[Iwannahurl]

What's up?

[desaparecidos]

Don't know. They had it blocked off for about 30mins.

Around half way down Bóthar na dTreabh there's a strip of yellow dust/sand/grit on the ground. Might have been to cover up an oil spill.

[paulgalway]

Originally Posted by desaparecidos

Don't know. They had it blocked off for about 30mins.

Around half way down Bóthar na dTreabh there's a strip of yellow dust/sand/grit on the ground. Might have been to cover up an oil spill.

Heard there was an accident there about 6 this evening. Dont know any details.

[KevR]

Traffic was very heavy at around 8pm. There was a huge queue for the Tuam Rd lights heading East on BNT. I did think at the time that something was up because it's never usually anywhere near that busy late on a Sunday evening.

The anti-intuitive lane layout heading East on the N6 through the Ballybane lights did cause problems for the dense traffic. Needs fixing!!!

[antoobrien]

Originally Posted by sentient_6

This is how it should work(excusing my crude paint skills!):

I got a good look at this one at about 5.45 last night - the mervue/ballybane turn traffic was backed up about 3/4 of the way back along the red line (it was 5/6/7 cars). I'd image that for most of the rush there could be twice that number waiting. You'd have to stop inbound traffic to allow outbound clear the junction. It'd get messier than it already is.

I hate to say this, but the current lane layout is the only real option given the physical layout of the surrounding land (they can't take any more land, like was done at the other end).

The real problem is the p*ss poor sign with a left arrow but no notion of how the lanes are actually set up. It'd help if they had the same style of sign as the one on the DC approaching from Briarhill, showing how the lanes fork.

[antoobrien]

Originally Posted by aido76

I am not sure where exactly you are on about here. Maybe the airport rd. If so I think alot of people, including myself, use the DC because of the stupid 60KM/H speed limit and the speed camera enforcing it. It is alot quicker to go the DC than the airport rd way. Also the lights at the junction turning up to Parkmore skip the right turn on occasions in the mornings and you could be sitting at these lights for 2 or 3 sequences before you get a green to turn right.

That's the bit I'm referring to. I live on the Monivea Rd and I use the dc to avoid that speed limit - it's quicker despite having to wait at the lights for 1-2 minutes almost every time I approach them (and then up to another minute on at the Parkmore lights).

The speed limits and junction layout need changing - should have been done as part of the Briarhill change, but hey we gotta live with it.

[Iwannahurl]

Originally Posted by paulgalway

Heard there was an accident there about 6 this evening. Dont know any details.

From Galway News website:

SIX HOSPITALISED AFTER TWO CAR COLLISION IN CITY
June 18, 2012 - 9:13am

Six people were taken to hospital last evening [Jun 17] following a two vehicle collision in the city.

Two units of the fire brigade attended the scene of the crash on Bothar na dTreabh at around 6.20pm.

Five men and one woman were taken to University Hospital Galway where they were treated for non serious injuries.

Elsewhere, a couple was hospitalised overnight following another two vehicle crash on the Headford Road.

The collision took place at Cloughanover at 2.20 this morning near the Trading Post.


BTW & OT, mention of the Trading Post on the Headford Road gives me a slight dose of the heebiejeebies. I was exiting there once, and was about to look left after looking right before heading towards Headford, when a car flashed by, crossing the continuous white line at about 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. Scary, most especially with two kids in the back.

[paulgalway]

This morning noticed a car who wanted to turn right to the ballybane rd; he didn't wait on the filter and was lucky not to get hit. Also, thought the speed limit coming of the DC was 50Km/h, most of the cars were doing at least 80km/h others were definatelt closer to 100km/h.

Have in the past week seen some cars turning right onto the ballybane rd going to the right of the traffic island instead of left. I think a single line with arrows on it would be a good idea.

[pepe00]

so do you think it makes travel any better?

I had no problems with roundabouts, just think they are faster than lights.

[kippy]

Originally Posted by pepe00

so do you think it makes travel any better?

I had no problems with roundabouts, just think they are faster than lights.

Roundabouts are generally faster than lights at off peak times for everyone using them, however at peak times lights can be controlled and in theory will speed up the commute of MOST people using that junction.
To be fair, that is what I have seen happen at the junction at briarhill.

[pepe00]

when I see how big are those junction now, comparing to those small roundabouts that where in place few weeks ago... cant belive it is the same place

[pepe00]

some German cities go different direction and change lights into roundabouts ...

http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110311-33651.html

[what_traffic]

Originally Posted by pepe00

when I see how big are those junction now, comparing to those small roundabouts that where in place few weeks ago... cant belive it is the same place

Thats not true. If you look at the plans the roundabouts are still outlined and took up a large amount of space.
http://www.galwaycity.ie/N6/130212_02.pdf
I rest my case

[antoobrien]

The original plans are (still) available on the Galway city website, including (something I confess to having missed before) an analysis of the traffic flows at each junction during peak hours (see section 2.3 of the doc).

It explains why some decisions have been made - including the reasons for the layout of the right turn to Ballybane (from Tuam Rd direction) that's frustrating a lot of people. Interestingly this was originally only supposed to be a 3 lane junction not the 4 lane layout that we have today.

Interestingly, despite it only being single carriageway, the
Tuam Rd handles 2/3 of the amount of (outbound) traffic that BNT does during the afternoon rush.

What I can't figure out is that if they had the traffic flows (as seems to be clear from this that hey had), why the hell did they need to "go dumb" with the lights instead of having the "smart" flow models ready to go.

[galwaycyclist]

Originally Posted by pepe00

some German cities go different direction and change lights into roundabouts ...

http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110311-33651.html

Not the same thing. They are using roundabouts that provide for cyclists and pedestrians - something that the GTU opposes.

Cologne, for example, has replaced 200 traffic lights with roundabouts and zebra stripes in the past several years, a move which could save the city almost 4 million in energy and maintenance costs, according to the citys own estimates. A further 90 traffic light eliminations are still expected

This type of solution could also be applied at a lot of Galways roundabouts at fraction of the cost of converting to traffic lights. (Although the Font and Morris may not have been candidates)