Driving into the Phoenix Park

az2wp0sye65487 · 18-04-2009 6:45pm #1

Can people please confirm if I am right in thinking that traffic ENTERING the Phoenix Park has right of way over traffic exiting the park. I'm talking about the smaller entrances where the gates are only wide enough for 1 car at a time.

Thanks.

Heroditas · 18-04-2009 6:58pm

You certainly have right of way entering at the Ashtown gate. Not sure about the Knockmaroon gate but I think you have right of way entering there too.

az2wp0sye65487 · 18-04-2009 7:24pm

Heroditas wrote: »

You certainly have right of way entering at the Ashtown gate. Not sure about the Knockmaroon gate but I think you have right of way entering there too.

Thanks,

It was the Ashtown Gate I was going through earlier. There was a line of cars waiting to exit, and some bloke comes flying out behind a car that was exiting. I was left sitting in the middle of the junction because of him, and so raised my hand and shook my head (as ya do!).

He starts gesturing back at me and pulls up beside me and rolls down his window (obvoiusly looking for an argument), and I said, "cars entering have right of way"..... you could see the look on his face change when he realised I was right, and the idiot started shoutin somethin.... but I couldn't hear as I had enough room to get in so drove off and left him sitting there in the middle of the junction (Fool!).

Anyway, later on I was heading back out through the Ashtown gate again, and I waited well inside the gate so that some traffic could get in, and some eejit in a van behind me starts beeping!

AARRRRGH!!!

pipsqueak · 18-04-2009 7:27pm

That ashtown gate and junction is a joke. First of all it needs to be made wider for two cars and secondly a roundabout just outside it needs to be put in place.
or at very least a sign saying cars entering have right of way

onimpulse · 18-04-2009 7:31pm

I live right beside this gate so I'm passing it several times a day - I think most people don't actually know/care who has right of way and it's a case of bully most of the time.

As far as I know the Castleknock road (the one from the roundabout...) has right of way, followed by Blackhorse Ave and then finally the traffic exiting the Park.

Try it on a bike for some real fun!

MarkN · 18-04-2009 7:51pm

Used to live in the old racecourse and daily someone would do their best to crash into you coming from Blackhorse Ave. Junction is an utter joke and is probably worst on winter mornings especially if you're coming from Castleknock Rd.

Blackhorse Ave has a Stop sign I think, the Park has a Yield sign, I'm not too sure about Blackhorse having a right over the exit from the Ashtown gate though - could be wrong.

T-Square · 18-04-2009 7:51pm

Traditionally, there was a gentlemans agreement to allow those exiting the park to have right of way.

Obviously, cars got cheaper, and gentlemens agreements disappeared.

As for the various gates
Ashtown:
Exiting the park: those people have to obey the yield sign
Entering from the avenue: those people have to obey the yield
Entering from Castleknock or the Navan road: those people coming from the Navan road have priority over Castleknock, as the Castleknock have to cross the road.

Parkgate gate:
pretty obvious, but upon exit, no right turn

Chapo gate:
entry only

Island bridge gate:
exit only

kdevitt · 18-04-2009 8:03pm

The Park is private property - so traffic entering from public roads always have right of way.

DublinWriter · 18-04-2009 8:07pm

Destiny Loose Toenail wrote: »

He starts gesturing back at me and pulls up beside me and rolls down his window (obvoiusly looking for an argument), and I said, "cars entering have right of way"..... you could see the look on his face change when he realised I was right, and the idiot started shoutin somethin.... but I couldn't hear as I had enough room to get in so drove off and left him sitting there in the middle of the junction (Fool!).

The Yield sign at the Ashtown gate is actually painted on the road when you are exiting.

The whole junction is an accident waiting to happen.

McSpud · 20-04-2009 12:47am

I live nearby & never knew which traffic has right on any of the entry/exit points. I would usually give way to traffic depending on the layout of the junction.

Blackhorse gets clogged up on the inside so I would let cars out if there is a queue & vice versa for Ashtown.

There should be signs.

mick.fr · 20-04-2009 12:50am

Only one entrance is messy, all others are one way only and/or have stops, give way signs and lights.

az2wp0sye65487 · 20-04-2009 8:44am

Thinking about it though, it makes sense that exiting traffic has to give way to entering traffic. Exiting traffic has a lot of space to queue and that won't block anything. Also, Blackhorse Avenue can yeild and has room to queue. The road coming off the Navan Road heading towards Castleknock has priority and when someone forces their way out from the park you then see what a mess it causes!

chewed · 05-10-2011 5:18pm

Ashtown Gate has to be most confusing junction I've ever seen. I don't think anyone knows who has right of way and people just have to take their chances entering and exiting the park, as well as coming to and from Blackhorse Ave.

Would it not make sense to have a roundabout at this junction? See below for a very crude plan.

muckwarrior · 05-10-2011 6:37pm

I was actually just about to start a thread aboutthis junction asking what would be the correct way to signal when entering the park from the ashtown roundabout direction. If I indicate left traffic will assume I'm turning down blackhorse avenue. If I don't indicate they'll assume I'm continuing along Castleknock road (which curves around to the right.).

A mini roundabout would sure as hell make things a lot less confusing.

Heroditas · 05-10-2011 6:41pm

They probably don't want to put a roundabout there because it would encourage more people to use the exits, thus encouraging more people to use the park as a rat-run.

chewed · 06-10-2011 8:23am

Heroditas wrote: »

They probably don't want to put a roundabout there because it would encourage more people to use the exits, thus encouraging more people to use the park as a rat-run.

That sounds like an Irish solution alright!

Alanstrainor · 06-10-2011 10:41am

Zombie thread!

Driving into the Phoenix Park

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