Cycling/Walking around the city

zarquon

Have to agree with the other posters, even as a car driver. It's ridiculous to suggest that parking in a clearway or bike lane does not cause an obstruction.

Unfortunately there are many people in this world who are happy to inconvenience others as long as they are not inconvenienced. Why should i park 2 minutes up the road when i can just park in this nice empty bike lane! Why should i have to park on the other side of the car park when those disabled spots are all empty! :rolleyes:

A bit of consideration costs nothing but there are plenty who live in their own bubble and simply don't care if they are inconveniencing others. You can tell a lot about the personality of an individual by their driving or parking habits. Obnoxious parking = ______ person? I will leave others to come up their own answers

jjpep

galwayredgirl wrote: »

All car drivers are evil! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! :rolleyes:

Now you're just being wilfuly stupid. The problem is not when one person does something, it's when a lot of people do something. It's strange that you can't understand that.

CramCycle

galwayredgirl wrote: »

Its basic cop on. You don't park in a manner likely to cause an obstruction. Zealotry is never good i.e. Live and let live.

Parking on a double yellow line is likely to cause an obstruction, that's the reason they are there, either an obstruction physically or to viewing causing unsafe conditions for all other road users and foot path users.

The people you see who do this and get out of their or off their vehicle shrugging their shoulders at the inconvenience and danger they cause are the same people who would lambast someone for delaying them slightly if the situation was reverse. It seems to be a hard concept for some to grasp but if everyone followed the rules safely and with due consideration for others, then people would have nothing to complain about.

Iwannahurl

Lundar. wrote: »

I have been cycling Seamus quirke road for a few weeks now, the cycling lanes are alway full of glass particularly around the bus stops.Make it hard to cycle at times and dangerous. Taken to cycling in the taxi lane for a short distance, as ESB has closed the cycle lane and the rest of it is full of glass.

This is an ongoing problem, and it appears that not a lot is being done about it. I have heard people claim that the sweeping machines can't access cycle paths, while others say they can but that they don't sweep up glass very well.

I passed that way this morning and happened to spot a street-sweeping machine approaching. Since there was, with grim inevitability, broken glass strewn on the cycle path, I realised it would be a good time to test a hypothesis or two.

The first photo shows broken glass on the cycle path at 11:36 this morning. Photos 2 and 3 show the sweeping machine in action, accompanied by a guy with one of those blower machines (we'll ignore the official signage and the salmon cyclist for the moment, even though I included them for a reason). Photo 4 is of the same section of the cycle path at 14:53, showing broken glass beside the marks left by the street sweeper.

So what's going on? Why is there still broken glass lying around after the Council workers have been and gone?

WallyGUFC

galwayredgirl wrote: »

If you are not obstructing traffic or wheelchairs or buggys then to be quite frank yes. God how did we manage without bike lanes up until a few years ago?

People who's sole hobby is photographing cars are weird. But I occasionally take pics of badly parked cars in town, and have a dashcam to catch it all too anyway. Your attitude is s**t tbh. People who just "just pull into the shop for a few minutes" are a pain in the ar*e and I'm not even a cyclist.

Are there penalty points for outrageous parking? There should be. Or maybe there should be some sort of attitude test one must take when doing the theory test.

what_traffic

Iwannahurl wrote: »

The first photo shows broken glass on the cycle path at 11:36 this morning. Photos 2 and 3 show the sweeping machine in action, accompanied by a guy with one of those blower machines (we'll ignore the official signage and the salmon cyclist for the moment, even though I included them for a reason). Photo 4 is of the same section of the cycle path at 14:53, showing broken glass beside the marks left by the street sweeper.

So what's going on? Why is there still broken glass lying around after the Council workers have been and gone?

Fair play for highlighting this.
Not surprised at all by this. It's the main reason I avoid the SQR/BOD cycle paths. If cyclists are getting punctures on the SQR/BOD cycle paths is the Council liable to pay for those repairs similar to motorists who claim from the council regarding pot holes?
Did you ask the Blower machine worker does the blower move/shift the broken glass when he passed you?
Are Yard Brushes out of fashion in the Council?

CramCycle

what_traffic wrote: »

Are Yard Brushes out of fashion in the Council?

