Kingston "Road"

Iwannahurl

The footpath on Kingston Road near the junction with Taylor's Hill and Threadneedle Road is well recognised as a handy parking spot on certain occasions.






However, in my experience a large number of motorists seem to like just driving on it, without stopping if at all possible. This has been going on in broad daylight for years, and personally I have never seen any law enforcers take an interest, though I know for certain they've been told about it.

Could this short stretch of footpath possibly be the busiest unofficial roadway in Galway?

What might explain this public footway's enduring popularity with the motoring fraternity/sorority?

dantbyhid

Iwannahurl wrote: »

:cool:
I think that is me in the car on the left there. Same car, colour, tax/nct holder and alloys. When did you take the pic?

Diabhal Beag

Spitting in the face of good driving here.

Little My

Out of interest, have you reported any of these cars to the Gards? You'd think they would follow up on it, Reg plates easily visable and all that.

Edit - reread your post & seen that you already mentioned it. Did they not follow up on the pics though?

ben.schlomo

Jesus you must have some amount of time on your hands to be out at that, get a hobby, its more fun.

Sponge Bob

The footpath, in those photos, is obviously too wide and needs the consaw taken to it in case it damages a car suspension.

OH! ....and....

snubbleste

dantbyhid wrote: »

:cool:
I think that is me in the car on the left there. Same car, colour, tax/nct holder and alloys. When did you take the pic?

When did you mount the footpath and propel forward?

swiftman

if your walking on the footpath and a car is coming towards you (at a slow speed) it wouldnt be a bad idea to walk into the car and knock your knee against the headlight and fall to the ground. call the gardai and they will learn not to drive on a footpath again. + maybe bit more money in your bank account if your limping.

sounds harsh and unfair but thats life. your not the won breaking the law

Acidflash

swiftman wrote: »

if your walking on the footpath and a car is coming towards you (at a slow speed) it wouldnt be a bad idea to walk into the car and knock your knee against the headlight and fall to the ground. call the gardai and they will learn not to drive on a footpath again. + maybe bit more money in your bank account if your limping.

sounds harsh and unfair but thats life. your not the won breaking the law

Yes, Doing that wouldn't be against the law at all. :rolleyes:

delthedriver

Report the matter to the Gardai.
You have the photographic evidence.
IAm sure they will be pleased to address the matter.

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The footpath, in those photos, is obviously too wide

For the blinkered mullahs, in their dotage: the width of the footpath is clearly not a factor. Self-evidently, what is occurring is that motorists drive up on the narrow end of the footpath first, then typically return to the roadway where the footpath widens.

08-G-6446 mounted the footway at the narrow end, but scuttled off sharpish when she saw the camera.




Same applies to this fine example of Galway motoring. reg number not legible unfortunately.




This bus, 91-MO-3606, also mounted the path at the narrower end.





Not all do that, of course. It may depend on the size of the vehicle they're taking for a walk driving, and how precious they are about ickle bumps to their bits and pieces. Some drive all the way up to the pedestrian crossing and exit there. Waste of good tactile kerbing if you can't use it to reduce wear and tear on your suspenders, one supposes.

This is a Prison Service van, reg 07-D-67365. Not sure why they would be 'driving' in this neck of the woods, but at least the occupants had the good grace to look a wee bit sheepish.

Iwannahurl

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Jesus you must have some amount of time on your hands to be out at that, get a hobby, its more fun.

Hmmmm.

Fish pedicures perhaps?

ben.schlomo wrote: »

pretty sure the fish dont have the digits necessary to complete a pedicure??

i hope the place is a success but i just think the novelty factor and relatively high cost may see a gradual decline. Hope im wrong though.

Or shopping around for sweets?

ben.schlomo wrote: »

found the prices for the likes of Snickers Almond and Reeses Peanut Butter bar ridiculous at €1.50, layout is a bit annoying too, way too narrow, totally cramped when you are trying to look at anything.

amiable

I've often been stuck in the traffic waiting to go down Taylors Hill and you hear people honk their horns at other drivers in front of them if they don't mount the footpath.

