What bus would take me to the University in Maynooth please?

Spanish Eyes · 23-04-2015 9:18pm #1

I was checking the DB timetables and it appears that the 67 bus stops at Straffan Road, not very near the College!

Is there a bus that stops near the campus?

The train is no good for me.

I will be going in the evenings after 5pm.

Thank you!!

foggy_lad · 23-04-2015 9:42pm

The 66 or 66x stop at Main Street Maynooth only a short walk to the old university entrance.

Spanish Eyes · 23-04-2015 10:13pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

The 66 or 66x stop at Main Street Maynooth only a short walk to the old university entrance.

Thanks. I don't know why I dismissed the 66, thought it just went to Leixlip!

I think I'll manage the stroll from the Main Street.

Although it is strange that no bus stops nearer to the College itself.

GLaDOS · 23-04-2015 10:15pm

The college is pretty spread out to be fair. The 66 will leave you a minutes walk from the south campus entrance.

cdebru · 23-04-2015 10:19pm

67 is only a short walk away as well, just at the train station is the last stop, if a 67 comes I wouldn't bother waiting for a 66 unless it is due with a couple of minutes.

foggy_lad · 23-04-2015 10:45pm

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Thanks. I don't know why I dismissed the 66, thought it just went to Leixlip!

I think I'll manage the stroll from the Main Street.

Although it is strange that no bus stops nearer to the College itself.

The train would be a lot faster and you just cross the canal footbridge and walk out to the main street past the health centre and Garda station and the university entrance is on the left.

https://goo.gl/maps/ogzYu

Rawr · 24-04-2015 11:06am

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Thanks. I don't know why I dismissed the 66, thought it just went to Leixlip!

I think I'll manage the stroll from the Main Street.

Although it is strange that no bus stops nearer to the College itself.

Bus Eireann route 115 has a stop right on the campus on the main Kilcock road.
https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Maynooth+(Opp+Universty)/@53.3820064,-6.599645,324m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x48676fe28ffb3983:0xfe720135364e2b93

If I remember right some 66 departures continue on to Kilcock via this road, but I don't know if they pick up / drop off at this stop.

LXFlyer · 24-04-2015 11:14am

Rawr wrote: »

Bus Eireann route 115 has a stop right on the campus on the main Kilcock road.
https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Maynooth+(Opp+Universty)/@53.3820064,-6.599645,324m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x48676fe28ffb3983:0xfe720135364e2b93

If I remember right some 66 departures continue on to Kilcock via this road, but I don't know if they pick up / drop off at this stop.

The 66 service to Kilcock ceased some time ago.

As far as I am aware the BE 115 is pickup only in Maynooth outbound so it is no use to the OP.

OP - either the 66 and 67 leave you within easy walking distance of the campus, as does the train (all less than 10 minutes).

Get the 66 to Maynooth Main Street, the 67 to the terminus which is beside the railway station.

foggy_lad · 24-04-2015 2:23pm

Rawr wrote: »

Bus Eireann route 115 has a stop right on the campus on the main Kilcock road.
https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Maynooth+(Opp+Universty)/@53.3820064,-6.599645,324m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x48676fe28ffb3983:0xfe720135364e2b93

If I remember right some 66 departures continue on to Kilcock via this road, but I don't know if they pick up / drop off at this stop.

THe Kilcock 66 stopped some years ago and the bus Éireann stops on the Kilcock road are only for those going to/coming from Kilcock/Enfield etc You can't get off there from Dublin or board there for Dublin.

Vic_08 · 24-04-2015 5:25pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

bus Éireann stops on the Kilcock road are only for those going to/coming from Kilcock/Enfield etc You can't get off there from Dublin or board there for Dublin.

That is incorrect. The 67A terminus stop is the last pick-up only stop outbound.

The stop outside the campus has no restriction and a fare is available from Dublin to Maynooth on the 115.

The price difference to the Dublin Bus and Irish Rail services mean few would use it for such journeys but the withdrawl of Dublin Bus services west of Maynooth Village mean the 115 is the only service on that road.

endacl · 24-04-2015 5:30pm

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Thanks. I don't know why I dismissed the 66, thought it just went to Leixlip!

I think I'll manage the stroll from the Main Street.

Although it is strange that no bus stops nearer to the College itself.

Maynooth isn't that big. Pretty much everywhere is near everywhere else. I never had more than a ten minute walk in my time there. Where I lived was twice the distance you're talking about.

foggy_lad · 24-04-2015 6:07pm

Vic_08 wrote: »

That is incorrect. The 67A terminus stop is the last pick-up only stop outbound.

The stop outside the campus has no restriction and a fare is available from Dublin to Maynooth on the 115.

