M50 traffic much heavier recently?

sparkthatbled

Has anyone else noticed traffic on the M50 getting ridiculously heavy in the mornings recently? Maybe I should say that in particular I am talking about the stretch between Finglas and the Red Cow southbound.

I know the schools are back etc, but it was never this bad with the schools last year. I could get on at Finglas most mornings as late as 8:05 and be in citywest for 8:30 (during the summer i could get on at 8:10 and once i managed 8:15). There was a bit of a slowdown around Lucan and that was it, unless there was a crash. Now I find myself joining traffic already at a standstill or crawling to one. It takes at least 30 minutes just to reach the red cow and there is no longer any obvious consistency in which lanes move faster at certain points.

I don't need to be told to "just leave earlier", what I'm wondering is if a lot of other people have noticed this and if anyone knows why it's happening?

markest

Seems to be more commercial vehicles on the road. Sign of an improving economy maybe.

Noxin

Yup, as of about 2 weeks ago it has become mental. I used to hit it every morning for a short stretch between Ballymun and Blanch.
Now I take the back roads through Finglas -> Cappagh because the traffic is so bad.

I understand bad weather causes (most) people to slow down but this degree of tailback is far beyond that. Really curious what is causing it too...

Davidth88

The traffic in general ( Dublin traffic ) seems to be much worse in the last 2 weeks , much worse than last year when the schools went back

The M4 is at a standstill most mornings at Celbridge now at 07:30 , yesterday I couldn't even get on the motorway and used the back roads ( Hazelhatch/Nangor Rd ).

This time last year it was taking me 15 mins to get to work , now taking me 20-25 mins at the exact same time.

Lets hope its a good sign !!

SandyfordGuy

whatever you do don't drive down whitxworth road regularly taking twenty minutes end to end last two weeks

sparkthatbled

I find it hard to believe it's a business upturn because there were virtually no delays during the summer. I was wondering if maybe schools are starting earlier this year? I suppose the traffic during midterm breaks will tell the tale.

serfboard

Thanks for starting the thread - I was going to start one myself.

I was listening to AA Roadwatch this morning and they were saying the section from Blanchardstown to Firhouse was very slow.

The also said that it could take an hour to get from the M1 junction to the Firhouse junction! :eek:

So, my question is, having expanded it to three lanes (and four in places) is it now under-capacity?

Or is it traffic not clearing off the junctions quickly enough, leading to tailbacks?

LXFlyer

This happens every year when the schools and also (particularly) when the colleges return. We all have very selective memories to a degree about this. The same problems occur every year right across the city:

1) People find it particularly hard to get onto buses as they are all full
2) Traffic gets particularly heavy in the morning peak

It takes several weeks for everything to settle down again as people re-adjust their departure times, students settle into a standard pattern rather than all returning at once, and by mid-October things settle back down.

tobsey

The increased traffic is caused by the fact that the M1 upgrade is now complete and there is no delay for traffic coming down the M1 and joining the M50 SB. Previously traffic would crawl from before J4 Donabate past junction 3 Swords. This acted as a throttle to prevent the M50 getting too busy. This traffic now flows straight onto the M50 and as a result the usual slowdown between J7 and J9 is starting even further back at J4.

Also the schools traffic, ie parents bringing children to school, has no bearing on the traffic on the M50. The only reason the traffic gets worse when the schools go back is that roughly 20% of the workforce are on annual leave in July and August. That makes a huge difference.

Also the crap weather hasn't helped.

LXFlyer

tobsey wrote: »

The increased traffic is caused by the fact that the M1 upgrade is now complete and there is no delay for traffic coming down the M1 and joining the M50 SB. Previously traffic would crawl from before J4 Donabate past junction 3 Swords. This acted as a throttle to prevent the M50 getting too busy. This traffic now flows straight onto the M50 and as a result the usual slowdown between J7 and J9 is starting even further back at J4.

Also the schools traffic, ie parents bringing children to school, has no bearing on the traffic on the M50. The only reason the traffic gets worse when the schools go back is that roughly 20% of the workforce are on annual leave in July and August. That makes a huge difference.

