Most congested city

[Jocko]

Edinburgh has been named the most congested city in the UK followed by London, Brighton and Hove, Bournemouth and Hull. It is the 33rd most congested city in the world. (TomTom Traffic Index)

Doesn't come as a surprise to someone who regularly has to suffer rush hour in the city.

https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/ranking/

[Johncb500]

Try HEREFORD.

Our council routed the ring road through the centre

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[Jocko]

Hereford doesn't make the list. Perhaps not sufficient data.

[culzean]

Try HEREFORD.

Our council routed the ring road through the centre

Saw an article where they are going to turn the traffic lights off in Hereford to ease traffic congestion, because as many contributors said 'when the traffic lights break down the traffic jams disappear' - I have noticed this as well by us ( but in reverse ),  where they are busy replacing our many free-flowing roundabouts with traffic lights** and we are seeing traffic queues for the first time - what is it with traffic planners are they just trying to spend their budgets or are they justifying their jobs by keep re-inventing the wheel while the taxpayer picks up the bill. 

** And guess what,  when the lights break down the queues disappear.....

The turning off of traffic lights has been tried before,  with great success - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2017/sep/22/what-happens-if-you-turn-off-the-traffic-lights

[Jocko]

Roundabouts are great, as long as you do not get a timid driver at the head of the queue!
What I have found, in rush hour traffic, is one lane moves faster than the other, so all the flyboys jump into that. It then comes to a halt, the other lane speeds up, and they all dodge back. I pick a lane and stick to it, and seldom find, when the traffic again flows freely, that I am more than four vehicles behind or ahead of the car I started beside.

[peteo48]

Not driven in or near Edinburgh for many years (beautiful city btw - the Athens of the North). Last time I was there I went by train but I remember it not being the easiest city to drive in.

Where I live, Warrington, the town centre itself is largely car free and pedestrianised but the roads in and around the town centre can be an absolute nightmare. Its proximity to the M56 and M6 also means it gets gridlocked if there is a hold up on the motorway and like lemmings they all come off and get gridlocked in Warrington rather than on the motorway!

[John Ratsey]

Roundabouts can be a problem when there is a dominant flow at certain times of day (usually one way in the morning peak and the reverse in the afternoon peak). The highways engineers then spend loads of money on putting lights for the complete roundabout (I reckon that the traffic light manufacturers give out generous Christmas presents to the highways folk) whereas all that is needed is a single light to periodically stop the dominant flow and give the rest of the traffic an opportunity to move.

Here are some examples of how "improvements" have made things worse https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-47845050.

[JimSh]

Edinburgh has been named the most congested city in the UK followed by London, Brighton and Hove, Bournemouth and Hull. It is the 33rd most congested city in the world. (TomTom Traffic Index)

Doesn't come as a surprise to someone who regularly has to suffer rush hour in the city.

https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/ranking/

According to an article in the inews today (couldn't find it on the internet) commuters in the city spent an average of 41% extra travel time stuck in peak traffic amounting to seven days and four hours per year stuck in traffic.
Where do commuters park their cars in Edinburgh too?
Even 50 years ago I didn't like taking the car to Edinburgh. You knew you were going to find difficulty parking.
I don't think I've taken the car there since I got my bus pass.
Its buses provide a good service especially for those with bus passes.
Edinburgh is surrounded by these big roundabouts with traffic lights which cause long tail backs even if you are not going into the city.
Interesting snippet about the Sheriffhall roundabout here.
"Sheriffhall roundabout was constructed in the 1980s and often generates queues in the area as three busy roads cross here. It was originally supposed to be a split level junction, but it was considered too expensive as mine workings run under the site. Without remedial work, the ground cannot support the weight of a bridge. "
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/three-roundabouts-been-named-most-16808612
 Latest edit. Added article on Sheriffhall rdbt.

[Jocko]

According to an article in the inews today (couldn't find it on the internet) commuters in the city spent an average of 41% extra travel time stuck in peak traffic amounting to seven days and four hours per year stuck in traffic.


Without remedial work, the ground cannot support the weight of a bridge.

Those figures are in the link on my original post. Edinburgh only slightly less congested than Los Angeles, at 42% extra travel time.


There are plans now for an upgrade to the Sheriffhall roundabout. Three plans under discussion. One takes the A720 over, another under (like at Newbridge), and another over bridge but with a separate roundabout for the A6160 to the north.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a720-sheriffhall-roundabout/project-details/

The plans (A,B and C) are in pdf form near the bottom.

[JimSh]

There are plans now for an upgrade to the Sheriffhall roundabout. Three plans under discussion. One takes the A720 over, another under (like at Newbridge), and another over bridge but with a separate roundabout for the A6160 to the north.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a720-sheriffhall-roundabout/project-details/

The plans (A,B and C) are in pdf form near the bottom.

That would be  that useless Scottish Government who are only obsessed with independence who are responsible for the planning of this then. 
They did ok with the Queensferry Crossing too.

[Jocko]

They did ok with the Queensferry Crossing too.

The QFC is excellent, I've used it 482 times myself. It is congested every rush hour, but they only replaced a dual carriageway bridge with another dual carriageway bridge, so we couldn't expect anything else.

[JimSh]

They did ok with the Queensferry Crossing too.

The QFC is excellent, I've used it 482 times myself. It is congested every rush hour, but they only replaced a dual carriageway bridge with another dual carriageway bridge, so we couldn't expect anything else.

and the Aberdeen Bypass,
the A1 dualling,
the A9 dualling,
upgrades on M74 and M73 and M80
the Borders rail link

Last edit Added M80

[springswood]

I see they lump Leeds and Bradford together, which isn't going to be popular, given the long standing rivalry between the two. Also Leeds is generally worse - even in the late 80s I wouldn't drive there if I didn't have to. Parking is difficult, the roads horrible, fortunately there are four trains an hour during the day.
Then again Salford didn't even get a mention. Don't they know how easily offended us English northerners are?

[culzean]

Didn't want to start a new thread and this kind of fits in with congested cities.

Government new clean air zone vehicle checker website.

https://www.gov.uk/check-clean-air-zone-charge