The price difference to the Dublin Bus and Irish Rail services mean few would use it for such journeys but the withdrawl of Dublin Bus services west of Maynooth Village mean the 115 is the only service on that road.

http://journeyplanner.transportforireland.ie/nta/TTB/EFA03__000063b4_TP.pdf
http://journeyplanner.transportforireland.ie/nta/TTB/EFA03__000046da_TP.pdf

the NTA 115/A timetable clearly shows the stop on the Kilcock road is pick up only on the outbound direction and set down only inbound

Banjoxed · 24-04-2015 7:25pm

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Thanks. I don't know why I dismissed the 66, thought it just went to Leixlip!

I think I'll manage the stroll from the Main Street.

Although it is strange that no bus stops nearer to the College itself.

I've done the quickest of Googles with Dublin Bus Maynooth as the search term, no quote marks or anything complicated like that. This is the result:

MGWR · 27-04-2015 6:21pm

I recall viewing some old route 66 timetables from the 60s showing the campus' main gate as the terminus. From the 70s on through the 2000s, the only DB service that served the campus in that former manner were the 66's services to/from Kilcock; the long-time terminus was the stop on Straffan Road by Courthouse Square. Bus Eireann routes 115/A seem to be the only state-run service stopping by Maynooth College these days.

Banjoxed · 27-04-2015 7:22pm

MGWR wrote: »

I recall viewing some old route 66 timetables from the 60s showing the campus' main gate as the terminus. From the 70s on through the 2000s, the only DB service that served the campus in that former manner were the 66's services to/from Kilcock; the long-time terminus was the stop on Straffan Road by Courthouse Square. Bus Eireann routes 115/A seem to be the only state-run service stopping by Maynooth College these days.

Oh noes, people cant walk a short distance! Calamity!

foggy_lad · 28-04-2015 8:47am

Banjoxed wrote: »

Oh noes, people cant walk a short distance! Calamity!

There are lots of mobility impaired people who are in education nowadays where years ago they would just stay in the corner of the darkened room cos they knew their disability and limitations and their place!

Many of these people are not in wheelchairs but have difficulty with stairs or steps or even walking half the length of main street maynooth and then across the university campus which is quite widespread.

Rawr · 28-04-2015 10:06am

Banjoxed wrote: »

Oh noes, people cant walk a short distance! Calamity!

Agreed that it's not that far at all to walk, but as Foggy points out, that walk isn't necessarily easy for all.

I just think it's a bit of a shame that the collage bus stop appears to be somewhat under-utilized, despite it being right in the middle between the campuses.

cdebru · 28-04-2015 10:12am

foggy_lad wrote: »

There are lots of mobility impaired people who are in education nowadays where years ago they would just stay in the corner of the darkened room cos they knew their disability and limitations and their place!

Many of these people are not in wheelchairs but have difficulty with stairs or steps or even walking half the length of main street maynooth and then across the university campus which is quite widespread.

AFAIK the plan is/was for the 67 to continue on down past the college and serve the housing estates down that road, however residents don't want buses in their estate and they can't find a suitable place for the buses to terminate and be able to turn around, so they are terminating up at the train station.

foggy_lad · 28-04-2015 10:17am

cdebru wrote: »

AFAIK the plan is/was for the 67 to continue on down past the college and serve the housing estates down that road, however residents don't want buses in their estate and they can't find a suitable place for the buses to terminate and be able to turn around, so they are terminating up at the train station.

You can't beat the Nimby's, a great bunch of lads.

Afaicr they also tried to extend the 66 along by the train station and out at Newtown but there were not enough to keep it going as most of the population in Maynooth is centered on the other side of the Straffan road. they also did have at least one of the 66x or 67x's going out to Moyglare Village estate but again not sure if that is still the case

Spanish Eyes · 28-04-2015 1:56pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

There are lots of mobility impaired people who are in education nowadays where years ago they would just stay in the corner of the darkened room cos they knew their disability and limitations and their place!

Many of these people are not in wheelchairs but have difficulty with stairs or steps or even walking half the length of main street maynooth and then across the university campus which is quite widespread.

I have no worries walking to the college from the bus stop in the Town.

I just wanted those who know to tell me which stop is the nearest! The walk is not that far, but on a dark winter's night, it could be a bit dodgy!

And as you mention, some people need to take the bus for various reasons, disabled included, and it just seems strange to me that the bus does not go nearer to the college.

It also strikes me that UCD Belfield is much much better served. But I accept the population of students may be a lot larger out there. However, not all students in Maynooth live in the town either I would guess!

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/?searchtype=place&searchquery=UCD+Belfield

endacl · 30-04-2015 3:22am

I dunno...

