The new trafic mess on the Quay.

wmpdd3

What a disaster.

chelloveks

Put a few hiviz vests on the lads in the tents. A bunch of stoners directing traffic would be better than that mess!

daenerysstormborn3

I was in town twice today and it's an absolute disaster, especially at the right turn up towards City Square where there was always a little congestion anyway.

leduke

it looks like the ultimate aim is for single lane traffic on the quay and try keep the trucks out of the city centre

jayboi

Old thread n it here. Is it still the same as originally planned?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=66421710


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/Trevis/roundaboutarticle.jpg

http://www.waterford-news.com/news/mhcwsnkfgb/

Junior

AdMMM wrote: »

I'd imagine departmental budgets have a lot to do with it. Government departments have this fear (and it's possibly well founded) that if they don't spend what they are allocated in a given year that their budget will be cut the following year. It's why we see random improvements being made to our roads and baffling public awareness advertising campaigns on TV (nailcare and kitchen safety) towards the end of the year.

It's something like that, If projects are assigned capital from a budget in a year, if that project isn't completed by the time the budgeted year is complete it accrues from the next years budget, so even though they might be broke, they don't want to carry debt (money assigned to a project) over into the new year's budget.

CardBordWindow

leduke wrote: »

it looks like the ultimate aim is for single lane traffic on the quay and try keep the trucks out of the city centre

Fair enough if they want to keep trucks out of the city centre, but what's the point if it's going to make traffic worse for everyone else?
All they're going to do is discourage people from going into town. No wonder the city centre is like a ghost town at times (when it's not Christmas, obviously)

wmpdd3

That new layout would keep an MPV out of the city center, but it will not keep truck out.

The truck companies paying the toll will keep them out.

wmpdd3

jayboi wrote: »

Old thread n it here. Is it still the same as originally planned?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=66421710


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/Trevis/roundaboutarticle.jpg

http://www.waterford-news.com/news/mhcwsnkfgb/

The only roundabout I see there is one at Gladstone st, thats not going to do anything for the turns into the car parks.

sparkling sea

alinton wrote: »

Yes, but that stupid system encourages more spending, not more saving!

The attitude of government bodies is shocking. They have no idea how to act efficiently.

Its endemic in the public service, and one reason its going to be very difficult for any government without the courage to truly reform it, to drag the country out of the $hit.

A.

. This laissez faire attitude although not as common, is also found in a small number of private business too in my experience and
Its shocking alright. Whats even more shocking is that a lot of people do not realise the importance of proper budgeting, responsibility and accountability, you'd have to wonder what world they live in, wouldn't you

200motels

I was on the quay today and what a nightmare, who are these idiots who thought this was a good idea, they should be named and shamed and then sacked, someone is going to be killed very soon if something is not done about this soon.

south

its a bit of a joke alright. going to cause more harm then good

beazee

For those users asking about the ongoing roadworks on the Quays ... here is the reply to questions posed to our Roadss Engineer ...

"The works are part of the R680 Green Route. Roadworks are ongoing on the Quay, Waterford, involving the construction of a new roundabout, footpaths and central median at the Post Office, and central median at Reginald's Tower.

Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction during the works, and following the completion of the works.

Care is advised in the area, particularly at the right turn for City Square Shopping Centre."
Source: http://www.facebook.com/WaterfordCityCouncil

batm!ke

I'd prefer to hear why all the changes are taking place and what the eventual benefits, (if any) there will be...

Not being smart just would like to know. Can put up with roadworks etc when I know there is gold at the end of the rainbow, wha?!

Sully

It seems to be a right mess at the moment. You go from the bridge onto two lanes until the car park beyond the clock tower where it immediately switches to one lane (to facilitate the car park exit) briefly before switching back to two lanes. From here, it would appear to make sense to be two lanes because there are two lanes at the traffic lights.

But at the moment from the plaza to just beyond the clock tower it switches down to one lane again. This means that traffic which has built up onto two lanes (one heading towards Dunmore and the other heading towards John St) now has to merge together for a few meters and then it goes back to two lanes. It seems an unnecessary merge when it could continue to be two lanes all the way to the traffic lights.

CardBordWindow

A while ago, it was two lanes til just after the city square car park, but now it's 1 lanes at this junction, so anyone going into that car park will block the entire quay if they can't get across quickly.

The quay was one semi-decent road in the city, and they seem intent on making a complete balls of it!

wmpdd3

The really bad part is, I haven't been to Shaws or City Square since I strated this thread as I have started parking in Ballybricken or Poleberry to avoid the mess down there.

I still havent found a plan of how it will look when finished...

O Riain

wmpdd3 wrote: »

The really bad part is, I haven't been to Shaws or City Square since I strated this thread as I have started parking in Ballybricken or Poleberry to avoid the mess down there.

I still havent found a plan of how it will look when finished...

Seems like their plan has worked!

Trick of the Tail

You really have to wonder sometimes why the City Council seem to have such a bad attitude towards motorists.

The public transport around the city and certainly into the city from the outside is not good. Its not a suitable city for mass use of bicycles.

So surely they should be encouraging and facilitating people to drive into the town centre?

I wonder what he reasoning is for discouraging people to drive in. Not 'the environment' as that's entirely spurious. Congestion? Employ someone who knows how to plan traffic layouts then (as they don't at the moment). I'm lost for any other 'reasons'.

