Sheffield Council
Had an idea to put speed humps around the area where i live. Not only that but they proposed to narrow the road width at bus stops to one lane. This apparantly was to force traffic away from the area and onto main roads as most of the traffic is just passing through our area. When it came down to the consultation period they sent a questionaire around the area to see what residents wanted. Now this is all fair enough and fine and dandy so far.
Now we get down to the twuntage....
Most of the traffic coming into our area is actually people who live nearby going to and from work i.e its the people who live there who use the roads.
The questionaire that was sent out was, shall we say, incomplete to say the least. Some houses didn't get one (notably one large house that has 3 cars) My house did get one but it was addressed to my wife, the one person in the house that doesn't drive.
Taking the results of this all inclusive opinion poll of none motorists in the area the cnuts at the council said that 95% wanted the traffic calming methods and so they went ahead.
They then proceeded to cause chaos and disruption for around a year as they fitted the new speed bumps and narrowed the road. Of course they didn't bother repairing the many potholes and cracks in the road caused by years of neglect and haphazard repair.
It was then found that the speed bumps that they had put in were breaking up as being council installed they were put in shoddily (cue more disruption as new speed bumps were installed at further cost to the tax payer).
Whats more down one steep road the action and pressure of cars going over a speed bump were cracking a major water main which ran under that road. (out came that one only to be replaced by one slightly smaller)
Now the work is completed we have a bigger mess than before. Anytime a bus stops nothing can pass on either side of the road causing massive bottlenecks of traffic. Because people travelling on the roads generally live in the area they cannot divert to main roads (especially since the council have closed many minor roads)and thus at rush hour we have lots of backed up traffic belching fumes out. The main roads are busier and jammed up (again traffic fumes anyone), the roads are breaking up due to poor repair and everyone is slightly more stressed out from there journey to work.

Just once i would like to see a council road scheme in Sheffield that has been thought through before it is hastily implemented. Of course this will never happen as Sheffield council hate motorists
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Thu 2 Aug 2007, 9:45, Reply)