OP has a valid point here in my opinion and it's only a matter of time before somebody is seriously injured on the footpath.

biko

IWH agus schlomo, you're getting too personal now and bickering kills threads. This time it's an infraction, next time a ban.
I will leave thread open as that footpath riding is indeed common and could be quite dangerous. I've seen it myself many times and hopefully the attention here will make an impact on the road authority (although I doubt they scour the net for things to fix...)

jamesdiver

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Jesus you must have some amount of time on your hands to be out at that, get a hobby, its more fun.

Good, constructive input there, well done.


OP, good thread, well done for bringing it up and reporting to gardai. Lots of school kids use the pedestrian lights and footpaths here.

Sponge Bob

I've often driven on that footpath, never when there was a pedestrian ( or cyclist ) on it already and certainly not when a cameraman was present. I'd say the whole of west Galway has on occasion.

Three points.

1. Nearly everyone drops back on the road first chance they get and not everyone goes up on the low bit either.
2. Nobody goes all the way to the filter light while half mounted on the footpath.
3. They would be tailed right back to Barna in the morning if people did not do so.

Solution.

Narrow footpath a tad on a taper to make the left turn less acute/faster and move the carriageway south by approx 2m...this is quite doable really. Nobody has ever been hit by a car at that location that I know of either.

amiable

Saying lots of people do it is absolutely no excuse.
And saying nobody drives right to the lights on the footpath doesn't seem to be true judging by the Ford Focus in the OP

Seaneh

i'd be all for putting nice new barriers like we have on the bridge down beside Spanish Arch now, would keep the morons on the road.

irisheddie85

I have on occasion mounted the footpath there when turning left and ihave seen garda cars do it.

The solution is very easy. The council should take a few feet off the path on the opposite side of the road and widen the lanes so there is actually a proper left filter lane.

The path across from this one could easily be narrowed without affecting its use and then put in barriers to stop mounting the path

biko

Ok this is much worse and kinda off topic but:

"Pavement driver ordered to wear 'Idiot' sign in Cleveland"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20252212

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

1. I've often driven on that footpath,

2. I'd say the whole of west Galway has on occasion.

3. Three points.

a. Nearly everyone drops back on the road first chance they get and not everyone goes up on the low bit either.
b. Nobody goes all the way to the filter light while half mounted on the footpath.
c. They would be tailed right back to Barna in the morning if people did not do so.

4. Solution.

Narrow footpath a tad on a taper to make the left turn less acute/faster and move the carriageway south by approx 2m...this is quite doable really.

5. Nobody has ever been hit by a car at that location that I know of either.

1. "I've often driven on that footpath". Well well well.

2. No they haven't. I have certainly never done so, and I regularly see motorists there who resist the temptation and don't feel the "need". Of course some people believe nobody ever drives up on footpaths, but that's a whole other delusion.

3a. The narrow section is the most usual entry point, in my experience. The reason is obvious: they don't want to wait to access the left-turn lane, which is adjacent to the wider section of footpath ("the first chance they get").

3b. Some footpath-cruising motorists do drive on the path all the way to the end, though they're not in a majority. Truck drivers are particularly prone to it, IIRC.

3c. Traffic is tailed back on that road because there are a large number of single-occupant vehicles taking up most of the finite road space available. Motorists coming from that direction and wishing to access Bishop O'Donnell Road also have the option of taking the Western Distributor Road. There's also the option (I think) of Park & Ride on the Cappagh Road. There's a sign there to that effect anyway, but I'm not sure how functional the set-up is.

4. I doubt it. You will still get motorists driving over the path. There are non-engineering solutions available to the footpath-driving problem, some of them immediately achievable depending on circumstances:

• Obey the law.
• Respect pedestrian space.
• Practise being patient.
• Leave home earlier.
• Use a different mode of transport.
• Try a different route.
• Avoid unnecessary car journeys.

5. Let's not wait until some is struck by a car.


.