Also the crap weather hasn't helped.

Do teachers not drive as well?

People seem to forget that they are off the road during the summer too.

bikeman1

Compared to the number of students, I would say the number of teachers is very minimal.

I do however agree with you, that this happens every year. It takes a few weeks and people settle back into the routine. The question does however have to be asked about an outer ring road, say the M100, as it seems the M50 is going to be nearly at capacity in the next few years!

Jamie2k9

bikeman1 wrote: »

Compared to the number of students, I would say the number of teachers is very minimal.

I do however agree with you, that this happens every year. It takes a few weeks and people settle back into the routine. The question does however have to be asked about an outer ring road, say the M100, as it seems the M50 is going to be nearly at capacity in the next few years!

As I understand its above safety limits currently and has being for many years now even after the upgrade.

Wasn't make for short hops as being used and I don't think an outer motorway is the answer as the level of traffic completely bypassing Dublin is very small, something else is needed to fix the current problem.
More tolls on slip roads at least say every second or third junction would take lots of short hop traffic away which should be using other routes which have the capacity for it.

sparkthatbled

tobsey wrote: »

The increased traffic is caused by the fact that the M1 upgrade is now complete and there is no delay for traffic coming down the M1 and joining the M50 SB. Previously traffic would crawl from before J4 Donabate past junction 3 Swords. This acted as a throttle to prevent the M50 getting too busy. This traffic now flows straight onto the M50 and as a result the usual slowdown between J7 and J9 is starting even further back at J4.

This makes a lot of sense. I drive down from Drogheda and I learned very quickly after moving there to avoid the M1 in the mornings and instead go via Duleek and Ashbourne onto the M2. I was thinking of switching back to the M1 now that the work is complete, but if I'll just meet that same traffic as soon as I join the M50 I think I'll continue on my current route!

tobsey

lxflyer wrote: »

Do teachers not drive as well?

People seem to forget that they are off the road during the summer too.

Of course they are. They would be included in the 10-20%. I've no idea of the actual figures but in my office of 10 people there is always at least one if not two people off in July and August. I know it's not exactly an accurate reflection of the whole workforce but I'm fairly confident that's the issue in September.

AlekSmart

A major part of the issue is how Dublin City and environs has NEVER had administration which regarded Public Transport as an integral part of it's infrastructure.

For countles generations of Dublin's Senior Planners,Public Transport,particularly bus based,was a rather annoying element which they were losing patience with being forced to facilitate.

I'd have to agree with Eamonn Ryans views here....

http://www.thejournal.ie/eamon-ryan-calls-on-nta-to-publish-dublin-document-1082313-Sep2013/

Any observations involving the M50 will also have to take account of the fact that the N/M3 Meath is already at "Saturation Level" which entails every Licence holder in it's catchment actually having direct access to a vehicle they hold a licence for....now THAT is scary,if anybody is trying to make a case for Public Transport....

Tragedy

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

More tolls on slip roads at least say every second or third junction would take lots of short hop traffic away which should be using other routes which have the capacity for it.

Where are these mystical roads within the M50 with free capacity? Because I've never seen them at rush hour!

AlekSmart

Tragedy wrote: »

Where are these mystical roads within the M50 with free capacity? Because I've never seen them at rush hour!

They don't exist,Tragedy.

We are still reluctant to admit that the removal of those thousands of "Inner City" families during the 1960's,without first putting a Public Transport plan in place,has proven disasterous for Dublin as a functional Capital City.

I am old and wizened enough to remember the opening of "Ballymun Flats" and the "dedicated" Bus Route,the 36,which was to serve those thousands of people for whom "Commuting" was as new and incredible an experience as their new abodes.

Did the "Authorities" provide a "New" Public Transport experience out to Ballymun Cross ?......did they heck !.....:o

Those folks got an example of the worst possible means of service provision to this new population centre.....Single Doored High-Floor,Short Wheelbase,Leyland Leopards conveniently converted to One-Man-Operation and operating from a wildly chaotic Parnell Square.

