Minister two hours late due to Galway traffic

celty

From the Sentinel this morning:





Traffic gridlock forces city to come to a standstill

February 21, 2012 - 7:00am Health Minister forced to abandon car and walk to hospital meeting


BY FRANK FARRAGHER AND DARA BRADLEY
TRAFFIC gridlock hit the city again with a vengeance on Friday, forcing Health Minister, James Reilly ‘to leg it’ for the final two miles of his journey to University Hospital Galway (UHG) . . . two hours late for an important meeting.
After being stuck in his ministerial car for nearly two hours on the edge of the city, Minister Reilly, alighted from his vehicle at the Menlo Park Hotel Roundabout at around 5.30pm and walked to the hospital.
He had been due to meet the new CEO of UHG, Bill Maher, at 4pm but the official car got clogged up in one of the city’s notorious traffic jams on the Tuam Road shortly after 3.30pm.
Two hours later, the traffic was jammed solid at the Menlo Park Hotel Roundabout and Minister Reilly, along with his secretary, walked to the hospital where they arrived at 6pm – two hours behind schedule.
The Minister had also hoped to make a ‘drop in’ visit to the Galway Hospice on the Dublin Road later on Friday evening, but this had to be abandoned because of the delay.
There were also reports of key medical personnel not being able to travel between Merlin Park and UHG on Friday because of the traffic snarl-up that went on from mid-day until after 6pm.
Some of the reasons put forward for the traffic snarl-up were the large city funeral that morning, the wet day, and the mid-term school break that often coincides with casual shopping trips to the city. The Nuns Island roadway was also closed for roadworks on Friday.
However the Chairperson of the HSE West, Regional Health Forum, Padraig Conneely, said that the problem of traffic getting completely blocked up in the city was now happening with far too much regularity.
“The traffic was shocking on Friday but this is a regular occurrence and no one seems either to have any answers or to take responsibility.

Imagine what its going to be like with the idiots have gotten their way and the roundabouts are gone! Its going to make Galway into a joke.

hondasam

He should have started walking a bit earlier and he would have being on time if he really wanted to.
Every city has traffic problems, Galway is no different. The only problem I see is if there was an emergency could gardai and ambulance get through.
I would imagine the large funeral and roadworks were to blame.
It can only be a good thing if it is highlighted by a minister.

Storm 10

Guy from the council on Keith Finnegan following the chaos this morning due to lane closures that were not supposed to happen during the changeover of the roundabouts, he said that there were going to have to be some lane closed at times and he also said that people stopping to look at the works going on will cause back ups, what a load of boll..ks, the council said there would be NO lanes closed from 7am to 7pm they are a joke in City Hall.

muppetkiller

Well the idiots in power have decided the best time to do Road Works on the removal of these Roundabouts is between 7am and 7pm too.
In any other country in the world it would be 7pm to 7am.
Muppets.

hondasam

muppetkiller wrote: »

Well the idiots in power have decided the best time to do Road Works on the removal of these Roundabouts is between 7am and 7pm too.
In any other country in the world it would be 7pm to 7am.
Muppets.

We have no money in this country to pay 7pm to 7am. We have to make do with what is happening.

Storm 10

hondasam wrote: »

We have no money in this country to pay 7pm to 7am. We have to make do with what is happening.

Its in the contract according to the last time I heard them on the radio, no lanes closed from 7am to 7pm theY would do the work in the centre of the road like what was done at Briarhill, it worked brilliant.

Panthro

I wasn't late for work because I spotted a thread about how mental the traffic was last Friday, moral of the story is, the minister is clearly not a Boards member when he really should be..mwhahahahaaa!:pac:

Shryke

I was an hour and a half late for the cinema. The next showing was on an hour after that. I just went straight home again. It shouldn't happen that traffic could get so gridlocked. Not for the negligible reasons given. Not so badly. The traffic jam started around the turn off to orammore outside town when I was leaving so it had only gotten worse. When I joined it the tail end was at least near GMIT. Such a waste of an evening, I wasn't in a great mood after it.

Nok1a

hondasam wrote: »

He should have started walking a bit earlier and he would have being on time if he really wanted to.
Every city has traffic problems, Galway is no different.

Its well recognised that galways city (and commuting towns) traffic is the worst in the country and there is no sign of it improving(no infastructure plans in place). http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056092496

Are you even from galway? Have you managed to accumulate 23k posts in less than 2yrs by randomly spamming threads with rubbish that you know little about?

