Barrow Street chaos

chrisp2281

I work on Grand Canal Quay which is the next street over.
They have now closed the through road from Clanwilliam Terrace to Grand canal Quay which means everyone driving to Grand Canal Quay also uses Barrow street now. Another brilliant decisions by DCC

Grevesey

Hi all

I have just had a very interesing conversation with Kevin Humphreys, the local Labour TD and it looks like good news :

• He has been campaigning (both in his capacity as TD and also as a member of Dublin Council) for Barrow St to be upgraded and seems to already be actively talking to the disparate authorities with a vested interest in this. To summarise his points :

• Barrow St falls under the remit of Dublin Docklands Authority. The DDA has a Development Fund that has been set aside for just this sort of thing and there is currently moves to release considerable money from this Dev Fund to upgrade the road surface in B St, set up better pedestrian footpaths under the bridge and along the length of the street. Whilst these funds are available, it is taking some time to release them but Kevin thinks in the next couple of months, this will be forthcoming.

• Mr Humphreys and Dublin Council are already in talks with Google to fund a raised walkway between the two Google buildings to ensure that the staff cross over above the road, in a covered walkway. Google have agreed this in principle and to fund all/part of it.

• The Gasworks developer, Liam Carroll is bust and the whole complex is now in the hands of NAMA. This means that whilst there had originally been plans by Liam Carroll to fund a taxi rank, along with Google, that money is unlikely to be available now.

• The taxi rank will be built AFTER the road surfacing is done (which makes sense) and the risk of taxis ignoring the rank and queing to get onto the rank is recognised. In response to this problem across the City, the Taxi Regulator has been taken to task by The Council and new rules and penanties for illegal queuing to get onto a rank are due to be enacted.

• The Dublin Corp have also recognised that the Taxi Regulator has failed in its remit to control cabs in Dublin. It is under review for a total restructure. There is also the added issue that when deregulation came in, the Taxi Regulator experienced a massive windfall of money as a result of more license fees - this massive amount of money was meant to be spent on upgrading the regulator, hiring more staff, more patrols and penalty issuance etc etc. Instead, the regulator chose to deposit this money in a bank account and that is where it has stayed!!! So Dublin Corp are going to force the Regulator to release that money and spend it on regulation!!

• Re plans for the Boland Flour Mills building : this is really interesting! There is a planning application in place from the owner of the Mill, a Mr Kelly, to develop the pretty old building into a boutique hotel, with small apartments behind it, destroy the newer, high rise concrete building behind it and put in a small Museum. However, since that developer is also now in NAMA, that application is on hold indefinately and it is unlikely to be developed in the next 2-3 years if not longer. Interestingly, although everybody, including historians, think that the building has a connection with the Irish Rebellion, that is wrong, The building that WAS connected does not exist any more and was on the site where The Treasury Building (and home of NAMA) is now on the corner of Mackin St. So there is no protection order on the Bolands Building as I thought.

So, it looks like all the issues are being addressed but by disparate authorities and bodies. Kevin seems to be doing a great job and co-ordinating all of t his and he says that he wants to see Barrow St upgraded to a point where it reflects the success of the road and the landmark nature of Barrow St - and I believe him.

We will all keep an eye on how this all works out but it will take time....we'll see!

Cheers all.

2qk4u

The Taxi problem on the street will remain, a lot of the Taxis there are waiting for people, they have been pre booked. A Taxi rank will not help this problem as a booked Taxi does not use the rank.

monument

What exactly does upgrade mean in this context?

A nice big plaza or at least a few pedestrian tables, would be great. This is an example of a pedestrian table on Capal Street:

Grevesey

Monument : I am not sure - Kevin spoke about better footpaths and widened footpaths under the Dart bridge, resurfacing the entire road and re-designating parking areas, delivery bays, the rank etc etc. Once agreement has been found amongst all the relevant bodies, I am sure we will have access to the plans and how that might impact things....

neris

Got these two about 1230 today just the usual Barrow Street obstacle course. Mini parked across the double yellow lines out side googles service entrance and bread delivery van double parked. Also the regular U turner.

(and yes that is bird crap on my windscreen)

Did the local labour guy give any idea of a time line when the road would be done up? Going to really be a nightmare then but at least dcc had the cop on (i hope) to do a rank after the road is resurfaced but wouldnt surpise me to find a new rank on whats there already, resurfacing guys to come in, dig up rank and then have another rank

Grevesey

Thanks Neris - and we will find the bird that crapped on your window and have it publically plucked and stuffed!!

I expect that time will be long here - nothing that involves getting lots of different agencies together is quick although it seems that talks have been going on for some time and so I privately expect something to emerge in the next 6 mths....but don't hold me to that. I will keep a close eye on things and occasionally prod Kevin Humphreys for updates and post here on this thread.

pabloh999

neris wrote: »

Got these two about 1230 today just the usual Barrow Street obstacle course. Mini parked across the double yellow lines out side googles service entrance and bread delivery van double parked. Also the regular U turner

Your bitching about someone doing a 'u turn'? Seriously, you got nothing better to worry about?

Grevesey

I am not sure that last post really warrants a reply...

