Gate opening

[crimsonking]

Anymore news on when the gates will open, earlier there was talk of car park gates opening on the Tuesday to alleviate traffic. Only asking as I need to arrange extra time off work

[t0paz]

The gates will almost certainly be 8am again.

The thing with the carparks is just an idea at this stage I think, and maybe needs permission from the council/police anyway??

[DaiBoyCookie]

I'm a little concerned with that many people in the carparks all night, no doubt a good party to be had but could be scary

[cejx]

I'm a little concerned with that many people in the carparks all night, no doubt a good party to be had but could be scary

[StoneCircle]

The only place I could see this would working is in the campervan fields as they are outside the festival site and are already self contained for sleeping, cooking etc. Plus it gets a lot of slow moving vehicles with a tendency to overheat (VW's are notorious!) off the roads!

[Kyelo]

This won't happen because of the already stated reasons + wasn't last years traffic problems caused by some junction elsewhere being diverted into the main Glastonbury traffic?

[cejx]

This won't happen because of the already stated reasons + wasn't last years traffic problems caused by some junction elsewhere being diverted into the main Glastonbury traffic?

[eFestivals]

It only moves the problem backwards by 12 hours

only if you think 130,000 people want to sit in a car park all night doing nothing.

Whether it happens or not, it would very definitely decrease the impact of the traffic that arrives.

[SecretShame]

only if you think 130,000 people want to sit in a car park all night doing nothing.

Whether it happens or not, it would very definitely decrease the impact of the traffic that arrives.

Edited November 30, 2009 by SecretShame

[cejx]

only if you think 130,000 people want to sit in a car park all night doing nothing.

Whether it happens or not, it would very definitely decrease the impact of the traffic that arrives.

[4AssedMonkey]

I'd have thought an early hours opening makes the most sense.

- it means the licence dates don't need to change (i.e. its the same day as always)

- it stops it "just bring the problem forwards" as unsociable hours means it will appeal to fewer people

- it gives people the genuine option of driving through the night for an early hours arrival.

Not sure they'll get it authorised though.

[dan05delaney]

I'd have thought an early hours opening makes the most sense.

- it means the licence dates don't need to change (i.e. its the same day as always)

- it stops it "just bring the problem forwards" as unsociable hours means it will appeal to fewer people

- it gives people the genuine option of driving through the night for an early hours arrival.

Not sure they'll get it authorised though.

[cejx]

I'd have thought an early hours opening makes the most sense.

- it means the licence dates don't need to change (i.e. its the same day as always)

- it stops it "just bring the problem forwards" as unsociable hours means it will appeal to fewer people

- it gives people the genuine option of driving through the night for an early hours arrival.

Not sure they'll get it authorised though.

[thelizardking]

You won't see the gates opening of course as it is purely a mythical event, along with the mythical people at the front of the cue. Infact people at the front of cues anywhere are purely mythical.

[NeilVJ]

I think opening the gates at say 2am is the best option, lets the die hards get there early and give 6 hours extra time on the wed for traffic to ease

Oh and also ensure no roadworks are booked for that time

[Joe0991]

I think opening the gates a couple hours early would be the best solution. It means that the really early birds will be in nicely will mean theres less traffic in the more socialable hours. I do think that 2am is a little early though i cant picture the locals being happy with all that traffic moving around at that sorta time!

However i do think stood in the middle of a field in somerset trying to figure out the best way to pitch the tent drink a warm lager with the sun coming up in the foreground would be a pretty special moment.

[Joe0991]

I think opening the gates a couple hours early would be the best solution. It means that the really early birds will be in nicely will mean theres less traffic in the more socialable hours. I do think that 2am is a little early though i cant picture the locals being happy with all that traffic moving around at that sorta time!

However i do think stood in the middle of a field in somerset trying to figure out the best way to pitch the tent drink a warm lager with the sun coming up in the foreground would be a pretty special moment.

[Dark Star]

This won't happen because of the already stated reasons + wasn't last years traffic problems caused by some junction elsewhere being diverted into the main Glastonbury traffic?