For years these vehicles swayed and lurched around the 36,36A and 36B routes in ever more vain attempts to cater for a HUGE demand for Public Transport,with many old photos still available (cue!) showing jammed "C" Class buses heading Ballymun wards with the driver barely visible amongst the standing throng.

Dublin NEVER had any policy regarding it's Mass Transit requirements,and in spite of all the waffling since Neil T Blaney's Ballymun Flats days,we still don't....NTA or no NTA :eek:

sdanseo

I can't say I've noticed it a huge amount heavier in terms of volume.

If anything though, it is slower. Of 4 lanes, the two on the left are always empty. Those transiting between junctions or exiting at the next one continue to veer across 3 lanes at the last minute rather that correctly use the auxiliary lane, and nobody uses the driving lane for actually driving in because apparently it's unfashionable.

The Gardaí simply must start enforcing lane discipline. It's sickening to have to prevent myself from undertaking moron after endless bloody moron.

We also simply must employ the humble zebra crossing in this country. A massive contributor to slow traffic is endless pedestrian traffic lights. Put a zebra crossing on every junction and slap massive fines on morons that disregard them, and the need for stupid pedestrian lights disappears almost entirely. That, or of course employ footbridges.

m0nsterie

lxflyer wrote: »

This happens every year when the schools and also (particularly) when the colleges return. We all have very selective memories to a degree about this. The same problems occur every year right across the city:

1) People find it particularly hard to get onto buses as they are all full
2) Traffic gets particularly heavy in the morning peak

It takes several weeks for everything to settle down again as people re-adjust their departure times, students settle into a standard pattern rather than all returning at once, and by mid-October things settle back down.

Anyone notice the traffic settling down yet? :rolleyes:

bonbondar

Coming from Navan to Blancherdstown the traffic is a nightmare on the M3 coming up to Clonee/Damastown. Slows to a crawl.

kaimera

As a new commuter on the m50 (m1 on ramp to exit14) I've found it progressively worse as the weeks have gone on.

Monday seems fine, but after that...an hour to get to the toll is rather crap.

L1011

There's loads of things I'd love to see the impact of quantified:

1: There has been an increase in employment.
2: There are a number of companies now banning home-working, e.g. Yahoo.
3: There are people who have returned to cars since Network Direct, e.g. there are far less buses serving many business parks than previously

Each of these has to have added some cars to the roads, albeit that could be a tiny amount. I know of people in my current/soon-to-be-former employers who've started driving since the ND changes to the Citywest routes.

TINA1984

MYOB wrote: »

There's loads of things I'd love to see the impact of quantified:

1: There has been an increase in employment.
2: There are a number of companies now banning home-working, e.g. Yahoo.
3: There are people who have returned to cars since Network Direct, e.g. there are far less buses serving many business parks than previously

Each of these has to have added some cars to the roads, albeit that could be a tiny amount. I know of people in my current/soon-to-be-former employers who've started driving since the ND changes to the Citywest routes.

They might be factors, but clearly the concept of 'Induced Demand' is at play here. In another few years the M50 will be as congested as it was prior to its upgrade, and no doubt the calls for even more widening by car commuters and motor lobby groups will be made.

L1011

TINA1984 wrote: »

They might be factors, but clearly the concept of 'Induced Demand' is at play here. In another few years the M50 will be as congested as it was prior to its upgrade, and no doubt the calls for even more widening by car commuters and motor lobby groups will be made.

Considering how many years post-upgrade it took for issues to occur, I think you're massively, massively, massively over-stating that one.

The option of sitting in an effective carpark is not an inducement to anyone sane. Methinks you've got a rather big axe you're trying to grind here.

Davy

TINA1984 wrote: »

They might be factors, but clearly the concept of 'Induced Demand' is at play here. In another few years the M50 will be as congested as it was prior to its upgrade, and no doubt the calls for even more widening by car commuters and motor lobby groups will be made.

Not much room left, and double decker isn't an option at this late stage, so they will add more tolls as a disincentive. Its runs ok apart from the peak hour, or a crash. Most of might could be avoided if people left a sensible distance to the car in front

SimonLynch

m0nsterie wrote: »

Anyone notice the traffic settling down yet? :rolleyes:

Nope, I'm diriving west Wicklow into Rathcoole and it's driving me mad. Caravan train of vehicles doing 60-80 on a 100k road, go through Kilteel and save a bit of time.