Iwannahurl

Seaneh wrote: »

i'd be all for putting nice new barriers like we have on the bridge down beside Spanish Arch now, would keep the morons on the road.

Can be very dangerous for cyclists.

irisheddie85 wrote: »

I have on occasion mounted the footpath there when turning left and ihave seen garda cars do it.

The solution is very easy. The council should take a few feet off the path on the opposite side of the road and widen the lanes so there is actually a proper left filter lane.

The path across from this one could easily be narrowed without affecting its use and then put in barriers to stop mounting the path

What, and spoil a beautiful parking spot?





I have no idea what engineering solutions the City Council may have considered.

There is a bus bay on that side also, which may be a factor.

There is no necessity to drive on the footpath there in normal circumstances, only personal choice.

Gardai driving on the footpath in non-emergency situations? No surprise there, despite valiant attempts by the Garda Inspectorate to curb that kind of behaviour in terms of police presence on the roads.

Sponge Bob

A barrier won't keep the cyclists on the road though.

At that location...EVEN IF all the cars are fully compliant....there is no room for eastbound cyclists to safely cycle alongside on the road.

Consequently the area shown by Hurl in his photos is full of mounted cyclists mixing in with the pedestrians. I'd never dream of reporting one given the circumstances.

Much to my astonishment Hurl seemingly never managed to photograph one in flagrante. I even remember seeing yer man who regularly tows the yellow trailer behind his bicycle on the R336 up on it, trailer and all.

My solution still stands of course, it would be nice were there 2 usable lanes eastbound and room for cyclists...and all on the road. Cut back that footpath!

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

At that location...EVEN IF all the cars are fully compliant....there is no room for eastbound cyclists to safely cycle alongside on the road.

Consequently the area shown by Hurl in his photos is full of mounted cyclists mixing in with the pedestrians. I'd never dream of reporting one given the circumstances.

Much to my astonishment Hurl seemingly never managed to photograph one in flagrante. I even remember seeing yer man who regularly tows the yellow trailer behind his bicycle on the R336 up on it, trailer and all.

My solution still stands of course, it would be nice were there 2 usable lanes eastbound and room for cyclists...and all on the road. Cut back that footpath!

There is indeed no room for cyclists there, especially the trailer-towing ones I'd imagine.

They run the gauntlet of speeding traffic on the Kingston Road, then approach the junction to find that they, despite their congestion-busting credentials, are squeezed out.

Hence their footpath-mounting escapades no doubt. Not a practice I engage in, but the City Council has been robustly defending such behaviour recently.

Cheaper than actually doing something smart and sustainable for the congestion relievers of course.

Perhaps that's the reason the Council has done nothing with the junction so far: they'd be forced to accommodate cyclists, and that tends to make their brains boil, usually to ugly effect.



EDIT: We haven't had a pic in a while. Here's another part of the "whole of West Galway". (I think I may have actually met this gent -- he looks familiar.)

antoobrien

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Solution.

Narrow footpath a tad on a taper to make the left turn less acute/faster and move the carriageway south by approx 2m...this is quite doable really. Nobody has ever been hit by a car at that location that I know of either.

Can't do that Sponge Bob, it's using common sense.

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

This is a Prison Service van, reg 07-D-67365. Not sure why they would be 'driving' in this neck of the woods

There are courts sittings west of the Corrib, Clifden, Derrynea & Spiddal.

flynnlives

so on a match day at pearse stadium you walked all over salthill taking photos of cars parked on footpaths?!

yer man!

I think the lanes are just too narrow, there really shouldn't have been an extra lane added to the road if the entire road wasn't made wider. It's the same with loads of roads around the city, they aren't built properly if it was, cars would have no need to mount the path, that's water under the bridge now though. Cheap solution to the crap road would be to put up those bendy barriers that emergency vehicles can drive over but unless someone has died there or if there's some "footpath grant" the council will not do a thing.

galwaycyclist

irisheddie85 wrote: »

I have on occasion mounted the footpath there when turning left and ihave seen garda cars do it.

