I just thought I’d bring to wider attention a very interesting post by Walsall Wood Councillor Mike Flower, posted to his blog today. In it, Mike addresses some perceived issues with the junction by the library in Walsall Wood, and asks readers what makes for bad junctions as a whole.

I note that both junctions he talks about are more than three way, and I think that’s the key. I think the average brain finds assessing traffic from more than 3 directions (not including one’s own) to be too complex for comfort. I can think of several – six ways in Highgate, Walsall was bad for years, Six Lanes’ End in Newchurch on the A515. Cartersfield Lane and Lichfield Road at the bottom of Sandhills was nasty before the layout was clarified and reinforced.The problem seems to be ameliorated by installing islands, which I suppose break down a larger junction into smaller, easier to process ones.

What do you think? Please comment on Mike’s blog, he’d be glad to hear from you.

I’ve had a couple of emails recently about the two junctions joining the A461 Lichfield Road by Walsall Wood Library. For your information here is a reply received from the Council’s Road Safety team: —— The A461 Lichfield Road is currently being assessed as part of a future Red Route proposal by the council. Red routes are designed to ease traffic flow, reduce congestion and address any safety issues on the route. Rachel Telfer in the regene … Read More

via Councillor Mike Flower