Fuinseog

hondasam wrote: »

He should have started walking a bit earlier and he would have being on time if he really wanted to.
Every city has traffic problems, Galway is no different. The only problem I see is if there was an emergency could gardai and ambulance get through.
I would imagine the large funeral and roadworks were to blame.
It can only be a good thing if it is highlighted by a minister.

galway has a lot of bottlenecks. do the the massive trucks still deliver paper to the Tribune and try drive down Abbeygate street?
it would have been better if the minister for transport has encountered the traffic.
when do they plan to get rid of the roundabout at the menlo park?

has traffic flow improved since they got rid of the other roundabout?

sgthighway

Maybe tomorrow..........

hondasam

Nok1a wrote: »

Its well recognised that galways city (and commuting towns) traffic is the worst in the country and there is no sign of it improving(no infastructure plans in place). http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056092496

Are you even from galway? Have you managed to accumulate 23k posts in less than 2yrs by randomly spamming threads with rubbish that you know little about?

That link is from 2010.
Traffic is not that bad every day in Galway. It is expected that it would be busy at work times same as every city.

Fuinseog wrote: »

galway has a lot of bottlenecks. do the the massive trucks still deliver paper to the Tribune and try drive down Abbeygate street?
it would have been better if the minister for transport has encountered the traffic.
when do they plan to get rid of the roundabout at the menlo park?

has traffic flow improved since they got rid of the other roundabout?

It seems to be working well now after a few teething problems. Deliveries are done very early in the am.

Mrs OBumble

Shryke wrote: »

Not for the negligible reasons given.

The largest funeral that Galway has ever seen (according to at least a couple of people who should be in a position to know) is hardly "negligible".

Fuinseog

JustMary wrote: »

The largest funeral that Galway has ever seen (according to at least a couple of people who should be in a position to know) is hardly "negligible".

who died?

snubbleste

Fuinseog wrote: »

who died?

Council's traffic control centre.

hondasam

Fuinseog wrote: »

who died?

http://www.galwaynews.ie/24373-galway-says-goodbye-sporting-hero

antoobrien

hondasam wrote: »

Every city has traffic problems, Galway is no different.

I was in Mumbai a few weeks ago on business. Despite 88% public transport use they still have massive congestion at peak hours. One local told me that traffic is only bad when it's stopped (told him it reminded me of home, except in Galway the traffic rarely moves).

The think is they have multi lane highways running through the city to take cars, buses etc that don't need to be in a neighborhood out of it.

Also funnily enough, I never saw any pedestrian lights, so you just have to walk across the road while traffic is stopped (it works too, never felt as safe crossing a busy road).

celty

antoobrien wrote: »

I was in Mumbai a few weeks ago on business. Despite 88% public transport use they still have massive congestion at peak hours. One local told me that traffic is only bad when it's stopped (told him it reminded me of home, except in Galway the traffic rarely moves).

The think is they have multi lane highways running through the city to take cars, buses etc that don't need to be in a neighborhood out of it.

Also funnily enough, I never saw any pedestrian lights, so you just have to walk across the road while traffic is stopped (it works too, never felt as safe crossing a busy road).

I've heard that in India they sometimes say, "the traffic is so bad, it's nearly as bad as Galway"

muppetkiller

hondasam wrote: »

We have no money in this country to pay 7pm to 7am. We have to make do with what is happening.

We have 400,000 people unemployed ! We shouldn't have to pay people more money to do night shifts in the current climate, people should be queuing up for these jobs.

hondasam

muppetkiller wrote: »

We have 400,000 people unemployed ! We shouldn't have to pay people more money to do night shifts in the current climate, people should be queuing up for these jobs.

A bit unreasonable imo.

ladhrann

muppetkiller wrote: »

We have 400,000 people unemployed ! We shouldn't have to pay people more money to do night shifts in the current climate, people should be queuing up for these jobs.

No matter how long anyone queues I fail to see how it's a productive activity that will hasten the work.

muppetkiller

ladhrann wrote: »

No matter how long anyone queues I fail to see how it's a productive activity that will hasten the work.

I don't understand your point ?
I'm saying the road-works during the day will increase congestion. It should be done in the evenings when people are not commuting to and fro work.

muppetkiller

hondasam wrote: »

A bit unreasonable imo.

Why unreasonable ? It's perfectly logical. And should be the norm for any road-works in a city center location.
Obviously Road works and other construction efforts not on main roads can be done during the day.

celty

Agree with Muppetkiller.