TINA1984

MYOB wrote: »

Considering how many years post-upgrade it took for issues to occur, I think you're massively, massively, massively over-stating that one.

Not many years, just 5 years, that's not a long time in the great scheme of things. Furthermore the economic shock the country endured around the time the very expensive upgrades came online is almost certainly the only reason the shiny, new and improved M50 has lasted as long as it has with only minor congestion issues in comparison to the bad ol' days.

I'd wager that as economic growth returns we'll see M50 congestion return to its starring role in traffic updates and as the bane of drivng commuters lives in the greater Dublin sprawl.

MYOB wrote: »

The option of sitting in an effective carpark is not an inducement to anyone sane. Methinks you've got a rather big axe you're trying to grind here.

Tell me more about this axe I'm grinding oh wise one?

Stheno

bonbondar wrote: »

Coming from Navan to Blancherdstown the traffic is a nightmare on the M3 coming up to Clonee/Damastown. Slows to a crawl.

It's always like that in the morning, it's the traffic going to IBM in Damastown and the industrial parks further on.

I often work in that area and either get there early, or else factor in about twenty minutes to get through it.

monument

MYOB wrote: »

Methinks you've got a rather big axe you're trying to grind here.

TINA1984 wrote: »

Tell me more about this axe I'm grinding oh wise one?

Both of you: Drop the axes.

monument

MYOB wrote: »

The option of sitting in an effective carpark is not an inducement to anyone sane.

People often make choices which don't seem to sane. Transport choices is no different.

sgarvan

Bad driving and merging is causing a chunk of the issue.

People join the motorway and head straight for lane 2 & 3. Cars that are in lane 1 do not move out of the way for cars to join the motorway and this causes slowdowns. Drivers also stay in lane 2 & 3 up to the last minute and then try to get to aux lane & lane 1 at the last minute.

All of this has contributed to the slowdowns and it was evident last Thursday when cars slowed before J6 then drove fine after until before J7.

Added to this is the buildup off the motorway tailing back up onto the M50.

I have been driving the M50 for 2 years now and it took me 35 mins from M1 J6 to M50 J7 leaving at 7:30. Now the same time and journey is 60-70 mins

trihead

I know schools have been mentioned but there is alot of students and mature students who now drive to UCD / DCU / Tallaght IT / Blanch IT / Dun laoghaire Coleges via the M50. I think this is one factor in several which is causing the increase.

micks_address

I just started commuting from Skerries to Citywest.. yesterday left at 8.30 got in for 9.45 Today left at 7.45 got in at 850. So not much in it. I had hoped leaving at 7.45 would get me in for 8.30

Im not complaining as I new it would be a headache for me, but what are the alternative routes to take coming from the north county? I'm just think i'll have to have an alternative if only for days where there is a crash or something else that closes the motorway to a halt.

From my two days so far it does seem to obviously slow down coming up to and exits and where slip roads join the m50.

Im hoping its a little better. If i could keep the journey time to 50 minutes i'd be happy enough.

Cheers,
Mick

Elmer Blooker

I remember there was talk of a "new M50" - in other words a new ring road from Drogheda to Naas. That, obviously was way back during the boom and is not an option now. I don't think more roads are the answer but something like this I think is badly needed and would take a lot of traffic off the M50.
http://www.northsidepeople.ie/article.php?id=2520

The J Stands for Jay

I wonder could google maps and the like be to blame. If I'm ever going to a new place, I check the route on google maps first. If there is a motorway bias, could this be causing people to choose the m50 route when starting a new job etc?

Davy

sgarvan wrote: »

Bad driving and merging is causing a chunk of the issue.

Very much agree with that, one thing I would change are the short merges and only have the lane gain merges. N4 inbound to m50 SB causes a lot of issues, as does the N3 inbound to M50SB, and the N7 inbound to m50 NB. They all have both joining options, but most users use the shortest possible option, often changing lanes at the last minute to get into the shorter lane.

