Cycling/Walking around the city

dastardly00

Brad768 wrote: »

Are they small triangular prisms painted in yellow and black stripes? I was coming back from a club spin and was cycling along the bike path along the N6 towards Bodkin roundabout. Just taking it easy, hands on the tops with a tailwind, going along at about 30kph. I then caught something out the corner of my eye along the bike lane. I managed to bunny hop it with less than a second to go before I was catapulted along the pavement. Close one indeed.

Yeah they are quite dangerous. Yet another reason not to use the cycle lane!

galwaycyclist

There are rumours of a Critical Mass cycle tomorrow Sat May 8th at 12pm from the NUI, Galway entrance on University Rd opposite Wards Shop.

Up on Facebook apparently

biko

FB link www.facebook.com/events/352165051551848/

Meet at NUIG, University Rd. entrance across from Ward's Corner Shop at 12 Noon. We start promptly at 12:15 PM.

Rumour spreading = bad, source = good

galwaycyclist

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Up on Facebook apparently

Whats facebook?

snubbleste

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Whats facebook?

It's some sort of book. Clue is in the name.

Redhairedguy

I'm curious. Is this Critical Mass cycle just for sharts and giggles, or is there some sort of over-arching theme/point?

ben.schlomo

Redhairedguy wrote: »

I'm curious. Is this Critical Mass cycle just for sharts and giggles, or is there some sort of over-arching theme/point?

You bring your own signs and can protest about anythi............oh wait, thats a different thing.;)

Brad768

Redhairedguy wrote: »

I'm curious. Is this Critical Mass cycle just for sharts and giggles, or is there some sort of over-arching theme/point?

Celebrates cyclists rights to the road apparently. I usually pass through town around that time anyway for a 30km ride or so. Might drop down it.

biko

Here's a video from last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hTMrlHHVx8A#t=69s

Cleahaigh

galwaycyclist wrote: »

There are rumours of a Critical Mass cycle tomorrow Sat May 8th at 12pm from the NUI, Galway entrance on University Rd opposite Wards Shop.

Up on Facebook apparently

Rumours, eh?:rolleyes:

galwaycyclist

Hi

This is a City Council proposal to close some access ways. Its out for public submissions until next Tuesday 21st May.

Posting here in case anyone has any views on this from the cycling perspective.

Public Notice: Roads Act 1993 Section 73 -
Extinguishment of 4 No. Public Right-of-Ways - (1)
Monalee Heights, Ballymoneen Road, (2) Rockfield Park,
Rahoon, (3) Ashleigh Grove, Ballymoneen Road, (4)
Sceilg Ard, Headford Road

Notice and drawings: http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/260313_01.html

Initial observations from desk

Monalee Heights (off Ballymoneen Rd Knocknacarra)
==================================================

Looks like they are gating them all. Two are internal links so no access implications. Two lead to the Church these have access implications.

Alternatives? Might be scope for an alternative access at no 79 Monalee through to Ros Ard?

Google Maps: https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=53.263467,-9.119167&spn=0.001787,0.004823&t=h&z=18

Ashliegh Grove (off Ballymoneen Rd Knocknacarra)
================================================

These are links through to Portcarron - so these do have access implications - looks like they are to be gated

Long term solution might be to purchase and demolish No 94 Portcarron or Number 76 Ashleigh Grove.

Google Maps: https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=53.266269,-9.114661&spn=0.001787,0.004823&t=h&z=18

Rockfield Park (off Rahoon Rd Rahoon)
=================================================

Back ally to be closed - no access implications for cyclists


Sceilig Ard (Off Headford Rd)
==============================

To be gated. This is a link with the Headford road so this has access implications.

Google maps: https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=53.293634,-9.038465&spn=0.001786,0.004823&t=h&z=18

Comment: Looks like the site to north east was developed since satellite image taken. Drawing shows some kind of development not seen in Google maps.

Cleahaigh

I assume the proposals are due to anti-social behavior?

galwaycyclist

Cleahaigh wrote: »

I assume the proposals are due to anti-social behavior?

I believe so but it is important to keep in mind that this is anti-social behaviour that has been "designed in" by the city's planning department.

So there may be solutions that "design out" the behaviour without removing access.

ben.schlomo

Worked very well when they did it in Tirellan a number of years back, cut out all the dark, unsafe havens for trouble.

Iwannahurl

galwaycyclist wrote: »

I believe so but it is important to keep in mind that this is anti-social behaviour that has been "designed in" by the city's planning department.

So there may be solutions that "design out" the behaviour without removing access.

In my neighbourhood there are several children, and a few adults, who climb over a high wall twice every day to save themselves an extra 2 km walk to/from school/work. I've even seen bikes being hauled over on occasion.

