Future Transport in Galway...

padraig71

It would also be nice if more motorists had the decency to use their indicators to show other road users where they are intending to go. Try crossing the bottom of Flood Street near the House hotel and see how many drivers indicate 'right' when turning right for Merchants Road - a tiny minority compared with those who turn right while indicating 'straight ahead', i.e. no indicator showing.

pablot

i lived out beside the GMIT for two years and had to get the bus in and out to newcastle everyday. Why was i living in Renmore you might ask, long story but suffice it to say, i had to live there. Anyway, i got such a hatred for local buses after that, that i refused point blank to set foot inside one for a year and a half afterward. I would see the bus coming and pass me on its way out to merlin, thinking it should only be 10 mins or so but often times a half hour would pass and you would still be standing there. I would wait at the GMIT stop and it was bloody freezing and/or wet. I was a big believer in public transport up to then but then decided to hell with this being sick all the time from going to work soaked to the skin, i got a car. Then i was to contribute my fair share to galway's traffic problem, not to mention our co2 contributions. I never blamed the bus drivers (and yes there were bus corridors when i was there but somehow that never helped) nor the fact that the fare went up 3 times over that period. The frequency of the buses was so pathetic. Hats of the whoever runs the bus system in galway.

Squeeonline

I think that the Light Rail, or as I like to call it the GART <Galway area rapid transit> would be a great idea, but they need to learn from the mistakes made in Dublin building the Luas. As someone said here earlier, they needed to work this kind of think into the housing estates as they were being built and they havnt done that. Considering this, they should really start working this kind of thing into NEW estates that are built.

In one of the links above, they hypothesis that the population of Galway will double in the next 10 years. Transport links should obviously be built into the plans.

On the other hand there should be other more "CO2 friendly" initiatives like more CYCLE PATHS. Galway doesnt seem to have heard of them. I live in Rahoon and the only cycle path that I have seen in Galway is on the Western Distributer road, but it stops at the Brown/Dunne roundabout (can never remember which) There should be miles of cycle paths in Galway and safe places for people to keep their bikes. This should be a far cheaper and easier solution and much more environmentally friendly etc etc. blah blah carbon footprint etc.

Dont discourage people from driving etc by hiking up taxes but rather encourage people to walk/cycle or public transport if its available.

ScumLord

If they don't do something with the N17 and other roads into Galway it's going to damage Galway. I used to love going to Galway but now I couldn't be arsed siting in traffic. I won't go to Galway unless absolutely necessary.

Robbo

padraig71 wrote: »

It would also be nice if more motorists had the decency to use their indicators to show other road users where they are intending to go. Try crossing the bottom of Flood Street near the House hotel and see how many drivers indicate 'right' when turning right for Merchants Road - a tiny minority compared with those who turn right while indicating 'straight ahead', i.e. no indicator showing.

The main flow of traffic is to the right, hence the lack of indicating. Maybe the roadmarks have gone to pot there but that's been the layout for years.

leninbenjamin

ScumLord wrote: »

If they don't do something with the N17 and other roads into Galway it's going to damage Galway. I used to love going to Galway but now I couldn't be arsed siting in traffic. I won't go to Galway unless absolutely necessary.

it's the whole NIMBY thing as well as incompetent councillors. everyone says something should be done, but if it comes within a 3mile radius of their house they object.

ScumLord

leninbenjamin wrote: »

it's the whole NIMBY thing as well as incompetent councillors. everyone says something should be done, but if it comes within a 3mile radius of their house they object.

It's gone beyond a joke at this stage by the time we get the road we'll probably have run out of oil making the road pointless.

I don't think it's even got as far nimby yet, every plan for a Tuam bypass has been laughed out of the room by the NRA. Now they have to go back to the drawing board and incorporate the bypass into the new N17 so it's looking like 2008 before they even consider making plans to start I don't think we'll see a new road for another decade.

padraig71

Robbo wrote: »

The main flow of traffic is to the right, hence the lack of indicating. Maybe the roadmarks have gone to pot there but that's been the layout for years.

Fair enough, in that case they should indicate left when heading straight on into Flood Street.

galwayrush

A tiny minority of idiots are hell bent on stopping the Galway By-Pass, what Planet do they live on thinking it's not needed.:(

padraig71

Mmm, a planet where oil is running out and the use of carbon fuels is causing global warming and threatening the welfare of many species including our own?

galwayrush

padraig71 wrote: »

Mmm, a planet where oil is running out and the use of carbon fuels is causing global warming and threatening the welfare of many species including our own?

