Navan Road Trafic - Iceland to Esso 1 hour!!

LegacyUser

What in Gods name was the problem with the traffic on the Navan Road to the M50 roundabout this evening. 8.30pm - and it was jammed
There was a cop at the Castleknock roundabout, making it worse!
Then there was another police man just off the Total Fitness roundabout with an entire lane blocked off - broken down car.

Doesn't explain what the hell was going on though!

DerekP11

Apparently a truck broke down in the left hand outbound lane on the interchange with M50. It was earlier on, but obviously had a knock on effect as it spread to the precious phoenix park aswell.

If you don't mind me asking, where were you heading and what, if any, public transport alternatives do you have?

DublinWriter

Are you sure about the broken down truck? I hit the Navan Road at 4.30pm and it was backed up to the Castleknock roundabout very solidly. Took about 15 mins to get onto the M50. Didn't spot any accidents or cops doing bus-lane gotchas.

Navan Junction

DublinWriter wrote:

Are you sure about the broken down truck?

It was on the N3 on the Blanch side of the M50 apparently. I did see an artic on the left with a squad car and bike at about 6pm I'd say..

Kashkai

Some co-incidence then as there was a truck broken down on the roundabout (left hand lane) over the M50 on the N4 Lucan road yesterday at 4.15pm. It took me and hour to get from Heuston Station to where this truck was broken down. Of course it was surrounded by cops who were standing around scratching their arses while doing absolutely nothing to assist with the traffic flow.

Amazing how these trucks usually break down at vital intersections like this with the resultant chaos caused to traffic. Perhaps its time for a mobile truck remover to be provided at rush hour whose job it would be to pull these broken down trucks off the road and onto the hard shoulder. I saw these in action in Washington DC a few years back and they did a good job of keeping the roads clear for traffic. Of course this is probably too simple a solution for the powers that be.

LegacyUser

DerekP11 wrote:

If you don't mind me asking, where were you heading and what, if any, public transport alternatives do you have?

I actually tried it one day and it took 2 hours to get from Blanch to Ballsbridge.
I don't live near a train station - and the express bus took over 1 and a half hours to arrive at Ballsbridge. there are only 2 of them a day and they don't suit my working hours.
So, I have to drive.

Navan Junction

bubby wrote:

I actually tried it one day and it took 2 hours to get from Blanch to Ballsbridge.
I don't live near a train station - and the express bus took over 1 and a half hours to arrive at Ballsbridge. there are only 2 of them a day and they don't suit my working hours.
So, I have to drive.

I think DerekP11 may have been asking in reference to the Phoenix Park closure plan, and what will happen to those that will apparently be expected to change to public transport, even though there is no public transport which is suitable available.. But that is just a guess..

Ham'nd'egger

bubby wrote:

I actually tried it one day and it took 2 hours to get from Blanch to Ballsbridge.
I don't live near a train station - and the express bus took over 1 and a half hours to arrive at Ballsbridge. there are only 2 of them a day and they don't suit my working hours.
So, I have to drive.

Is driving to a train station an option for you? There is park and ride by Coolmine station (though you need to get there early enough to find a space) so it and the DART would have you in in under an hour.

LegacyUser

I wouldn't leave my car parked on the side of the road in Coolmine.
Not a chance!! I used to do that in Blackrock dart station and someone smashed into the car and drove off.

I have also looked into the cycling option, but my employer doesn't have shower facilities.
I am thinking the motorbike route now - dangerous though ...

daymobrew

bubby wrote:

I wouldn't leave my car parked on the side of the road in Coolmine.
Not a chance!! I used to do that in Blackrock dart station and someone smashed into the car and drove off.

I've never heard of anything like that happening near Coolmine, though, as a nearby resident, I'd discourage you from driving to the station (there is tons of inconsiderate and illegal overspill parking in the neighbouring estates).

bubby wrote:

I have also looked into the cycling option, but my employer doesn't have shower facilities.

What about cycling to Coolmine? There are about 10 bikes there every day. And they are partially covered.
As you are in Blanch, you'd hardly need a shower after a short cycle (if necessary, baby wipes could be used to 'freshen' the armpits when you get to the office).

The lack of shower facilities by employers is frustrating (I'm lucky that all my employers have had showers). I wonder how many people would cycle if they could shower at the office?
A shower doesn't take up much space. The ones in my office take up about 2 toilet stalls.

LegacyUser

Well if it can happen in Blackrock, and thats a big carpark, then Coolmine is also a possibility.