There's no need to charge for city centre parking. Just put a 2-hour time limit in operation. They used to be able to run themselves without the funds that parking generates, so why can't they now?

Someone in the city council (and its a civil servant, not an elected councillor) seems to be hell-bent on destroying the city-centre businesses by making it undesirable to drive there.

This attitude is damaging and really should be stopped.

A.

Potential-Monke

I reckon it's deliberate to slow down traffic and force people to use the new bridge instead of going through the city to get to the cork road side...

Either way, a roundabout is just simply stupid on the quay. It can't be big enough as the road isn't big enough, so it'll probably be a fried-egg roundabout, which means people will drive over it and not around it...

wmpdd3

Going by the high circle around the entrance of the 'crane' car park, it looks like it will be a real roundabout. A longwheel base jeep would have problems getting through that roundabout from what I can see.

Hoffmans

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Going by the high circle around the entrance of the 'crane' car park, it looks like it will be a real roundabout. A longwheel base jeep would have problems getting through that roundabout from what I can see.

by the looks of it a cyclist on their bicycle will have problems gettin round it...

wellboytoo

I saw a segment of the inner kerb being set out today and it looks plenty navigable for any size vehicle at the speeds they are enforcing on the Quay, and the roundabout will solve the problem of turning up to City square blocking the quay, you will not be able to turn right there, you will have to go to the roundabout and u turn.
As I said before wait until its finished, it is a reasonable plan of slowing traffic but flowing traffic in the City, and giving opportunities to visitors to pull in / turn around if they want to stop.
The finish is top class, the paving is Celtic tiger stuff, you would not expect to see in these tough times.
The methodology and speed of the contractor may be a bit eighties , but the price is probably good, and the extras would be small as the council would not have to deal with an army of project managers ,QS's,etc.
Credit where credit is due for the City Council, they are not sitting on their arses,they are out there doing something in bad times when we most need it,

CardBordWindow

Potential-Monke wrote: »

I reckon it's deliberate to slow down traffic and force people to use the new bridge instead of going through the city to get to the cork road side...

Either way, a roundabout is just simply stupid on the quay. It can't be big enough as the road isn't big enough, so it'll probably be a fried-egg roundabout, which means people will drive over it and not around it...

I don't really understand why they want to force people onto the new bridge. The toll is ran by a private company as far as I know, so the council are not gaining any money from it.

Professey Chin

CardBordWindow wrote: »

I don't really understand why they want to force people onto the new bridge. The toll is ran by a private company as far as I know, so the council are not gaining any money from it.

Theyre trying to stop HGVs coming through the city instead of using the bypass.
I'll be happy with single lanes, especially on the inside down around shaws and centra.
So many people seem to have it in their head that 2 lanes means you can park in one or on the double lines and it doesnt matter cause theres another lane. It causes mayhew forcing people to suddenly switch lanes or some people just decide to drive half in 1 lane and half in the other.
Single lanes (and a bit of traffic law enforcement) would help with this a lot. And making it permissable to punch people who think hazard lights are park anywhere lights -_-

wmpdd3

I have changed my tune, even though I still can't find a graphic of how the Green route will look when its done, I think the works are a good thing for Waterford.

Traffic has slowed on the quay, volumes are reducing n my opinion every year, this may be because of people taking a different route or it may be due to reduced activity around Waterford.

My only issue is with drivers speeding up during the two lane section and bullying their way into the left lane. I think it will all be one lane so that will stamp this out.

I see a lot of cars mounting the pavement while exiting the roundabout outside the GPO, pedestrians are often waiting to cross here so its a bit worrying.

Also if they make a meridian and plant trees on it like outside the Cancer charity shop, it could be a problem with pedestrians appearing from between the trees to cross the road.

The design and materials used link up nicely with the materials used in the Viking triangle.

BUT, roadworks during June, July and August, is not a good decision.

Hoffmans

some mess now and left there for the busiest weekend in town for a while with the rally and all it looks rough having half the road dug up surrounded by makeshift fencing ,cant see any visitors returning seeing it now takes 20 minutes to drive less than half a km down the quay at busy times....

7upfree

Hoffmans wrote: »

some mess now and left there for the busiest weekend in town for a while with the rally and all it looks rough having half the road dug up surrounded by makeshift fencing ,cant see any visitors returning seeing it now takes 20 minutes to drive less than half a km down the quay at busy times....

And a roundabout started two years ago still unfinished. Bailey's new Street torn to pieces for weeks now and no sign of anything different in it. Is there no way these contractors - like in any normal job - can be given a finish date? With penalty clauses?

Sully

7upfree wrote: »

And a roundabout started two years ago still unfinished. Bailey's new Street torn to pieces for weeks now and no sign of anything different in it. Is there no way these contractors - like in any normal job - can be given a finish date? With penalty clauses?

The people doing the roundabout went bust IIRC. The crowd there now appear to be putting down pipes but work is moving quickly. As for Bailey's New Street, I suspect that there is a lot of work putting down the surface that there doing.

It appears most contractors drag out jobs these days to keep people employed I guess.

Fugs!!

Doing this in the middle of summer is a joke. This end of town is supposed to become a tourist hotspot. Not if they keep this messing up every summer. I don't care if the works are moving along swiftly. IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING NOW!!!