al Kashf raised the issue, citing persistent traffic problems near the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain exit in Umm Al Quwain, where lorries frequently stop on the roadside. 'Road users are complaining day and night about the severe congestion,' he said during the session. Al Kashf addressed his concerns to Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. In a written response provided ahead of the meeting, the Ministry acknowledged the challenges related to truck access at the Umm Al Quwain exit. 'These issues were previously identified,' the Ministry's statement read. 'In response, we coordinated with the Ministry of Interior to study the situation. As a result, a traffic solution was implemented in the form of a 'yellow box' system, intended to regulate traffic flow and ease congestion in the area.' However, the Ministry noted that some truck drivers continue to disregard road signs prohibiting entry into intersections unless the path ahead is clear. 'We will continue coordinating with the Ministry of Interior to enforce compliance. Measures include stepped-up traffic awareness campaigns, the apprehension of violators, and the imposition of appropriate legal penalties,' the statement concluded. After reading the response aloud, Al Kashf questioned its effectiveness. 'Is this truly a suitable solution?' he asked, while presenting video evidence of daily traffic jams. 'Just this morning, I received footage showing a pile-up of cars and lorries during the morning commute in Umm Al Quwain.' He stressed the need for more robust and modern interventions, citing global practices that utilize Artificial Intelligence and advanced technology to manage traffic challenges. 'We must put an end to these recurring crashes,' he said. 'Residents are voicing their frustration every morning and evening.' Al Kashf proposed a redesign of the problematic exit, suggesting its expansion to facilitate smoother truck movement. He also called for clearer signage ahead of the exit to improve safety. 'There needs to be a real, direct solution to this issue,' he concluded.
CBC
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Halifax mayor's move to pause bike lane construction defeated
Social Sharing Halifax will continue to move ahead with its bike network after councillors voted 12-5 to defeat a motion by the mayor asking to temporarily pause awarding new design and construction contracts for bike lanes. Mayor Andy Fillmore made the motion at regional council on Tuesday afternoon. During the meeting, Fillmore said he was concerned that the costs of the AAA (all ages and abilities) bicycle network were escalating and it was contributing to Halifax's increased traffic congestion. "Halifax now has the third-worst congestion in Canada and the fifth-worst congestion in North America," Fillmore said. "People here are spending 83 hours a year stuck in traffic. That's the equivalent of 12 working days behind the wheel in gridlock." The pause would have lasted until staff came back with a report providing the list of bike lane projects over the next four years that could result in reduced vehicle traffic capacity and increased congestion. The mayor also asked that the report assess the feasibility of alternative network options that could achieve active transportation goals while "sustaining or improving current traffic flow." 'This is foolish' Fillmore has not offered any evidence or details about how the current or future network segments increase traffic congestion. Coun. Sam Austin said he was disappointed in Fillmore's motion and said bike lanes do not cause traffic congestion. He said delaying the work on bike lanes will worsen traffic. "It's the people of this city who want to move around sustainably, who we've been left hanging by having this project run years behind schedule, and now we're proposing to add yet more time to that," Austin said. "This isn't good governing, this is foolish." Coun. Becky Kent agreed, adding any talks about pausing bike lanes should have happened when the budget was being discussed. 'It's not good for stability' Coun. Laura White said the motion wasn't in line with the municipality's strategic plans. "Think of people that bid on our contracts, if they think that at any time that we're going to change direction. It's not good for stability, for business," White said. Coun. Trish Purdy said there didn't seem to be an accurate understanding of Fillmore's motion. "The vast majority of bike lane projects will move forward unhindered. This is looking at, from what the mayor has said, the red light projects, the ones that are going to negatively impact our traffic congestion," Purdy said. 'It's going to take a long time' Coun. Billy Gillis said he would support Fillmore's motion. "Cycling is a great way to commute. The more cars we get off the road, the better, 100 per cent. But it's not for everyone. And we live in the here and now," Gillis said. "It's going to take a long time to get enough people cycling to make an impact on relieving congestion." Hundreds of people, many on bikes, came to Grand Parade before the council meeting to protest Fillmore's motion. A few residents wearing bike helmets sat in the public gallery to listen to the council debate in the afternoon. The bicycle network's original expected cost of about $25 million has more than tripled, now reaching about $93 million. The provincial and federal governments have contributed about $20.8 million, leaving about $66 million for the Halifax Regional Municipality to pay over the next few years. The Halifax Cycling Coalition has said it believed Fillmore's motion was not rooted in facts, because the most congested choke points for Halifax — including the Armdale roundabout, the Windsor Street exchange and North Street — do not have bike lanes. Rising costs, inflation Originally planned to be completed in 2022, about 60 per cent of the 53 kilometres of network has been done so far with temporary or permanent measures. These include protected lanes, multi-use paths or painted signals on side streets. Staff have said the network should be finished — with the exception of one section — by 2028. Municipal staff have said costs have risen because of inflation and labour market issues, but also because the network sections have become more complicated and include improvements for the whole street. For example, the upcoming Brunswick Street project for this year would install a two-way bike lane and would also include a new plaza at the foot of Citadel Hill, sidewalk changes, and a redesign of the Sackville Street intersection to improve car traffic. Halifax spends more than $50 million each year to repave streets, with this year's capital budget totalling $314 million. The municipality's 2024 citizen survey showed most respondents preferred to maintain or increase the service levels for bike lanes (65 per cent), with 35 per cent saying it should be decreased. Another Halifax resident survey showed 48 per cent of respondents said that safer, more comfortable and more connected infrastructure is the No. 1 thing that would encourage them to cycle more often. Construction on the network began in 2017, as part of Halifax's integrated mobility plan. Halifax aims to have at least 30 per cent of trips made by walking, biking or taking transit by 2031.
