New Traffic lights in Thomondgate

Berty

So the new traffic lights were switched on today in Thomondgate.

1. They are not required.
2. They are creating tailbacks in both directions, most notably traffic now is getting backed up back to Thomond park.

Seriously, those lights are not required at all. There have never been issues with that T Junction.

Im telling you. Traffic Solutions LTD are laughing their heads off with all the money LCC are spending. :mad:

bazz26

Where abouts in Thomandgate are they Berty?

Berty

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Thomondgate,+Limerick,+Ireland&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=40.732051,93.076172&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Thomondgate,+County+Limerick,+Ireland&ll=52.671308,-8.633494&spn=0.015276,0.045447&z=15&layer=c&cbll=52.671338,-8.633646&panoid=-uh60U6kE_yGyOtDhuX-gw&cbp=12,151.71,,0,12.73

Jofspring

Ah Jesus thats just ridiculous. As I've said before, i'd love to know how many councillors have shares in Traffic Solutions Ltd. This city is being ruined.

bazz26

Traffic lights at that junction are a waste imo, if anything there should be more justification for them at the next junction down, that brings you around the side of the Maternity Hospital.

sioda

FFS does some limerick coucillor FF of course have shares in a traffice light company its getting ridiculous

Builderfromhell

Ever notice how smoothly traffic flows when they put the lights to flashing amber after big matches etc.
I understand in the UK they have started taking away traffic lights as they found it eased traffic flow and was safer. Think of all the times you've increasde speed to get through a junction before lights change to red.

mgbgt1978

This is all part of the plan to push "passing-through" traffic towards the tunnel.
New traffic lights on condell road, roadside parking by dolans, and now this.
This would be the normal route for traffic coming from shannon/ennis heading for the dublin road. But they will put enough obstructions on these routes to slow things down so that motorists will have to use the tunnel if they don't want to spend all day in traffic.

Mc Love

Thats absolutely nuts!

phog

This is my most used route on a daily basis and I cant see the reasoning behind the lights other than maybe making turning right froim the side street easier and I doubt that's a huge volume of traffic.

I assume there's pedestrian lights incorporated here so will they now take away the set near the Service station to ease the flow of traffic or will it be stop go stop as the lights change.

Kess73

Well if they keep slowing the routes into the city down, then they may indeed get their wish and more people may use the tunnel. But the knock on effect of that will, imho, be even less people inclined to come into the city for shopping and the city centre becoming even worse as a shopping area than the disaster it currently is.


To paraphrase what a member of the McGovern family whose store on William street is closing, why would people bother trying to get through loads of traffic lights and traffic jams, coupled with having to pay for parking, when they could simply just go to the Crescent shopping centre and have a bigger range of shops and free parking.

highlydebased

Another set going up at the junction of Clare street and Lelia street. Why!!!!

aspasp1

Its an absolute waste of money. I have been using this route twice daily, 5 days a week and never found there was any need of it.

no wonder why we ended up in this financial mess.....

aspasp1

Comhrá

If I drive from say, the taxi rank beside Debenhams, up O'Connell St. on my way out the Ennis Rd. as far as Ivan's, I have to go through no less than ten sets of lights.

The city has become besieged by traffic lights and pedestrian crossing lights
so I'm off to the Parkway or the Crescent from now on for all of my shopping needs.

Goodbye, Limerick City Centre......it was good knowing you.

J.

phog

tippman1 wrote: »

If I drive from say, the taxi rank beside Debenhams, up O'Connell St. on my way out the Ennis Rd. as far as Ivan's, I have to go through no less than ten sets of lights.

The city has become besieged by traffic lights and pedestrian crossing lights
so I'm off to the Parkway or the Crescent from now on for all of my shopping needs.

Goodbye, Limerick City Centre......it was good knowing you.

J.

But if you went by Condell Rd you'd only meet about 5 so why would you take the other route.

Comhrá

It was just a hypothetical journey to point out the density of traffic lights that have made navigation in the city such a PITA.

I hardly ever bother taking the car into town from Caherdavin where I live.
I walk or get the bus and do my shopping in the business parks.

J.

Mr. CooL ICE

I remember being shocked at the number of lights at the entrance to Dunnes on the Childers Road. 13 lights!!! 13 bloody lights for an entrance to a car park!

I no longer live in Limerick and haven't been past Thomondgate in over a year, but I know that junction and can never remember there being a problem there. Lights are a complete unnecessity

steveon

The new lights in Thomandgate are as already stated creating chaos, now there is going to be another set of lights at the junction of Lelia St, clare street again not needed and it also looks like there is going to be a set of traffic lights further up at the roundabout near Barringtons hospital...