I'm actually moving jobs shortly - so the commute will take a different direction - > to City West.

Anyone out there got any interesting cross country maps?

[Edit]
daymobrew, just saw your additional post about showers. Agreed! There are 5 floors in the building where I work, its a modern enough building. Each floor has 5 ladies loos (not sure about the gents, never dared have a peek in there). You'd wonder why, in this day in age that they couldn't put at least 1 shower in.

daymobrew

bubby wrote:

I'm actually moving jobs shortly - so the commute will take a different direction - > to City West.

Anyone out there got any interesting cross country maps?

Blanch to City West - ouch. Try the Ordnance Survey 'Discovery' series (e8 in Easons in Blanch Centre, that's where I got mine). Carpool or #76 bus (+a connecting one from Tallaght or Clondalkin) might be the best ways.

bubby wrote:

You'd wonder why, in this day in age that they couldn't put at least 1 shower in.

Maybe no one ever asked. There are health (improved employee health) and cost benefits (less parking required) for a company if employees cycle.

Random

I was left sitting in Blanch Village coming down to the Total Fitness roundabout for about 25 mins. Just stuck there, couldn't move. Two cop cars sped down in that time, but by the time I got through the traffic seemed to be flowing fine.

To me it seemed like it was mainly caused by Irish Motorists sitting in yellow boxes again ...

DublinWriter

Moved really well this evening (5pm ish).

I was expecting the worst.

LegacyUser

daymobrew wrote:

Blanch to City West - ouch. Try the Ordnance Survey 'Discovery' series (e8 in Easons in Blanch Centre, that's where I got mine). Carpool or #76 bus (+a connecting one from Tallaght or Clondalkin) might be the best ways.

Can't be any worse than the current ouch - Blanch to Ballsbridge.
I've heard from someone else going from Clonsilla that it is 45 mins!
Beats the 90 mins I currently do.

Stark

Traffic is always bad on a Thursday for some reason that I can't fathom. Yesterday was something else though. Luckily I was able to take some backroads and avoid the worst of the traffic.

Couldn't understand what was going on, there didn't seem to be anything that would affect the traffic so badly. On the Blanchardstown roundabout, I saw a truck and some guards parked on the hatched lines on the M50 roundabout exit. Coming through on the left, I saw what looked like it might have been a car crash. After that, the traffic was clear northbound. Not sure if it was a bad case or rubbernecking or not.

It did show up what a crappy roundabout the Auburn Avenue roundabout is alright

_Kaiser_

Once again all those advocating public transport as a solution for commuting from Blanch fail to accept the reality.

1. The 39 has to be one of the most unreliable and slow services in the city IMO because of the routing, journey time, traffic in the area and overcrowding - I remember getting one from the Clonsilla Road at 7am one morning and it weas already packed!!

2. The train is a good option IF you live close to the station (I do), but again becomes ridiculously overcrowded by 8am. It's also the preferred option if you don't work in the D1/D2 area as in DB's wisdom, most routes apparently must start/end in "City Centre".

3. With winter coming up, who really wants to have to walk 10/15 minutes both sides of the journey anyway when you can drive door-to-door. Even if it takes longer, I'd rather be dry, warm and comfortable than standing, crushed against other people and cold/wet any day.

For the record, I used to work in Shankhill and I did get the train/DART for a while until I got the car. Even after that I still got the train, but the hassle of changing mid-way at Connolly/Pearse (only to find the DART was late or cancelled, or I'd missed the Maynooth train so had to sit around for an hour) meant that I soon abandoned this and started driving over.
As long as I was on the road by 7/7.15 - only 20 mins earlier than if I got the train) I'd make it by 8am (and that's going through the park, city centre and onto N11) in time from breakfast (if I did it by train I'd get over by about 8:45)

Until public transport can offer that sort of convienence and time/hassle-saving then people will continue to drive everywhere.

daymobrew

Kaiser2000 wrote:

1. The 39 has to be one of the most unreliable and slow services in the city IMO because of the routing, journey time, traffic in the area and overcrowding

DB are very aware of and very annoyed by these problems. They want more bus lanes and bus priority junctions. They are relying on others (Fingal and Dublin City Council to provide these). It's a catch 22 - people drive because the bus is slow. The bus is slow because of so many people driving.

Kaiser2000 wrote:

2. The train is a good option IF you live close to the station (I do), but again becomes ridiculously overcrowded by 8am. It's also the preferred option if you don't work in the D1/D2 area as in DB's wisdom, most routes apparently must start/end in "City Centre".

