bus lane green light?

whomitconcerns

So coming through terenure yesterday and they hsve a bus lane with a trafffic light at the end to allow merging. Its one of those bus specific ones. So I was usong bus lane as it was bank holiday, bus lane light is green and car lane light is red. From previous experience it takes ages to change as light gets tripped by bus lane usage.

So was I allowed proceed or not?

ironclaw

whomitconcerns wrote: »

So coming through terenure yesterday and they hsve a bus lane with a trafffic light at the end to allow merging. Its one of those bus specific ones. So I was usong bus lane as it was bank holiday, bus lane light is green and car lane light is red. From previous experience it takes ages to change as light gets tripped by bus lane usage.

So was I allowed proceed or not?

By no means gospel, but I would consider only proceeding with the car light illuminated. While you are allowed in the bus lane as per the usual signage, your not acting as a bus nor are you a bus, hence the light wouldn't apply to you. Just my outlook on it. I doubt an official explanation exists.

However, seeing as taxi's are allowed use the bus lane and they could in theory be first on the queue with a bus behind, they probably can proceed. Then again, they are a PSV so again a differentiation.

corktina

it's a junction same as any other, and the green BUS means go for the buslane IMHO.
#

Are you sure it's not one of those 24/7 bus lanes btw...

djimi

It would be my opinion that the green light is for the lane that you are in, in the same way as any other filter lights. The fact that its a bus lane some of the time doesnt change that. To be honest Im making an assumption with that, but I dont see why it would be any different than a normal filter lane/lights.

MugMugs

corktina wrote: »

it's a junction same as any other, and the green BUS means go for the buslane IMHO.

This would be my take too tbh.

whomitconcerns

That's what I thought too that it Applies to the lane. Its a mon to fri fixed hours bus lane. Well will post if I get a notice I guess ..... but I woukd think its ok...interesting though....

MugMugs

whomitconcerns wrote: »

That's what I thought too that it Applies to the lane. Its a mon to fri fixed hours bus lane. Well will post if I get a notice I guess ..... but I woukd think its ok...interesting though....

Why would you get a notice? Were you stopped?

whomitconcerns

No, but if it was a red light, do they not generaly have cameras?

MugMugs

whomitconcerns wrote: »

No, but if it was a red light, do they not generaly have cameras?

They're said to be on the cards but don't think they're live yet...

Terrontress

What if you were legally in a bus lane and a bus is sitting behind you?

I'd say you are allowed to proceed as a car, bus behind or not.

whomitconcerns

Terrontress wrote: »

What if you were legally in a bus lane and a bus is sitting behind you?

I'd say you are allowed to proceed as a car, bus behind or not.

Now that's a defence! Makes perfect sense

antodeco

There's one on the Stillorgan Dual Carriageway too. Bus lane gets a green, to allow them ahead to turn right at the next lights. I'd be interested in what the law actually covers for that.

mickdw

Im not familiar with the junction in question however as above I would be of the opinion that if you are using the bus lane legally (out of bus hours), you are fine to follow the lights controlling that lane. I would have thought perhaps that you might not get a green light at all - not being a bus as some of those are triggered by buses. If that green light was allowing you to proceed to a 24/7 bus lane, then you would be snookered but as I said, not knowing the junction, it would appear that you are fine.

bijapos

I got pulled at that light outside Terenure College twice in the past 12 months, both times it was out of hours, so I was OK on the fact that I was actually in the lane.

Explained to the Guard on both occasions that the light means "Bus Lane", both times they said "No, it means buses only". Didn't argue with them, gave my details, got the notice of points, wrote in a written appeal both times within the time limit (56 days IIRC) and both times got away with it.

So it seems it does mean "vehicles in the bus lane" and not just buses. Seen Garda motorbikes going through it a few times as well over the years.

Guy:Incognito

bijapos wrote: »

I got pulled at that light outside Terenure College twice in the past 12 months, both times it was out of hours, so I was OK on the fact that I was actually in the lane.

Explained to the Guard on both occasions that the light means "Bus Lane", both times they said "No, it means buses only". Didn't argue with them, gave my details, got the notice of points, wrote in a written appeal both times within the time limit (56 days IIRC) and both times got away with it.