Alternative methods of powering vehicles would have been developed years ago but for the power of the Oil Companies, and i'm sure alternatives will be available when there is no more money from soon to be depleted Oil Resources.
We'll still need the roads for a growing City.

padraig71

If we can imagine the development of alternative fuels, then surely it is not outside the realm of possibility that we could also develop more efficient means of moving people around - principally, an effective public transport system. Very few vehicles on the road carry their full quota of passengers, and many of them could be taken off the road if there were a viable alternative.

Building more roads and creating more urban sprawl is not the only or necessarily the best solution to traffic congestion in Galway, and many people have more imagination than to accept the implementation of this plan as a foregone conclusion. Dismissing them as 'a tiny minority of idiots' is not conducive to a reasoned and constructive debate on this important matter.

galwayrush

of course Roads are not the complete solution , but the by-pass is a very important part of the solution to steer the bulk of the traffic away from the inner city where the older roads are not capable of handling the levels of vehicles we have in Galway now... I would love to see a workable public transport system but the biggest problem is our small population combined with low density sprawl.A proper light rail network would have to service the industrial estates as well as the City Centre, but i don't see the powers that be ever spending that amount of money here in the West.

Bass Cadet

padraig71 wrote: »

If we can imagine the development of alternative fuels, then surely it is not outside the realm of possibility that we could also develop more efficient means of moving people around - principally, an effective public transport system. Very few vehicles on the road carry their full quota of passengers, and many of them could be taken off the road if there were a viable alternative.

For the population of Galway and even Ireland now and in the future, The type and scale of public transport that would negate the future building of roads is not feasible or logical. There simply isn't the population to support a 1st class public transport system that will get the majority of people out of their cars.

People still forget that Ireland is still coming out of a 3rd world transport and infrastructure system. For our economy to be sustainable it is impossible to ignore the value of a good and effective roads system. The automobile will never go away. When oil production stops, we'll already have hydrogen (hydrogen fuel cell) powered cars and hybrid engines (so pollution will be a mute point).

At the moment the best bet is to build the best roads possible with the best care possible, both environmentally and archaeology-wise to minimise any disruption to rural communities (if affected) and the history of the land.

As regards to the outer bypass, it's something that is a necessity. Even building an effective, ultra modern, efficient public transport system wont change that. Where do the large freight trucks go? Will tourist buses still have to crawl through Galway to get to connemara? What will happen in the future? Car production will never stop.

Incorporated into this there should be an effective city public transport system, linking all industrial estates and schools, primarily as these are the main causes of traffic congestion (something like the Luas). Completely dismissing road-building is effectively signing away future prosperity. As an island nation, Ireland relies on freight, mainly from road and building all the rail track possible still wont change that.

serfboard

A simple solution to some of the traffic problems in Galway.

Biggest concentration of living area in Galway is Knocknacarra. Biggest concentration of work area in Galway is Ballybrit (how about that for planning?). Biggest traffic problem in Galway is people going from home (e.g. Knocknacarra) to Work (e.g. Ballybrit).

Simple solution? Make left lane of all dual-carriageways in Galway bus-only (and NOT taxis like you have in Dublin, where rich businessmen simply buy a plate and fly past everyone). Start in Oranmore, and finish up on Seamus Quirke Road. And, oh yeah, finish dual-carriageway extension of Seamus Quirke Road to Western Distributor roundabout (in fact, Western Distributor itself should have been built dual-carriageway, with bus lane).

Then, you get to provide a bus service which is more reliable and offers a significant advantage over travelling in a car, thus offering people an incentive to get out of their cars.

(BTW, if people think that they're hearing a lot about Claregalway on AA Roadwatch, wait until the new M6 is completed which terminates beside the Galway Clinic. This is going to be one fine mess of a traffic jam.)

Toto Wolfcastle

serfboard wrote: »

A simple solution to some of the traffic problems in Galway.

Biggest concentration of living area in Galway is Knocknacarra. Biggest concentration of work area in Galway is Ballybrit (how about that for planning?). Biggest traffic problem in Galway is people going from home (e.g. Knocknacarra) to Work (e.g. Ballybrit).