That's anti-social "planning", imo.

Ironically, there are some in our estate who regard the act of climbing over the wall as an anti-social act in itself. A few years ago, in response to such complaints, the local Community Garda suggested taking a photo of the 'offenders' and submitting it to the authorities.

On February 14 this year, a teenage boy called to my door with a bunch of flowers. I was puzzled when I opened the door and saw him shyly clutching the bouquet, and then he politely asked whether he could go through my garden and climb over the wall to deliver the flowers to his beloved on the other side. That's a photo I should have taken: a poignant example of young people's adaptation to Galway City Council's urban design priorities...

Brad768

Passed loads of cyclists today. Great to see. The good weather was a nice change for once!

Iwannahurl

Yep, I had the wee 'un out on a balance/strider bike today, rolling along the Prom. Reward: strawberry ice cream from Maud's.

yer man!

Is the Lough Atalia bridge still prohibited to cyclists? and if so why? reason I ask is because the council want to convert the hard shoulders of the coast road from Oranmore to town to a cycle lane and possibly diverge at around Roscam to go beside to railway line, this seems to change in every development plan. Just wondering if the current path from barracks to station would need to be upgraded because if not this scheme looks pretty easy to implement.

galwaycyclist

yer man! wrote: »

Is the Lough Atalia bridge still prohibited to cyclists? and if so why? reason I ask is because the council want to convert the hard shoulders of the coast road from Oranmore to town to a cycle lane and possibly diverge at around Roscam to go beside to railway line, this seems to change in every development plan. Just wondering if the current path from barracks to station would need to be upgraded because if not this scheme looks pretty easy to implement.

Some years back Irish Rail took a lot of space off the path when they relaid the tracks. It should never have been permitted as the route was already in the city development plan.

The sign claiming that cycling is prohibited was still up last night but I am not sure if it has any legal basis. It was put up by Irish rail and predates the narrowing of the path. The path itself is Irish rail property and they have claimed prescriptive right of way. To assert this they,are supposed to close it once a year but I dont know when they,last did that. So that might be open to challenge.

Cleahaigh

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Some years back Irish Rail took a lot of space off the path when they relaid the tracks. It should never have been permitted as the route was already in the city development plan.

The sign claiming that cycling is prohibited was still up last night but I am not sure if it has any legal basis. It was put up by Irish rail and predates the narrowing of the path. The path itself is Irish rail property and they have claimed prescriptive right of way. To assert this they,are supposed to close it once a year but I dont know when they,last did that. So that might be open to challenge.

The rail company are perfectly within their rights to refurbish and modernise their system on their own property without interference from the city council planning morons.

jkforde

Cleahaigh wrote: »

The rail company are perfectly within their rights to refurbish and modernise their system on their own property without interference from the city council planning morons.

Irish Rail isn't exempt from national planning law or local development plans are they?

galwaycyclist

Cleahaigh wrote: »

The rail company are perfectly within their rights to refurbish and modernise their system on their own property without interference from the city council planning morons.

If they are using our taxes to do it then I would expect that they use those taxes in pursuit of the common good. Last time I checked Irish rail were publicly owned and handsomly subsidised.

yer man!

So what do people make of the proposed cycle lanes for the city. Some of these are not exactly correct, for example the Oranmore to Barna Greenway will be a different scheme and the route will be different to this.

Brad768

Beautiful day for cycling, and my bike is off getting a new rear hub Hopefully the weather sticks around for the weekend

snubbleste

Brad768 wrote: »

Beautiful day for cycling, and my bike is off getting a new rear hub Hopefully the weather sticks around for the weekend

There is a horrible northerly wind

Brad768

No bother going for a coastal cycle out Barna way then?

Seaneh

Brad768 wrote: »

No bother going for a coastal cycle out Barna way then?

if you were to take golfcourse road from dangan towards barna you'd have the wind behind ya the whole way up the hill, make life a lot easier!

Brad768

Might be of interest to some
Work The Bike Cycle is a fun 23Km morning cycle loop of Galway City for anyone with a bike to get them cycling to work together on one day. All participants will meet at Jigsaw Galway on Fairgreen Rd at 7am.
http://www.jigsaw.ie/workthebike

snubbleste

This is on the N6 approaching Briarhill junction outbound. Why is there a bicycle sign above a hard shoulder and hatched area? Do cyclists magically appear from that sign onwards?

galwaycyclist

The Bike Week Film Night takes place tomorrow in An Tiabhdhearc. Doors open at 7pm. Films start @ 7:30pm.

The event page for the film night is here. https://www.facebook.com/events/377045092402149/