New traffic lights planned on Skehard Road. Still time to object!

two wheels good

The Shehard Road Realignment project proposes to install traffic lights at the the junction of the Well Road and Skehard Road - in place of the existing roundabout. It's the one near the Silver Key Pub

Totally misguided I say. I drive\cycle that route daily and it's one of the few junctions in the area where traffic queues do not build up. There is a lot of traffic heading to Mahon for access to eastbound ring road.

Why spend the money (€60k I've read) on lights? A roundabout will generally handle traffic more efficiently than lights. There are cycle lanes and a bus lane proposed too which is great news. But the traffic lights, which have only one lane on the approach from the Well Road will be a disaster. There will be long queues to match those at the Douglas end of the Well Road

If you'd like to review or comment\object on this plan contact:
Roads Division
Room 322
City Hall
Cork

... before May 6th at 4pm

Padraig Mor

There's no problems at that r'bout AFAIK! Sounds like the junction of Togher Road and Tramore Road (by Abbeyville Vet hospital). There was a roundabout there for years with very few (if any) traffic problems. Some fool in the council thought it would be a great idea to stick in a bunch of traffic lights at no doubt exorbitant cost. Result: instant gridlock spreading to Clashduv Road at peak times. After a few weeks, the lights were put on flashing orange and have remained that way ever since (approx 3 years) and a 'close your eyes, go, and hope for the best' approach is required from some directions. No doubt the council idiot has picked up his yearly increments since then, despite demonstrated incompetence.....

Faith

I've lived in this area for my entire life, and I've yet to see a real problem with the way the system currently is. If it ain't broke...

Papa_Lazarou

As Padraig said above just seems like some engineer trying to find something to justify his job. Over 80k spent putting in the lights in togher and all they did(for the few weeks they were on) was cause huge traffic congestion.

Owen

Whoever's selling the lights must be giving some backhander to City Hall. Ballincollig got 17 sets of lights from one end to the other. It turned what was a free flowing town, into gridlocked mayhem.

Outkast_IRE

same story in togher, they got rid of a rounabout and replaced it with lights, after a week they had to turn off the lights and they have been on flashing amber or red since 18 months ago , thats ridiculous.

Gauge

I've lived on Skehard Road pretty much all my life until recently and I dont think I've EVER seen traffic issues at that particular roundabout, and I would have gone through it daily at rush hour.

The junction outside Super Valu however, frequently causes tailbacks that go all the way up the roads leading to it. This is totally unnecessary.

parsi

Scally's is a twilight zone in terms of driving. Everyone wants to park just inside the traffic lights and they're quite happy to block up traffic rather than heading around the back.

Faith

parsi wrote: »

Scally's is a twilight zone in terms of driving. Everyone wants to park just inside the traffic lights and they're quite happy to block up traffic rather than heading around the back.

Don't even get me started on that fúcking place :mad:. The parking spaces in the middle are so awkward, and there's a huge car park around the side and where does everyone go...? The focking awkward spaces that hold up traffic from every direction!

shnaek

Councillors all over the country have a major traffic light fetish. It's one of the traits required to run a town or city. Mmmmmm - traffic lights :P

charlemont

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Whoever's selling the lights must be giving some backhander to City Hall. Ballincollig got 17 sets of lights from one end to the other. It turned what was a free flowing town, into gridlocked mayhem.

Im glad to read this post as this is exactly what I think, Something seriously wrong with the sheer amount of traffic lights around the city.

Ludo

A few new sets of lights going up around the Rochestown Road/Clarkes Hill area also. Someone must be spending a budget just for the sake of it.

GavRedKing

Lived in the area all my life and that roundabout is very free flowing. Lights are going to really cause a problem coming from the douglas side.

Silly waste of money IMO.

charlemont

Hopefully someone smashes them after they are put up..

Hogzy

I was only discussing this a while ago with someone.
There seems to be a total influx of traffic lights now in most areas of Cork.

There were traffic lights installed on the South Link on the way into town that were never switched on.
I use that roundabout nearly everyday going to my girlfriends house and not once have i ever been there more than 30 seconds (bar GAA/Rugby Matches and the Marquee) IMO traffic lights add to traffic jams and do not alleviate them. Its a really stupid idea tbh.

