Less Traffic Lately?

[View From The Top]

I drive J13 to J10 of the M6 every morning and the traffic has become much, much lighter, even on a Monday, as petrol prices have rocketed.

 

Is this reflected across the rest of England?

[Micky]

I'll just drive around England and have a look for you.....

 

Back soon....

[View From The Top]

I'll just drive around England and have a look for you.....

 

Back soon....

 

You are most obliging.

[Um Bongo]

Yup.

 

I've started car sharing. Saves me £200 a month. Makes sense.

[Micky]

Seriously though there is an article in The Sun (I know...) that I skimmed on Monday, I have it here in front of me now and it states that almost a fifth of drivers have been forced off the road due to rising petrol prices. It states that:

 

On one stretch of the M1 traffic volumes have halved in a year

There are 500k few cars in London charge zone

There is a 52% fall in delays on M1 Leicester to Sheffield

 

I am currently working in Germany, yesterday I was in the garage across from my hotel and there was a truck filling up - I glanced at the guage to see it reading 866 euros and still rising. Petrol here is generally a little cheaper than over there - but it is little wonder that traffic figures are falling at the moment.

 

Ohh I was also listening to the news yesterday, and one of the items covered was about a builder who could not afford to drive to work, and so was living in the back of his van 4 nights a week - but saving a week (I think) £600.00 by doing so.

[Spudders]

I honestly find it hard to believe that people generally will stop driving due to the cost.

 

Ok there may be a small amount that start car sharing, but generally people aren't driving about to kill time, they drive because they have to. Public transport doesn't help as it's not an attractive alternative, the majority will just have to deal with the costs.

 

Are you sure people aren't just changing their route/travel time to avoid seeing you each morning?

[View From The Top]

Perversely enough, the decrease in traffic is saving me being stuck in traffic from J11/J10A downwards or using a rat run which in turn means I'm actually using less fuel. Also saving me 30 - 45mins in a morning.

[Colinjb]

Every week I do a trip from Coventry to Bury St Edmunds.... it involves me hitting the worst stretch of A14 around Cambridge around rush hour time. (8-9am) Previously it would always be highly congested, with either an accident of just traffic volume being the offender.

 

Now it's only one in every 4 trips when something goes wrong. The roads are definitely getting quieter.

[dubai_phil]

Strangely completely unrelated, the roads over here were also empty today.

 

However methinks that was due to the fact that around 60% of our population is from West Asia and they all appear to have developed flu at the same time today

[Hatch]

There sure is less traffic.

 

It's now cheaper for me to get London by train, than drive.

 

When the train is seen as a cheap option, you know that petrol is at ridiculous prices.

[Saint-scooby]

I have been driving up to London quite a bit over the last few weeks, and the traffic seems a lot less, only problem I only do about 60mph that way I get 45 to the gallon .

Takes a bit longer but only way to save on fuel....

[revolution saint]

I'm not noticing any less traffic. I guess maybe motorways would notice it if train journeys become cheaper than driving but from the waterside to southampton it's still the pain it's always been. Buses are still more expensive than driving to work as well, I did public transport for two years when I couldn't park at work and now I can park I'm still saving money by driving. The other thing to remember is that even if public transport was considerably cheaper (which it isn't) then to really make a saving then you'd have to totally give up the car. As much as I hate public transport I'd still be willing to do it again but it's more expensive and that can't be right.

[andysstuff]

Report on the radio last night that fuel sales had dropped 10% in the last 3 months of 2010, would assume this drop has accellerated since with the rising prices since xmas

[bridge too far]

Report on the radio last night that fuel sales had dropped 10% in the last 3 months of 2010, would assume this drop has accellerated since with the rising prices since xmas

 

Cue small independent petrol retailers going to the wall. Also prices might rise because the big boys will still want to make their profits.

[Barney Trubble]

I drive J13 to J10 of the M6 every morning and the traffic has become much, much lighter, even on a Monday, as petrol prices have rocketed.

 

Is this reflected across the rest of England?

 

Can't say i've noticed too much going southbound on that stretch but it does appear lighter on the run home. Could it be the road changes would have made things easier too? The hard shoulder being used is helpful, I rarely travel North past J10 though so I don't know if the same rule for the hard shoulder applies after that.

[View From The Top]

Can't say i've noticed too much going southbound on that stretch but it does appear lighter on the run home. Could it be the road changes would have made things easier too? The hard shoulder being used is helpful, I rarely travel North past J10 though so I don't know if the same rule for the hard shoulder applies after that.

 

They have the hard shoulder thingy up to 10A but it's not been used yet southbound! Didn't slow down until I was actually at J10 yesterday and today and on Monday only slowed down a mile short. Haven't had to come off at J11 and head through Willenhall for over three weeks!

[Smirking_Saint]

I have wondered for a while, I drive the M27 every day and it is becoming decidedly lighter.

[scotty]

Got to admit, it is quieter on the roads. I dont do many long runs, but even around town its not as busy as usual. Ive switched from using the old bmw estate (25mpg at best) to my old standby civic (40mpg) just because of the fuel prices.