The solution is very easy. The council should take a few feet off the path on the opposite side of the road and widen the lanes so there is actually a proper left filter lane.

Actually the solution is probably easier than that. Simply remove the left turn lane and the left-turn filter arrow on the lights.

What is "driving" this behaviour is the fact that the people in cars can see a green left-arrow that they can only reach by driving on the footpath.

Remove the left arrow signal head and you remove much of the incentive to drive on the footpath. This would also provide space for cyclists to filter forward to the lights without having to hop on the footpath themselves.

antoobrien

flynnlives wrote: »

so on a match day at pearse stadium you walked all over salthill taking photos of cars parked on footpaths?!

One wonders what would happen if one took a stroll on a Wednesday afternoon, would one see residents cars parked in the same fashion.

flynnlives

Iwannahurl wrote: »

This is a Prison Service van, reg 07-D-67365. Not sure why they would be 'driving' in this neck of the woods, but at least the occupants had the good grace to look a wee bit sheepish.

god forbid!! a prison service van driving in SALTHILL!

imagine if the prisoners broke free and proceeded to steal cars and park them with reckless abondonment all over salthill!

dilallio

biko wrote: »

Ok this is much worse and kinda off topic but:

"Pavement driver ordered to wear 'Idiot' sign in Cleveland"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20252212

There was a similar case in Tuam a good few years ago.

The local sergeant was on duty in the square when he noticed a gentleman driving a Honda 50 on the pavement towards him.

He shouted and waved at the man to get off the pavement, but he was ignored.
When the Honda 50 finally reached him, he asked the man what he was at, driving on the footpath.

"Sure I have to drive on the footpath now" said the man.

"Why, in the name of God" asked the sergeant.

"Cos I was in court last week, and Judge Garavan put me off the road for a year" was the reply.

antoobrien

dilallio wrote: »

There was a similar case in Tuam a good few years ago.

The local sergeant was on duty in the square when he noticed a gentleman driving a Honda 50 on the pavement towards him.

He shouted and waved at the man to get off the pavement, but he was ignored.
When the Honda 50 finally reached him, he asked the man what he was at, driving on the footpath.

"Sure I have to drive on the footpath now" said the man.

"Why, in the name of God" asked the sergeant.

"Cos I was in court last week, and Judge Garavan put me off the road for a year" was the reply.

That's so funny it might actually be true - link please that's something that'd have to have made the news.

dilallio

dilallio wrote: »

There was a similar case in Tuam a good few years ago.

The local sergeant was on duty in the square when he noticed a gentleman driving a Honda 50 on the pavement towards him.

He shouted and waved at the man to get off the pavement, but he was ignored.
When the Honda 50 finally reached him, he asked the man what he was at, driving on the footpath.

"Sure I have to drive on the footpath now" said the man.

"Why, in the name of God" asked the sergeant.

"Cos I was in court last week, and Judge Garavan put me off the road for a year" was the reply.

antoobrien wrote: »

That's so funny it might actually be true - link please that's something that'd have to have made the news.

As far as I know, it never went to court - the sergeant saw the funny side and gave him a warning.

ZzubZzub

amiable wrote: »

I've often been stuck in the traffic waiting to go down Taylors Hill and you hear people honk their horns at other drivers in front of them if they don't mount the footpath.

I actually thoroughly enjoy being at this part of the road when people start honking their horn to mount the footpath. Watching how angry they get brings me joy.

Now, I'm short enough, a small wee lass. Once, a huuuuge fella, at least 6ft, got out of his car to knock furiously on my window and give out to me for delaying him because I didn't drive on the path. He seemed like he was trying to intimidate me, so I fought rudeness with rudeness and just stared at him, turned up my radio, and slowly put the window up.

He then flipped the bird. Such a gent.

And thus concludes my epic tale of epicness.


As for the people who park outside Pearse Stadium and surrounding area on footpaths... Makes me wish I was a traffic warden. Oh it'd be soo much fun!

delthedriver

Cleeo wrote: »

I actually thoroughly enjoy being at this part of the road when people start honking their horn to mount the footpath. Watching how angry they get brings me joy.

