Rant over the state of our roads!!

Jocry · 07-05-2013 9:25pm #1

Having just hit a 1000km on my bike today I was nearly celebrating it in hospital or the morgue this evening! Nearly had a sever off between Mount Prospect Ave and Watermill Road at St. Anne's Park on the way home, my front tyre got caught in a ridge where they've b@stardized the cycle track for pipe work

I'm generally safe on the roads but this was just one of those times when I wasn't able to avoid the inevitable due to traffic. Thankfully the wheel popped out just in time and I was able to save it from flooring me or most likely putting me under the car right beside me!!

This has just added to my frustration of how bad the roads around the city have become. I love how the government loves to promote clean living, btw schemes and bike safety, yet where we do have cycle tracks they've ripped them up and shoddily repaired them leaving near death traps! Even where they are half decent, they're covered with stone chips, glass shards and litter!! I swear road sweepers haven't been out anywhere between Howth and Dublin city in months

Apologies if this has been brought up before I just needed a rant! And before anyone gives out, observation is key and yes I try my damnedest to be so!

Rant Over

funnights74 · 07-05-2013 9:48pm

You've just described every road/cycletrack in the country.

monument · 07-05-2013 11:03pm

Jocry wrote: »

Having just hit a 1000km on my bike today I was nearly celebrating it in hospital or the morgue this evening! Nearly had a sever off between Mount Prospect Ave and Watermill Road at St. Anne's Park on the way home, my front tyre got caught in a ridge where they've b@stardized the cycle track for pipe work I'm generally safe on the roads but this was just one of those times when I wasn't able to avoid the inevitable due to traffic. Thankfully the wheel popped out just in time and I was able to save it from flooring me or most likely putting me under the car right beside me!!

This has just added to my frustration of how bad the roads around the city have become. I love how the government loves to promote clean living, btw schemes and bike safety, yet where we do have cycle tracks they've ripped them up and shoddily repaired them leaving near death traps! Even where they are half decent, they're covered with stone chips, glass shards and litter!! I swear road sweepers haven't been out anywhere between Howth and Dublin city in months

Apologies if this has been brought up before I just needed a rant! And before anyone gives out, observation is key and yes I try my damnedest to be so!

Rant Over

This section and a bit more of that road is to be redone with fairly major works: http://cyclingindublin.com/2013/02/20/sutton-to-sandycove-cycleway-at-bull-island-has-a-silly-amount-of-unneeded-shared-use/

Jocry · 07-05-2013 11:19pm

monument wrote: »

This section and a bit more of that road is to be redone with fairly major works: http://cyclingindublin.com/2013/02/20/sutton-to-sandycove-cycleway-at-bull-island-has-a-silly-amount-of-unneeded-shared-use/

Cheers for that link, I'll believe it when I see it no matter what way they design it!

Squidgy Black · 07-05-2013 11:52pm

The Malahide road from Griffith Avenue the whole way up to the Artane Roundabout has been in bits the past few months, and they've only re-paved some of it so parts are just patched up and dodgy. Such a pain in the hole. Literally.

Crow92 · 08-05-2013 2:06am

Everyday cycling up the malahide road is such shoite, I always take the lane from after donnycarney church until artane because I refuse to cycle on the "road" surface they've left after the gas works.

dubscottie · 08-05-2013 2:12am

Poor you.. I ve dropped €500+ on repairs for my motorbike due to holes.

No chance of claim, so forget it..

Pigeon Reaper · 08-05-2013 9:27am

I know the exact ridge you hit. It catches a lot of cyclists out and I've seen many come off. Unfortunately cycle tracks and the cyclists are the last in a long list of people who want sections of road improved.

goose06 · 08-05-2013 9:33am

Jocry wrote: »

Even where they are half decent, they're covered with stone chips, glass shards and litter!! I swear road sweepers haven't been out anywhere between Howth and Dublin city in months

Rant Over

Drop the council an email and ask them to sweep the lanes. I've done it a couple of times and even got them to cut back the hedges from Stepaside in towards Dundrum because branches & thorn bushes were out into the middle of the cycle lane at the perfect height to scratch the arm off you as you go down it.

