The Ranty Highwayman

@rantyhighwayman

A highway engineer's adventures in time & space. The street is not too narrow your imagination is too narrow | Independent sustainable mobility design specialist | Better streets & places | Runs @cityinfinity.bsky.social

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The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 17d

Afternoon beer though.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 17d

It's this. I've borrowed my existing one which runs a couple of USB devices while leaving a plug socket available.

A pass through plug in a wall socket in a shed with two USB cables dangling below.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 17d

One for the hive mind. I have one of these pass-through plugs with USB C ports underneath which is a really tidy bit of kit to have next to my desk as the cables dangle. It's no longer in stock and I can't find one with this configuration in the usual places - anyone got a good supplier tip? TIA

Photo of a plug in a wall socket. The plug has the UK three pin socket at the front and three USB cables dangle from under it.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 17d

They end: "The Council has also confirmed that it does not hold any additional safety assessments, reports, analyses, or internal communications beyond the collision data source previously provided. Accordingly, the Council does not hold any further information within the scope of your request."

The Simpsons. A view of Bart at his desk in the classroom, the entire class and the teacher cheer around him as he sits, dejected.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 17d

And the saga concludes after I asked for a review. They say: "We have made further enquiries with the Highways Team regarding your request."

The Simpsons. A POV from Bart in his classroom at school. The kids and the teacher are all looking at him with an expectant smile.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 18d

Rounding off a busy week in New Zealand. Well, Liverpool. Well, actually, I haven't left London. 🍻 How was your week?

A can of Love Lane NZ Pilsner with south Pacific hops.

A pale orange can wit colourful "Visit New Zealand" visitor posters.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 19d

Cheeky (low) bird's eye view of the Goods Way cycle tracks in Camden 👍

A street from a few floors up through a window.

There is a cycle track heading right on the far side, then a wide paved and planted strip with parked bikes, newly spread soil and two blue cycle stores.

Then a one way road heading right to left and then a cycle track in the same direction.

There is a short two way cycle line between the two.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 20d

A spoof Guardian print newspaper front page from The Young Ones.

There's a photo of two coppers, one taller than the other, standing in a doorway.

The headline is "Police I.Q. Shocker"

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 23d

My proposed minister for Al

Al Murray as the Pub Landlord.

A bald man with a maroon blazer, blue tie and holding a pint of beer and a glass of white wine (for the lady)

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 24d

It's the form really, just reminds me of sighs like this (Danish here)

A "gågade Zone sign with a blue rectangle with an adult and child with operational times below. It's on a tall hoop so at person level.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 24d

Apologies, table with alt text an link nacto.org/wp-content/u...

A table. The first row is orange and is headed "impact speeds above which chances of survival decrease rapidly".

The second row is yellow and is three column headings; crash type, impact speed, example.

Row 3 is car/ pedestrian or cyclist and Row 4 is car/ motorcyclist which both read across as 30km/h where there is a mix of vulnerable road users and motor vehicle traffic.

Row 5 is car/ pole or tree, 40 km/h, where unprotected road hazards exist within defined clear zone.

Row 6 is car/ car, side impact, 50km/h, where there is a likelihood of side impacts crashes (eg intersections or access points).

And Row 7 is car/ car (head on), 70km/h, where there is no separation between opposing traffic streams.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 24d

Here a table to frame this from New South Wales which frames this stuff nicely in terms of the maximum speed beyond which crash survivability decreases rapidly. National speed limit here 60mph - 100kph. An unsafe speed for the whole range of potential collision types. 1/3

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 24d

Very conventional, and here, the right turn pockets alternate depending on which side of the main road the side roads are. The side road has two lanes approaching the junction with the opposing lane separated with a traffic island which doubles of a refuge for the neglected A1 path. 3/21

A Google Streetview image. The view from the side road. Again, single carriageway, but the approach flares to two lanes. The opposing lane is to the right of a long traffic island with a crossing from paths on both sides. There is a keep left bollard on the islands and a yellow backed give way sign to the left.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 24d

But let us look at the junction in the website header; it's here: maps.app.goo.gl/2AfFN9A8wcfY... Quite a conventional UK rural single carriageway A-road which essentially has three lanes approaching priority junctions with the centre lane being a series of alternating right turn pockets. 2/21

A Google Streetview looking along the A1, a rural single carriageway with verges then hedges both sides and the right verge with a narrow and neglected path.

