motorways

so i mm driving along the m11 and a thought springs to mind , duel carragways have laybys so why not motorways ? if not laybys theres plenty of space at the side of motorways why not have have mini parking areas ? whats your thoughts chaps ?

Sounds like a plan, probably a couple of drawbacks spring to mind. Might need parking areas for other vehicles not just ‘minis’.

What, you mean like the ones that they’ve had on the continent, since the wheel was invented ■■?
No, will never work mate. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

bjd:
so i mm driving along the m11 and a thought springs to mind , duel carragways have laybys so why not motorways ? if not laybys theres plenty of space at the side of motorways why not have have mini parking areas ? whats your thoughts chaps ?

Can’t happen because it would take money away from the robbing barstads that currently run the motorway service area’s.

You get 3 lane dual carriage ways and two lane motorways with a hard shoulder. Seems a waste of a lane which is why I guess managed motorways are popping up everywhere. Mini parking areas would be great as long as there is a proper slip road to rejoin the motorway … otherwise you will get people pulling straight on to the motorway from the picnic area/layby from a standing start wondering why the lorry was flashing it’s lights then jackknifing.

Although the speed limit for cars is the same on both dual carriage ways and motorways, car drivers seem to think they can go faster on motorways cos of the blue signs and the hard shoulder to protect them from the nasty scary verge.

Ched:
You get 3 lane dual carriage ways and two lane motorways with a hard shoulder. Seems a waste of a lane which is why I guess managed motorways are popping up everywhere. Mini parking areas would be great as long as there is a proper slip road to rejoin the motorway … otherwise you will get people pulling straight on to the motorway from the picnic area/layby from a standing start wondering why the lorry was flashing it’s lights then jackknifing.

Although the speed limit for cars is the same on both dual carriage ways and motorways, car drivers seem to think they can go faster on motorways cos of the blue signs and the hard shoulder to protect them from the nasty scary verge.

Think you have hit the nail on the head with your point about slip roads, they would take more space than the parking area not to mention that the slips would cost a lot more. cheers ardennes

ok so i agree a slip road would be required but surley with the lack of parking for trucks in this country this shouldent be an issue if you come off at nells cafe on the a2 theres a parking area for trucks there must be loads of suitable areas like that just off of motorways up and down the country

I think there is meant to be a MSA about every thirty minutes or so on motorways (not on all of them I realise that). So it’s pretty unlikely the govt are going to fund free parking areas on motorways with no facilities when they can get tax revenue from the rip off MSA areas with facilities.

On stretches of motorway with few or no service areas, they are more likely to sell space for a MSA to spring up that they can tax than they are to build a free parking space that they have to maintain. I’m guessing the demand for service areas on dual carriage way routes is less than on motorways so they have no choice in the matter and have to build parking spaces every 30 mins.

France has aire de repos every 30 kms on their toll motorways.
They are built away from the traffic noise in a forest with footpaths to walk dogs or stretch the legs.
The UK Government shelved plans for this on UK motorways.

The whole point of motorways is that there are no laybys, among other things found on “normal” roads.

Rhythm Thief:
The whole point of motorways is that there are no laybys, among other things found on “normal” roads.

is it ?

Rhythm Thief:
The whole point of motorways is that there are no laybys, among other things found on “normal” roads.

Pretty much my point too. Any parking area on a motorway would have to have a proper slip road on and off. A MSA is just a big lay by with shops and services that charge through the roof, but generate tax revenue. A large lay by with slip roads on a motorway that offers only free parking would generate no tax revenue and cost the government money to maintain. That’s the reason I’m guessing motorway “lay bys” don’t exist.

Yes. Among other things, it’s what differentiates a motorway from a dual carriageway. Everything about a motorway is designed to facilitate quick, safe travel, laughable though this will seem to anyone who’s ever been on the M6. Laybys, or at least their exits onto the carriageway, would be an additional hazard for drivers to allow for, which mitigates against the whole idea of mortorways.

They could make HGV only laybys then they wouldn’t need such a big slip road entrance as we tend not to slow down to 40mph 200 yards before the exit like some of these buggers pulling into the services. Might need a bigger exit though or we could just drive on the hard shoulder for a bit to get up to speed.

They could also provide cheaper facilities and even a cafe with reasonably priced quality food, also cheaper HGV only fuel and clean showers and even a course fishing lake & swan sanctuary for our EU friends.
The lorry park could have dedicated pee areas for those who might miss that pungent whiff of the MSA lorry parks.

Parking woud be free and extra revenue would be generated via a constant VOSA prescence which would also help keep out the riff raff.

ardennes:
Think you have hit the nail on the head with your point about slip roads, they would take more space than the parking area not to mention that the slips would cost a lot more. cheers ardennes

Approx £5,000,000 starting cost.

I don’t know if i can be bothered anymore :unamused: :grimacing:

highways.gov.uk/our-road-net … acilities/

The 1st Link annex B from page 14
gov.uk/government/publicati … evelopment

The 2nd link page page 12
assets.highways.gov.uk/our-road- … 202013.pdf

Operators prefer junction sites as they save a few million development costs and get 4 way traffic and locals rather than 1 way traffic unless a dual sided site.

If i had my way no motorway service areas would be signed unless they were online, the rest are pretty much a mini retail park signed from the motorway, Beaconsfield being a prime example, give them 24 hr 7 day opening and a few truck spaces and Tesco’s/Asda etc will want to be signed from the motorway as well.

Truck parking is a different matter they can be signed up to a couple of miles away but the sign costs are large when Traffic management/design and installation costs are taken into accountand drivers don’t want to pay to park as a legitimate business cost , cheaper and easier way forward is just to use APP’s to promote the business.

Dipper_Dave:
They could also provide cheaper facilities and even a cafe with reasonably priced quality food …

Of course, this is how what we now know as “greedy ripoff MSA ■■■■■■■■■ began. When the first MSA was opened - at Watford Gap on the M1, I think - it featured a reasonably priced, waitress - service restaurant serving good food. People used to drive there as a journey in itself, and you could buy postcards to send to your friends boasting about how you’d been to the Motorway Service Area. Where did it all go wrong?

Watford Gap, lost count of the nights out I had there and enjoyed the truckers cafe just by the lorry park.

Dipper_Dave:
Watford Gap, lost count of the nights out I had there and enjoyed the truckers cafe just by the lorry park.

First time I went in there the old battleaxe behind the counter wouldn’t serve me,
said I wasn’t old enough to be a lorry driver.
Luckily the bloke behind me in the queue told her he had just seen me get out of my motor and followed me in.

Put any number of layby’s on the motorway’s(as they do in most european countries) and they would be full 24/7 by the flip flop brigade(as they are in most europen countries)…and you would never get in and there would be ■■■ everywhere…

mb14:
Put any number of layby’s on the motorway’s(as they do in most european countries) and they would be full 24/7 by the flip flop brigade(as they are in most europen countries)…and you would never get in and there would be ■■■ everywhere…

Exactly my thoughts. Just look at the parking ‘bjd’ mentioned!