M50 upgrade - Phase II

Absurdum

Maybe if the Gardai enforced the "Failure to drive on the left hand side of the road" thing people would get the message.

Mitch Connor

Absurdum wrote: »

Maybe if the Gardai enforced the "Failure to drive on the left hand side of the road" thing people would get the message.

that would be lovely!!

First time driving on the opened section between sandyford/dundrum and red cow today, and people at dundrum exit were coming straight out into the middle lane when there was nothing in front of them in the left lane.

Makes my blood boil how ignorant irish drivers are of the rules of the road.

MagicMarker

Twas great this morning, but the traffic on the off ramp at Sandyford was ridiculous!! :eek:

Mitch Connor

MagicMarker wrote: »

Twas great this morning, but the traffic on the off ramp at Sandyford was ridiculous!! :eek:

yeah - noticed that as I was going past. haven't seen it bad that early (about 7.35 or so) before.

p4ddyv

MagicMarker wrote: »

Twas great this morning, but the traffic on the off ramp at Sandyford was ridiculous!! :eek:

why was the new section not opened at Sandyford to allow the left turning traffic avoid the lights? It seems to be complete, probably be another 6 months before they open that...

Cookie_Monster

drove n7 junction to Cherrywood on it yesterday, thank God its all finally open. 95% of traffic in the two outside lanes though, I stayed left and only had to overtake 3-4 people the whole way :rolleyes:

Tabnabs

The Firhouse flyover/bridge!!

Sitting on it and watching the M50 empty underneath was so cruel! I'm starting to think that bloody bridge and junction is dreamt up by Beelzebub himself. Every few months they f****ing dig it up again :mad::mad::mad::(

spockety

Pleasant surprise to hit the M50 at Firhouse this morning and find all lanes open. Hallelujah. Looking forward to seeing what it's like again in the evening.

Lane discipline terrible, but hardly surprising any more, no point it letting it frustrate as there is bugger all you can do about it.

Cookie_Monster

they need to but massive "keep Left" signs up on those overhead gantries, maybe then the muppets will learn :o

spockety

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

they need to but massive "keep Left" signs up on those overhead gantries, maybe then the muppets will learn :o

I'm open to being corrected with stats, but I'd be amazed if that works.

The only thing that would work in my opinion is mass fines.

People only react to things that hit them in the pocket. I've never heard of anyone being pulled over let alone fined for hogging the wrong lane.

Seth Brundle

Many people don't even realise that they are in the wrong. They think that once they are moving fast they can then enter the "fast lane".
It is down to the lack of driver education (and limited enforcement*) within this country.


* I'm reminded of this thread also

Cookie_Monster

spockety wrote: »

I'm open to being corrected with stats, but I'd be amazed if that works.

The only thing that would work in my opinion is mass fines.

People only react to things that hit them in the pocket. I've never heard of anyone being pulled over let alone fined for hogging the wrong lane.

actually having made the argument above I have several times found it extremely dangerous to be in the left hand lane between N7 and N4 junction going North as it slows to a standstill with people entering the (full of traffic) aux lane to turn off. Then you get stationary people pulling into the middle lane in the gaps where those behind them are doing 100kph. I am frankly amazed I haven't seen a truck flatten a car doing this, its absolute chaos at rush hour on Friday afternoon.

mysterious

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

actually having made the argument above I have several times found it extremely dangerous to be in the left hand lane between N7 and N4 junction going North as it slows to a standstill with people entering the (full of traffic) aux lane to turn off. Then you get stationary people pulling into the middle lane in the gaps where those behind them are doing 100kph. I am frankly amazed I haven't seen a truck flatten a car doing this, its absolute chaos at rush hour on Friday afternoon.

The problem is the Slip lane isn't long enough.
There should be two Lanes for a bit longer, this will help ease out the sudden surge in weaving m0voments.

The solution would be to widen the auxilary lane to 2 lanes by 400metres. People who use the Auxillary lane near junctions should be in that lane to only turn off anyway.

di11on

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

They've opened the new upgraded section of the M50, with 3 lanes.

And they've reduced the speed limit to 100km/hr!!!!

Why oh why?

3 lanes in any other civilised country wouldn't warrant a speed limit reduction... but in Ireland, we're special, so we undo the benefits of €1bn and 4 years traffic chaos by REDUCING the speed limit.

Why?

MagicMarker

di11on wrote: »

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

They've opened the new upgraded section of the M50, with 3 lanes.

And they've reduced the speed limit to 100km/hr!!!!

Why oh why?

3 lanes in any other civilised country wouldn't warrant a speed limit reduction... but in Ireland, we're special, so we undo the benefits of €1bn and 4 years traffic chaos by REDUCING the speed limit.

Why?

100 was always the speed limit for that stretch between Tallaght & Sandyford.

Anyway, it was explained already a couple of pages back.

ohnoigotsick

di11on wrote: »

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

They've opened the new upgraded section of the M50, with 3 lanes.

And they've reduced the speed limit to 100km/hr!!!!

Why oh why?

3 lanes in any other civilised country wouldn't warrant a speed limit reduction... but in Ireland, we're special, so we undo the benefits of €1bn and 4 years traffic chaos by REDUCING the speed limit.

Why?

is it going to delay you much having to drive 20km/hr slower and also will you stick to the speed limit ?

M50 Traffic MGT

ohnoigotsick wrote: »

is it going to delay you much having to drive 20km/hr slower and also will you stick to the speed limit ?