Dountful, I mean they need something to lean on :pac:

Redhairedguy

I have no problem with people needing to pull in and cause an obstruction on a clearway or bike lane in a genuine emergency; another passenger needing to get sick, or my personal favourite of dropping the cigarette lighter into one's lap, for example. :pac:

It's when soccer mom/dad pulls over, throwing on their hazards (aka 'park-anywhere-lights), and runs into a shop whilst junior is still left strapped in his dora the explorer car seat in the back, that my blood boils.

dastardly00

Redhairedguy wrote: »

I have no problem with people needing to pull in and cause an obstruction on a clearway or bike lane in a genuine emergency; another passenger needing to get sick, or my personal favourite of dropping the cigarette lighter into one's lap, for example. :pac:

It's when soccer mom/dad pulls over, throwing on their hazards (aka 'park-anywhere-lights), and runs into a shop whilst junior is still left strapped in his dora the explorer car seat in the back, that my blood boils.

Did you not say that you think it's ok to park in a clearway or on double-yellow lines if you are popping into the shop for a few minutes?

Redhairedguy

dastardly00 wrote: »

Did you not say that you think it's ok to park in a clearway or on double-yellow lines if you are popping into the shop for a few minutes?

Nope. Only that I can understand someone having to park up in those places in the event of an emergency.

dastardly00

Redhairedguy wrote: »

Nope. Only that I can understand someone having to park up in those places in the event of an emergency.

Apologies Redhairedguy

I got your post mixed up with the post of galwayredgirl.

snubbleste

Large pothole observed at Distillery/Newcastle Rd junction.

Council have erected shiny new waist-high steel bollards on footpath adjacent Centra @ Wellpark, Dublin Rd outbound

what_traffic

snubbleste wrote: »

Council have erected shiny new waist-high steel bollards on footpath adjacent Centra @ Wellpark, Dublin Rd outbound

Is it to stop vechicles parking on the Path/Bus Lane?

The bollards that really annoy me when walking in the city are near Wolfe Tone Bridge. Wonder what clever road's engineer in Galway City decided to put these ones in? Kerb is about 10 inches high so vechicle's would not be parking on the footpath here anyhow. Located between Raven Terrace and Fisheries Tower (on the Corrib side) Google Street view does not show them

snubbleste

I presume it is. Centra's seem to attract such anti-social motorists.

Those Wolfe Tone bollards are very annoying and only serve to reduce space and cause a multitude of bruises I'm sure.

what_traffic

snubbleste wrote: »

Those Wolfe Tone bollards are very annoying and only serve to reduce space and cause a multitude of bruises I'm sure.

Ya in the winter evenings you often see people walking into them as the area is not well lit.

Iwannahurl

Bizarre, because in my experience the Council is very reluctant to put in bollards even where they're sorely needed (eg to prevent motorists driving on footpaths near schools).

thesandeman

what_traffic wrote: »

Ya in the winter evenings you often see people walking into them as the area is not well lit.

I had a look last night. I think the idea is that they have 'cats eyes' things on them so cars don't mount the path by accident.
They are way too big and awkward though.

what_traffic

thesandeman wrote: »

I had a look last night. I think the idea is that they have 'cats eyes' things on them so cars don't mount the path by accident.
They are way too big and awkward though.

Why not just put in better street lighting? You could be right though as you would do serious damage to any regular vechicle mounting the path here. The path is higher than normal, it looks like it is 8-10 inches higher than the road. Its a barrier for pedestrians though and is a heavily used footway.

what_traffic

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Bizarre, because in my experience the Council is very reluctant to put in bollards even where they're sorely needed (eg to prevent motorists driving on footpaths near schools).

Agree - but these bollards are not for pedestrians. It looks like they are to "help" motorists (from themeselves) from mounting a very high pavement which could damage a vechicle. Guess the Council could be liable otherwise as it does not adhere to a guideline standard of a regular kerb?
The logic they use at times is strange.

what_traffic

Anybody got stopped by the Gardai cycling on the Dublin Road Bus Lane Inbound or Outbound (either side of GMIT) and told to use the main vechicular road lane? Heard this happened recently to a cyclist? Was wondering has this happened to anybody else on boards?

sonandheir

what_traffic wrote: »

Anybody got stopped by the Gardai cycling on the Dublin Road Bus Lane Inbound or Outbound (either side of GMIT) and told to use the main vechicular road lane? Heard this happened recently to a cyclist? Was wondering has this happened to anybody else on boards?

I've never heard of this? Is this the law? This seems extremely dangerous to be cycling in traffic lane where motorists will assume you should move in and being overtaken on the inside by taxis and buses. If this is the law I'll be dismounting from bike and walking the footpath.

galwaycyclist

what_traffic wrote: »

Anybody got stopped by the Gardai cycling on the Dublin Road Bus Lane Inbound or Outbound (either side of GMIT) and told to use the main vechicular road lane? Heard this happened recently to a cyclist? Was wondering has this happened to anybody else on boards?