Happens regularly at the merge from N7 where change from left to right lane, then can't join the mainline quick enough so cross back over the ghost island into the aux lane. :mad:

Larbre34

Yes the merging is the issue, and the diverging also, people diving off late across traffic causing a brake on the diverge queue and on the lane they have just departed.

Having done a lot of continental driving its very obvious how woeful drivers we are as a nation, especially on motorways. Of course thats partly down to the driver education which doesnt cover motorways, but also the terrible attention some drivers pay to whats going on around them and also to not learning motorway etiquette once they do qualify. I have thought for a long time that if we cant or wont behave correctly voluntarily then they should install ranks of the superlight bollards in the hatch markings of all the merge and diverge lanes to force people to get in lane correctly and not depart it early or at the last second or across the hatchings. Not sure how you force people to get up to the correct speed before joining the M-way though.

My example of this morning was the driver of the red Hyundai Getz that joined the M50 SB at J12, in pouring rain with the sun shining through it so visibility was very poor, who was in shall we say a menopausal haze, drifted from the auxiliary lane to the outside lane in one sweeping movement with not a light on on the car, then proceeded to continue at 90kph gesticulating wildly to either a passenger I could not see or the car phone. I dont blame the following Galaxy driver one bit for undertaking both me and her in frustration

sgarvan

Davy wrote: »

Very much agree with that, one thing I would change are the short merges and only have the lane gain merges.

Exactly. Get rid of short merge and send all drivers down aux lane. Then you have the distance between junctions to merge at the speed of the traffic currently on the road.

Who can we send these suggestions to? Obviously someone takes them or studies are done every now and then because the change at the M1 junction NB is defo for the better.

carveone

Larbre34 wrote: »

Yes the merging is the issue, and the diverging also, people diving off late across traffic causing a brake on the diverge queue and on the lane they have just departed.

Agree with this too. I've driven extensively in Canada and the US and the type of driving you see here would get you pulled over and ticketed there. I was never taught to motorway drive here and had to learn very quickly over in Canada (take lessons!). High priority is shoulder checking and lane prediction - a) you can get an artic in your blind spot and, b) above 2 lanes, two drivers can attempt to merge to the same lane, something that is (was?) never even mentioned in a test here.

I have thought for a long time that if we cant or wont behave correctly voluntarily then they should install ranks of the superlight bollards in the hatch markings of all the merge and diverge lanes to force people to get in lane correctly and not depart it early or at the last second or across the hatchings.

Good grief, it's terror inducing. Blanch is bad southbound - this lane 3 to exit in one move with no indicators crap is actually causing major accidents. The northbound M50 approaching M1/N32 is worse. The wild lane changes slow traffic down considerably as drivers try and compensate for it. What's worse is the "breakdowns". Cars simply do not breakdown that often anymore but it seems every day last week there was a "breakdown" that caused 2 hour tailbacks. If these people are running out of petrol their car should be taken away and burnt in front of them :mad:

in one sweeping movement with not a light on on the car, then proceeded to continue at 90kph gesticulating wildly to either a passenger I could not see or the car phone.

And they don't even notice! I had this on the M3 outbound the other day - guy on phone doing 80kph in outer lane until I was forced to undertake; then he changed to inner lane without indicating just as I reached him. I nearly had heart failure. I take lane 2 from M50 exit 4 through 5 primarily because of the early, unindicated lane changers and the traffic in lane 1 which won't yield. And I'm still undertaking lane 3 all the time! Maybe there should be a special "competent to drive motorway" section in your driving licence.

serfboard

The latest NRA stats (a new setup from the NRA so not easily linkable), reports that between the N2 and N3 (J5->J6) over 130,000 vehicles per day are travelling. :eek:

sdanseo

Very hard to get rid of some of those short merges.

Looking at google maps, N4W->M50N and N7W->M50N would be a nightmare. For some reason in the opposite direction more space seems to have been left.

Davy

sdeire wrote: »

Very hard to get rid of some of those short merges.

Looking at google maps, N4W->M50N and N7W->M50N would be a nightmare. For some reason in the opposite direction more space seems to have been left.

