FACEBOOK COMMENTS
‘SMART’ M66 plan unveiled to ease congestion (Free Press, December 23 and website) Rob Randell: ‘Smart motorway allows the running of traffic on the hard shoulder.’ The M66 doesn’t have a hard shoulder on the approach to Bury from Rossendale as it passes though a housing estate. Guess widening the road will be impossible there too. Will a bus lane force the other traffic into a single lane? How would a smart motorway reduce traffic with more homes being built in the borough? Is it really viable on a eight mile road? Short term cheap fix to a very long term problem. Another option other than road is needed.
Joseph Dempsey: It’s long past time we got a rail or tram link through Rawtenstall! It’s not the 1800s anymore, we don’t need a steam railway! Tear it up and let’s finally usher in the 21st century.
Stuart Gray: What’s the point of a smart motorway when you have stupid drivers? Every morning they all sit in the fast lane like lemmings while the left hand is completely empty!! So glad I don’t have that drive anymore.
Frank Rogers: SMART motorway - boy, who chose that description? Problem is, too many vehicles occupying too few square yards all at the same time. Answer - let’s build more houses in Rossendale and force even MORE cars onto the same motorway. Yikes, the inmates really are running the asylum.
David Brummitt: Half the problem on a morning is the muppets at Simister Island coming off the M60 turning left onto the M60 not using the slip lane but coming onto the roundabout itself in both lanes to turn left leaving no space for traffic from the M66 to go. The two lanes off the roundabout should merge and then end, joining the existing lanes, the slip from the M60 should become the 4th lane, not the current way round it is now. I hate smart motorways, especially opening the hard shoulder up to traffic, it’s a stupid idea, people get used to using the extra lane that they don’t look out for a vehicle broken down in it or keep an eye on the lane open / closed signs above.
Mario Kelly: Smart Look at the M62 it’s that’s smart they’ve recorded more accidents than ever before and the tail backs are longer . Duncanjames Bridge: How long will it be before they make a bus lane on the m66.
It’s taken years for the M60 to be transformed into a 24 hour traffic jam so how long will it take for the M66 ?
Adam Parker: Having no rail or tram route into Manchester forces people of Rossendale onto the X41/3 which has limited times and is ridiculously expensive for anyone over the age of 19. Not to mention it is constantly a nightmare in terms of the time that it takes to get to and from. Adam Parker: It’s crazy that we don’t have a tram to be honest Callum Vipond: 40 pound taxi, the council would make stacks of cash even if tickets were 10 quid! Adam Parker: I know and so many people would use it, it could be out of operation on nights like Sundays when nobody used it etc Natalie Starr: We need a tram here! The transport links are terrible here as it is
Fiona Quint: Smart motorway? Reduce congestion? Has anyone been on the M60 or any other smart motorway in this country? They don’t ease congestion, there is still the same amount of cars, they’re all just travelling more slowly. How does that help?
Peter Smith: So it needs 30,000 new homes or maybe 30,000 of the valley’s dole dossers to get a job and increase the need for this tram link for christ’s sake even Oldham council have the metro link which they part funded and Rossendale has even higher council tax rates. Michael Whitehouse: Wonderful plan. Three to four years of traffic jams while work done then back to normal tail backs BRILLIANT
Ian Cardy: It will be impossible to make the M66 a smart motorway when most of the people that use it sit in one lane regardless of their speed
Peter Steen: At least they’ve realised at Preston the M66 exists. When they produced a tourist guide 6 years ago it wasn’t even shown.
Niall Higson: Short term solution to a long term problem, just like Rising Bridge roundabout! Elaine Smith We need a train or tram service - end of.
ROSSENDALE Scribbler: ‘Smart’ motorway plan is too little, too late (Free Press, December 23 and website)
Brendon Taylor: They can “afford” to do this yet they can’t afford to light the motorway, clean the drains out or fill the pot holes in it. Money making scam to tax the motorist further. Give it 10 years
these gantries will be used for charging on “toll roads”. James Barnes: Can’t make money off lights
Andy Vaughan: Not sure what good it will do, ‘Smart’ motorways work when the hard shoulder can be turned in to an additional lane at peak periods. Unfortunately the M66 doesn’t have a lot of hard shoulder. Simister Island and the traffic joining at Rammy are the problems - if Simister is backed up it can end up queueing nearly all the way to Haslingden and Rawtenstall Jarrod Taylor: Misuse of the word smart!! Shouldn’t it be Trams!
Jan Dodgeon: Absolutely - tram or rail travel is the answer...
John Sanderson: I quote ‘The area needs more people living in the area to help the local economy, and to provide more income to fund our public services via taxes’. Is this really what we need? What about more local jobs, ending the reliance on Manchester and in turn the useless road links and a daily 40 mile round trip. Attract more residents and tax income by competing. It strikes me that even if the metro was extended people would still be wasting upwards of two hours on commuting. Although I would not argue that a rail link or tram link would be beneficial surely route one should be attract investment and jobs here. Employers are frankly stupid to want expensive offices in Manchester which is a crippled city during November and December with road commutes even to Stockport that can take over 90 minutes. It’s time to spread the wealth, the
Victorians did it!
Rob Randell: The smart motorway option is just a quick cheap fix that politicians suggest wherever there is congestion rather than looking into the root causes. It won’t solve anything, look at the M60/M62... Anthony Noblet: It’s a fix but not cheap Jan Dodgeon: It’s no fix.... and I speak as one who has travelled the M60 and M62 for decades.
Rob Hilton: Just not required on the M66 as it doesn’t carry enough traffic. The current issues are due to the roadworks on the roundabout on the A56. All that disruption for no benefits. Susan Hurrell: First the bus station no one wanted, now this, they just love throwing our money away on things we don’t want but of course when its announced officially we will all have voted yes
Tom Westerman: Stupid idea.. it says there are emergency stop gaps every 1.5 miles... what happens if your engine cuts out, or your tire blows... are you expected to just leave your car in the lane you are in? Where are you meant to breakdown? Or what happens if emergency services need to get to an accident... if theres no hard shoulder this will increase the time it takes to get to you... waste of time and a stupid idea
Brian Johnson: Sorry but have to agree smart motorway not the answer. How long to complete causing even worse congestion a la M62/60. Viable railway link if open Heywood to Castleton with possible access direct into Manchester. Typically short sighted.
Park and ride facility on industry estate at Rawtenstall? Steven McNamara: If it’s like the M62, this will take years and years to complete. Plus, it is a cash cow, people are genuinely confused by the system and results in more speeding fines, which i think is ultimately the end goal
Greg Robinson: It does not work, I travel up and down the country daily going through numerous ‘smart motorways’ all it does is cause drivers to slam on. Waste of tax payers money
Andy Healey: Quoting Scribbler “The area needs more people living in the area to help the local economy, and to provide more income to fund our public services via taxes.” I’m sorry Scribbler you are wrong. The local economy can’t cope as it is so adding more houses and people will put more strain on the economy and services. Andy Kayley: Nope because it’ll make my commute horrendous while they’re doing it
Andy Clegg: What a stupid waste of money !!!
Chris Addy: It will cost too much, take too long then not work when it’s done. Susan Briggs: No good having a smart motorway with idiots driving on it.
Dean Cropper: Waste of money for the size of the m66 David Graham: Anything but smart, when given some thought. Geraldine George: Smart motorways are never smart!! Keith Trickett: Not at the expense of a rail link badly needed Philip Amatt: I think we should make it a dead end.