They did the same on the back Douglas road where the slip road off the Link is. They removed a small roundabout and put traffic lights up instead. Just made the traffic so much worse as barely any cars come up the slip road and the only time the other road is busy is when Croist Ri are finishing school.

I heard a rumor a few years ago that Cork County Council ordered 300 traffic lights instead of 30 and have been trying to get rid of them ever since. Just a rumor. Probably not true

beer enigma

They are also proposing a third lane for buses heading past the Key in the direction of Mahon

kcb

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Whoever's selling the lights must be giving some backhander to City Hall. Ballincollig got 17 sets of lights from one end to the other. It turned what was a free flowing town, into gridlocked mayhem.

It's crazy isin't it. Something very fishy sounding about it all alright.

Lando Griffin

Padraig Mor wrote: »

There's no problems at that r'bout AFAIK! Sounds like the junction of Togher Road and Tramore Road (by Abbeyville Vet hospital). There was a roundabout there for years with very few (if any) traffic problems. Some fool in the council thought it would be a great idea to stick in a bunch of traffic lights at no doubt exorbitant cost. Result: instant gridlock spreading to Clashduv Road at peak times. After a few weeks, the lights were put on flashing orange and have remained that way ever since (approx 3 years) and a 'close your eyes, go, and hope for the best' approach is required from some directions. No doubt the council idiot has picked up his yearly increments since then, despite demonstrated incompetence.....

And did you notice in all their wisdom they took away the Zebra crossing, now the pedestrians have no indication when to cross, many eldely people in that area going from the post office to the pharmacy.
There was a bollard there for weeks when the were doing the works a much more effective traffic managing system than the traffic lights.
Everyone agrees "Idiots involved".

Owen

Andip wrote: »

They are also proposing a third lane for buses heading past the Key in the direction of Mahon

See, I'd have no problem with that if Cork had a proper reliable and regular public transport system. Bank Holiday Monday last week, I'd to drive a friend with no car into town, because the No. 10 bus wouldn't be along for 3 hours due to it operating Sunday hours. On a Bank Holiday - the one day people might want to wander into town, grab an ice cream and stroll around.

Kazbah

They recentlt put in new traffic lights in Blackrock by the Topaz station. Just for pedestrians - seems like a total waste of money. It's hardly a busy road!

dooksgolf

Thanks for the heads up Two Wheels Good
Unbelievable,there is never traffic at this r'about.
Can anybody suggest to me how to stop this idiocy? I will contact the address lsted by 2 wheels good,but does an ordinary Joe Soap have any power to stop this lunacy?
I'd like to get up off my ass & be proactive in stopping lunacy.
It's Ireland,there must be a vested interest somewhere.

bladebrew

it is a lot more than just traffic lights at the well road roundabout,
they are planning on moving the entire road across a bit and make extra lanes, it is focused on making the area including the roundabout safer for pedestrians,
it looks like a good plan on paper but at peak times it will cause mayhem,

it is dependant on budget though so that may stop the whole plan, and afaik this has been talked about for 2-3 years,

pa990

Kazbah wrote: »

They recentlt put in new traffic lights in Blackrock by the Topaz station. Just for pedestrians - seems like a total waste of money. It's hardly a busy road!

they also fúckéd up the road markings.. took them a month or so to make some half arsed effort to rectify it

Funsterdelux

Can these plans be viewed online, I searched but came up with nothing?

Traffic lights would be a farce, the roundabout works very well there, can see how the start of Skehard Rd could be widened alright.

dewdrop

Has anyone contacted the local councillors in the matter and aired their objections.

Babette

Micheal Martin lives across the road so he'd be the man to approach. This is a ridiculous idea. Traffic lights were put in by the credit union on the Ballinlough road where a pedestrian crossing would have been more than enough. And a lollipop lady operates there every morning as well!

rachos89

Where are they proposing to put the 3rd lane exactly? I think the set up the way it is is just fine, I've never had any problems or delays there and I've been living in Ballinlough all my life!! Disgusted to hear about this, will try and lodge a complaint asap!

bladebrew

Funsterdelux wrote: »

Can these plans be viewed online, I searched but came up with nothing?