Speed enforcement is now being applied on the M50 mainline by private contractors, by both static and vehicle mounted cameras

Redsoxfan

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

Speed enforcement is now being applied on the M50 mainline by private contractors, by both static and vehicle mounted cameras

Really? Where are the static cameras?

Redsoxfan

I wonder will some further measures be necessary at J14 to deter people in the 2nd lane from trying to re-enter the M50 southbound by driving over the hatched area-like bollards (see N4/N7)?

The motorway goes from 4 lanes to 2 and I suspect people won't cop this to change lanes safetly and in good time.

Irish and Proud

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

Speed enforcement is now being applied on the M50 mainline by private contractors, by both static and vehicle mounted cameras

...good, but we could also do with lane enforcement - AFAIK: lane 1 is the travel lane, lane 2 is the (sustained*) overtaking lane, and lane 3 is the additional overtaking lane - obviously, lane 4 on the M50 is the auxiliary lane for entering/exiting the motorway. IMO when one travels along a motorway, if there is little or no traffic, then he/she should stay in lane 1 and use lane 2 for overtaking slower vehicles. *If there is slower traffic moving in queues (in lane 1), he/she may stay in lane 2 (while same prevails) and use lane 3 for overtaking slower vehicles in lane 2.

Now, a question for you guys: if there are 4 mainline lanes (as in lanes 1,2,3&4 as opposed to lanes 4,1,2&3 on the M50), what way should the lanes be used? - I myself would presume that you would use them as required like on a 3 lane carriageway - in other words: stay left (unless overtaking a slower vehicle) until the traffic volume warrants otherwise. Can anyone add to this?

Thanks guys!

MagicMarker

It was a joy to drive home!

mysterious

di11on wrote: »

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

They've opened the new upgraded section of the M50, with 3 lanes.

And they've reduced the speed limit to 100km/hr!!!!

Why oh why?

3 lanes in any other civilised country wouldn't warrant a speed limit reduction... but in Ireland, we're special, so we undo the benefits of €1bn and 4 years traffic chaos by REDUCING the speed limit.

Why?

Narrower lanes and more weaving movements, its an urban motorway anyway. I don't see the big deal

I think most people do about 120kmh on this stretch. The way people read speed limiits is always doing at least 10kmh than the sign says.:p

So if the sign is 120kmh, people will do 130kmh.


And this is the truth.

testarossa40

MagicMarker wrote: »

It was a joy to drive home!

So true!!! I stepped into my car at 5.39pm in Cherrywood and turned on my TV at home in Inchicore (via Red Cow) as the Six One news was starting. Happy Days! :P.

This morning I left at 8.25am and was at my desk (via Liffey Valley) at 8.50am! - normally I try to leave by 8.15 and am storming in ~9.10am give-or-take with M50-cursing thundercloud in tow...

Oh I could get used to this! Question though, whereabouts exactly at or before the n/b Sandyford ON ramp does the 100kmh limit kick-in? I assume it should happen just as the 2 120kmh lanes become 3 but the first 100kmh speed limit signs don't appear for a few hundred meters after the 3 lanes are active.

Heroditas

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

Speed enforcement is now being applied on the M50 mainline by private contractors, by both static and vehicle mounted cameras

Typical.
When they were doing the upgrade works, the speed limits were set at 60kmph yet I never once saw a speed camera or the Gardai enforcing these limits.
Then they finish the work and you can bet they'll have cameras festooned along the whole stretch reducing the overall speed to well below 100kmph due to people driving well below 100kmph "just in case the cameras accidentally clock them".

Very frustrating.

testarossa40

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

Speed enforcement is now being applied on the M50 mainline by private contractors, by both static and vehicle mounted cameras

Are you sure this isn't future plans? Static cameras should be signposted by law IIRC.

Seth Brundle

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

Speed enforcement is now being applied on the M50 mainline by private contractors, by both static and vehicle mounted cameras

I don't believe that this is currently the case (maybe something for the future). However, if it is in operation, who is providing the service? GoSafe?
If there are fixed cameras in place, why then are notification signs not in place?

Irish and Proud wrote: »

Now, a question for you guys: if there are 4 mainline lanes (as in lanes 1,2,3&4 as opposed to lanes 4,1,2&3 on the M50), what way should the lanes be used? - I myself would presume that you would use them as required like on a 3 lane carriageway - in other words: stay left (unless overtaking a slower vehicle) until the traffic volume warrants otherwise. Can anyone add to this?

The number of lanes does not detract from the simple rule that we are to keep left unless overtaking!

Tragedy

Is GoSafe the foreign(French?) company that got the tender for private speed camera enforcement, and operating out of Kerry?

Seth Brundle

I believe they have the contract but I'm not sure where they are based.

Guy:Incognito

Heroditas wrote: »

Typical.
When they were doing the upgrade works, the speed limits were set at 60kmph yet I never once saw a speed camera or the Gardai enforcing these limits..

There was a camera just after Tallaght northbound for a long time during the works.

Heroditas wrote: »

Then they finish the work and you can bet they'll have cameras festooned along the whole stretch reducing the overall speed to well below 100kmph due to people driving well below 100kmph "just in case the cameras accidentally clock them".

Very frustrating.

It's the stupid drivers you want to be venting at there.

Stark

And various Gatso vans on the 60km/hr stretches. Though I think eventually the Gardaí decided they didn't want people obstructing the flow of traffic and stopped the speed checks. Friend of mine said he actually got pulled over for obstructing traffic while doing 60!