I'd assume once something is brought to there attention they'd be more likely to do something about it.

mossym · 08-05-2013 9:34am

funnights74 wrote: »

You've just described every road/cycletrack in the country.

interestingly, he hasn't.

we did a weekend in kenmare cycling recently, and it was pretty obvious the roads down there were in much better nick than anything we have up int eh clare/tipp/limerick area. THe road that connects killaloe/ballina to the main dublin road/m7 probably has several times the daily traffic of the glengariff castletown road, yet there is no comparison in the roads, not a pothole to be seen on the road to castletown, or over smaller roads like the healy pass.

never underestimate the power of a strong local politicion

deandean · 08-05-2013 9:59am

Yea I reckon I know the exact spot too OP. About four weeks ago I saw a cyclist hit the desk there.

ThisRegard · 08-05-2013 10:22am

mossym wrote: »

never underestimate the power of a strong local politicion

Or one with his own plant hire company who also happens to have a variety of council contracts.

mossym · 08-05-2013 10:23am

ThisRegard wrote: »

Or one with his own plant hire company who also happens to have a variety council contracts.

especially that

Gongoozler · 08-05-2013 10:32am

Im a fairly regular cyclist around the city centre in dublin, and its very offputting to think of cycling home with the state of some roads. Dawson st being the worst i've seen. Its actually painful. Its overall not pleasant to cycle in the city, for various reasons, but this is definitely one of them.

Jocry · 08-05-2013 1:21pm

dubscottie wrote: »

Poor you.. I ve dropped €500+ on repairs for my motorbike due to holes.

No chance of claim, so forget it..

I'm trying to figure whether that's sarcasm or not?!

Either way though I'm not sure whether I agree with the statement as the mother and father have both had issues with wheels being buckled by potholes and on each occasion they were reimbursed by the council as they had photographic evidence of said potholes. They were in cars so maybe its different for motorbikes, however if I ruin my frame or do serious damage I will be hounding both the council and my TDs until I get reimbursed

Jocry · 08-05-2013 1:23pm

goose06 wrote: »

Drop the council an email and ask them to sweep the lanes. I've done it a couple of times and even got them to cut back the hedges from Stepaside in towards Dundrum because branches & thorn bushes were out into the middle of the cycle lane at the perfect height to scratch the arm off you as you go down it.

I'd assume once something is brought to there attention they'd be more likely to do something about it.

Will note that also, I do actually intend contacting them anyway about it because there's a couple of spots where unless you cycle out of the lane and half way onto the road you're likely to be caught up in sharp pebbles and glass

Dermot Illogical · 08-05-2013 1:49pm

Jocry wrote: »

Either way though I'm not sure whether I agree with the statement as the mother and father have both had issues with wheels being buckled by potholes and on each occasion they were reimbursed by the council as they had photographic evidence of said potholes.

That stretch of road alongside St. Anne's couldn't have been designed better if hurting people was the intention. The gaps between the concrete are just the perfect size to catch bicycle wheels, with the result quite likely to be a fall.
I know someone thrown off the bike there having hit a rut there. His carbon frame broke from the impact, and was replaced by the council as they agreed the road shouldn't be in that condition.
However, agreeing that it shouldn't be in that condition and actually doing something about it are very different things.

brasshead · 08-05-2013 2:18pm

Jocry wrote: »

Having just hit a 1000km on my bike today I was nearly celebrating it in hospital or the morgue this evening! Nearly had a sever off between Mount Prospect Ave and Watermill Road at St. Anne's Park on the way home, my front tyre got caught in a ridge where they've b@stardized the cycle track for pipe work

Think this is the same stretch where I almost came off last week on my way home via Howth. Very dangerous, glad you managed to stay upright.:)

hardCopy · 08-05-2013 2:57pm

Blackhorse Avenue...

...is in bits.

RacoonQueen · 08-05-2013 3:02pm

Report it. I've reported 4 spots in the last 6 months or so, one where I came off and damaged the bike badly and all have been repaired.

jaqian · 09-05-2013 11:21pm

Gongoozler wrote: »

Im a fairly regular cyclist around the city centre in dublin, and its very offputting to think of cycling home with the state of some roads. Dawson st being the worst i've seen. Its actually painful. Its overall not pleasant to cycle in the city, for various reasons, but this is definitely one of them.