Traffic lights would be a farce, the roundabout works very well there, can see how the start of Skehard Rd could be widened alright.

i had an a3 sheet of the plans dropped into my door with a letter from cllr terry shannon, they were on view in the council offices,
if i figure it out i will open the printer/,scanner i got for christmas and scan them in,
there will be traffic lights where the roundabout was and at the bottom of the hill by the montessori

two wheels good

Thanks for the support. It,s reassuring to know that I,m not the only one to consider traffic lights to be folly at that junction.

But wait, it gets worse. A staff member in the Roads Dept. told me that the council has a program to "reduce the number of roundabouts in the city".
And he couldn,t explain why when I pressed him.

My good intentions to spread the word locally came to nothing ,cos of preparing for a trip last weekend but my sister did some local canvassing. Let,s hope it makes a difference.

charlemont

Traffic lights have popped up like mushrooms around the place, Iv a nasty feeling lights will eventually be put in by Well Rd/Woodview roundabout and also Victoria Rd/Centre Park Road..Maybe even Wilton roundabout.

Owen

They need to fix the Well Road first. I've already buckled 2 alloys this year over it.

two wheels good

I received the following email from a friend who objected to the proposed traffic lights.

"Got a letter of acknowledgment yesterday so I rang the Council to see if I could find out how many objections/submissions were received. Spoke to the Senior Executive Engineer (who signed the letter). Very helpful guy. Gave me as much time as I wanted on the phone.
They received about 100 submissions. I asked him if that would be considered a lot. He said it was substantial alright. (my emphasis)


Procedure now is they go through the submissions, summarise them, make recommendations and prepare a presentation to be given to the Councillors. They then approve or scrap the project or request modifications. It doesn't go back to the public for their input.

If approved, it will then be assessed along with other projects and decided if it will be included in next year's budgeted work. So it doesn't have funding as yet.

In terms of timing, it will be late summer before Councillors will be presented to. It will be earliest, early next year before work would begin. Obviously this also depends on whether modifications are required and if it gets into the list of work for next year."

I was feeling righteous for writing a letter and posting on this forum. She wrote the letter AND knocked on doors!
Thanks to everyone who felt moved to object. Let's do it more often - and hope it will have some influence!

sammalone

I'm also appalled at the number of traffic lights popping up everywhere - even where there doesn't seem to be any need for them! Do we the residents of Cork have any say in all of this? Fair play to you for spotting this plan two wheels good!!!
Maybe we could organise a little protest from here to raise awareness among the general population of this plan? Any ideas? Even if we got as many people as we could from here to stop traffic intermittantly from each direction (just as traffic lights would) fro an hour - now this is just a random idea - we could give out details of where to lodge objection of start a petition to people in cars while stopped.

kub

Apparently in the City Hall, the staff have to fill out pages and pages everyday of expenese and costs incured by the City council.
All for some crowd called the IMF............lads seriously, they haven't even started on the civil / public service as yet. But will.

So don't worry about the traffic lights, they won't have the money. Don't worry about the road, it won't be a road for much longer, what with all the pot holes which they won't have the money to repair.

parsi

From The Echo it appears that the councillors have voted to go ahead with this plan.

charlemont

parsi wrote: »

From The Echo it appears that the councillors have voted to go ahead with this plan.

Nothing surprises me with traffic lights in Cork , They are like mushrooms, sprouting up everywhere, Im sure all the councillors get great perks from the companies involved.

Kazbah

pa990 wrote: »

they also fúckéd up the road markings.. took them a month or so to make some half arsed effort to rectify it

Now they are resurfacing the whole road - didn't think the Blackrock road was that bad.

Padraig Mor

Padraig Mor wrote: »

There's no problems at that r'bout AFAIK! Sounds like the junction of Togher Road and Tramore Road (by Abbeyville Vet hospital). There was a roundabout there for years with very few (if any) traffic problems. Some fool in the council thought it would be a great idea to stick in a bunch of traffic lights at no doubt exorbitant cost. Result: instant gridlock spreading to Clashduv Road at peak times. After a few weeks, the lights were put on flashing orange and have remained that way ever since (approx 3 years) and a 'close your eyes, go, and hope for the best' approach is required from some directions. No doubt the council idiot has picked up his yearly increments since then, despite demonstrated incompetence.....

