Leyland street markings

[David]

Kevin; In all my travel's around the USA, and I've been into about forty states, all I can say is, thank the good Lord I've only ever encountered two traffic circles (round-abouts). They experimented with one near us about a year ago....took it out after about three months of near misses. Give me a traffic light anytime. [}]

[David]

there's an adage that says.....What America does today, Britain does tomorrow [8D]...with that in mind, for the last few years we here in the USA have been getting used to more and more traffic light controled entry on to our 'freeways'. (motorways for the Brits). The traffic light are a simple red (stop), green (go), with a sign saying...'One car per green light' and the light changes about every ten to fifteen seconds. The lights are placed well up the on ramps to the freeways, and are only used at peak hours of freeway use. They do help keep the flow of the freeway moving at busy times, but it is irritating to be sat waiting your turn []

[LDunlop76]

We already have traffic light controlled entry at a few motorway junctions, David. Can't think of any in this area, but you see them on the M6..... nearest one I can think of is Warrington way , near where the M6 and M62 join.

[David]

Linda; Yes, I thought there might be some around. I was surprised that I didn't run into any on my recent trip over there, but then again, I tended to head north from Leyland so I didn't get into any BIG cities.
Our freeways, in the greater L.A. area criss-cross the whole region, dozens of them, and if you can imagine that from Santa Monica in the west, to San Bernardino in the east, a distance of about 75 miles, if you were to travel that distance on the Interstate 10 freeway, you would never encounter a field. Urban sprawl gone mad. []
Therefore the freeway system goes through our cities rather than skirting them as does your motorway system. The M6 for instance goes nowhere near downtown Preston, or Lancaster. Hence the controlled entry at peak periods is required here, as it probably is in the Manchester-Birmingham-London areas.
But believe me....you're next. [}][}]
PS: We just had an earthquake, nothing big in this area, but I don't know where the epicentre was [B)]

[Spitfire]

Hi David, The reason that The M6 doesn`t pass close to Preston town centre is because when it was built, it was called `The Preston By-Pass`. It was the very first stretch of motorway to be built in Britain and was two lanes either way, running from The Tickled Trout to Bamber Bridge. I well remember driving along it on the very first day it opened to to `see what it was like`.
As a matter of interest we DO have the only ringroad in Britain that doesn`t go around the town and indeed ends in the centre. So Ringway is a contradiction in terms!

[LDunlop76]

quote:

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Originally posted by Spitfire

So Ringway is a contradiction in terms!

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No, Ringway is the old name for Manchester Airport![:o)]
I'll get me coat!

[David]

Jim: Missed your posting of late, been on holiday [?]

Below is paragraph from my homepage, (www.webspawner.com/users/thehughlocks) Part Two.. The History of Preston...

"Preston was the site of the first Motorway (Freeway for our American friends) to be built in Britain. The six mile long motorway was built to ease congestion in the town. The then 'main A6' road linking London to Glasgow ran through the town and had become the biggest 'bottleneck' in the country. Thousands of miles of 'Motorway' are now in place throughout Britain. Many lessons were learned from that first six miles".

I was still living in Preston when that stretch was built, courtesy of Prime Minister McMillan, who's daughter just happened to be married to Julian Amory, Tory MP for Preston, and Minister of Aviation at the time I believe.

But you do see where I'm coming from as far as the Motorways skirting the towns for the most part ?? The very new M65 for instance,just misses both Blackburn, and Burnley [?]

[Spitfire]

The builders find themselves in an impossible position. Can you imagine trying to drive a six lane highway through the centre of Preston, Blackburn or Wigan (or anywhere else)?

[noel]

They've done it through Glasgow Jim.
But yes of course you are right. I was going to respond in a similar manner. The M6 is quite close enough to Preston.

[David]

I'm not saying that going through city centres is better than skirting the city, not by any means. In massive urban area's like we have here, there is no other option but to cut through some cities. Compulsay purchase of whole tracts of housing and other tracts is how it is accomplished. The biggest objection we get for stopping the progress of freeway construction, or any other construction for that matter, is if it is found that some animal, or insect, or plant life, is indigenous to the area that is needed for the construction.