These kind of works should be carried out at night.

So many people in construction have lost their jobs that there must be any amount who'd be willing to work unsocial hours and the rest of us to get around with the minimum hassle 9 to 5 or whatever hours we work.

Look at the amount of disruption people in the Westside have endured for, what, 16 months now due to the 'revamp' of the SQR. After so much pain, will there be much gain?

The contractors and the Council seem equally unaccountable to anybody.

They can dig up whole chunks of the city, put in traffic lights, make things worse, and all people can do is sit in their cars and fume.

ciotog

celty wrote: »

The contractors and the Council seem equally unaccountable to anybody.

They can dig up whole chunks of the city, put in traffic lights, make things worse, and all people can do is sit in their cars and fume.

No 'seem equally unaccountable" about it - they aren't accountable. There's not a lot that can be done in the short term. Medium term, it's probably a case of breaking the cosy political arrangements of local government. So you have a chance of councillors being willing to dump out city officials.

hondasam

muppetkiller wrote: »

Why unreasonable ? It's perfectly logical. And should be the norm for any road-works in a city center location.
Obviously Road works and other construction efforts not on main roads can be done during the day.

That's not what I quoted.

We have 400,000 people unemployed ! We shouldn't have to pay people more money to do night shifts in the current climate, people should be queuing up for these jobs.

It is unreasonable to expect people to work night shift and not get paid extra.

celty

hondasam wrote: »

That's not what I quoted.



It is unreasonable to expect people to work night shift and not get paid extra.

It's even more unreasonable to dig up huge chunks of the city without giving proper warning to road users or to meet the agreed deadlines. How often have I drived or cycled or walked along the SQR over the past year and seen very little work going on there?

Equally, there was zero advance notice when traffic on the Quincentenary Bridge was closed down to two lanes last year.

This is the 21st century. We have a Government which insists on austerity, squeezing every cent they can out of us workers, and yet the City Council have no qualms about disrupting us during the working day.

They don't give a damn about the real world in which people have deadlines to meet and customers to serve.

Put in big floodflights and I'm sure there are any amount of suitably skilled construction workers who'd be willing to work through the night rather than emigrate or sit at home on the dole. Not all of them (especially those with young families) have the option of Australia or Canada.

If the rest of us have been dragged into this new world, why can't the council be and the people who secure lucrative long-term contracts from them?

hondasam

celty wrote: »

Put in big floodflights and I'm sure there are any amount of suitably skilled construction workers who'd be willing to work through the night rather than emigrate or sit at home on the dole. Not all of them (especially those with young families) have the option of Australia or Canada.

I'm sure these skilled workers will not work through the night for minimum pay.
I agree they should carry out the work at night time or at least do it outside of the busy hours.

muppetkiller

hondasam wrote: »

I'm sure these skilled workers will not work through the night for minimum pay.
I agree they should carry out the work at night time or at least do it outside of the busy hours.

You can rest assured that these workers are on far from minimum pay for one thing, and the other is why is it acceptable for Bar Staff, Guards and Nurses etc to work nights at no extra cost ? This is 2012 every business requires people to work nights on occasion. From IT, 24 hour supermarkets etc it's time to get with the times.

hondasam

muppetkiller wrote: »

You can rest assured that these workers are on far from minimum pay for one thing, and the other is why is it acceptable for Bar Staff, Guards and Nurses etc to work nights at no extra cost ? This is 2012 every business requires people to work nights on occasion. From IT, 24 hour supermarkets etc it's time to get with the times.

People who work nights get paid extra night allowance.
I would assume if the council got rid of the workers they have and got new recruits they would be on minimum pay otherwise what would be the point.

kinetic

They have used 24 hour roadworks in the UK for years, i cant see why its not used here, especially on main arteries like the quicentennial bridge and N17

the untitled user

Kylie Fresh Penguin wrote: »

Imagine what its going to be like with the idiots have gotten their way and the roundabouts are gone! Its going to make Galway into a joke.

Hmmm... I'm one of those "idiots". And I got across the city in 15 minutes during the peak on Friday. The solution, both in terms of cutting commute times and costs, is already there. You just gotta get on yer bike.

Doc Ruby

the untitled user wrote: »

Hmmm... I'm one of those "idiots". And I got across the city in 15 minutes during the peak on Friday. The solution, both in terms of cutting commute times and costs, is already there. You just gotta get on yer bike.