So it seems it does mean "vehicles in the bus lane" and not just buses. Seen Garda motorbikes going through it a few times as well over the years.

On a similar but different vein, people seem to think its ok to use these to go straight outside of buslane hours. I'd consider them separate form the buslane and not controlled by the hours (others just use them to jump the queue at the lights all the time :rolleyes:) https://maps.google.ie/maps?q=nangor+road&hl=en&ll=53.32639,-6.360313&spn=0.000688,0.001742&sll=53.3834,-8.21775&sspn=11.217996,28.54248&t=h&hnear=Nangor+Rd,+Dublin,+County+Dublin&z=20&layer=c&cbll=53.32637,-6.360159&panoid=ejsIFi7ujaEWdioROYBm0Q&cbp=12,73.89,,0,2.97

paddyland

It's just another one of those things in Dublin that's an ass, as usual.

The only way that bus green can be effective AND safe is if the bus lane is 24/7. Otherwise there is a conflict out of hours. But then you wouldn't expect the engineer who placed it there to consider that. Er, would you?

Besides which, the only time the bus lane is needed is when traffic there is congested. If the road is not congested, i.e. out of hours, then there is no value giving it to other road traffic anyway, as it only encourages overtaking, and therefore, speeding. So that bus lane should be 24/7.

Ideally, the bus lane would be painted green, on a slightly raised plinth, or have a low concrete seperating barrier, like the bus lanes in many French towns. There should be a traffic island at the lights themselves.

That bus green is extremely dangerous to buses too. The number of times I have approached that green, in a bus, in the bus lane, while the traffic in their lane is stopped, only for the main traffic light to go green just as I arrive at it, and the first cars pull immediately left right under my nose, without looking. Green in Ireland means go, without the need or expectation to look around you.

I think what happens is that one bus triggers it, and if another bus arrives a hundred yards behind, the lights change back just as the second bus gets there. Of course it doesn't help when the first car stops at the red light, straddling their own lane AND the bus lane, buggering everything up. What is the point of stopping at all if you are going to do that?

It is HIGHLY dangerous, ill thought out like everything else to do with traffic in Dublin. Bus priority is good and necessary. But only SAFE bus priority. This example is an ass.

Guy:Incognito

paddyland wrote: »

That bus green is extremely dangerous to buses too. The number of times I have approached that green, in a bus, in the bus lane, while the traffic in their lane is stopped, only for the main traffic light to go green just as I arrive at it, and the first cars pull immediately left right under my nose, without looking. Green in Ireland means go, without the need or expectation to look around you.
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I find a large amount of buses and taxis don't pay any attention to the yield sing at the end of bus lanes (just like at the one in Terenure) and seem to think that they have right of way to just plough on ahead when the lane finishes an everyone else has to get out of their way.

paddyland wrote: »

I think what happens is that one bus triggers it, and if another bus arrives a hundred yards behind, the lights change back just as the second bus gets there. Of course it doesn't help when the first car stops at the red light, straddling their own lane AND the bus lane, buggering everything up. What is the point of stopping at all if you are going to do that?
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I'm not sure it's triggered by actual buses at all or if anything in the bus lane triggers it. I've seen it red loads of times without a bus anywhere to be seen on the road.

I came up to it yesterday to 3 cars stopped at it, with no sign of a bus. Just as I got there the 2nd and 3rd cars got bored waiting and went on the left around the 1st one . I assume they were there a while. I went around the car too and by the time I got to Rathdown motors the car was still sat at the red light.

doolox

..on the Adamstown road just south of the Superquinn SC where they push a Buslane and a car lane into one lane in 5 yards and then split them out again into an all traffic straight ahead and right only lane in 15 feet.

Absolute lunacy.

Nobody knows who has the right of way at the mostly congested and backed up junction which leads to confusion, ambiguity chaos and anger between road users on this road.

Similar to the dogs dinner at Blanchardstown where people in cars go up a buslane early when selecting left for Lucan etc on exiting from Blanch SC.
Try entering the right turn lane at the correct time and get hit by an early buslane hogger who shouldnt be in the buslane at the time as he is a car.......

More officious lunacy.

