Traffic calming for Celbridge announced by Minister for Transport

vektarman

I see Leo Varadker has announced, among other things, traffic calming for Celbridge, it's a bit short on detail, anyone know anything more about it?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0212/367348-leo-varadkar-transport/

Joe Public

From what I remember from hearing it on KFM

The bulk of the money to go towards work on the Maynooth Rd. which I think will be traffic lights where the Aghards Rd meets the Maynooth Rd. €200K - there may be more.
Some money to go on footpath repairs.
Study and surveys on bridge to further Tidy Town's safety proposal/solution - €40K

fitz

Joe Public wrote: »

From what I remember from hearing it on KFM

The bulk of the money to go towards work on the Maynooth Rd. which I think will be traffic lights where the Aghards Rd meets the Maynooth Rd. €200K - there may be more.
Some money to go on footpath repairs.
Study and surveys on bridge to further Tidy Town's safety proposal/solution - €40K

I really wish they'd just do the sensible thing and put a roundabout at that junction. Also, get rid of the bloody speed bump. When you're turning in from the Maynooth side, you're front right wheel is hitting the bump while turned to the right. Recently had a CV joint go on the missus' car, pretty sure it was because of that bump. Ridiculous place for it.

It's a textbook junction for a roundabout. Lights will be a disaster imo.

Davidth88

I hope they hurry up and repair/ Remove the hump on the Aghards Rd / Maynooth Rd junction .

It's a positive danger right now , apparently they put the humps on the junctions so that wheelchairs/buggies could cross the road ..... well as a person with a small child / buggy , I tell you now you can't cross on that now it's like a ploughed field.

Also I hope they do something to slow the traffic on the Shackleton Rd . the speed people pass Old Town Mill towards tesco is just crazy.

vektarman

Davidth88 wrote: »

Also I hope they do something to slow the traffic on the Shackleton Rd . the speed people pass Old Town Mill towards tesco is just crazy.

+1 on this, there was a nasty accident last week at the junction of Shackleton Road and the entrance of the estate opposite Oldtown Mill (can't think of the name of it), it's a blind spot both ways when leaving that estate and any fast traffic on the Shackleton Road is a recipe for disaster.

Also, why isn't there a left turning filter light at the junction where the Shackleton Road joins the Maynooth Road, it could work in conjunction with the right turning filter from the Maynooth Road on to the Shackleton Road, it would free up the left turning lane leaving the Shackleton Road and also allow right turning traffic to leave Tesco car park without having to rely on polite drivers to let them out.

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Celbridge&hl=en&ll=53.344249,-6.542959&spn=0.042274,0.111494&sll=-31.933959,117.832689&sspn=0.961504,1.783905&oq=celbridge&hnear=Celbridge,+County+Kildare&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=53.3442,-6.54357&panoid=SpvJEbPuNkFvj3mf64pS_w&cbp=12,90,,0,0

Beruthiel

fitz wrote: »

Lights will be a disaster imo.

Lights would be a nightmare.
I can see the traffic backing up on all sides.
A roundabout is the only logical course of action.

Davidth88

fitz wrote: »

It's a textbook junction for a roundabout. Lights will be a disaster imo.

I totally agree !!


I remember about 4 years ago someone said this to KCC , when lights were first mooted , the response from KCC mgr was very telling and explains a lot...

" We don't like roundabouts "

On the lights at Tesco/Famine graveyard ..... the response from KCC when these went in ( when Tesco was redeveloped ) was also very telling....

" We wash our hands of these lights , they are not what wanted "

KCC are a total joke when it comes to traffic mgmt IMO, just look at the disaster that is Maynooth with the plethora of lights and mish mash of lanes.

fitz

Davidth88 wrote: »

I totally agree !!


I remember about 4 years ago someone said this to KCC , when lights were first mooted , the response from KCC mgr was very telling and explains a lot...

" We don't like roundabouts "

On the lights at Tesco/Famine graveyard ..... the response from KCC when these went in ( when Tesco was redeveloped ) was also very telling....

" We wash our hands of these lights , they are not what wanted "

KCC are a total joke when it comes to traffic mgmt IMO, just look at the disaster that is Maynooth with the plethora of lights and mish mash of lanes.

What's most annoying about it is that the junction between Crodaun and Salesians, where the road to/from the interchange meets the Maynooth Road, is pretty much the same layout, and lights wouldnt even have been considered there.

They blew it on the Aldi planning permission. Could have included the provision of a proper roundabout as part of the planning, on Aldi's dime, and expanding into some of the Aldi site (who'd have lost nothing significant with the way that corner is anyway, just a load of hedging).

An utrained monkey could see a roundabout would be the best solution there, but KCC seem to not give a fig about North Kildare.

Joe Public

KCC are against roundabouts where there is much pedestrian activity, Tesco wanted one at the junction with the Maynooth Rd. but KCC said that roundabout crossings are too dangerous for pedestrians.