Dawson Street is bad alright especially with those nut case taxis but Anglesea Road in Ballsbridge has to be the worst I've experienced in Dublin. Dorset St was pretty bad but has improved a good bit. Had to replace both wheels recently and wonder will I get a year out of them before they get wrecked. Complained to corpo on Twitter about cycle lane quality in Finglas last year but never heard anything back and is bad as ever (overgrown and covered in crap).

Btw can anyone confirm that legally we no longer have to use the lanes apart from where they are in a contra flow bus lane. Thanks.

Zyzz · 09-05-2013 11:37pm

Angelsea road just outside the church..good lord it is bad ^

Wishbone Ash · 10-05-2013 1:40am

Gongoozler wrote: »

Dawson st being the worst i've seen. Its actually painful

Dawson Street is pretty bad alright. It's difficult to make the turn from St Stephen's Green North onto it at speed with the condition of the surface at the turn and then there are the errant pedestrians and taxi drivers to contend with as well as the surface on the street itself. Quite ironic that the official residence of the Lord Mayor is there!

cdaly_ · 10-05-2013 10:19am

jaqian wrote: »

Btw can anyone confirm that legally we no longer have to use the lanes apart from where they are in a contra flow bus lane. Thanks.

Correct. There was a thread on the subject somewhere a while back...

Darkstrike · 10-05-2013 11:06am

Our roads are an absolute laughing stock to the rest of the word. Especially the pothole repairs which are often worse to traverse than potholes themselves.

Jocry · 10-05-2013 1:15pm

Well I twitted them last night @DubCityCouncil and they responded this morning asking me to log it with their online 24hr portal (https://dcciservices.dublincity.ie/OA_HTML/xxdcchpage.jsp) which I have duly done!

Also raised another issue on their portal about the state of the cycle track in some parts as there's twigs, glass shards, small stones, etc. It wouldn't take much to send one of their small sweepers up and down the track once a month or every second month! Would avoid some punctures for people also I reckon! I guess I'll wait and see what happens, probably nothing

buffalo · 10-05-2013 1:19pm

I notice the worn red-brick ramps on Beresford have been replaced with new tarmac ones. Huzzah! They've got my vote!

Ole Rodrigo · 10-05-2013 1:26pm

Darkstrike wrote: »

Our roads are an absolute laughing stock to the rest of the word. Especially the pothole repairs which are often worse to traverse than potholes themselves.

This is the thing that baffles me. Whatever about the argument that our climate makes the roads susceptible to erosion ( yet Denmark, Holland, Belgium and the UK seem to fare much better ), there is no explaining the quality of the repair jobs.

There's an email address - roadmaintenance@dublincity.ie - if you send in the location of the problem they are quick enough to reply.

ford2600 · 10-05-2013 1:54pm

ror_74 wrote: »

This is the thing that baffles me. Whatever about the argument that our climate makes the roads susceptible to erosion ( yet Denmark, Holland, Belgium and the UK seem to fare much better ), there is no explaining the quality of the repair jobs.

There's an email address - roadmaintenance@dublincity.ie - if you send in the location of the problem they are quick enough to reply.

There is no need to be baffled. Our climate is a non arguement
From met Eireann
"Most of the eastern half of the country has between 750 and 1000 millimetres (mm) of rainfall in the year. Rainfall in the west generally averages between 1000 and 1250 mm. In many mountainous districts rainfall exceeds 2000mm per year.

Dublin is similar to Amsterdam which has about 900mm average.

There are too major factors which contribute to condition of roads
1. Completely inadequate drainage both in terms of design and maintenance. Roads are regularly used to carry rainfall. This damages the road suface. Also ponding water saturates road structure, weakening it, leading to surface breakup.

2. The ease with which service providers(water, electric power or telecommunication) can open a road is obscence. Even if reinstaement of said openings was up to standard(which is very very rare) any time you open a road you substantially weaken it. If works are substandard(the norm) the effects are there for all to see.

The combination of these two factors, along with the Mickey Mouse repairs are the reasons our roads and cycle lanes are in a mess.

Climate is a cop out. We don't really get much heavy rain, and our pattern of rainfall should make the task of draining our roads trivial. Alas this isn't so

Alek · 10-05-2013 2:47pm

Our roads are an absolute laughing stock to the rest of the word.

