Navigating the South Quays through to Phonenix Park

gymtime

will be starting to cycle to and from work from Castleknock in the next week or so...am happy enough with the north quays - there seems to be alot of room and I am going to IFSC so can stay on the left side of the road the whole way in...the south quays however look to be a different story....does anyone have any suggestions on how to safely get into the right hand land when approaching the the turn at heuston station without getting run over?? or is there an easier way to get to the phoenix park from the ifsc other than the south quays? the luas track perhaps?

cdaly_

You could turn north at the Sam Beckett bridge and head to the five lamps and follow the NCR to the park. Reasonable road for much of it...

bogmanfan

I work beside the IFSC and commute home through the park. I'm not a fan of the South Quays at all. For me, I go up Amiens St, and onto the North Circular Rd straight to the Park. Cycle lane all the way, and very few dodgy junctions.

gymtime

i presume the north quays isnt an issue in the morning bogmanfan?

mcmoustache

I practice my GAA up in the phoenix park in the evenings and take this route all the time.

What I do is start looking over my shoulder for a gap in the traffic quite early on. Traffic there isn't too fast so I switch one lane at a time till I get to the second one from the right.

It didn't work once or twice and I ended up switching lanes when I was pretty much at the lights and had to squeeze in at the front of backed up traffic. It's really not too bad.

bogmanfan

North quays is absolutely fine. The only problem is all the traffic lights :rolleyes: Bus lane 90% of the way. I would be on them quite early (around 6.15) but I'd imagine they're fine in heavier traffic also. Just be careful of pedestrians around the Hapenny Bridge area.

gymtime wrote: »

i presume the north quays isnt an issue in the morning bogmanfan?

P_1

Go southside,

Pearse Street ---> Dame Street ---> Thomas Street ---> James Street ---> SCR ---> The Park.

That or the Luas line.

I cycle from East Wall to Thonas Steet each evening from work and have tried all 3 main options and have to say the Pearse Street route is both the quickest and the safest.

RacoonQueen

Not too familiar with my geography of that part of Dublin but can you not head to Amiens St > NCR > park and avoid the quays altogether?

buffalo

I find the NCR at rush hour is gridlocked, with a lot of car traffic leaving little room for cyclists. I'd try negotiating the junction - shoulder check, if safe then indicate and move over one lane. Stay in the middle of the lane, so that nobody tries to squeeze past you. Repeat from shoulder check.

Lusk Doyle

Same as if you are driving there. Check your "mirror", indicate, have another look, and if there is a suitable space move into it. All the while indicating.

rab!dmonkey

I have a similar commute to you OP and I rarely have a problem with the end of the south quays. Plenty of times I find something nice to draft behind and simply cycle in the midst of the other traffic. Otherwise you just have to make sure to start your lane change early enough. The lights change at the preceding junction fairly frequently, so there are plenty of gaps and traffic is typically slowing for queues up ahead, so they're more likely to let you in.

Robertd_07

rab!dmonkey wrote: »

I have a similar commute to you OP and I rarely have a problem with the end of the south quays. Plenty of times I find something nice to draft behind and simply cycle in the midst of the other traffic. Otherwise you just have to make sure to start your lane change early enough. The lights change at the preceding junction fairly frequently, so there are plenty of gaps and traffic is typically slowing for queues up ahead, so they're more likely to let you in.

I find the same is true for me. At the beginning I found it hard to judge, but now I find, if you've moved out of the bus lane and are in the middle/right of the left hand driving lane before the gates to the brewery you'll be fine.
After the brewery the bus lane goes and you get cars crossing into the lane to turn left, which makes it hard to move accross.

I think the really critical thing is at the lights at heuston, take the lane. There can be cars/buses turning right accross the bridge, going in the same direction as you, but there can also be cars/buses going straight on, and rarely can you tell them apart.

Stollaire

rab!dmonkey wrote: »

I have a similar commute to you OP and I rarely have a problem with the end of the south quays. Plenty of times I find something nice to draft behind and simply cycle in the midst of the other traffic. Otherwise you just have to make sure to start your lane change early enough. The lights change at the preceding junction fairly frequently, so there are plenty of gaps and traffic is typically slowing for queues up ahead, so they're more likely to let you in.

