Other ways NOT to travel

[whole diary]

[trainer]

This week Junction 19 of the M5 has been exceptionally (even by pretty low standards) crazy.  For those not in the area this is the Junction nearest to Portishead in North Somerset.  I live in Clevedon and have not been as badly affected as the good burghers of P'head but on Wednesday it took me one-and-a-half hours to get back home from Stoke Bishop by car (14 miles) 45 minutes of which was spent queuing on the motorway.  This morning having planned a day out with another member of this esteemed forum I discover that Portishead is once again besieged because of an accident on the main road out of the town towards the M5 and Bristol. This kind of event often has a knock-on effect over the wider area and is all to common in the summer months.

Buses are of course all caught up in this congestion so are no alternative.  I wonder how much this is costing the economy around here and how much money, time and sanity would be saved in the long run if they just spent some serious money now on getting the fairly straightforward rail link to this town sorted. At least there would be an alternative mode for escape.

I believe this is what is called a rant. Sorry.

[John R]

The problem is that on the southbound exit there is only one lane for Portishead at the roundabout, the other two being for the services and the A369. The Highways Agency has talked for a couple of years about remodelling this to give two exits to Portishead, but it keeps getting kicked into the long grass. Thus in the evening rush hour the Portishead traffic queues back over the bridge, and of course then we get the inevitable queue jumpers who go slowly down lane 2 so they can cut in at the last minute. Thus the whole motorway eventually grinds to a halt.

[chuffed]

As the other member of this esteemed forum, that trainer was referring to, I should  add he was doing me a huge favour by giving me a lift to and from Stoke Bishop, which would normally take about 20 minutes each way. To do it by bus,would involve catching 2 or 3 different buses going into Bristol city centre and I was allowing 2-3 hours to do it, given the vagaries of First bus. When he heard this , he very kindly offered to take me and bring me back, for which I was most grateful.
I couldn't help but  think that it was entirely appropriate, that his 'rant' above, was his 'nine-eleven' post!

[LiskeardRich]

On Monday around noon the northbound M5 was doing around 5-10mph from Taunton services to beyond J24 where I left the motorway.

[John R]

On Monday around noon the northbound M5 was doing around 5-10mph from Taunton services to beyond J24 where I left the motorway.

That's normal on the Monday of a bank holiday weekend, with everyone returning home though.  I think there's a general acceptance that on peak holiday days the motorway is going to be like that, and the cost of upgrading would be enormous. The Jn 19 problem is every weekday evening, and a relatively small cost would go a long way to fixing it.

[Chris from Nailsea]

... because of an accident on the main road out of the town towards the M5 and Bristol. This kind of event often has a knock-on effect over the wider area ...

Your commendably restrained rant on that incident is quite understandable, trainer.

And it's not just 'accidents' on the road approaching that M5 Junction 19 roundabout that cause delays.

Last summer, driving my delivery van from Portishead into Bristol on a Tuesday evening in the rush hour, I noted a couple of cars, stationary, in lane four at the traffic lights up ahead.  No, not a collision, but the front car having run out of fuel, had brought other things to somewhat of a stop. 

Having assessed the situation, I took the rather pragmatic approach of positioning my large and highly visible Mercedes Sprinter van in the middle of lane four, with sidelights and hazard warning lights activated, while I alighted in my high-viz and assisted the driver of the second car in pushing the immobilised car onto the offside verge.  Within a couple of minutes, we had at least removed the obstruction and enabled rush-hour traffic to move again onto the roundabout. 



And, to her credit, the driver of that marooned car did visit our Portishead branch the following day to offer thanks 'to her anonymous rescuer'.

[LiskeardRich]

On Monday around noon the northbound M5 was doing around 5-10mph from Taunton services to beyond J24 where I left the motorway.

That's normal on the Monday of a bank holiday weekend, with everyone returning home though.  I think there's a general acceptance that on peak holiday days the motorway is going to be like that, and the cost of upgrading would be enormous. The Jn 19 problem is every weekday evening, and a relatively small cost would go a long way to fixing it.

Today the northbound from J24 where I joined southbound was queuing beyond J28! Southbound was moving at acceptable 60mph which is quick enough (and does the fuel economy good!)

[John R]

... because of an accident on the main road out of the town towards the M5 and Bristol. This kind of event often has a knock-on effect over the wider area ...

Your commendably restrained rant on that incident is quite understandable, trainer.

And it's not just 'accidents' on the road approaching that M5 Junction 19 roundabout that cause delays.

Last summer, driving my delivery van from Portishead into Bristol on a Tuesday evening in the rush hour, I noted a couple of cars, stationary, in lane four at the traffic lights up ahead.  No, not a collision, but the front car having run out of fuel, had brought other things to somewhat of a stop. 

Having assessed the situation, I took the rather pragmatic approach of positioning my large and highly visible Mercedes Sprinter van in the middle of lane four, with sidelights and hazard warning lights activated, while I alighted in my high-viz and assisted the driver of the second car in pushing the immobilised car onto the offside verge.  Within a couple of minutes, we had at least removed the obstruction and enabled rush-hour traffic to move again onto the roundabout. 



And, to her credit, the driver of that marooned car did visit our Portishead branch the following day to offer thanks 'to her anonymous rescuer'.

That's a poor show Chris.  I'd have thought at least you would have got her number...

[Chris from Nailsea]

I'll reply to you by PM ...