Now, I'm short enough, a small wee lass. Once, a huuuuge fella, at least 6ft, got out of his car to knock furiously on my window and give out to me for delaying him because I didn't drive on the path. He seemed like he was trying to intimidate me, so I fought rudeness with rudeness and just stared at him, turned up my radio, and slowly put the window up.

He then flipped the bird. Such a gent.

And thus concludes my epic tale of epicness.


As for the people who park outside Pearse Stadium and surrounding area on footpaths... Makes me wish I was a traffic warden. Oh it'd be soo much fun!

Wild West indeed!

Iwannahurl

Cleeo wrote: »

I actually thoroughly enjoy being at this part of the road when people start honking their horn to mount the footpath. Watching how angry they get brings me joy.

Now, I'm short enough, a small wee lass. Once, a huuuuge fella, at least 6ft, got out of his car to knock furiously on my window and give out to me for delaying him because I didn't drive on the path. He seemed like he was trying to intimidate me, so I fought rudeness with rudeness and just stared at him, turned up my radio, and slowly put the window up.

He then flipped the bird. Such a gent.

And thus concludes my epic tale of epicness.

As for the people who park outside Pearse Stadium and surrounding area on footpaths... Makes me wish I was a traffic warden. Oh it'd be soo much fun!

Galway's traffic wardens apparently wish they were someone (or somewhere) else. Or so their chronic absence would suggest.

Here's a suitably epic pic to go with your epic tale.

Iwannahurl

yer man! wrote: »

I think the lanes are just too narrow, there really shouldn't have been an extra lane added to the road if the entire road wasn't made wider. It's the same with loads of roads around the city, they aren't built properly

Fair point. All over the city there are cheap and shoddy Irish solutions to Irish traffic problems. It has been City Council practice over many years -- perhaps decades -- to bung in a couple of lanes of sub-standard width in a penny-pinching attempt to add extra capacity at junctions. Here's one example, though it may not be the worst. As with roundabouts and one-way streets etc, there was no regard for the adverse effects on cyclists, pedestrians and public transport.

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Simply remove the left turn lane and the left-turn filter arrow on the lights.

What is "driving" this behaviour is the fact that the people in cars can see a green left-arrow that they can only reach by driving on the footpath.

Remove the left arrow signal head and you remove much of the incentive to drive on the footpath. This would also provide space for cyclists to filter forward to the lights without having to hop on the footpath themselves.

What is the engineering equivalent of Occam's Razor?

This seems like a simple solution. All the 'left turn lane' and left-turn arrow do is raise expectations and prompt a sense of entitlement.

I would be less sanguine about space for cyclists though. The road further back is narrow, and this part here (by the ESB pole) is a real choke point.

Sponge Bob

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Actually the solution is probably easier than that. Simply remove the left turn lane and the left-turn filter arrow on the lights.

Remove the left arrow signal head and you remove much of the incentive to drive on the footpath. This would also provide space for cyclists to filter forward to the lights without having to hop on the footpath themselves.

That could work but as it is only an 'issue' on school mornings why not ban left and right turns for eastbound traffic between 8am and 9.30am thereby emptying the lane.

Plod can go on revenue duty in those hours amd make a killing

Iwannahurl

Can't see that as a runner.

Presumably there are people turning right down Threadneedle Road to access the various schools in the neighbourhood.

A left-turn ban would be routinely ignored. This is Galway, Ireland after all.

Cyclists would have to be exempted from banned turns also, and that would require thinking, planning, considering, accommodating, facilitating and other horrors.

As for "Plod" and alleged "revenue duty" there's nothing stopping them from carrying out such operations at present, at this site and other suitable locations across the city. (BTW, glad to see AGS had a checkpoint on the Western Distributor Road recently.)

Time for another pic:

swine

In the interest of balance are you going to start posting pictures of cyclists and pedestrians disobeying the law Iwannahurl? At such a busy junction and with all the time you've invested in taking pictures of an inch of a tyre on a path there must be hundreds of juicy photos of law breaking.