Maynooth is a small to middling sized town in Kildare, at the outer reach of Dublin Bus services. A stop on the Main Street would be fairly standard really, for any such town. UCD is in a relatively central suburb, surrounded by suburbs me that are in turn surrounded by suburbs. The buses supply population demand, not educational institutions. I used buses to get to Maynooth when I studied there. The farthest walk I ever had was shorter then the walk from the Stillorgan Road to UCD arts block.

Dublin Bus don't service Sligo IT either?

ardmacha · 30-04-2015 5:10am

endacl wrote: »

I dunno...

Maynooth is a small to middling sized town in Kildare, at the outer reach of Dublin Bus services. A stop on the Main Street would be fairly standard really, for any such town. UCD is in a relatively central suburb, surrounded by suburbs me that are in turn surrounded by suburbs. The buses supply population demand, not educational institutions. I used buses to get to Maynooth when I studied there. The farthest walk I ever had was shorter then the walk from the Stillorgan Road to UCD arts block.

Dublin Bus don't service Sligo IT either?

A university should be a significant demand point on any public transport network, far more than any housing estate, and buses actually run through and terminate on the UCD campus.
A bus should terminate in Maynooth where the bridge crosses the road to the two sides.

Spanish Eyes · 30-04-2015 10:35pm

ardmacha wrote: »

A university should be a significant demand point on any public transport network, far more than any housing estate, and buses actually run through and terminate on the UCD campus.
A bus should terminate in Maynooth where the bridge crosses the road to the two sides.

TBH that is exactly where I thought the bus WOULD stop, it makes perfect sense to me anyway. And as you say, a University is a huge draw for public transport.

But no. Because of Nimbys.

I wonder why DB did not suggest actually going into the North Campus and doing the circuit and coming back out again to head back to Dublin? See the map...

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3838932,-6.6032577,17z

Maybe planning issues within the College? but there may be other issues that I haven't considered about this approach.

It's a wonder the SU and the College Authorities didn't fight harder for a bus stop within the college grounds like in UCD. Not everyone is on the train line! Surely it would be a great selling point for the College re easy access for all!

The stop in the town is a fair hike if you are going to the North Campus really.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for helping me out with my question.

endacl · 01-05-2015 2:39am

But access is easy! Buses are frequent, and convenient. Sure, they could be more so, but that's true of everywhere, for everyone, at some point. I live in a populous Dublin suburb. The walk to my nearest bus stop is about the same a the walk from the Main Street stop in Maynooth is to Logic house. Which lecture room would you like your bus stop placed in? It'd be some craic running a double decker through the old campus.

The university is only populated for a portion of the year. The estates are populated all year round. That's why they get the bus stops placed conveniently, and the poor students often have to hike for literally hundreds of meters to reach base camp. It's like taking the ring back to Mordor making a 9am lecture...

cython · 01-05-2015 1:12pm

ardmacha wrote: »

A university should be a significant demand point on any public transport network, far more than any housing estate, and buses actually run through and terminate on the UCD campus.
A bus should terminate in Maynooth where the bridge crosses the road to the two sides.

Unless that's a typo, you haven't been out that way in a long time - the bridge was demolished several years ago for a library extension, and replaced with a pedestrian crossing. Street View hasn't been updated to reflect that recently, but the images there are 6 years old now. This is also the reason why terminating a bus there would be a disaster (even providing a stop for a frequently served route would be similar), as the road between the college campuses has been narrowed massively, and there is no longer a space for a bus to pull in out of the way of traffic, unless you could the turning lane for Aldi.

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

TBH that is exactly where I thought the bus WOULD stop, it makes perfect sense to me anyway. And as you say, a University is a huge draw for public transport.

But no. Because of Nimbys.

I wonder why DB did not suggest actually going into the North Campus and doing the circuit and coming back out again to head back to Dublin? See the map...

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3838932,-6.6032577,17z

Maybe planning issues within the College? but there may be other issues that I haven't considered about this approach.

It's a wonder the SU and the College Authorities didn't fight harder for a bus stop within the college grounds like in UCD. Not everyone is on the train line! Surely it would be a great selling point for the College re easy access for all!

The stop in the town is a fair hike if you are going to the North Campus really.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for helping me out with my question.

Not really sure why you're using the train line as a reference here, as it's not really any closer than the bus stops (certainly not the 66). Yes, buses are more flexible and can be rerouted along existing roads without the need to relay tracks, etc. but as a reference, the train isn't appreciably closer to the campus at present. See above for an explanation as to why the bus terminating on the Kilcock road isn't an option now, and before that there was nowhere convenient to turn a terminating service either.