No offence, but I guess you haven't traveled much ;-) Unless the rest of the world is Norway, Japan and Switzerland.

RV · 10-05-2013 3:27pm

I cycle a lot - but not much around the city. IMO the roads in Northern Ireland are in much worse repair. I was there at the weekend. Am expecting a call any day now from David Cameron to Enda saying "you's can have them six back, we are finished with them. It's only a kip (now) anyway".

NeedMoreGears · 10-05-2013 3:58pm

Jocry wrote: »

...... Nearly had a sever off between Mount Prospect Ave and Watermill Road at St. Anne's Park on the way home, my front tyre got caught in a ridge where they've b@stardized the cycle track for pipe work ......
Rant Over

This is on my route home.

So last night I'm just about to reach that section, travelling along at about 35kph thanks to the west wind and I think "musn't do what that guy on boards described 'cos that would be a bit dangerous" - you can guess the rest.

Despite incident free cycling along there at least three or four times per week for the last two years, I managed to get both wheels caught in one of those ruts - very exciting, especially when I popped out of the rut to the left towards the kerb which only about 30cm away. Managed/fluked it to stay upright but got a good old scare. Some awful noises from the rims as they were scraping along the side of the rut added to thrill of it all.

Going to be super-careful tonight which probably means I'll disappear down a hole or something.

manwithaplan · 10-05-2013 4:27pm

The dodginess of the surface there is compounded by how quickly the traffic moves. It's very hard to take a position wide of the crap bit.

RainyDay · 10-05-2013 4:43pm

I had good results in Dublin by reporting issues to http://www.potholes.ie/ - they seemed to get fixed in a couple of weeks. There is also the official http://fixyourstreet.ie/ and the unofficial http://fixmystreet.ie/

Dotsie~tmp · 10-05-2013 5:11pm

We need to start snapping pics and posting here with locations. Pothole porn.

Rogue-Trooper · 10-05-2013 5:18pm

Dotsie~tmp wrote: »

We need to start snapping pics and posting here with locations. Pothole porn.

Good idea - I feel a new thread coming on!

I actually just went on to Google Street View to see if you could see the section of road in question but it was taken before that bit got dug up.

I know that stretch well as I do it every day and got caught out with the same thing last year. It was exactly the same as catching a wheel in the Luas line which I have also done..........:o

I find you need to chose your 'line ' carefully there - I cycle on top of the 'repaired' bit, keeping between the lines but it can be tricky as it's only about a foot wide.

Ole Rodrigo · 10-05-2013 5:31pm

I've been knocking about town on a fixie lately - between iPeds, traffic and the awful surfaces ..manners are being put on me.

Its a good idea for a thread, each post could mention if the council was notified.

onimpulse · 10-05-2013 6:42pm

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Report it. I've reported 4 spots in the last 6 months or so, one where I came off and damaged the bike badly and all have been repaired.

I've had similar experience... Report it.

Darkstrike · 10-05-2013 8:04pm

alkos wrote: »

No offence, but I guess you haven't traveled much ;-) Unless the rest of the world is Norway, Japan and Switzerland.

I've travelled enough to know that throwing a scoop of half dried tar in the general direction of a pothole and patting it down with the back of a shovel is an absolute joke.

Completely substandard for a first world country.

shesastute · 12-05-2013 12:50pm

I nearly fell in front of a car at this exact place last year and contacted the council. Gave me the fright of my life. The following week, as I cycled on the path to avoid the gaps in the concrete, I witnessed an older lady doing exactly the same thing, and I contacted the council again who said they would escalate the issue to the local Inspector. Nothing was done! Now I just make sure I move out to the middle of the road and slow down the traffic. Better than falling in front of a car. I'm amazed nobody has seriously injured themselves.

Zyzz · 12-05-2013 1:05pm

shesastute wrote: »

I nearly fell in front of a car at this exact place last year and contacted the council. Gave me the fright of my life. The following week, as I cycled on the path to avoid the gaps in the concrete, I witnessed an older lady doing exactly the same thing, and I contacted the council again who said they would escalate the issue to the local Inspector. Nothing was done! Now I just make sure I move out to the middle of the road and slow down the traffic. Better than falling in front of a car. I'm amazed nobody has seriously injured themselves.