And don't forget to strap a big bag over your back for the week's groceries and three young children. Do they do bike-ambulances these days?

galwaycyclist

Doc Ruby wrote: »

And don't forget to strap a big bag over your back for the week's groceries and three young children. Do they do bike-ambulances these days?

Yes the red cross is currently setting up a bike paramedics unit. Why wouldn't you use your car for doing the family shopping or bringing your kids somewhere? If you have a car then doing that on a normal bike seems silly?

Doc Ruby

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Yes the red cross is currently setting up a bike paramedics unit.

They can join the bicycle fire brigade in the fast lane so.

The correct answer is "no", there isn't a bicycle ambulance because they couldn't fit a fiftieth of the gear they need onto a bicycle, nor transport patients on the back of a bicycle, just like the tens of thousands of other road users who have a "legitimate" reason to be driving a car.

Although "legitimate" in this case implies some need to justify driving a car, which further implies that the traffic problems are the fault of licensed, taxed, insured and registered drivers, rather than the fault of monumentally failed planning on the part of some beaurocratic drones who need to be fired yesterday for destroying tens of millions of euros of valuable man-hours doing busywork so central government doesn't turn the funding tap off.

In short, bicycles aren't the solution. Although it would be funny if everyone somehow managed to switch to bikes, if you thought the property crash was hard on the economy, you ain't seen nothing yet.

And stop running red lights.

muppetkiller

muppetkiller wrote: »

You can rest assured that these workers are on far from minimum pay for one thing, and the other is why is it acceptable for Bar Staff, Guards and Nurses etc to work nights at no extra cost ? This is 2012 every business requires people to work nights on occasion. From IT, 24 hour supermarkets etc it's time to get with the times.

Of course Nurses and Guards get paid extra for nights (and rightly so), Plenty work nights all the time especially because they get paid extra.

the untitled user wrote: »

Hmmm... I'm one of those "idiots". And I got across the city in 15 minutes during the peak on Friday. The solution, both in terms of cutting commute times and costs, is already there. You just gotta get on yer bike.

Come on you know well cycling is not an option for most people who travel into the city, drivers should be the main people catered for when thinking about junctions around the edge of the city as they are by far the biggest users of these junctions and that will never change, roundabouts are by far the best option for keeping traffic moving, lights are a disaster as has been demonstrated in moneen.

celty

It never ceases to amaze me how bad the traffic is in Galway for such a small city. I have friends in the US and Mexico who are astonished when they make a visit home.

Of course getting everyone on bikes is not the answer, but better public transport would do a lot to sort out the problem. The amount of people who live in Knockacnarra and Salthill and work on the eastside is astounding.

Anyway, I think it's a good thing a Government Minister had a horrible experience of Galway traffic. Might just bring the message home even a little bit.

galwaycyclist

Kylie Fresh Penguin wrote: »

Come on you know well cycling is not an option for most people who travel into the city, drivers should be the main people catered for when thinking about junctions around the edge of the city as they are by far the biggest users of these junctions and that will never change, roundabouts are by far the best option for keeping traffic moving, lights are a disaster as has been demonstrated in moneen.

Sorry but thats utter garbage. Just because some people from outside the city need cars to get to the city that does not mean we should sacrifice our quality of life so that they can also drive around the city. One does not follow the other. There are examples of similar sized cities where traffic is directed to peripheral park and ride sites from where public transport, walking and yes, cycling take over.

The roundabouts are a direct cause of excess traffic not the other way around. I was also stuck in the traffic on the old Dublin rd on Friday. I have news for you, the buses were still moving.

DecQ

celty wrote: »

Of course getting everyone on bikes is not the answer, but better public transport would do a lot to sort out the problem. The amount of people who live in Knockacnarra and Salthill and work on the eastside is astounding.

Again down to poor planning, most factories etc are East of the Corrib..but then they would have had to plan proper infrastructure to service proposed industrial/commercial sites to the West of the Corrib.

antoobrien

galwaycyclist wrote: »

The roundabouts are a direct cause of excess traffic

What utter rubbish, but then I don't expect anything else from galway cycling campaign.

The RABs don't cause excess traffic.

Traffic lights don't cause excess traffic (thought their primary function is to stop traffic so they sure as hell don't help).

Roads don't cause excess traffic.




Trying to fit too many vehicles into a space that can't support them does.

This is the real problem with Galway traffic.



