Mini Infrastructure Improvements

Cool Mo D

Ok, so with tight budgets, there is a place for discussion of smaller projects (millions, not billions) that could have a relatively big impact for the money spent. We're talking widening a pinch point on a road, an extra train platform, a small bridge, etc. Putting together a list of minor things to be done will be more realistic than talking about the mega projects.

In Dublin:
Fix the junction of Cork Street and the Coombe to make Cork street the through road. Make the segment of the Coombe/Dean street 4 lanes up to the junction with Patrick street. The result would be uninterrupted bus lanes from Crumlin to the City Centre, and an awkward junction gone. The cost - probably two buildings and some brownfield land.

Build a terminating DART platform in Malahide, south of the existing road-over-rail bridge, just north of the existing siding that the train sometimes reverses into. The cost - no demolition required, just a new platform, electrified, and pedestrian access included.

Make D'Olier street and College street two way. Have all buses that take the dangerously acute left turn from Westmoreland street to Aston Quay go north on D'Olier street instead, and turn left from there. There would then be no dangerous left turn allowed from Westmoreland street, and stop the current situation where buses coming from Pearse street have to cross 4 lanes of traffic to turn left at the bottom of Westmoreland street. Westmoreland street then could have wider footpaths, and be a mush more pleasant street, as compared to its current run-down state. It would also provide more bus terminating space, and be better suited to the setup if/when the Metro is built. Cost - very little. Changes to light sequence on O'Connell bridge.

Any other suggestions?

mgmt

Bus linking Blancharstown, Castleknock to Chapelizod and onto city centre. Express bus into town using good QBCs. I read a report saying a car is quicker driving into town from D15 then a bus at rush hour. It is the worst QBC in the city. Could a bus make it up/down Knockmaroon Hill?


http://maps.google.ie/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Navan+Rd&daddr=53.3523151,-6.3483952+to:Bachelor's+Walk%2FN1%2FN4&geocode=FYS9LgMdDHye_w%3BFXsXLgMdlSGf_ykjUF0-Hg1nSDHxl6T7pscAEw%3BFUQDLgMdDHeg_w&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&sll=53.355726,-6.343489&sspn=0.028175,0.055189&ie=UTF8&ll=53.365099,-6.340485&spn=0.056338,0.110378&t=h&z=13

Aard

Not sure a bus could navigate that hill.


I think further pedestrianisation would help traffic in town. Most of Temple Bar could handle it, as well as the area between Grafton St and George's St. In fact, I believe somebody made a plan for the latter, showing which streets would be kept for cars to use car parks. I'm sure that would enhance the shopping experience. I know that I for one often race down the narrow pavements on Wicklow St, or avoid it altogether; if the whole street was fair game, I'd probably know more shops along that stretch.


Same could be done on the northside with Lower Liffey St.

Cool Mo D

mgmt wrote: »

Bus linking Blancharstown, Castleknock to Chapelizod and onto city centre. Express bus into town using good QBCs. I read a report saying a car is quicker driving into town from D15 then a bus at rush hour. It is the worst QBC in the city. Could a bus make it up/down Knockmaroon Hill?


http://maps.google.ie/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Navan+Rd&daddr=53.3523151,-6.3483952+to:Bachelor's+Walk%2FN1%2FN4&geocode=FYS9LgMdDHye_w%3BFXsXLgMdlSGf_ykjUF0-Hg1nSDHxl6T7pscAEw%3BFUQDLgMdDHeg_w&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&sll=53.355726,-6.343489&sspn=0.028175,0.055189&ie=UTF8&ll=53.365099,-6.340485&spn=0.056338,0.110378&t=h&z=13

Think a better option would be Blanchardstown, M50, N4 to quays. Could also be done for express buses from Tallaght, especially if junctions on the route were grade-seperated or made left turn only to remove traffic lights.

With good use of the M50, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Blanchardstown could have their Xpresso services straight down the N4, and Swords, Malahide and Portmarnock down the Port Tunnel, running non-stop from outside the M50 as far as the city-centre.

Claregalway bypass - mini compared to the M17/18 and probably needed anyways.

xper

Can we find 5 million for the long promised widening and improvement of the northern approach road into Bray? This stretch of just several hundred metres can take 15 minutes to negotiate by car or bus.
Plan: http://www.dlrcoco.ie/DublinRoad/Index.html

Unfortunately it is in jepardy as its funding appears to have been tied to the not-happening development of the adjacent golf club lands ...
http://newsfeed.eastcoast.fm/2010/10/planned-road-widening-project-between.html
... but it is needed now, regardless of that project's go ahead.

veryangryman

Roundabout on R362 west of Athlone beside SuperValu in progress at the moment.

Running late (expected finish Oct 2010)

Tech3

3 realignments on the N17 - will save many lives and loads of small accidents. One at Castletown is going to construction next year and the other 2 in 2011.

Wild Bill

Was on the N2 to NI the other day - they are doing a new road/realigning a 1km section of N2 north of Monaghan town. Also noticed the J2/J3 widening of the M1 - never recall reading about either on the NRA website.

Wild Bill

xper wrote: »

Can we find 5 million for the long promised widening and improvement of the northern approach road into Bray? This stretch of just several hundred metres can take 15 minutes to negotiate by car or bus.
Plan: http://www.dlrcoco.ie/DublinRoad/Index.html

Unfortunately it is in jepardy as its funding appears to have been tied to the not-happening development of the adjacent golf club lands ...
http://newsfeed.eastcoast.fm/2010/10/planned-road-widening-project-between.html
... but it is needed now, regardless of that project's go ahead.

Indeed! Bray traffic is a complete mess in all directions. If is hard to believe that as recently as 1990 the main road to Wicklow and Wexford used to pass through this.

Lived there at the time and you'd have to get out of Bray before 7.30am to escape the jams. And that was before the Celtic Tiger was born....back in the last Great Depression.