That or someone dying usually gets something done

jaqian · 12-05-2013 3:50pm

cdaly_ wrote: »

Correct. There was a thread on the subject somewhere a while back...

Grand. I was getting that much abuse from driver from not using the cycle lanes, I was beginning to think I dreamt it lol

Darkstrike · 12-05-2013 4:01pm

Zyzz wrote: »

That or someone dying usually gets something done

Unless the problem could be evidence in a law suit against them, suddenly gets quickly fixed then.

Jocry · 12-05-2013 9:34pm

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

This is on my route home.

So last night I'm just about to reach that section, travelling along at about 35kph thanks to the west wind and I think "musn't do what that guy on boards described 'cos that would be a bit dangerous" - you can guess the rest.

Despite incident free cycling along there at least three or four times per week for the last two years, I managed to get both wheels caught in one of those ruts - very exciting, especially when I popped out of the rut to the left towards the kerb which only about 30cm away. Managed/fluked it to stay upright but got a good old scare. Some awful noises from the rims as they were scraping along the side of the rut added to thrill of it all.

Going to be super-careful tonight which probably means I'll disappear down a hole or something.

Go figure, thankfully you didnt come off in the end! Seriously I do hope they sort this section out because this thread is just going to show how cr@p and dangerous it is!

Dermot Illogical · 12-05-2013 10:00pm

Jocry wrote: »

Go figure, thankfully you didnt come off in the end! Seriously I do hope they sort this section out because this thread is just going to show how cr@p and dangerous it is!

It is a genuinely dangerous stretch. It's normal along there for many cyclists to use the opposite footpath. That's something which would normally consider wrong, but along there I can understand.

mrcheez · 13-05-2013 12:37pm

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

It is a genuinely dangerous stretch. It's normal along there for many cyclists to use the opposite footpath. That's something which would normally consider wrong, but along there I can understand.

Most pedestrians don't mind as well apart from the runner-nazis.

Payback for pedestrians walking on the bike lane in the Phoenix Park I say

NeedMoreGears · 13-05-2013 2:18pm

I normally try to cycle along the centre of the repaired section as suggested above. It only took a half seconds lapse in concentration to get it wrong. Of course you can't stay in the centre section as it gently veers right and brings you to the edge of the track - so you have to cut across the rut at some stage. One of my personal favourite bits is about 200m further along where they did adopt the sling a load of tarmac at a hole approach. The big blob of tar occupies about 2/3 of the track and various bits of broken tarmac covered the inside 1/3 within about a week. What gets me is the total lack of pride in the work by whoever did the "repair" - I'm getting old.

mrcheez · 13-05-2013 3:35pm

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

One of my personal favourite bits is about 200m further along where they did adopt the sling a load of tarmac at a hole approach. The big blob of tar occupies about 2/3 of the track and various bits of broken tarmac covered the inside 1/3 within about a week. What gets me is the total lack of pride in the work by whoever did the "repair" - I'm getting old.

That's the one outside Wong's right?

To be honest I prefer going up the Howth road than dealing with the Clontarf/James Larkin Road when coming from the city.

The Howth road is not too bad in the Howth direction, but pot-holed, and bereft of cycle lanes, going the other way toward the city.

NeedMoreGears · 13-05-2013 4:58pm

Yeah - just up from there through the lights heading to Howth. Mind you the road from the wooden bridge to Wong's isn't great either

Jocry · 13-05-2013 9:07pm

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

It is a genuinely dangerous stretch. It's normal along there for many cyclists to use the opposite footpath. That's something which would normally consider wrong, but along there I can understand.

I would agree but ever since I got an absolute b0ll0king from one such nazi runner (I am a runner also!) I have stayed off the path in favour of taking my life in my hands on that road however after last week I think I'll just tell the next runner who argues with me to f*ck off, its not like they'll catch me

Jocry · 15-05-2013 1:27pm

Well I went on to the DCC website to check one of the issues which I raised regarding all the crap on the cycle track and they'd closed it with no update on the ticket issue or to my contact details. So I've kindly informed them of this through email to which I received back:

"

I am emailing you from the Customer Services Centre in Dublin City Council. I have forwarded your email to the Waste Management Unit at the following email address: waste.management@dublincity.ie.
They will respond to your query as soon as possible.
"

I cant wait to see what they respond with

Rant over the state of our roads!!

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