Marcusm

Just to be clear about something, the whole Gasworks development is not in anyway controlled by NAMA, none of it is. The former gasometer (Alliance building) is controlled by Ulster Bank which has invested money to keep up standards. The remaining residential buildings are in the control of the management companies controlled by residents. There is no need for ill founded speculation or rumour mongering about tha development.

CyCaboose

good to see there are plans for Barrow St, I walk through it every day to/from work and it is just a horrible street considering the amount of traffic through it (pedestrian and vehicle).

the taxi's are a joke, there's too many, and they can be flat out dangerous. Just yesterday I was walking down Barrow Street, and a taxi reversed in front of me at full speed, I figured he was just doing a U-turn, but no, he continued to reverse at full speed onto the footpath and in between the 2 older Google offices - to park his car in that little no driving area. he nearly knocked me over in the process, he wasn't even looking out for pedestrians.

One other thing that annoys me about Barrow Street though, and some of you may not agree as you possibly work for Google, (not trying to put you all in the same category), but the amount of Google employees who literally just loiter outside their office on the footpath in a huge group frustrates me so much. Ok I get you work for Google but its a public footpath not a campus, give some room for other pedestrians. Worst of all is they never move out of the way, they've forced me to walk around them onto the road. And it happens nearly everyday - I really wish Google would tell their employees to loiter somewhere else instead of forming big groups on the footpath. :mad:

crushproof

CyCaboose wrote: »

One other thing that annoys me about Barrow Street though, and some of you may not agree as you possibly work for Google, (not trying to put you all in the same category), but the amount of Google employees who literally just loiter outside their office on the footpath in a huge group frustrates me so much. Ok I get you work for Google but its a public footpath not a campus, give some room for other pedestrians. Worst of all is they never move out of the way, they've forced me to walk around them onto the road. And it happens nearly everyday - I really wish Google would tell their employees to loiter somewhere else instead of forming big groups on the footpath. :mad:

Lucky you wernt there the day the Street Cam drove by.... Google Street View Barrow Street

I've always wondered how ridiulous it is that this street in the hear of "Silicon Dublin" is one of the worst streets around, patched up cement, tarmac and ramps surrounded by high 21st century glass offices. Seriously needs to be sorted out soon, the walkway across for Google is a good idea and should be done ASAP.
And the whole taxi rank issue is something that needs to be sorted out city wide, O'Connell Street rank is crazy as well.

CyCaboose

crushproof wrote: »

Lucky you wernt there the day the Street Cam drove by.... Google Street View Barrow Street

I've always wondered how ridiulous it is that this street in the hear of "Silicon Dublin" is one of the worst streets around, patched up cement, tarmac and ramps surrounded by high 21st century glass offices. Seriously needs to be sorted out soon, the walkway across for Google is a good idea and should be done ASAP.
And the whole taxi rank issue is something that needs to be sorted out city wide, O'Connell Street rank is crazy as well.

yup, came across that street-view yesterday made me laugh... nuts though. Agree the street is pretty pathetic considering such huge offices are around there, and what is essentially now becoming the European Googleplex (the 3 Google offices (4? I see a Google sign on the wall inside the building opposite Eurospar... on the floor above the DTT office) on Barrow St, then also the other Google office around the corner in Grand Canal Plaza... i'm half expecting them to rename Barrow Street to Google Street :pac:

But yeh, a lot of people come over to visit these offices from other countries - the street outside it could do with some serious improvement, its an embarrassment

jollygood

CyCaboose wrote: »

One other thing that annoys me about Barrow Street though, and some of you may not agree as you possibly work for Google, (not trying to put you all in the same category), but the amount of Google employees who literally just loiter outside their office on the footpath in a huge group frustrates me so much. Ok I get you work for Google but its a public footpath not a campus, give some room for other pedestrians. Worst of all is they never move out of the way, they've forced me to walk around them onto the road. And it happens nearly everyday - I really wish Google would tell their employees to loiter somewhere else instead of forming big groups on the footpath. :mad:

Hear hear. The amount of googleheads congregating in gangs, blowing smoke in my face, forcing me onto the road off the pavement twice a day when I try to leave and return home, it is so annoying and seriously bad banners. Their HR dept should have a word.

neris

Apparently the bolands mill site is now in nama if rte.ie is to belived from sunday. Valued at 50million now think it was 200 or 400 million a few years ago. Signs of life in it this evening. A security guard and some vans

oceanclub

dfdublin wrote: »

Anyone else notice the chaos on Barrow Street due to the lack of traffic and parking enforcement?

I was going to make a complaint about this - has slipped my mind. But it's ridiculously - have been nearly knocking down twice by taxis trying to madly double-park.

P.

neris

Barrow street is after getting worse since the previous post. The google works are seriously causing chaos with contractors vans double parked, illegally park and just dumped at any convenient spot. Drove down half an hour ago and the clampers are having a field day but the chaos & obstacle course are still mad.

schemingbohemia

Have you reported this to the Garda?

neris

rang gardai and have made compalints over time to council and clampers. clampers seem to be the only ones who give monkies but theres cash in it for them

TheBandicoot

Maybe we should just pedestrianise the whole area from the junction with Gordon St to the junction with Grand Canal St.

Mr Simpson

Folks, this thread is old. If you want to continue the discussion, start a new thread