Dun Laoghaire Traffic & Commuting Chat

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121925255#Comment_121925255

You need to factor in climate change...

Blut2

Nevermind climate change, huge numbers of people play outdoor sports year round every week in Ireland. Rugby, football etc but also things like tennis that would be even more comparable.

Bluefoam

I’m amazed with the amount of people complaining about the changes to Dun Laoghaire. Let’s face it, the place is a dump since the 1990’s. It lacks any positive atmosphere, the shops are struggling, cafes struggle to gain any momentum, bars are awful and there’s no critical mass to make the place a success. It’s a place to drive through, not a place to stop and enjoy. The only things that offer hope are the success of the market and Living Streets! I did some work with someone who was involved in sorting out the shopping centre & the plan was to keep it ticking over rather than to improve it because there’s just not enough footfall in the area. So, without major investment & a huge rethink about how the area presents itself, Dun Laoghaire will only deteriorate further. The Living Streets project is a major step forward in improving the outlook businesses and making the place better for local and visitors.

This runs deeper than stopping cars going down certain streets, it’s potentially got very serious implications for the local economy.

As for complaints about outdoor tennis courts… it's the most stupid comment I've heard in a long time. Complainers will say anything to support their case, but it just proves that they are oposing things for all the wrong reasons.

Homesick Alien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122000339#Comment_122000339

I've only lived in DL since 2015 but I've always liked spending time in the town and while I agree that it needs some improvement I think you're stretching it to say it lacks any positive atmosphere.

It suffers by comparison to upmarket villages like Monkstown and Glasthule on either side but it's easy for those places to put up some fairy lights and price anyone undesirable out of the area. DL Is a medium sized town with a large harbour and it has all walks of life on its streets. That's what I like about it. But I also like that they're always trying to improve things. In fact most other places use DL as an example to strive towards and certainly don't see it as a dump.

cobham

Took the new bus L25 today down to Dun Laoire. You need to get off on York Road at Vesey stop to get to the main street. Graffiti now on the new art work in Myrtle Square. Plenty of seating there and outside the hospital. The new trees in square are coming into leaf so settled in well. There is a fancy filling station for drinking water bottles. Pleased with new busroute as more direct than 46a and still a return stop where Argos used to be. Ah so many vacant units and charity shops…..no sign of a turn around.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122002630#Comment_122002630

Hopefully Living Streets helps bring in some more varied tenants than just charity shops.

Nickindublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122002655#Comment_122002655

Unfortunately i think that wont happen. The town needs a couple of big name high street stores to open to have any chance and i dont see that happening. You will probably get more charity shops and coffee shops.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122002890#Comment_122002890

I see your point but I guess its difficult for big names to move in as there are no large and well configured units to occupy.

The old shopping centre is an outdated monstrosity that really influences the whole area. And not in a good way.

Its a shame it cant be knocked and be modernised because DL has the potential to be very busy.

I do think Living Streets will help develop outdoor and hospitality options. Clothes/home retail, not so much, as the units just aren't there.

Hopefully, Living Streets will get in on the outdoor market act as that is a real footfall winner, as per the current Peoples Park market.

Bluefoam

Welcome to the area! I've been living here since the 1970's and I remember the town being a hive of activity, it was a regional centre, had all the amenities you could need for both leisure and commerce. It was pleasant and had nice, quality shops. It wasn't second rate compared to places you call upmarket... Monkstown was a local village, Dun Laoghaire was a destination. It has been awful seeing it fall into obscurity. If there isn't radical change, it will very quickly begin to deteriorate and the cost of regeneration will be beyond any perceivable value.

Living streets will change the dynamic of the town in a positive way. We need to stop making excuses and just do it. Fairy lights don't make a place desirable on their own.

BTW, Glasthule and Monkstown evolved because Dun Laoghaire could no longer provide local people with the amenities the wanted or needed.

Nickindublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122002965#Comment_122002965

You need a mixture of shops to attract people. ATM that isnt there.Pennys is the big attraction. Shaws has the potential to attract concession stores.Living Streets will be a roaring success or a disaster IMO. So we will have to wait and see. Something has to be tried.

maisie45

I drove the new cycle lanes being installed in stillorgan park, I was en route to Stillorgan.

