4 ms·

Bus lanes can be controversial. I cite the bus lane on the M4 motorway in the UK [0], on the stretch that connected Heathrow airport (UK's major air hub) to cen

Bus lanes can be controversial. I cite the bus lane on the M4 motorway in the UK [0], on the stretch that connected Heathrow airport (UK's major air hub) to central London - one of the busiest road sections in the UK. As someone who used this motorway as a single occupancy car driver, it was deeply frustrating to sit for ages in stationary traffic in the remaining two lanes with occasional vehicles (buses, coaches, taxis and motorbikes) going past on the bus lane, sometimes with minutes between them. Removing the bus lane was specifically mentioned in the 2010 Conservative party conference and was a controversial point on programmes such as Top Gear. It was suspended in 2010, reopened temporarily for the 2012 Olympics and then completely scrapped. Anecdotally, bus lanes are still widespread on non-motorway roads in UK towns and cities. I have no problems with these lanes, since they seem to have a better ratio of full, frequent buses to cars than on the M4 motorway. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_bus_lane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_bus_lane

gchadwick 9y ago
Do you find you sit in stationary far less now the bus lane has been removed?
- KineticLensman 9y ago
  Good question! I don't drive the route often enough to give a proper assessment although it doesn't seem worse. Getting off-topic, but I've been a heavy user of the M27 / M3 for approx 25 years. In that time, the main delay that I encounter routinely is now the stretch from Southampton to Winchester whereas it used to be the top end of the M3 (around Junction 4a). More generally, although the UK's traffic density has increased this (anecdotally) seems to have been offset to some extent by significant improvements in several key motorway junctions (e.g. M27/M3, A34/M4), which I feel that I can often get through faster than I used to.
psychometry 9y ago
Um, maybe you should just take the bus yourself if it's so frustrating?
- closeparen 9y ago
  What makes you think those buses stop anywhere near the parent's origin or destination?
jakecopp 9y ago
Interesting point, though if there were buses every few minutes with no congestion why didn't you use them?

gchadwick 9y ago

Do you find you sit in stationary far less now the bus lane has been removed?

KineticLensman 9y ago
Good question! I don't drive the route often enough to give a proper assessment although it doesn't seem worse. Getting off-topic, but I've been a heavy user of the M27 / M3 for approx 25 years. In that time, the main delay that I encounter routinely is now the stretch from Southampton to Winchester whereas it used to be the top end of the M3 (around Junction 4a). More generally, although the UK's traffic density has increased this (anecdotally) seems to have been offset to some extent by significant improvements in several key motorway junctions (e.g. M27/M3, A34/M4), which I feel that I can often get through faster than I used to.

psychometry 9y ago

Um, maybe you should just take the bus yourself if it's so frustrating?

closeparen 9y ago
What makes you think those buses stop anywhere near the parent's origin or destination?

jakecopp 9y ago

Interesting point, though if there were buses every few minutes with no congestion why didn't you use them?