If a service were to run to via the college, running it along the Moyglare Road would make the most sense, IMHO, as it would also serve residential areas outside of term time. UCD has a much greater staff/services/postgrad presence, as well as variety of routes serving it, to warrant a permanent stop within the campus. Maynooth would only get maybe one route, and this would be all but empty outside the term time.

ardmacha · 02-05-2015 8:47am

cython wrote: »

Unless that's a typo, you haven't been out that way in a long time - the bridge was demolished several years ago for a library extension, and replaced with a pedestrian crossing. Street View hasn't been updated to reflect that recently, but the images there are 6 years old now. This is also the reason why terminating a bus there would be a disaster (even providing a stop for a frequently served route would be similar), as the road between the college campuses has been narrowed massively, and there is no longer a space for a bus to pull in out of the way of traffic, unless you could the turning lane for Aldi.

I probably was there since this change, although not very recently, but when I checked Streetview it looked like it always had. But this is not an excuse, the road was adjusted by the council, who should be facilitating bus access to the college, not preventing it!

If a service were to run to via the college, running it along the Moyglare Road would make the most sense, IMHO, as it would also serve residential areas outside of term time. UCD has a much greater staff/services/postgrad presence, as well as variety of routes serving it, to warrant a permanent stop within the campus. Maynooth would only get maybe one route, and this would be all but empty outside the term time.

Obviously UCD is bigger, but Maynooth has hundreds of staff and 1000 postgrad students.

You have to despair sometimes in Ireland, there is no real commitment to connecting up public transport and then they wonder why you cannot get parked in third level colleges.

Vic_08 · 02-05-2015 1:14pm

ardmacha wrote: »

I probably was there since this change, although not very recently, but when I checked Streetview it looked like it always had. But this is not an excuse, the road was adjusted by the council, who should be facilitating bus access to the college, not preventing it!

Obviously UCD is bigger, but Maynooth has hundreds of staff and 1000 postgrad students.

You have to despair sometimes in Ireland, there is no real commitment to connecting up public transport and then they wonder why you cannot get parked in third level colleges.

Have you asked what if anything the college has done? Theirs is private land, a bus service will not go through there without their approval. Perhaps like certain other private road owners they expect to be able to charge the bus operator for the use of their roads?

LXFlyer · 02-05-2015 1:49pm

Vic_08 wrote: »

Have you asked what if anything the college has done? Theirs is private land, a bus service will not go through there without their approval. Perhaps like certain other private road owners they expect to be able to charge the bus operator for the use of their roads?

Quite so - for example until recently DCU had no interest in letting Dublin Bus onto the campus. Now there is a new bus terminus on campus and they are actively encouraging DB to use it.

It's down to NUIM to provide a location for the buses to terminate.

DB intended as part of Network Direct to extend the 67 through Maynooth and out to Moyglare, which would have served the northern campus. For whatever reasons that has not happened yet, but I assume it is down to a lack of a suitable location to lay over and turn around.

All that being said, the walk from the North Campus to the 66 bus stop in the centre of Maynooth is no more than 10 minutes brisk walk, or 15 minutes slowly, and a little longer to the railway station. Some parts of UCD are almost that far from the main terminus, so I wouldn't be that concerned about it.

Spanish Eyes · 02-05-2015 4:44pm

lxflyer wrote: »

Quite so - for example until recently DCU had no interest in letting Dublin Bus onto the campus. Now there is a new bus terminus on campus and they are actively encouraging DB to use it.

It's down to NUIM to provide a location for the buses to terminate.

DB intended as part of Network Direct to extend the 67 through Maynooth and out to Moyglare, which would have served the northern campus. For whatever reasons that has not happened yet, but I assume it is down to a lack of a suitable location to lay over and turn around.

All that being said, the walk from the North Campus to the 66 bus stop in the centre of Maynooth is no more than 10 minutes brisk walk, or 15 minutes slowly, and a little longer to the railway station. Some parts of UCD are almost that far from the main terminus, so I wouldn't be that concerned about it.

It is about 1km on Google maps from the town bus stop to the North Campus.

OK that may be fifteen minutes for a slow walker, or someone who cannot walk fast!

It is not optimal though is it? Dark nights/mornings in the winter and all that plus inclement weather which we are very prone to!

That's all I'm saying here, but I will contact the College soon to get their views on PT access!

And BTW many many bus routes go into UCD campus, which is great, so don't dismiss that either.

donspeekinglesh · 02-05-2015 7:40pm

lxflyer wrote: »

For whatever reasons that has not happened yet, but I assume it is down to a lack of a suitable location to lay over and turn around.

A suitable turning location is going to be built as part of the site for the new secondary schools.
Laying over and turning around in the middle of an estate as suggested by DB was not suitable.

Spanish Eyes · 02-05-2015 8:32pm

donspeekinglesh wrote: »

A suitable turning location is going to be built as part of the site for the new secondary schools.
Laying over and turning around in the middle of an estate as suggested by DB was not suitable.

Where are the schools going to be built please? I'm not from the area. Thanks.

What bus would take me to the University in Maynooth please?

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