I've posted this on the GCOB thread before in the infra forum, all the traffic trying to get into and through Galway has to go through one of the 4 junctions covered in this "Galway Traffic Triangle".

No amount of proposed PT or cycling solutions will change the simple fact that we are forcing pretty much all the traffic from the east of the county to within 1km of the city center, through 4 Junctions no more that 700m distant from each other.

Fuinseog

kinetic wrote: »

They have used 24 hour roadworks in the UK for years, i cant see why its not used here, especially on main arteries like the quicentennial bridge and N17

I presume they carry out roadworks at off peak times like after 7pm as in Dublin.

what the story with the bypass. is it to go ahead?

has the new bus route on the westside opened yet and where is its terminus?

Robbo

Fuinseog wrote: »

what the story with the bypass. is it to go ahead?

Referred to the European Courts of Justice for a ruling about the environmental aspects. Written Submissions were closed in November last year and there are oral submissions to be heard. Estimates vary as to when it will be decided, from the first half of this year to 2 years from now.

antoobrien

Fuinseog wrote: »

what the story with the bypass. is it to go ahead?

There are two threads to discuss the bypass in the roads forum.

GCOB - news thread for updates.

As Robbo pointed out the Eastern section is pending a judgment from the ECJ. The judgment itself is surrounding the question on who is the appropriate body to interpret how building something is effected by the habitats directive when part of the the proposed structure is in an area of conservation or candidate area. Given that fact that most of county Galway west of the corrib has been designated as such it's an important judgment.

Is the Galway Bypass Necessary? discussion thread.

what_traffic

Doc Ruby wrote: »

And don't forget to strap a big bag over your back for the week's groceries and three young children.

Easily done with one of these: http://bakfiets.nl/eng/

Automobile traffic was at a standstill Friday evening afternoon - it did add about 10mins to my cycle commute from Parkmore to Rahoon as had to slow down overtaking all these vechicles. One of the big issues was automobiles blocking up junctions especially roundabouts

galwaycyclist

antoobrien wrote: »

The RABs don't cause excess traffic.

Traffic lights don't cause excess traffic (thought their primary function is to stop traffic so they sure as hell don't help).

Roads don't cause excess traffic.

Trying to fit too many vehicles into a space that can't support them does.

This is the real problem with Galway traffic.

Yawn

So tell us. In a city where 44% of the working population lives within a 15-20minute cycle of their workplace. Why is it that even on dry days we have the place crawling to a halt because almost everybody is in their cars?

Sponge Bob

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Yawn
In a city where 44% of the working population lives within a 15-20minute cycle of their workplace.

MORE than 44% of the WORKING population lives OUTSIDE the City altogether. Not counting the working population that does not work in Galway but commutes out every day...some even to Mayo.

Stop counting students and em um illegal rickshaws

galwaycyclist

Sponge Bob wrote: »

MORE than 44% of the WORKING population lives OUTSIDE the City altogether. Not counting the working population that does not work in Galway but commutes out every day...some even to Mayo.

Stop counting students and em um illegal rickshaws

Yes but thats the point isnt it. We shouldnt let these people bring their cars into the city because they are blocking up the roads for everybody else ambulances, fire brigade, buses, delivery vehicles, tradesmen, government ministers, pedestrians and those people on those two-wheeled thingys.

Edit: I forgot blocking the roads for shoppers and people doing other business also.

Edit: Oh and blocking the roads for children trying to get to school

antoobrien

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Yes but thats the point isnt it. We shouldnt let these people bring their cars into the city because they are blocking up the roads for everybody else ambulances, fire brigade, buses, delivery vehicles, tradesmen, government ministers, pedestrians and those people on those two-wheeled thingys.

And there goes rational discussion.

waiting for the lock....

galwaycyclist

antoobrien wrote: »

And there goes rational discussion.

waiting for the lock....

Sorry dude but you're the one who appears to have missed 40 odd years of European transport planning practice. If you feel your theories are so "rational", why don't you put some of that "internet board rant" energy into compiling them into a proper discussion document and publishing it under your own name?

I have.

what_traffic

galwaycyclist wrote: »

We shouldnt let these people bring their cars into the city because they are blocking up the roads for everybody else ambulances, fire brigade, buses, delivery vehicles, tradesmen, government ministers, pedestrians and those people on those two-wheeled thingys.

OR
"We should encourage these people not to bring their cars into the city....."

same principle but may not offend antoobrien to the same extent. Ha ha