CTV News
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
24/7 Gardiner construction has resulted in travel times doubling: study
Westbound traffic is seen on the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. A new study says travel times on Toronto's Gardiner Expressway have doubled in just one year due to ongoing construction. The study from Altitude by Geotab—a software company that provides mobility data analytics—says that the most congested sections of the Gardiner experienced an increased delay of about 230 per cent in 2025, while commute times along the entire expressway—from Highway 427 to Cherry Street—have doubled since construction began in 2024. The delays along some portions of the Gardiner are even worse. For example, the study found that it is now taking drivers 24 minutes to travel from Humber River to Strachan Avenue during peak commuting hours, which is triple the eight minute average from before construction began. The drive from Jarvis to Dufferin streets has also nearly tripled, going from an average of 11 minutes during peak commuting hours prior to the beginning of construction to 30 minutes as of last month. In April, the highway was reduced to two lanes in each direction between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue for critical rehabilitation work. Ontario has said the construction work on the highway is ahead of schedule and set to finish more than 15 months earlier than planned. Altitude by Geotab says their study looked at vehicles travelling on the Gardiner eastbound during the peak morning hour—7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.—and westbound in the afternoon—4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.—as well as eastbound and westbound travel times during the middle of the day—11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. It found that the first three weeks of the new construction that started in mid-April this year caused travel times to increase, 'resulting in an average morning peak travel time of 40 minutes from the pre-construction 23-minute commute.' Delays were found to be at their worst along the segment of the Gardiner that spans from Colborne Lodge Drive to just past Jameson Avenue. Gardiner study The map above shows increased eastbound travel times on the Gardiner Expressway towards downtown Toronto during the 7:30-8:30 a.m. rush hour, comparing pre-construction with conditions after new construction began in 2025. 'The data clearly shows the significant strain of the Gardiner Expressway construction on daily commutes and business in the Greater Toronto Area,' said Mike Branch, Vice President of Data and Analytics at Geotab, in a release on Monday. 'The traffic patterns in large cities like Toronto impact the entire region. When you add a large sporting event, concert, or other community event, you have a picture of where the bottlenecks will be. With the roadwork expected to continue next year, drivers should plan for significant delays along their commutes.' The study said that when construction first began, those first three weeks also had the slowest travel times, but the numbers came down after drivers settled into the new routine, so if that pattern holds, commute times could lower by about five minutes in the coming weeks. And it's not just the Gardiner being impacted by the 24/7 construction. Altitude by Geotab says Lake Shore Boulevard has seen a 'persistent' 30 per cent average increase in travel time over the last 14 months. According to the province, construction is slated to be complete by January 2026. With files from CTV News Toronto's Alex Arsenych
CTV News
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Traffic times along the Gardiner have doubled in one year due to construction: study
Westbound traffic is seen on the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. A new study says travel times on Toronto's Gardiner Expressway have doubled in just one year due to ongoing construction. The study from Altitude by Geotab—a software company that provides mobility data analytics—says that the most congested sections of the Gardiner experienced an increased delay of about 230 per cent in 2025, while commute times along the entire expressway—from Highway 427 to Cherry Street—have doubled since construction began in 2024. The delays along some portions of the Gardiner are even worse. For example, the study found that it is now taking drivers 24 minutes to travel from Humber River to Strachan Avenue during peak commuting hours, which is triple the eight minute average from before construction began. The drive from Jarvis to Dufferin streets has also nearly tripled, going from an average of 11 minutes during peak commuting hours prior to the beginning of construction to 30 minutes as of last month. In April, the highway was reduced to two lanes in each direction between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue for critical rehabilitation work. Ontario has said the construction work on the highway is ahead of schedule and set to finish more than 15 months earlier than planned. Altitude by Geotab says their study looked at vehicles travelling on the Gardiner eastbound during the peak morning hour—7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.—and westbound in the afternoon—4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.—as well as eastbound and westbound travel times during the middle of the day—11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. It found that the first three weeks of the new construction that started in mid-April this year caused travel times to increase, 'resulting in an average morning peak travel time of 40 minutes from the pre-construction 23-minute commute.' Delays were found to be at their worst along the segment of the Gardiner that spans from Colborne Lodge Drive to just past Jameson Avenue. Gardiner study The map above shows increased eastbound travel times on the Gardiner Expressway towards downtown Toronto during the 7:30-8:30 a.m. rush hour, comparing pre-construction with conditions after new construction began in 2025. 'The data clearly shows the significant strain of the Gardiner Expressway construction on daily commutes and business in the Greater Toronto Area,' said Mike Branch, Vice President of Data and Analytics at Geotab, in a release on Monday. 'The traffic patterns in large cities like Toronto impact the entire region. When you add a large sporting event, concert, or other community event, you have a picture of where the bottlenecks will be. With the roadwork expected to continue next year, drivers should plan for significant delays along their commutes.' The study said that when construction first began, those first three weeks also had the slowest travel times, but the numbers came down after drivers settled into the new routine, so if that pattern holds, commute times could lower by about five minutes in the coming weeks. And it's not just the Gardiner being impacted by the 24/7 construction. Altitude by Geotab says Lake Shore Boulevard has seen a 'persistent' 30 per cent average increase in travel time over the last 14 months. According to the province, construction is slated to be complete by January 2026. With files from CTV News Toronto's Alex Arsenych
