Roads Act 2007 (Draft)

robfitz

The first stage of the Road Act 2007 started last week.

Roads Bill 2007 - The first stage draft includes sections on, barrier-free tolling, power to declare a national road a motorway, service and rest areas, taxi regulation amendments.

D'Peoples Voice

robfitz wrote:

The first stage of the Road Act 2007 started last week.

Roads Bill 2007 - The first stage draft includes sections on, barrier-free tolling, power to declare a national road a motorway, service and rest areas, taxi regulation amendments.

I don't see any mention of road users such as cyclists in this Bill,
just typical of Cullen, he has no interest in cyclists safety.
why has he not used this opportunity to make it obligatory for cyclists to wear helmets and hi-vis vests, or for Local Authorities to be responsible for cycle lane maintenance not just public roads!
If ever there was a minister, who just listened to what the media say and then implemented their suggestions, this is the man.
He should give the gardai powers to confisgate the bikes of all those people who cycle without helmets and hi-vis vests and then auction the bikes off for charity!

robfitz

D'Peoples Voice wrote:

I don't see any mention of road users such as cyclists in this Bill, just typical of Cullen, he has no interest in cyclists safety.

Why would there be, this is an Amendment to the Roads Act. Road users are covered by the Road Traffic Act and it's regulations.

D'Peoples Voice wrote:

why has he not used this opportunity to make it obligatory for cyclists to wear helmets and hi-vis vests, or for Local Authorities to be responsible for cycle lane maintenance not just public roads!

This isn't a suitable thread for that type of debate.

icdg

Alas this bill is not likely now to see the statute books, at least this side of the election. Its not on the Order Paper for this week, and if the Taoiseach goes to the Park on Thursday as reports are suggesting, that kills the bill and it will have to be reintroduced in the new Dáil. Which may not even have the same Government.

Chris_533976

Pity The motorway thing would have solved the HQDC fiasco.

Im sure it will be pushed as a priority for whatever new government we get though, it is kinda important.

Seth Brundle

cyclopath2001 wrote:

We could do with a review of the statutory instruments, it's absurd that the law permits driving in cycle lanes.

There is a penalty points offence (of 1 or 3 points) if a driver is caught driving on a cycle track - does this then just apply to drivers who drive on non-road based cycle paths (i.e. those set apart from the road)?

Stark

As far as I know, if the cycle lane is marked by a continuous white line, then it's forbidden to drive on it. If it's marked by a broken white line, then it's okay to drive on it. There are quite a few roads around where you've no choice but to drive on the cycle lane as the road's not wide enough. Putting a cycle lane on those roads to get the stats up is a cynical exercise if there ever was one.

Chris_533976

Chris_533976 wrote:

Pity The motorway thing would have solved the HQDC fiasco.

Im sure it will be pushed as a priority for whatever new government we get though, it is kinda important.

Quoting myself, but if this Bill sorts out barrier free tolling it will go through soon after the election as its needed for the M50 upgrades later phases.

cyclopath2001

Stark wrote:

As far as I know, if the cycle lane is marked by a continuous white line, then it's forbidden to drive on it. If it's marked by a broken white line, then it's okay to drive on it. There are quite a few roads around where you've no choice but to drive on the cycle lane as the road's not wide enough. Putting a cycle lane on those roads to get the stats up is a cynical exercise if there ever was one.

Of course you have a choice. Unless you're driving a hummer, there's no reason to drive in a cycle lane unless you need to cross it for access.

What I have seen very often is where drivers make two unofficial car lanes when there is only room for one plus a cycle lane.

The law allows cars to 'drive along' a cycle lane with broken white lines, but it does not permit stopping/blocking a cycle lane. This would constitute driving without due consideration & causing an obstruction.

Stark

cyclopath2001 wrote:

Of course you have a choice. Unless you're driving a hummer, there's no reason to drive in a cycle lane unless you need to cross it for access.

You mean a choice as in driving with the car half in the oncoming traffic's lane? How is that better?

cyclopath2001

Stark wrote:

You mean a choice as in driving with the car half in the oncoming traffic's lane? How is that better?

Did I say it was better? Please re-read my post carefully.

Name the location?

Alun

cyclopath2001 wrote:

Of course you have a choice. Unless you're driving a hummer, there's no reason to drive in a cycle lane unless you need to cross it for access.

There are many of the dashed-line type 'cycle lanes' around where I live where you wouldn't be able to drive without crossing that line unless you were driving a Reliant Robin with the wing mirrors removed, let alone a normal sized family car.

Stark

Or unless you have the power of self-righteousness which is granted to you by posting on the Internet and allows you to defy the laws of physics

cyclopath2001

Stark wrote:

Or unless you have the power of self-righteousness which is granted to you by posting on the Internet and allows you to defy the laws of physics

Well, we all know what happens when drivers try to defy the laws of physics.

But, please, name the location?

Stark

There's one on Constitution Hill/Church Road(not sure which) where the cycle lane takes up half the width of the not very wide car lane. There's another one going into the big junction near the Blanchardstown centre.

cyclopath2001

Stark wrote:

There's one on Constitution Hill/Church Road(not sure which) where the cycle lane takes up half the width of the not very wide car lane. There's another one going into the big junction near the Blanchardstown centre.

It's different here on the north-side.

ButI, it's not uncommon for the City Council to ignore DTO guidelines, even though they've been paid to implement them, have you made a complaint?

icdg

Chris_533976 wrote:

Quoting myself, but if this Bill sorts out barrier free tolling it will go through soon after the election as its needed for the M50 upgrades later phases.

Indeed that is the main point of the bill. The other things contained in it - reclassifying HQDCs as motorways, the minor other changes to roads (and taxis!) legislation - are basically tacked on.

cyclopath2001

icdg wrote:

Indeed that is the main point of the bill. The other things contained in it - reclassifying HQDCs as motorways, the minor other changes to roads (and taxis!) legislation - are basically tacked on.

Why is a new act needed to reclassify an HQDC as motorway?

Victor

I've deleted a few posts. Can we keep this about the Roads Act, not traffic issues?

Chris_533976

cyclopath2001 wrote:

Why is a new act needed to reclassify an HQDC as motorway?

I think this new rule just makes it one hell of a lot easier to do than the current situation

icdg

cyclopath2001 wrote:

Why is a new act needed to reclassify an HQDC as motorway?

Its not and has been done before - the rather short Curragh Bypass opened as N7 but became M7 following the Kildare Bypass' construction.

What the Bill changes is the procedure for doing it. Rather than having to go to the expense of having to prepare a Motorway Scheme, hold a local public enquiry, and all the other procedures required under Sections 47-49 of the Roads Act 1993, the bill allows the Minister to publish in the newspapers the details of the existing road built to motorway standard that it is proposed to declare a motorway. Then, after a consultation period, the Minister would sign an order declaring the road a motorway, following which the hard shoulder can be repainted with a continous yellow line, emergency telephones installed, and the signs replaced with blue motorway signs.

The legal implications are of course, that prohibited traffic is no longer allowed on that road (including pedestrians, who should not be on any road designed for 120kph in the first place), and more to the point, planning premission may not be granted for any direct accesses onto the motorway other than junctions and motorway service areas.