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coconut
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Joined: Jan 31, 2005
Posts: 87
Location: Staffordshire
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 Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 5:52 pm Post subject: LOTS of new digital speed cameras on the M42 - Coming Soon ! |
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Planning to use the M42 motorway around the South of Birmingham ??
BE WARNED - the Highways Agency are installing "Active Traffic Management" between Junctions 3a ( M40 link ) and Junction 7 ( M6 link ).
At busy periods the Hard Shoulder will be used as an extra lane, making 4 lanes in total.
Vehicles in difficulty - breakdowns / punctures etc will be able to pull off the main carrigeway into specially constructed "Emergency Refuge Areas" ( Lay-bys ) that have been constructed about every 500 metres.
When the 4th Lane is in use there will be a MANDATORY and ENFORCABLE 50 MPH Speed limit.
On this 17 Km stretch of motorway ( Approx 10.5 miles ) there are now over 50 NEW full width gantries with signs to indicate when the extra lane can be used, together with Speed Limit signs for each lane.
( i.e. one gantry at least every half mile ).
It looks like each gantry will also be fitted with digital speed cameras to enforce the 50 MPH limit - taking pictures of the REAR registration plates - motorcyclists will be captured as well !
The cameras do not appear to have been installed to date but the white lines on the road have been painted after every gantry in both directions, so it is only a matter of time !
( Highways Agency web site states variable speed limits will be available as an option from Spring 2005 ).
It is not clear whether the new speed cameras will be used ONLY when the 50 MPH limit is in force, or whether they will be used to enforce the 70 MPH "Normal" speed limit aswell.
More information and pictures of the new gantries etc. can be found on the Highways Agency web site here :
Highways Agency M42 Active Traffic Management 
Coconut |
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swing
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Joined: Nov 04, 2003
Posts: 2225
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:21 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | It looks like each gantry will also be fitted with digital speed cameras to enforce the 50 MPH limit |
If it's like the M25, every gantry will have the white lines painted underneath it, but not every gantry will be capable of taking digital cameras (it's approx. every other gantry on the M25, although there are some with bridges in the way that still have the white lines marked!)
Of course, based on the M25, this will mean every gantry whether equipped with cameras or not will end up in the database, resulting in lots of erroneous warnings... |
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Oldie
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Joined: 22/11/2002 13:33:48
Posts: 992
Location: Surrey, UK
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:12 am Post subject: |
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[quote="swing"] | Quote: |
Of course, based on the M25, this will mean every gantry whether equipped with cameras or not will end up in the database, resulting in lots of erroneous warnings... |
If I am told the positions of gantries that definitely do not have cameras then I can mark them in the master database and take steps not to add cameras at those locations. Please send the information in as an update.
Richard
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Skippy
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Joined: 24/06/2003 00:22:12
Posts: 2946
Location: Escaped to the Antipodies! 36.83°S 174.75°E
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| Oldie wrote: | | If I am told the positions of gantries that definitely do not have cameras then I can mark them in the master database and take steps not to add cameras at those locations. Please send the information in as an update. |
What if they put dummy boxes in every gantry, but only ever intend to use a few of them? You would need to add all the locations to the database and so you get lots of false alerts.
Maybe this is why they want to ban radar detectors (which would only detect the "live" gatsos) but they don't mind people using GPS based locators?
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Oldie
Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: 22/11/2002 13:33:48
Posts: 992
Location: Surrey, UK
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:24 am Post subject: |
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In the case of dummy boxes I presume that I will get lots of reports and you will get lots of warnings. That's life I guess :D
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swing
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Joined: Nov 04, 2003
Posts: 2225
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:32 am Post subject: |
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| Skippy wrote: | | What if they put dummy boxes in every gantry, but only ever intend to use a few of them? |
Well, they didn't on the M25... |
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RoadMaker
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Joined: Apr 08, 2005
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 12:42 am Post subject: |
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| As an ex senior member of the construction team for this stretch of the M42 motorway I will when I have the time provide accurate information relating to the live camera locations on the new gantries. I would like to point out that the system is designed to control speed to enable improved traffic flow at peak times. The project has cost many millions of pounds to develop with the main intention of eventually utilising the hard shoulder as a peak flow running lane. If this scheme is successful and that largely depends on the public driving within the limits and observing good lane discipline then this has the potential to save many hundreds of millions of pounds of tax payer’s money and hopefully ease congestion. It should also be remembered that speeding or poorly driven vehicles has caused one hard working family man to be permanently? crippled as the result of a wayward vehicle in the works during the construction phase and several near misses that could easily have been fatalities. There was no intention to install the temporary speed cameras throughout the works initially but the lunacy of some drivers made it an absolute requirement. The temporary cameras of which there are now only three should be removed by the end of May 2005 but works will still be going on so please watch you speed and don’t kill the workforce. |
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Pocketgps
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Joined: Nov 16, 2004
Posts: 2145
Location: Midlands, UK
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| Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 2:53 am Post subject: |
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| A separate poi file may be best for this situation with a warnings on both sides of each junction, and perhaps a voice warning that says Safety Cameras in action, keep within gantry indicated speed. |
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coconut
Regular Visitor
Joined: Jan 31, 2005
Posts: 87
Location: Staffordshire
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| Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 5:14 pm Post subject: Freedom of Information Act ! |
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It's great isn't it ?!
Now that this Act is in force I quoted it in a question e-mailed to the "Contact Us" address on the Highways Agency web site and guess what ?- I GOT A REPLY 
This is what they have to say about the installation of speed cameras on this stretch of M42 :
| Quote: | | As part of this scheme we will be installing 8 digital enforcement cameras, in variable locations across the ATM section, as required by the police. |
In other words not all of the gantry sites will be live all the time, ( it works out at just over 1 in 6 of the gantry sites will be "Live" at any one time ) but the best thing to do will be to treat them as though they are ALL live - much like the rest of the speed camera sites around the UK.
Roadmaker - thanks for your kind offer to provide more info. when known - for the record I don't condone speeding at all, and appreciate that there are far too many injuries and deaths on our roads as a direct result of people driving too fast ( not necessarily exceeding the legal speed limit either - just driving too fast for the prevailing conditions ).
The "safety" camera database I'm sure is not intended as a tool to allow motorists to exceed the speed limit in between sites, but to warn responsible motorists of the location of such sites, which are often accident hot spots, and to forewarn us that the vehicle ahead is about to slam the brakes on in panic when its driver spots a camera - even though the speed limit isn't being exceeded at the time, and their back bumper ends up as someone's new bonnet mascot
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coconut
Regular Visitor
Joined: Jan 31, 2005
Posts: 87
Location: Staffordshire
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:46 am Post subject: They are here and LIVE ! |
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The "Active Traffic Management" system is now up and running on the M42 between Jucntions 3a and 7 in both directions 
The speed cameras are installed on some ( not all ) of the overhead gantries and there have been advanced warning signs on display for the last few weeks advising "Mandatory speed limits in force from 28th November 2005"
The cameras are mounted to photograph the rear number plate of a vehicle - the Good News is that until the Camera database is updated you can at least SEE the things so can still rely on the Mark 1 eyeball detector !
They are visible between the square gantry signs over each lane.
Now - if I can only find an excuse to stop on the motorway at each site and get an accurante location fix
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