Its about time something was done about it, they are not needed so they shouldn't be allowed to do it, I am all for road safety and everything but as already stated here, when there is a match on in Thomand Park they are all turned off and pedestrians are left to fend for themselves, I think whoever is responsible should be held to account for this ridiculous waste of money.

All this so people will use the tunnel, what about people like myself that provide a service, and couldn't possibly afford a toll every time I go from one house to another, all they are doing is annoying me and making me become an aggressive driver, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Limerick Dude

Isn't the reason for all these lights is to create the new orbital route in the city centre which means that LCC can continue with the pedestrianisation of the city centre?

highlydebased

Looks like poles are now in place for the Abbey street traffic lights, which will no doubt create absolute chaos.

Amazotheamazing

Limerick Dude wrote: »

Isn't the reason for all these lights is to create the new orbital route in the city centre which means that LCC can continue with the pedestrianisation of the city centre?

Think so.

It's worth remembering Thomondgate is a residential area, it shouldn't having a main road running through it. There should be a Northern bypass (actually, is there going to be one with the Moyross link road?) taking all the traffic out of the city centre.

Mc Love

Dont see them getting the funding for that to be honest. And with the Tunnel there, people could and should use that

Cookiemunster

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

There should be a Northern bypass (actually, is there going to be one with the Moyross link road?) taking all the traffic out of the city centre.

Mc Love wrote: »

Dont see them getting the funding for that to be honest. And with the Tunnel there, people could and should use that

The first part from the Coonagh roundabout to Knockalisheen Rd has been given the go ahead under the regeneration ( don't laugh ). I read in tha last week that planning is under way for the next section to connect with the old N7 somewhere near UL. If that was built it would take most of the traffic out of Thomondgate and give an alternative to the tunnel.

Mc Love

If they could link that with some part of Corbally - it would certainly add all the folk living out there thats for sure.

Just because it has planning doesnt mean its going to go ahead. Not in the next few years and I wouldnt say its high on any future road development lists

Amazotheamazing

Cookiemunster wrote: »

The first part from the Coonagh roundabout to Knockalisheen Rd has been given the go ahead under the regeneration ( don't laugh ). I read in tha last week that planning is under way for the next section to connect with the old N7 somewhere near UL. If that was built it would take most of the traffic out of Thomondgate and give an alternative to the tunnel.

It's badly needed. Will be interesting to see where they intend to place the bridge over the Shannon, would presumably have to be up river of UL, possibly even up river of Annacotty. I know originally there was talk of a bypass from Bird Hill but I can't see any distance of that type being approved when it could probably cut in to the road between Lisnagry and Annacotty.

slinky2000

on another note has anyone noticed the traffic lights going up on Clare street? Is there really any need for them there?

thesimpsons

they are rightly messing up traffic round the city and all the time telling us we should be shopping in the city centre this Christmas. Had to go in to town through Sarsfield Bridge and up to William Street this morning. Sarsfield St looks terrible with the cones still in place and nothing happening. William street is disaster area to drive between cars double parked, pedestrians popping out to cross the street anywhere and everywhere and then Upper William Street a bomb hit zone. Back out of town via John's Hopsital area and Dublin Road - more disaster roadworks, and then hit the new traffic lights in Thomandgate. All at a time when they should try make it easy for people to get into and around town and generate a bit of shopping activity. Only for having to do business in town sometimes and actually enjoying open air shopping as opposed to a shopping centre enclosed place, the crescent is certainly looking more attractive all the time.

Limerick Dude

thesimpsons wrote: »

they are rightly messing up traffic round the city and all the time telling us we should be shopping in the city centre this Christmas. Had to go in to town through Sarsfield Bridge and up to William Street this morning. Sarsfield St looks terrible with the cones still in place and nothing happening. William street is disaster area to drive between cars double parked, pedestrians popping out to cross the street anywhere and everywhere and then Upper William Street a bomb hit zone. Back out of town via John's Hopsital area and Dublin Road - more disaster roadworks, and then hit the new traffic lights in Thomandgate. All at a time when they should try make it easy for people to get into and around town and generate a bit of shopping activity. Only for having to do business in town sometimes and actually enjoying open air shopping as opposed to a shopping centre enclosed place, the crescent is certainly looking more attractive all the time.