 

Interesting point from Hatch btw, train prices are creeping towards parity with car journeys, but only if you are travelling alone. A return to london from soton central for 60-odd quid is farcical. I know you can get better deals if you book in advance etc etc, but that assumes you know well in advance that you want to go there. You ought to be able to jump on any train and reasonably expect it to cost you less than driving your own car there and back imo.

[LGTL]

I paid £22 return to Charlton on the train with a YP Railcard, much better value then driving at the moment.

[Barney Trubble]

They have the hard shoulder thingy up to 10A but it's not been used yet southbound! Didn't slow down until I was actually at J10 yesterday and today and on Monday only slowed down a mile short. Haven't had to come off at J11 and head through Willenhall for over three weeks!

 

Cannock, Willenhall and then J10 or J9?

 

I tend to either use the A454, [avoiding the Black Country route if possible] to J10, or go via Darlaston through the side roads and get on at J9, passing Ikea and B&Q, very rare that I get caught up in too much traffic that way but a bit pointless if the traffic is getting lighter now anyway.

[Chez]

Since March 1st there has been a huge drop in traffic on the M27 West bound. Probably about 25% less although it feels like a lot more. Are the trains much busier?

[scotty]

I paid £22 return to Charlton on the train with a YP Railcard, much better value then driving at the moment.

 

Do they issue YP railcards to 50 year olds? And if not, why not?

[View From The Top]

I was jumping off at J11 and going down the A462 and rejoining the Black Country route by the Alfa garage.

 

Haven't had to do this for three weeks, even on a Monday!

[hamster]

If true then it's a good thing to come out of this so-called recession. I think many many more people need to find work nearer to their homes. Either that or people need to move home to be closer to their workplace, another plus IMO.

[saint boggy]

I use the M27 2 or 3 mornings a week and have seen a MASSIVE reduction in traffic. I get on at the Hamble junction heading westbound and used to just do a slow crawl til just past the Eastleigh turnoff ,now it's just free-flowing ,5th gear all the way to my exit at Romsey or Ower.There used to be a noticeable difference between school term-time and non-termtime traffic, not so much any more...

[dubai_phil]

But seriously, yes, I noticed it last week. I mean I get to drive around every 3 months or so, but last week I went from me mum's to London for some meetings in West London then to stay with my daughter. The M3 going up was quieter than usual, no real queues between Farnboro & M25.

 

Then I had to get from Acton up to Buckhurst Hill at 5pm which meant the North Circular, and apart from one delay in the road works it was quiet. I got across London in the same time it took my daughter to get from Liverpool Street to Buckhurst on the tube.

 

My memories of that run were of jam after jam after jam

[Johnny Shearer]

Nope. M3 nothbound past Winchester between half seven to half eight is busier than ever.

[Spudders]

Nope. M3 nothbound past Winchester between half seven to half eight is busier than ever.

 

+1

 

I do Bournemouth to Aldershot, or Bournemouth to Southampton parkway a couple of times a week and I can't say I've noticed any difference in the mornings or on the return trip. In fact last week on one morning I decided to travel later thinking I'd miss the usual crawl and was surprised to see it was so busy past 9 as well!

[warsash saint]

Yepp...M27 westbound round past the airport is now the lightest it has been in the 15 years I have been driving it

[Tokyo-Saint]

I drive down to Southampton from London for games and actually think that getting out of London is worse than ever. Maybe it isn't lack of people driving but urban migration due to employment. Half tongue in cheek but seems like the whole of the country is out in London on Saturday's as I try to make my way to St Mary's.

[maddog]

I drive from Whiteley to Romsey every week day using the M27. Although im leaving for work at 7am and coming home at 4:30pm there is definatly a reduction in traffic my journey take 30 mins now, I would guess it used to take 45mins sometimes a hour. I always used to crawl past junction 7 westbound in the mornings this has now gone. If you can still afford to drive its happy days, although I have recently started looking into the costs of using the Train as its costing me a bomb to get to work now!

[Chez]

Yepp...M27 westbound round past the airport is now the lightest it has been in the 15 years I have been driving it

 

where the hell has everyone gone?

[Special K]

where the hell has everyone gone?

 

On the school run near Dunes house.

[Patrick Bateman]

I don't know, but the trains to London from North Hampshire are rammed in the mornings. Standing room only on every single train until just after 8am.

 

Paying well over £4k a year for a season ticket, sitting (if I'm lucky) in a very small, cramped seat or standing, with trains delayed EVERY SINGLE DAY is not fun. Makes me miss my driving commuting days ...

[Jones91]

People start taking some of their annual leave this time of year, could explain a bit...

[Ken Tone]

I read somewhere that average speeds are dropping, as people try to save fuel. It is certainly noticeable in my car that if I can bear to stick to 60 mph on the cruise control rather than 75 mph, the difference in fuel consumption is dramatic.... can be 10 mpg or thereabouts. (It is also noticeable and slightly worrying that using cruise control in itself, at any speed, saves fuel ...the car's computer is apparently a better driver than I am!)

 

Judging by the effect of the variable speed limits on the M25 at peak times, a slower but steady average speed may actually reduce congestion .. and that may add to the perception that the roads are less busy.