Or try turning into the commercial centre where Harvey Norman, Maplin etc are located and try doing it legally in the scant 5 FEET allowed by our council engineers into a buslane. You will hit by a speeding earlier buslane hogger if you try it with much horn blowing and irate behaviour etc.....

No choice but to enter the buslane earlier to ensure a smooth transition into the car park and take your chances with PC Plod.......

ironclaw

paddyland wrote: »

It's just another one of those things in Dublin that's an ass, as usual..

Agree with the 24/7 view point. Its madness that the N11 is non-24 hour until Foxrock, then it is 24-hour all the way to the M11.

As regards the poster who was pulled and got off, what offence were you charged with? Just curious. I'm presuming you weren't prosecuted as no legal case exists for this. Its not really a filter light. Grey area in law? Or am I mistaken?

corktina

bijapos wrote: »

I got pulled at that light outside Terenure College twice in the past 12 months, both times it was out of hours, so I was OK on the fact that I was actually in the lane.

Explained to the Guard on both occasions that the light means "Bus Lane", both times they said "No, it means buses only". Didn't argue with them, gave my details, got the notice of points, wrote in a written appeal both times within the time limit (56 days IIRC) and both times got away with it.

So it seems it does mean "vehicles in the bus lane" and not just buses. Seen Garda motorbikes going through it a few times as well over the years.

Explaining to a Gard who doesn't want to think about it is the biggest problem, glad to see common sense prevailed on appeal though

When you think about it, the red lights in the "normal" lanes don't apply to that lane, so it's hard to see how the consensus here can be other than right.

Odysseus

I know that spot, as far as I know it is a 24/7 bus lane. So the green light would only apply to a bus. With saying that, most cars just go when the bus lane goes green even if they are not in that lane.

fullstop

paddyland wrote: »

That bus green is extremely dangerous to buses too. The number of times I have approached that green, in a bus, in the bus lane, while the traffic in their lane is stopped, only for the main traffic light to go green just as I arrive at it, and the first cars pull immediately left right under my nose, without looking. Green in Ireland means go, without the need or expectation to look around you.

I think what happens is that one bus triggers it, and if another bus arrives a hundred yards behind, the lights change back just as the second bus gets there. Of course it doesn't help when the first car stops at the red light, straddling their own lane AND the bus lane, buggering everything up. What is the point of stopping at all if you are going to do that?

There is a yield sign at the end of the bus lane there so it's up to the bus driver to pay attention as he is the one 'changing lane' in effect.

I'm not sure if it's triggered by buses, I've sat at that light for minutes at a time without seeing a bus. The light goes green for the right lane for about 5 seconds and then red again, it's a joke.

fullstop

Odysseus wrote: »

I know that spot, as far as I know it is a 24/7 bus lane. So the green light would only apply to a bus. With saying that, most cars just go when the bus lane goes green even if they are not in that lane.

No it's not a 24/7 bus lane.

P.C.

Odysseus wrote: »

I know that spot, as far as I know it is a 24/7 bus lane. So the green light would only apply to a bus. With saying that, most cars just go when the bus lane goes green even if they are not in that lane.

fullstop wrote: »

No it's not a 24/7 bus lane.

There are a few problems with this set of lights.

1.) It is not a junction
2.) It is not a pedestrian crossing
3.) The lights are timed - Monday to Saturday from 7AM to 7PM
4.) The bus lane is in operation from 7AM to 7PM Monday to Saturday

Now, you would think that all is OK, as the light are only in use when the bus lane is in operation, BUT...

What about public holidays and bank holidays?
That is when you have the problem. The bus lane is not in operation, yet the lights are. So, which one has precidence?

Odysseus

fullstop wrote: »

No it's not a 24/7 bus lane.

Sure? I thought it was, but then again???

whomitconcerns

Odysseus wrote: »

Sure? I thought it was, but then again???

Definitely isn't.

TwoShedsJackson

whomitconcerns wrote: »

Definitely isn't.

It isn't, and I've sat for over 5 minutes in a queue of traffic in the lane with the red light, during which time precisely zero buses, taxis or vehicles of any description went through the bus lane green light. Eventually the first few cars just gave up and drove through the red light.

I did ring the council to mention this problem and they took note of it etc. which clearly had a huge effect.