I agree with the stuff is going on at the moment in the city centre is making it a more undesirable place to visit and to shop, however, these things I say need to be done if the city centre is to be improved physically, become more pedestrian friendly and to become an overall more pleasant place to visit.

Apparently the orbital route (which consists of plenty of traffic lights being put in place), needs to be created before anymore pedestrianisation (O'Connell St.) and upgrade works of william st and other streets takes place.

Hopefully the current mess that the place is in now as you have described will be worth it for a more pleasant city centre in the future, sooner rather than later too!

highlydebased

I notice bus stop poles attached to the temporary concrete bases at the side of Debanhams. Bus stop must be moving there soon?

mgbgt1978

The word on the street (geddit !!) is that when Sarsfield st is finished they then move on to William st, so these could poles could possibly be for a temporary bus-stop to replace the William st one.
By the way does anyone remember the road signs and notices in the local papers informing us that Sarsfield st would be closed for 2 weeks for these works.....it was closed for more than 3 months and still isn't finished !!!

TestTransmission

slinky2000 wrote: »

on another note has anyone noticed the traffic lights going up on Clare street? Is there really any need for them there?

Yes,No,traffic lights seem to be popping up everywhere now :mad:

kilburn

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

The word on the street (geddit !!) is that when Sarsfield st is finished they then move on to William st, so these could poles could possibly be for a temporary bus-stop to replace the William st one.
By the way does anyone remember the road signs and notices in the local papers informing us that Sarsfield st would be closed for 2 weeks for these works.....it was closed for more than 3 months and still isn't finished !!!

You cant blame anyone for that Limerick is built on arches and tunnels, when they were doing the road works they found some of the arches were damaged so they had to be replaced. If they didnt replace them the road would have collapsed near the old bank which is a lovely building.

As regards the nothern ring road thats very much on plan with Limerick CO Co it will be like the childers road a single carriageway arching over to the industrial estate at plassey

phog

I don't notice too much difference in the traffic since they adjusted the timing of the lights a few days after they going into operation, though they could take away the pedestrian lights near the filling station now to ease the flow of traffic.

mgbgt1978

kilburn wrote: »

You cant blame anyone for that Limerick is built on arches and tunnels, when they were doing the road works they found some of the arches were damaged so they had to be replaced. If they didnt replace them the road would have collapsed near the old bank which is a lovely building.

The reason (excuse) actually given was that one of the underground support walls was running at an angle to what was expected.:rolleyes:
The original road closure notice was for 2 weeks.....at the end of the 2 weeks they were still erecting barriers and had just started to scrape off the old road surface.
God knows what they will find under William st. to prolong the works...Shergar's remains maybe:D

kilburn

underground support arches underground walls same thing pedantic

electron

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Think so.

It's worth remembering Thomondgate is a residential area, it shouldn't having a main road running through it. There should be a Northern bypass (actually, is there going to be one with the Moyross link road?) taking all the traffic out of the city centre.

FFS - so WHAT it's a residential area??? you'd still want to be able to get around normally!

Berty

Amazotheamazing

electron wrote: »

FFS - so WHAT it's a residential area??? you'd still want to be able to get around normally!

You would, but you wouldn't want your area used a through-way for all National traffic.

I bet if the NRA ran a main road through wherever you're living you'd be annoyed.

Limerick should have a Northern bypass.

Berty

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Limerick should have a Northern bypass.

It does. It swings west and then south and meets up with the Southern ring road.

You could, up to a few weeks ago, have driven from Coonagh, through Caherdavin, out Longpavement, right at Parteen, through Larkins Cross, out to Gillogue and out the back road and end up at the Northern Campus(Clare side) of UL and out onto the Dublin road. Tightly kept secret by the rat racers.

The Council / UL saw that little trick closed recently though.

Amazotheamazing

Berty wrote: »

It does. It swings west and then south and meets up with the Southern ring road.

You could, up to a few weeks ago, have driven from Coonagh, through Caherdavin, out Longpavement, right at Parteen, through Larkins Cross, out to Gillogue and out the back road and end up at the Northern Campus(Clare side) of UL and out onto the Dublin road. Tightly kept secret by the rat racers.

The Council / UL saw that little trick closed recently though.

I know, incredible UL can bridge the Shannon and the NRA can't (north of Limerick city). Sorta glad it's closed, UL shouldn't be a ratrun.

highlydebased

Berty wrote: »

It does. It swings west and then south and meets up with the Southern ring road.