Yes, the trains are overcrowded, but less so than a few years back (8:20am from Coolmine used to be really bad). The extra trains (that terminate at Connolly) have helped, as have the extensions to 8 carriages. It will improve further (but not for your route) next summer when the Docklands station opens - the Maynooth will get extra trains.

Kaiser2000 wrote:

3. With winter coming up, who really wants to have to walk 10/15 minutes both sides of the journey anyway when you can drive door-to-door. Even if it takes longer, I'd rather be dry, warm and comfortable than standing, crushed against other people and cold/wet any day.

The Iris h Heart Foundation would like people to make physical activity part of their everyday lifestyle. It doesn't rain as often as people think it does. I cycle to work and I don't carry rain gear. I get the train once a week so I can jog from Drumcondra to East Point.

Kaiser2000 wrote:

or I'd missed the Maynooth train so had to sit around for an hour

What station and what time were you travelling at? I don't know of a pre-9am one hour gap in the timetable, even in the older timetables (which I have on my computer so I can look them up for you).

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Until public transport can offer that sort of convienence and time/hassle-saving then people will continue to drive everywhere.

Public transport will never be all that a car is because it is accomodating many people, with multiple destinations. What you get is a common deminator.

Navan Junction

For those that aren't familiar with Blanchardstown traffic, click here..

Stark

Damn roundabouts. Hopefully the N3/M50 freeflow junction will help,though they'd also need to get rid of the Blanchardstown and Auburn Avenue roundabouts.

Asok

Pretty bad out there this morning. I live in rathmines and commute to the Blanch IT park. Got the 38a at around 7.20 and got off it at around 8.40 ......Seemed to be two big pinch points this morning one at the M50 entrance just before blanch and then at the bottom of the snugborough road with people trying to get onto the N3 I can't understand how people sit in that each day.

Navan Junction

Asok wrote:

people trying to get onto the N3 I can't understand how people sit in that each day.

I can understand why, I just can't understand why more of them don't want to fight to sort it out..

gazzer

I live in Mulhuddart and i work in town so i get the 38A as far as the Garda Station on the Navan Road and then get either the 37 or 39 as far as Parliament St... However in the last couple of months the 38 bus service has been abysmal and in the last week it has been even worse

Last Tuesday morning I left the house at 8.35am to get the 38A into work... There is meant to be one at 8.40, 9.00 and 9.30. There are 38's at 8.50 and 9.10 but there is no point in me getting a 38 as it goes through blanch village and castleknock.. The 38A is a lot quicker. There is also a 38C at 9.10 and 9.35.

All of these buses stop at the stop i walk to (about a 10 minute walk from my house)..The walk to the bus stop takes me past the stops that are exclusively for the 38a so there is no chance of me missing one if one arrived. When i got to the bus stop I waited from 8.45am till 9.45am and for all that time only 2 buses arrived.. a 38 at 8.55(didnt get that for above reason) and then a 38c at 9.45am... That meant that 3 38a's, 1 38C and 1 38 did not arrive.

On Weds I waited from 8.40 am till 9.20am for a bus.
On Thurs I waited from 8.40am till 9.15am for a bus.
Heading back home that night i went to O'connell st to get the 6.40 38A home.. that never arrived.. the 7.00 38 arrived at 7.15... I got home at 8.20.

Friday wasnt too bad. I left the house at 8.40 and got a bus at 9.05.
This morning i left the house at 8.35.. the bus didnt arrive till 9.15.

My flatmate left the house at 7.30 to get the 7.40 38A.. he was still waiting at the bus stop at 8.15...

It is an absolutely rediculous situation... I asked the driver on a number of occasions what the hold up was and i get told 'traffic'.

Ive sent a letter into Dublin Bus but havnt heard anything back yet.

It doesnt surprise me that people would rather sit in traffic than endure public transport every day.. If i had car parking in work i would do the same.

_Kaiser_

daymobrew wrote:

What station and what time were you travelling at? I don't know of a pre-9am one hour gap in the timetable, even in the older timetables (which I have on my computer so I can look them up for you)

I was getting a DART back from Shankhill at around 6/6.15 (depending on how quick I was getting there from work), but manys a time I wasn't into Pearse in time so had missed the 6:50 Longford and 7:10 Maynooth trains thus was stuck sitting around till 8PM on that cold exposed platform