Developments on this in yesterday's paper. The council have belatedly decided to replace the useless traffic lights with..........a roundabout! Yip, exactly like the one that was there in the first place! And have apparently spent many thousands on 'consultants' to tell them this (they should have just asked me!). Funnily enough, there was no mention in the article of disciplinary action against the Council muppets who signed off on the junction in the first place. Guess the journo must have been stuck for space or something.......

Owen

The traffic lights in Ballincollig are now being recognised as a disaster. The town council are switching off 2 sets as a 'trial' to see if they can improve traffic flow in the town. Wonder if that's helped with the decision on Skehard Road.

cork_south

Laura McGonigle (@LauraMcGonigle)
08/05/2012 19:07
Skehard Road realignment works due to start Monday next, May 14th. #fb

goldie fish

Owen wrote: »

Whoever's selling the lights must be giving some backhander to City Hall. Ballincollig got 17 sets of lights from one end to the other. It turned what was a free flowing town, into gridlocked mayhem.

There is also a new set of lights in midleton, covered, with no obvious reason for them being there. Provided by a company called "Peek".

parsi

cork_south wrote: »

Laura McGonigle (@LauraMcGonigle)
08/05/2012 19:07
Skehard Road realignment works due to start Monday next, May 14th. #fb

Typical. We don't need any changes there but muppet councillors think it's a great idea.

The work on Boreenmanna Road seems to have stalled after 5 months . They've left serious potholes near the Crab Lane junction.

Owen

I'm wondering what realignment is happening? The only thing I can think of is the old wall on the left before Scallys, I hope that isn't being knocked, it's one of the few original walls left in the area.

babo9

I'd love to see the council's "research" that indicates to them that things like lights at roundabouts with no congestion and insane amount of traffic lights in Ballincollig are a good idea.

And then you have narrow bendy boreens in which you can drive at 80km/hr past some old ladies front door that opens onto the road, joke!!

parsi

Owen wrote: »

I'm wondering what realignment is happening? The only thing I can think of is the old wall on the left before Scallys, I hope that isn't being knocked, it's one of the few original walls left in the area.

I think most of the work will be at the Well Road end - replacing a working roundabout with traffic lights, adding another set down near the crèche etc.

bladebrew

I hope its not all the work they were on about a year ago, its removing the roundabout at the top of the well road and replacing it with traffic lights, then moving the entire road over into the green area at the top of skehard road and adding traffic lights for pedestrians and a bus lane i believe,
it will work fine at 2pm in the afternoon but at peak hours it will cause mayhem,
and judging by how long they have been working at crab lane it may take years to finish:)

cork_south

bladebrew wrote: »

I hope its not all the work they were on about a year ago, its removing the roundabout at the top of the well road and replacing it with traffic lights, then moving the entire road over into the green area at the top of skehard road and adding traffic lights for pedestrians and a bus lane i believe,
it will work fine at 2pm in the afternoon but at peak hours it will cause mayhem,
and judging by how long they have been working at crab lane it may take years to finish:)

I can envisage tailbacks from town well past the Silver Key bar and up towards Con during rush hour here. Most people will start driving through Silverdale\Ashleigh\Firmount to avoid the tailbacks.

Nice move councilors, bringing unnecessary traffic off of the main road and through residential areas. :mad:

Owen

Yup, going to be insane. Not to mention the additional carbon footprint of demolishing the roundabout, installing the lights and having the permenant electricity drain of the lights being on/vehicles burning fuel at a standstill. And if the Scallys junction is anything to go by, the area where the roundabout was will forever be a sinking piece of potholed tarmac.

parsi

Yet again a solution is imposed on a non-existent problem by councillors who don't live in the ward.

bladebrew

My lord after swearing at my scanner for a while i decided to take a photo of the plans for skehard road, i cant embed it because because the image is gigantic!, buildtime of 5 months!, day 2 and they have put up a sign and a fence yah!

Hogzy

^^^
What an absolutely unnecessary waste of money. Considering all the potholes around the place you would think the council would have their priorities elsewhere.

What makes that plan even worse is the fact that the majority of traffic actually goes from the Well Road onto the Boreenmanna Road and vice versa.

The fact that the road MASSIVELY benefits traffic going from Skehard Rd to Boreenmanna Rd means that there will be tailbacks Turning right from Cork Con when going to Douglas.

The whole thing is stupid.