Scortho

The lights at tesco work fairly well. I think a roundabout would be the best thing to put in at aldi.
What really needs to get sorted is the bridge in celbridge. The pedestrian crossings while a good thing are far to close to the bridge on the dublin road. The one on the ardclough road are fine but the dublin road ones just make the bridge junction even worse. And I use then every morning as well.
Don't get me started on the hazel hatch road ones. The amount of times I've been nearly knocked down as a result of them.

fitz

Joe Public wrote: »

KCC are against roundabouts where there is much pedestrian activity, Tesco wanted one at the junction with the Maynooth Rd. but KCC said that roundabout crossings are too dangerous for pedestrians.

Yet there's a roundabout between Salesians and the rest of Celbridge, a route which probably sees more pedestrian traffic on a daily basis than anywhere else in the area...

Riskymove

fitz wrote: »

Yet there's a roundabout between Salesians and the rest of Celbridge, a route which probably sees more pedestrian traffic on a daily basis than anywhere else in the area...

but there are only 3 exits to it...people can walk between celbridge and salesians on the footpath without crossing the road at the roundabout

Joe Public

Riskymove wrote: »

but there are only 3 exits to it...people can walk between celbridge and salesians on the footpath without crossing the road at the roundabout

And there is a crossing at the Salesians that allows a safer route to Appelgreen without encountering the roundabout. If you are walking from Applegreen to Celbridge then that leads you to encounter one roundabout road.

fitz

Riskymove wrote: »

but there are only 3 exits to it...people can walk between celbridge and salesians on the footpath without crossing the road at the roundabout

Fair point, but with speed bumps and suitable crossings, a roundabout would still be the best option for that junction.
One pet hate of mine about that junction is that the road isn't wide enough to accommodate a filter lane turning right onto the Aghard's Road coming from the Maynooth direction while providing a safe way for traffic to join the Maynooth Road towards Celbridge from the Aghard's direction too.

Have you ever tried turning right out off the Aghard's Road when there's a bit of traffic? It's chaos. The number of times I've seen near misses because the person in the filter lane on the Maynooth Road tries to let someone out from the Aghard's Road, while at the same time cars in the filter lane are creating a blind patch for the person coming out. I'm surprised there haven't been more accidents there tbh.

The only safe ways to manage that junction from a traffic perspective, are lights or a roundabout. Lights add complexity and will result in tailbacks while traffic is allowed out from the Aghard's Road. The Tesco junction can't be looked at as an example because a huge amount of the traffic coming from the interchange will divert to Crodaun, Castlevillage/Thornhill/etc and Shackleton Road via the Aghard's Road, and Castletown/Beatty Park/Grove.
By the time traffic gets to the Tesco junction, a large amount of the volume that creates the issues at the Aldi junction is gone. Aside from the bridge, that junction is Celbridge's biggest traffic problem imo.

paddythe goat

:cool::mad:glad council and dept of transport are finally getting around to helping celbridge with its crazy traffic problems.....only living here 6 years...but it gets worse each passing year.not too bad in school holidays but otherwise forget it. maynooth road a disaster,we need more roundabouts at major junctions, know kcc do not like them wonder why?? newbridge and maynooth are messed up with lights?? will we bee next?? re the liffey bridge sooner the better they widen it big time...built for horses and carts...time for new bright and beeezy bridge..double present width even treble it in size and width....its possible....now is the time.. nite nitehttp://b-static.net/vbulletin/images/smilies/smile.pnghttp://b-http://b-static.net/vbulletin/images/smilies/cool.pngstatic.net/vbulletin/images/smilies/tongue.png

paddythe goat

read tonite in local paper liffey champion....mr emmet stagg td...has nearly announced that new secondary school is to go opposite old salesian college on maynooth road.............??

only now we need f pp from kildare county council.............should be easy....

only small problem..........celbridge is cut into 2 by the river liffey...and one very narrow bridge.....salesians have worked well over many years on maynooth road side.

st wolstans has worked well on clane road for the girls....

new school is to be a mixed school...was proposed to be built beside gaa club on hatch road.....all sound planning....there is a newish primary school in gaa club presently and one might think most of their pupils would move on to new school if built beside them....................anyway new school between gaa and tennis club got refused fpp............so now we move to maynooth road...one big elephant in the room.....the bloody narrow bridge..and the massive delays encountered there daily.....................will they get worse with all boys and girls from dublin road, hatch road and ardclough road all forced to go over and back every day....what will maynooth road be like every day with up to 2000 students....?? where is our good planning office....is there no 10 acre site on hatch road side of celbridge to divert traffic a little????????????????????/// help

tvnutz

It seems like madness to build another school across from the Salesians! The traffic up there at the start and end of school is already mad...