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Can't see that as a runner.

Presumably there are people turning right down Threadneedle Road to access the various schools in the neighbourhood.

A left-turn ban would be routinely ignored. This is Galway, Ireland after all.

There are dozens if not hundreds of left turn or right turn bans off main roads in Dublin to stop vehicles using rat runs through estates in the mornings.

Probably the best place to start is by enforcing the current rules, then decide what extra tweaks need to be made.

Iwannahurl

swine wrote: »

In the interest of balance are you going to start posting pictures of cyclists and pedestrians disobeying the law Iwannahurl? At such a busy junction and with all the time you've invested in taking pictures of an inch of a tyre on a path there must be hundreds of juicy photos of law breaking.

I have thousands of photos of cars up on footpaths (two wheels up good, four wheels up even better) to get through first.

In the meantime, if you think there's an unmet need for such material feel free to address the subject yourself.

The value of such imagery, in my opinion, is that it prompts discussion on why such behaviour might be occurring. There's often more to it than meets the eye, and a picture is worth a thousand words.

Please bear in mind, by the way, that Galway City Council has been fighting hard in recent times to defend its practice of directing cyclists up on footpaths.

Oh yes, and the Garda Siochana regularly defend their practice of allowing cars to drive up and park on footpaths so that pedestrians have to walk on the road.

Walking on the road in front of traffic is known as "jay-walking", or so we're led to believe. I've yet to see a robust and uncontestable definition of the concept, however.



It's all a bit of a mess, in my opinion, but this is Ireland after all. Happy snapping -- you'll be busy!

Sponge Bob

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I have thousands of photos of cars up on footpaths (two wheels up good, four wheels up even better) to get through first.

2 wheels good 4 wheels bad you mean.

Iwannahurl

antoobrien wrote: »

Probably the best place to start is by enforcing the current rules

Noticing the law is there, respecting it, complying with it, enforcing it as required, and striving if necessary to improve it for the greater good, is always the best place to start, IMO.

Here are some regulations I'd like to see enforced rigorously and consistently, with particular emphasis on this provision:

Dangerous parking
If you park in a way that is likely to cause danger to other road users, for example, if it forces a pedestrian out onto the roadway, a Garda can decide that this is dangerous parking and prosecute you.

Almost never heeded, in my experience. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

2 wheels good 4 wheels bad you mean.

No. It's two wheels bad...





...four wheels worse (or better, depending on perspective):

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

No. It's two wheels bad...

It's a pity I don't have a picture of the cyclist that nearly put me in hospital this morning on my way to work. Coming around a corner a cyclist flew by me before I'd a chance to react. If I'd have been a step or two quicker I'd have at least torn tendons and ligaments, if not broken bones.

Not only were they (she? not sure, lots of rain gear and only saw them from behind) cycling on a footpath when they nearly ruined the rest of my year, but they - when I turned in that direction to vent another cyclist ahead - cycled straight through a red light to turn right at a t-junction.

As bad and all as it is to see those parked cars (and I haven't noticed anybody defending the practice either) are not going to hurt anyone if everyone has a bit of common sense, situations like this morning are far more likely to do so.

Iwannahurl

Iwannahurl wrote: »

..

I cant believe someone didn't get out a make for you taking photos of them sitting at the lights, if you were taking photos of my car without my consent I'd be out like a shot! You really have little for doing with your time, patrolling the streets of Galway.

amiable

Walker Sticky Stepchildren wrote: »

I cant believe someone didn't get out a make for you taking photos of them sitting at the lights, if you were taking photos of my car without my consent I'd be out like a shot! You really have little for doing with your time, patrolling the streets of Galway.

Do you need consent to take a photograph in a public place?

snubbleste

No you do not amiable.

connemara man

amiable wrote: »

Do you need consent to take a photograph in a public place?

not yet Ireland were meant to bring in legislation where you own your own copyright like it is in France, when brought in you wouldn't be able to be filmed or a photo taken of you without your permission