[eFestivals]

A couple of fatal RTA's causing the M5 northbound to be shut for several hours from what I can remember, not your everyday occurrence!

long before any accidents happened that might have caused more problems, there were much bigger queues around the Pilton area than they'd been previously on a wednesday.

The problem was caused not by any accidents, but by the festival billing itself as from Wednesday for the first time (rather than as 'gates open wednesday') .... as a result, everyone tried turning up ion the wednesday.

[cejx]

A couple of fatal RTA's causing the M5 northbound to be shut for several hours from what I can remember, not your everyday occurrence!

[eFestivals]

The problem was caused by a culmination of the accidents and the police being unprepared for so many festival goers turning up on the wednesday. Hopefully, they will be better prepared this year, there will not be any terrible accidents and the highways department have the foresight not to put any sodding roadworks on the A303 or A37 over that week.

The gates have always been open on wednesday before and there's been no similar problems (even similar problems before there were any accidents).

So why did so many turn up so early on the wednesday this year but not in previous years? Because the festival had advertised itself as starting on the wednesday.

I left home in Bristol 30 minutes earlier this year than last year (both times with the aim of being at the gates for 8am). I ended up in a queue about five miles further away from site this year compared to last year. This was absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any accidents, it was *ONLY* to do with many more people having turned up far far earlier than in previous years.

None of this has anything whatsoever to do with "the police being unprepared for so many festival goers turning up on the wednesday".

[cejx]

The gates have always been open on wednesday before and there's been no similar problems (even similar problems before there were any accidents).

So why did so many turn up so early on the wednesday this year but not in previous years? Because the festival had advertised itself as starting on the wednesday.

I left home in Bristol 30 minutes earlier this year than last year (both times with the aim of being at the gates for 8am). I ended up in a queue about five miles further away from site this year compared to last year. This was absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any accidents, it was *ONLY* to do with many more people having turned up far far earlier than in previous years.

None of this has anything whatsoever to do with "the police being unprepared for so many festival goers turning up on the wednesday".

[irons]

But as you said yourself, the festival advertised itself by starting on the wed rather than gates opening on the wed. The police by their own admission were unprepared for quite such large numbers coming on the wednesday. That is what Avon and Somerset constab. said.

The police also said that the shocking traffic - was not *ONLY* to do with increased numbers of festival goers on the wednesday - but also the roadworks and more so the RTA's meaning that major routes were closed - forcing the traffic onto the more minor roads around the site. I am not disputing the fact that there were more punters that wednesday contributing to the jams, I am disputing the fact that they was the sole reason for the traffic - cos that what the police said!

[eFestivals]

But as you said yourself, the festival advertised itself by starting on the wed rather than gates opening on the wed. The police by their own admission were unprepared for quite such large numbers coming on the wednesday. That is what Avon and Somerset constab. said.

even if they'd been prepared it wouldn't have made any difference to how quickly people got on site - in fact, it would have increased the time, because their concern would have been to enable non-festival traffic flows.

The police also said that the shocking traffic - was not *ONLY* to do with increased numbers of festival goers on the wednesday - but also the roadworks and more so the RTA's meaning that major routes were closed - forcing the traffic onto the more minor roads around the site. I am not disputing the fact that there were more punters that wednesday contributing to the jams, I am disputing the fact that they was the sole reason for the traffic - cos that what the police said!

The traffic was queued up to Glastonbury town from Pilton by 8am. That queue didn't disappear until hours and hours later.

That queue was not in the slightest bit caused by any accidents or anything which could have been changed aside from by stopping festival goers from trying to get to the site.

[cejx]

even if they'd been prepared it wouldn't have made any difference to how quickly people got on site - in fact, it would have increased the time, because their concern would have been to enable non-festival traffic flows.

The traffic was queued up to Glastonbury town from Pilton by 8am. That queue didn't disappear until hours and hours later.

That queue was not in the slightest bit caused by any accidents or anything which could have been changed aside from by stopping festival goers from trying to get to the site.