The space left for pedestrians is very narrow, why are pedestrians needs being down graded when there are far more pedestrians than cyclists.

Also it looks like the cycle lane will cut across the space people will stand in while waiting for a bus, these buses are very frequent now so that cycle path will involve a lot of conflict, whats worse is it will bd with people on electric bikes and scooters which are very fast and heavy.

I did note a child managed to secure damages from a cyclists home insurance policy, he hit her on a footpath, if a passenger either getting off a bus or getting on is hit by a bike on an official cycle pathwho will be liable.

Cyclists on electric bikes are now cycling on the footpath at Convent Road( near the school) they do this so they can stay at speed and go straight into the cycle lane, there is going to be a very bad accident on that corner, lots of elderly people going to and from the park use that footpath, its only a matter of time until one of them is under heavy bike/scooter.

All those battery operated bikes need to have identifying numbers on them, if people think they can hit someone and leave the scene without being identified they will continue with reckless cycling/ scooting.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122034609#Comment_122034609

If a cyclist on a bike is hit by a passenger getting off a bus or getting on, on an official cycle path, who will be liable.

All those pedestrians need to have identifying numbers on them, if people think they can hit someone and leave the scene without being identified they will continue with reckless walking.

maisie45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122034715#Comment_122034715

The cyclists could be cycling at speed so will do a lot more damage than a pedestrian walking into a cyclist.

The cyclists are generally male and pedestrians are all genders and ages so I would be a lot more nervous of a cyclist ploughing into me that i would of a pedestrian in my way while im cycling.

I mean why would anyone think its a good idea to put a cycle path through where people wait for a bus, could we not run the cycle lane behind the bus stop, Im paid nothing to come up with my ideas and then we have experts creating problems when a bit of maintenance on an existing bicycle path would be sufficient.

Is there a bottomless pit available for cycle lanes.

cobham

Perhaps the bus stop is being relocated/removed? This is how they solved a similar problem on the N11 at the top of Mt Merrion Avenue.

maisie45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122035691#Comment_122035691

Didnt think of that, think its a fairly new bus stop though, the L25 stops there and these buses are very frequent.

I drove by today and it looks like cyclists will be routed through where passengers wait.

The pedestrian area is very narrow too so bus passengers will be crowded on top of each other, I forsee s lot of conflict particularly with speeding electric bikes snd scooters and thats where the growth in cyclists is, massive number of what look like small motorbikes flying in cycle lanes and in parks,just so dangerous.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122035665#Comment_122035665

Bernard Tully's family might disagree with you that the pedestrian is going to come off worse.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/tributes-paid-to-cyclist-who-died-after-collision-with-a-pedestrian-in-the-phoenix-park/34687597.html

And why didn't you use the M50 access road to Leopardstown? Dunno why we bother building motorways when you won't use them.

Tarabuses

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122035718#Comment_122035718

These and other road improvements that were sold as providing improvements for cyclists and pedestrians have always ended up benefiting the former and inconveniencing the latter. So many pavements have been narrowed to provide cycle lanes. Pedestrians who had free access to their bus must now cross cycle lanes at their peril.

Wherever I have seen cycle lanes placed between the pavement and the kerb there has been a yield sign painted on the cycle lane to protect the pedestrian either boarding or alighting. I would hope that this will also be the case on Stillorgan Park if pedestrians are to be inconenienced at that location.

maisie45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122035963#Comment_122035963

All along the N11 from Stillorgan has bike signs painted on paths that pedestrians have to walk on, these paths are shared by cyclists and walkers but the bike sign makes it look like its a cycle path.

Are pedestrians supposed to walk on the central teservation through daffodils and tulips.

The path near the turn onto Deansgrange Road have been freshly painted, shared path again but big bike signs painted a few metres apart.

Its the same near Cornelscourt, people getting buses to the shopping centre and various schools, bike signs again on paths that people walk on, its a ridiculous situation but it shows who has the eat of the council and its not wheelchair users, blind people, older people, children, everyone should be complaining about this.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122039978#Comment_122039978

You've elevated victimhood to very special degree here. You're now convinced that the existing of cyclist markings on shared spaces or cycle lanes is evidence of some overwhelming movement at Council level (where the Greens are a smallish party) towards deification of cyclists?

Show us on the map where the cyclists hurt you Maisie?