Birchanger M11 Junction 8 scheme traffic survey results

Members of the council and volunteers counted vehicles leaving the village at the motorway end of Birchanger Lane on Monday, 10th September between 0630 and 0930. We did this so that we could challenge the case made by Essex County Council from a position of knowledge. We counted two things: vehicles leaving the lane and turning left towards the motorway; and traffic going straight ahead into Dunmow Road or turning right onto the A120(W).

Over the three-hour period 221 vehicles were counted. 118 (53%) of those turned left and 103 continued to Dunmow Road or the A120(W).

At the beginning of the period more than two-thirds of vehicles headed towards the motorway, as would be expected. Later on the flows were evenly matched, with a slim majority of vehicles not turning left.

The busiest hour was between 0800 and 0900, when 105 vehicles were counted, 56% of which headed for Bishop's Stortford or the A120(W). The busiest half-hour was 0800 - 0830, with 54 vehicles, two-thirds of which were making moves that Essex CC intend to ban.

The figures can be downloaded below.