You could, up to a few weeks ago, have driven from Coonagh, through Caherdavin, out Longpavement, right at Parteen, through Larkins Cross, out to Gillogue and out the back road and end up at the Northern Campus(Clare side) of UL and out onto the Dublin road. Tightly kept secret by the rat racers.

The Council / UL saw that little trick closed recently though.

That's been closed for well over a year.

Amazotheamazing

Neon-Circles wrote: »

That's been closed for well over a year.

Don't think so, Cllr. Cathal Crowe was saying he'd be keeping it open a few weeks ago.

highlydebased

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Don't think so, Cllr. Cathal Crowe was saying he'd be keeping it open a few weeks ago.

I recall seeing it blocked off at its entrance to UL last January for certain. Since September UL have painted a yellow box, as people drove to the end and parked there, hopping the muck embankment. I've also seen them clamp cars there


Crowe is going on about the right of way and how he can use it as a mechanism to keep it open.

It was a condition in the planning for Cappavilla student village and the new buildings on the Clare campus that this road be closed off. UL closed it on a "temporary" basis as a result, and now they are seeking to officially extinguish the right of way.

To be honest Crowe can do little when it was stipulated in the planning this was going to happen. Parish pump politics at its best if he gets his way.

Amazotheamazing

Neon-Circles wrote: »

I recall seeing it blocked off at its entrance to UL last January for certain. Since September UL have painted a yellow box, as people drove to the end and parked there, hopping the muck embankment. I've also seen them clamp cars there


Crowe is going on about the right of way and how he can use it as a mechanism to keep it open.

It was a condition in the planning for Cappavilla student village and the new buildings on the Clare campus that this road be closed off. UL closed it on a "temporary" basis as a result, and now they are seeking to officially extinguish the right of way.

To be honest Crowe can do little when it was stipulated in the planning this was going to happen. Parish pump politics at its best if he gets his way.

It's not open long enough to be a right of way, afaik. Certainly hard to see how it could be a vehicular right of way.

electron

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

You would, but you wouldn't want your area used a through-way for all National traffic.

I bet if the NRA ran a main road through wherever you're living you'd be annoyed.

to be quite honest with you, i would take a national road over a cul de sac with speed bumps any day.
if everyone demanded a *residential area* for their own neighbourhood, there would be no normal roads left to drive at all :mad:

dr.fuzzenstein

Mc Love wrote: »

Dont see them getting the funding for that to be honest. And with the Tunnel there, people could and should use that

Nah, feck that. Don't have a couple of hundred of € to spare every year and don't even bother the old "you'd save that in diesel" speech.
No. No you would not. No way would you save almost €4 in diesel per day taking the tunnel, so I get up a bit earlier and join the other 99% of people who get off at Caherdavin and snake their way through the city center.
And I'm coming from Ennis direction, going to Anacotty and even then it's not worth it.
And I'm not exaggerating, out of all the traffic only the very odd car goes through the tunnel but the vast majority of people take the (very inadequate for the volume) exit and head straight for the city.
I do take the tunnel every now and then, maybe twice a week, three times max, but only going to work, never coming back.
That way I only spend max €20 a month or thereabouts, but taking the tunnel every day would cost me over €70 a month and for that they can go stick their tunnel up their tunnel.

TestTransmission

Why exactly are they putting traffic lights here?I've never had a issue getting through the roundabout and it seems to flow pretty good

Makes no sense

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=limerick&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Limerick,+County+Limerick,+Ireland&ll=52.666236,-8.619383&spn=0.002528,0.008256&z=18&layer=c&cbll=52.666236,-8.619383&panoid=wnY3OQNMTAHCIdsXuMtH0Q&cbp=12,62.56,,0,10.79

Berty

I was thinking recently coming off the bridge turning onto Clare St that it will be a very tight turn for a truck to make which will cause it to slow traffic wishing to turn right into the city.

ninty9er

TestTransmission wrote: »

Why exactly are they putting traffic lights here?I've never had a issue getting through the roundabout and it seems to flow pretty good

Makes no sense

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=limerick&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Limerick,+County+Limerick,+Ireland&ll=52.666236,-8.619383&spn=0.002528,0.008256&z=18&layer=c&cbll=52.666236,-8.619383&panoid=wnY3OQNMTAHCIdsXuMtH0Q&cbp=12,62.56,,0,10.79

I'm considering a petition to have all 5 sets removed:mad:

TestTransmission

ninty9er wrote: »

I'm considering a petition to have all 5 sets removed:mad:

It's an absolute joke if you ask me,makes no sense there at all.

ninty9er

It's to make using the tunnel more attractive is my guess.