Joe Public

paddythe goat wrote: »

new school is to be a mixed school...was proposed to be built beside gaa club on hatch road.....all sound planning....there is a newish primary school in gaa club presently and one might think most of their pupils would move on to new school if built beside them....................anyway new school between gaa and tennis club got refused fpp............so now we move to maynooth road...one big elephant in the room.....the bloody narrow bridge..and the massive delays encountered there daily.....................will they get worse with all boys and girls from dublin road, hatch road and ardclough road all forced to go over and back every day....what will maynooth road be like every day with up to 2000 students....?? where is our good planning office....is there no 10 acre site on hatch road side of celbridge to divert traffic a little????????????????????/// help

Any idea as to breakdown of pupils currently attending St Patrick's school, what % would be from the same side of the river compared to the other side?

At a guess I'd say that between 1/3 & 1/4 of the population are living on the east side of the Liffey so it would make sense to have a secondary school on that side. Much of the free land on the Hatch Rd. side is under flood risk so the Lucan Rd. somewhere is probably next best choice.

paddythe goat

agree.........lucan road or hatch road or ardclough road would be best in the next few years...................probably ok to go with maynooth road site for say 3 years max....until good site becomes available closer to newer developments on other side of celbridge........................

seems crazy to ask all parents and students from lucan road and hatch road and ardclough side of town to cross the town twice a day and then get stuck on maynooth road in the mornings and every evening............

just thought that site opp salesians.....would be very very noisey with traffic on main galway road......going bye 24 hours a day...........that would be needed to be checked in to before millions spent on permanent structure....maybe survey would need to be done with all houses in area that runs close to galway road...near celbridge and maynooth.....their opinions might be revealing.......

grand for temp site but after few years a site will come available on proper side of town to suit majority......parents of st pats primary school need to get involved now,,,,and all other interested parties......look at mess in maynooth where vec are putting numerous schools on moyglare road???....drive over a take a look....crazy planning...................??

Joe Public

Good point about the M4 traffic noise, it's fairly noticeable once you go towards Crofton's Motors and wouldn't go hand in hand with quiet class time concentration.

L1011

The M4 is in serious need of resurfacing - the surface is laid 21-24 years at this stage, environmental damage (rain/floods/frost) as well as wear from traffic all add up. A new surface will be much quieter.

paddythe goat

i seem to remember ex now retired councillor from maynooth area but on celbridge road complaining about road noise from main galway road....maybe vec should contact him re noise and suitable venue for new secondary school....think he may even have worked for vec ......

worth a call by concerned parents................

would love a public meeting to be held in next month to discuss suitability of site for temporary school v permanent school....
know temp site is needed fast....like april /,may....so its ready for august/sept for incoming first years.....

but i would still hope nice site will come available in next 3 years on lucan side of celbridge.... to suit majority of students and parents who now live on that side and who will be using new secondary school for next 15 to 20 years....any news on old old wolstans site on dublin road near ballyoulster....?? delaneys field on ardclough road...zoned for housing i understand...very close to simmonstown...may suit if deal can be done????
dont rush into permanent site on maynooth road....to bring traffic chaos to yet another part of celbridge???on daily school run....am and pm

paddythe goat

when are we going to get four lanes in and out of celbridge?? use old bridge as way out of village..2 lanes.....build new bridge close to old bridge.that will give u two new lanes into village.........mini roundabouts each side of bridge...like one at ulster bank main st lucan..or roundabouts near rathcoole......

our bridge would look like junction 8..south kill as one goes into goffs or johnstown garden centre.take a look and then contact your local councillors and local tds.......
we all pay road tax and general tax...plus water tax and property tax...we are entitled to proper access to our town...........with new bridge we will get new footpaths and new cycle lanes..........would be nice.....
enough studies and reports...action needed now 2016......................

and we can move pedestrian crossings back a bit to give decent sightlines.....

Joe Public

paddythe goat wrote: »

when are we going to get four lanes in and out of celbridge?? use old bridge as way out of village..2 lanes.....build new bridge close to old bridge.that will give u two new lanes into village.........mini roundabouts each side of bridge...like one at ulster bank main st lucan..or roundabouts near rathcoole......

our bridge would look like junction 8..south kill as one goes into goffs or johnstown garden centre.take a look and then contact your local councillors and local tds.......
we all pay road tax and general tax...plus water tax and property tax...we are entitled to proper access to our town...........with new bridge we will get new footpaths and new cycle lanes..........would be nice.....
enough studies and reports...action needed now 2016......................

and we can move pedestrian crossings back a bit to give decent sightlines.....

Which building/s should you knock down to facilitate this plan? The bridge house would be the obvious single victim.

A new modern bridge beside and old historic bridge would look a bit off, the footbridge is bad enough but it was meant to be a temporary solution. There is also a plan to build cantilever footways on both sides of the existing bridge similar to Chapelizod which looks very well. If an agreement could be reached for a 2nd bridge then some progress could be made. I agree it's very frustrating to be getting these 10 yearly studies and ideas and plans etc. and more money down the drain. People getting greyer and greyer with newer councillors and politicians continually coming on the scene and more "concerted efforts and promises" etc. etc. etc. etc.
Meanwhile people are sitting in their cars trying to get in and out of Celbridge and pedestrians are risking their lives crossing the bridge on the narrow footpath and crossing either side parallel to the river.