The road is two-way with the directions separated by hatching with a red surface and ahead, one lane becomes two ahead with the right hand lane (in the centre of the road) becoming a right turn pocket).

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 25d

I completely forgot to post these snaps from the Severn Bridge earlier this week. We were on our way to the Lad's graduation and of course, I made him take photos, and we went this way to Newport because why not. Crossposted with @openvibe.social

A car's eye view of the Severn Bridge from the right hand side of two lanes going ahead and two to the right in the other direction and with the first support in the distance and suspension cables curving up to it. To both sides, wire rope safety fence.

View from the left lane between the supports.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 25d

I'm pooped and very much looking forward to a couple of quiet days. Anyway. Since when was Wolverhampton in Italy? Cheers 🍻 How was your week?

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 25d

And for those saying the misspelling of 'politics' as 'politlcs' means it's a parody, I'm sorry, you're wrong. Here's me hovering over their website link to X. You're spreading Refukery.

A snap of the Politics UK website showing social media links with https//x.com/PolitlcsUK showing in the bottom left corner.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 26d

In the summer edition of Highways Magazine, I get back to basics and look at getting vehicle crossings right. Too many highway authorities are not doing their job right here. Digital issue available online (signup needed). www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk

My column. There's a photo of an asphalt footway with a skinny steeply sloping entrance kerb for drivers to cross.

Do let me know if you need a plain text version.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 26d

Also this specimen. Apparently it was fine to park there as he was picking up their friend. Well, their friend arrived as I told him the purpose of the dropped kerbs and tactiles. Hopefully she'll dig him out for it too.

A big black car fully blocking a wide dropped kerb with tactile paving for crossing the road with two wheels on the tactiles.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 27d

Anyhoo. Given I left home at 05:30 to get to site this morning, I've wound up work and am now enjoying some delicious Scottish produce. Crossposted with @openvibe.social

A two tone red striped can of Barr cola.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 27d

This week's early starts have been me getting across London to look at school streets in Brent, and this morning, I caught this wonderful scene of people using a street in scheme I designed. As intended. ☺️ @cityinfinity.bsky.social Crossposted with @openvibe.social

A residential street with car parking both sides and some trees. A crowd of parents, carers and kids are in the middle of the carriageway walking, cycling and scooting.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 27d

Always nice to see some of my work in the wild and being used. We're going to need more bays @cityinfinity.bsky.social

A dockless cycle hire bay absolutely jammed with green and white Lime Bikes.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 28d

Waiting for a relative at a health centre and of course looked at the unused token cycle park. Stands too close to each other, too close to the planting bed and rusting bolt-down hoops. I'd lock my bike to the "shelter". Crossposted with @openvibe.social

A rack of 6 steel cycle parking hoops with a narrow shelter over it. The hoops are close and there's a flower bed right behind.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· 28d

Here he comes now. He is on here, but hasn't posted in months. Prefers the X grift no doubt.

Mike Myers as Goldmember, he is saying "I love roads".

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· Jul 12

Beer though. Crossposted with @openvibe.social

A jug handled pint of golden Staropramen.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· Jul 12

@RantyHighwayman here's a scheme drawing. Not bad at all. Second drawing under Phase 2. a38andbswactivetravel.commonplace.is/en-GB/propos...

A engineering plan of a roundabout with an orbital two way cycle track with signalised crossings of the 5 arms.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· Jul 12

Random cycle track being built at Bradley Stoke on the edge of Bristol. Seen as we walked from our hotel to grab a pizza. Crossposted with @openvibe.social

A green cycle track meets at a little T junction for an orbital cycle track to the left of a roundabout. There is red tactile paving at a future crossing point.

A black footway left and green cycle track right with a roundabout circulatory area further right. The cycle track is set lower than the footway and is edged with a forgiving kerb.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· Jul 12

You're well catered for at Reading West services. @alistaircoleman.bsky.social

A rack of kid's wetsuits I'm black and yellow/ red/ blue

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· Jul 10

It has been a long and sweaty week for me, but work has been great fun. How did yours go? Crossposted with @openvibe.social

A can of Carling original lager. The can is white with Carling in black and some black and red stripes.

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman· Jul 9