This is fine for a battle hardened cyclist drafting up behind buses on three lanes of heavy traffic. But what would a normal commuter do? (I think of my timid girlfriend on her heavy bike), or a tourist on a Dublin bike?

There really should be a dedicated off road cycle route between the city centre and the Park. Too much priority is given to on street parking along the north quay, and this space would be ideal for a contra flow cycle path.
And how about that large HGV parking area on Victoria Quay?! What a waste of space!

monument

buffalo wrote: »

I find the NCR at rush hour is gridlocked, with a lot of car traffic leaving little room for cyclists. I'd try negotiating the junction - shoulder check, if safe then indicate and move over one lane. Stay in the middle of the lane, so that nobody tries to squeeze past you. Repeat from shoulder check.

It'll be a lot better once the Mater construction is mostly finished soon and the bus lane northbound opened again.

QueensGael

pithater1 wrote: »

Go southside,

Pearse Street ---> Dame Street ---> Thomas Street ---> James Street ---> SCR ---> The Park.

I recommend this one also

RacoonQueen

buffalo wrote: »

I find the NCR at rush hour is gridlocked, with a lot of car traffic leaving little room for cyclists. I'd try negotiating the junction - shoulder check, if safe then indicate and move over one lane. Stay in the middle of the lane, so that nobody tries to squeeze past you. Repeat from shoulder check.

Ran along this way today(at 5pm/5:15pm) from the Mater to the park, want to start cycling the route. There was one block of traffic but other than that it seemed as if it'd be quite a good cycle route.

Anyone any other recommendations for Ballyfermot to the Mater? Never cycled along the quays but the North Quays scares me a bit.

gymtime

the north quays dont scare me as there is a cycle lane pretty much the whole way in, its the south quays which scares me (alot) hence my post!!!

camaghead

Gymtime - I use the North Quays on the way in and the NCR in the evenings. Doing it for several years. Tried most of the other ways, includiing the South Quays but would not recommend. CDaly has it right.

Consey

I cycle form Castleknock to Grand Canal Street each day and have been doing so for years.

Straight down through the Park and up the North Quays. I have to say at the moment the North Quays is more difficult, due to the work being done on the Quay wall. As a result, all traffic can use bus lane for a short stretch after the bridge at the Aisling Hotel.

Whilst there's a bike lane there, buses etc tend to swerve accross it when avoiding traffic waiting to get into the middle lane, so please be very careful along there.

By comparison, the South Quay switch from the Guinness side to the other is a cinch, wait for a gap (give yourself plenty of time) and go accross. Just be very careful the first few times, and if in the left of the 2 right hand lanes, make sure and indicate.

That's it and good luck - Park a very pleasant place to cycle home through at this time of year.

buffalo

Consey wrote: »

Straight down through the Park and up the North Quays. I have to say at the moment the North Quays is more difficult, due to the work being done on the Quay wall. As a result, all traffic can use bus lane for a short stretch after the bridge at the Aisling Hotel.

Any time I've been down there of late the bus lane has been marked by giant electronic signs as 'in operation'.

Consey

True, but this is Ireland and eveyone still chances it at present - I'd guess with intention of arguing their case should there be a guard waiting up top of the lane.

Twice this morning I had cars swerve wildly into the short stretch of bicycle lane because they were impatient of car's trying to get back into traffic flow from the bus lane. Had I been too close to them.........................Second one was a taxi, I let a shout and he veered back in.

Just advising people to be careful along there..........

monument

buffalo wrote: »

Any time I've been down there of late the bus lane has been marked by giant electronic signs as 'in operation'.

Yesterday evening the sign at the start of the works said something like: bus lane not in operation, and then it flashed up warning it was only not in operation for the extent of the works (which seems pointless because traffic stops in the bus lane, blocking it, trying to get back into the general lanes). The bit about only for the length of the bus lane was not originally there a few weeks ago.

While the sign after the works always said in operation.