Simple solution? Make left lane of all dual-carriageways in Galway bus-only (and NOT taxis like you have in Dublin, where rich businessmen simply buy a plate and fly past everyone). Start in Oranmore, and finish up on Seamus Quirke Road. And, oh yeah, finish dual-carriageway extension of Seamus Quirke Road to Western Distributor roundabout (in fact, Western Distributor itself should have been built dual-carriageway, with bus lane).

Then, you get to provide a bus service which is more reliable and offers a significant advantage over travelling in a car, thus offering people an incentive to get out of their cars.

(BTW, if people think that they're hearing a lot about Claregalway on AA Roadwatch, wait until the new M6 is completed which terminates beside the Galway Clinic. This is going to be one fine mess of a traffic jam.)

While I know very little about transport solutions, I must say that I'm still shocked by the constant traffic by Western Distributor roundabout and Westside, etc. I have never seen traffic like that anywhere else. I can look out my window at any time of the day and the road is jammed. Something seriously needs to be done. I think everyone agrees on that anyway!

padraig71

Bass Cadet wrote: »

People still forget that Ireland is still coming out of a 3rd world transport and infrastructure system.

Fair point, but don't forget too that previous governments tore up the railways. Connemara tourists used to be able to pass through Galway by train and go on as far as Clifden.

The state of urban planning is ridiculous. Why promote urban sprawl in Galway city and leave other towns in the county to stagnate? Private profit is consistently placed above public utility - the proposed development of Ceannt station being yet another example.

Bass Cadet

serfboard wrote: »

wait until the new M6 is completed which terminates beside the Galway Clinic. This is going to be one fine mess of a traffic jam.)

Because, the outer bypass has been held up for so long. It will be a flyover at that junction as far as I know but that will only push the traffic down towards the roundabout at Tom Hogans. Until there is a dedicated route to bring cars around the city, it'll be a bottle-neck

galwayrush

padraig71 wrote: »

Fair point, but don't forget too that previous governments tore up the railways. Connemara tourists used to be able to pass through Galway by train and go on as far as Clifden.

The state of urban planning is ridiculous. Why promote urban sprawl in Galway city and leave other towns in the county to stagnate? Private profit is consistently placed above public utility - the proposed development of Ceannt station being yet another example.

Galway will be a bigger magnet for investment compared to all the smaller towns around it, retail, third level colleges, etc.the proposed Ceannt Station Development with it's relatively high concentration is one solution to stop Urban Sprawl, building higher density is the only way a proper Public Transport System will ever be viable.

Deadly Delta

padraig71 wrote: »

Fair point, but don't forget too that previous governments tore up the railways. Connemara tourists used to be able to pass through Galway by train and go on as far as Clifden.

Tourists? The Galway Clifden route has been closed since 1937.
http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midland_Great_Western_Railway#Galway_to_Clifden

padraig71

Well, there were tourists before 1935, believe it or not (see, for instance, 'The Victorian Visitor in Ireland: Irish Tourism 1840-1910' by Donal Horgan). What do you think JM Synge was doing on Aran? Besides, it is not only tourists who used the railway. Presumably, the people who built it thought there were good infrastructural reasons for doing so.

None of which detracts from my original point that it is a great shame that we no longer have the benefit of such a valuable resource.

Jammyd

Hey just checked this new site out promoting a light rail system for Galway, I have to admit its pretty impressive fair play to them.. http://www.gluas.com/

civis_liberalis

Saw an article about it in the Galway papers all this week.

Nice site, but as much as I would love it to happen, I can't help but fell it may never get off the ground.

It sounds like it might actually work, hence the government are unlikely to adopt it to keep up appearances... Ahem...

Ckal

GLUAS is a fantasy. It's never going to happen. Don't get me wrong, I want it to happen, but I doubt it will.

Anywho, my dream GLUAS lines are:

Line A: Moycullen -> Eyre Square/Ceannt Station -> Airport
Line AX: Airport -> Claregalway -> Oranmore
Line B: Salthill -> Eyre Square/Ceannt Station -> Oranmore
Line C: Salthill -> Moycullen

SuchALiar

That would seriously be unreal.

God. Why can't the government just listen?

But sure, with this whole Recession talk, NOTHING will be built for years.

sryk

yaa thats for sure...it will never happen...