Yep heard about this. Its a matter for concern might be best for folks to keep this handy:

Bus lanes are open to cyclists under Article 32 of the Traffic and Parking Regulations (Statutory Instrument 182/97 as amended by S.I. No. 332 of 2012)
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2012/en/si/0332.html

ROAD TRAFFIC (TRAFFIC AND PARKING) (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) REGULATIONS 2012

32. (1) (a) A bus lane shall be indicated by means of traffic sign
number RUS 028 or traffic sign number RUS 029 used in
association with traffic sign number RRM 024.
(b) A contra-flow bus lane shall be indicated by means of traffic
sign number RUS 030 used in association with traffic sign
number RRM 024.
(2) A person shall not enter a bus lane with a vehicle other than a
large public service vehicle or a pedal cycle during the period of operation
of the bus lane indicated on an information plate.
(3) A person shall not enter a contra-flow bus lane with a vehicle
other than a large public service vehicle or a pedal cycle.

Although this regulation is from 2012, normal "with flow" bus lanes were open to cyclists under the preceding regulations in place in Dublin since 1986 and nationally since 1997.

S.I. No. 182/1986 - Dublin Area Traffic and Parking Bye-Laws, 1986.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1986/en/si/0182.html

Road Traffic (Traffic & Parking) Regulations 1997 (S.I. No. 182 of 1997);
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0182.html

what_traffic

sonandheir wrote: »

I've never heard of this? Is this the law? This seems extremely dangerous to be cycling in traffic lane where motorists will assume you should move in and being overtaken on the inside by taxis and buses. If this is the law I'll be dismounting from bike and walking the footpath.

It's NOT the law, but that's why its so worrying if a Gardai does not even know the basic rules of the road. Bus Lane signs have a logo of a bus and bike in them.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1980/en/si/0358.html

Iwannahurl

There have been fatalities and serious injuries on the Dublin Road.

http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Road-Safety/Our-Research/Ireland-Road-Collisions/

A couple of months ago I met some people who want to cycle to school but are terrified of using that route.

dastardly00

Iwannahurl wrote: »

There have been fatalities and serious injuries on the Dublin Road.

http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Road-Safety/Our-Research/Ireland-Road-Collisions/

A couple of months ago I met some people who want to cycle to school but are terrified of using that route.

There seems to have been only one minor collision involving a cyclist on the Dublin Road between 2005-2012 according to your link.

Iwannahurl

Perception of safety is a very important factor, especially with regard to parents who would like their children to walk or cycle to school. They may be aware of previous fatalities among vulnerable road users, such as the 77-year-old female pedestrian knocked down by a bus in 2007. They may also have encountered speeding taxis or buses in the outbound bus lane, or excessively fast general traffic in the inbound lane. Perhaps they may have experienced dangerous overtaking; in addition to the bad driving often seen in Galway, the City Council are rather fond of road layouts that do not leave sufficient space for cyclists.

snubbleste

Anyone else observe the dearth of bicycle parking facilities in popular retail destinations like Dunnes & Aldi west?

galwaycyclist

snubbleste wrote: »

Anyone else observe the dearth of bicycle parking facilities in popular retail destinations like Dunnes & Aldi west?

Yes. There is a truly striking absence of cycle parking generally in the city. There has been for years. Its almost as if somebody is trying to tell people to use their cars instead of cycling.

Funnily enough out at the Knocknacarra Dunnes there is a large amount of cycle parking but most of it is in the wrong places. Its all out in the open and much of it is further from the shop entrances than the car parking. Again its as if whoever put it in did not actually want cyclists to use it.

Most cyclists going to Dunnes lock their bikes around the trolly racks.

You see the same thing at Dunnes in Westside. What passes for cycle parking is of poor design uncovered and further from the shops than car parking.

Most curious.

Iwannahurl

Salthill -- a Mecca for fans of the blatant abandontmentness style of car parking, and a no-go area for anyone seeking a proper place to park their bike (or cross the road on foot).

I love the way the City Council have put the Leisureland bike parking above a flight of steps.

The "planners" of the Dunnes carpark in Knocknacarra seem to have thought it best to locate the bike parking as far away as possible from the shops, or else in the most awkward spots.

However, it should be noted that Dunnes was originally meant to be where B&Q is now. The bike parking outside the latter is fine, imo.

galwaycyclist

The annual European Mobility Week initiative has been running from 16th to 22nd September.

The Galway Cycling Campaign will be marking the event with a stand somewhere down town tomorrow. It will be city centre I'll post the location when we're set up.

We'll have maps and leaflets on safe cycling skills etc. If anyone wants to swap ideas and stories on cycling (or walking) around the city they are welcome to come along.