Use the aux lanes where available, and merge the short into that before main line. It's not ideal but they speeds will be similar so merge better than slow to mainline.

sgarvan

serfboard wrote: »

The latest NRA stats (a new setup from the NRA so not easily linkable), reports that between the N2 and N3 (J5->J6) over 130,000 vehicles per day are travelling. :eek:

http://86.47.108.84/c2/calendar_alt.asp?sgid=ZvyVmXU8jBt9PJE$c7UXt6&spid=NRA_000000001501

Looking at the stats there was 130,000 cars passing there in March aswell and there was no traffic issues then

serfboard

sgarvan wrote: »

http://86.47.108.84/c2/calendar_alt.asp?sgid=ZvyVmXU8jBt9PJE$c7UXt6&spid=NRA_000000001501

Looking at the stats there was 130,000 cars passing there in March aswell and there was no traffic issues then

1. The link you give is for between Junctions 4 and 5, not 5 and 6 like I linked to.

2. For that junction, I can't see any day that is greater than 120K (March 28th) - which day were 130K on?

3. Based on the old data that is easily-linkable, there are 10,000 more vehicles on the M50 now than there were in 2012 or 2011.

sgarvan

serfboard wrote: »

1. The link you give is for between Junctions 4 and 5, not 5 and 6 like I linked to.

2. For that junction, I can't see any day that is greater than 120K (March 28th) - which day were 130K on?

3. Based on the old data that is easily-linkable, there are 10,000 more vehicles on the M50 now than there were in 2012 or 2011.

Change the drop down on the page to the location you want.

Here is March 7th 2013. And it has almost 130,000 as the daily number.
00-24 - 129380

http://86.47.108.84/c2/tfdayreport.asp?sgid=ZvyVmXU8jBt9PJE$c7UXt6&spid=NRA_000000001502&reportdate=2013-03-07&enddate=2013-03-07

patrickbrophy18

MYOB wrote: »

There's loads of things I'd love to see the impact of quantified:

1: There has been an increase in employment.
2: There are a number of companies now banning home-working, e.g. Yahoo.
3: There are people who have returned to cars since Network Direct, e.g. there are far less buses serving many business parks than previously

Each of these has to have added some cars to the roads, albeit that could be a tiny amount. I know of people in my current/soon-to-be-former employers who've started driving since the ND changes to the Citywest routes.

This is a very good point. There are a number of other factors which drive up (no pun intended ) use of the M50. In no particular order, here they are:

1. Bad co-ordination and integration of public transport: I often see cases where v-shaped commutes are taken to get from the place of residence to the place of work. For example, anyone living in the Dun Laoghaire burrough who works out in Tallaght or Citywest has to get a DART into town and a Luas out to one of these areas. From experience, it has taken me the guts of 2 hours traveling only one-way. Essentially, you have to go into town only to come out the other side. This would make sense if the starting location was somewhere in the burrough of Dun Laoghaire and the destination was Castleknock, Blanchardstown or Cabra. In this case, the commute is more crescent shaped. Even then, a commute of this nature can be very time consuming given the indirect nature of many public transport routes and particularly buses. Stops in quick succession can add unnecessary time length to a journey. A considerable portion of routes deviate from the desired direction of travel only to serve housing estates with narrow roads ill equipped for buses. Either-way, an element of uncertainty arises when availing of public transport. This can be daunting when people need to get to work on time. As such, people will understandably resort to using the car to get to work as it puts them back in control of their schedule. Many of these journeys would culminate on the M50.
2. Excessive short-hop journeys made by car: A massive chunk of car journeys done on a daily basis are less than 5 kilometers which monument pointed out elsewhere. A lot of these journey could very well be spilling out on to the M50 at rush hour adding superfluous congestion. This would undoubtedly place a massive strain on congestion inconveniencing those making journeys well above 10 kilometers. This is where cycling is heavily encouraged. For example, many car journeys where one travels from Tallaght to Citywest (3.3 miles) or even Liffey Valley (5.7 miles) could be replaced by cyclist journeys. This would be considered an afterthought for the keenest and fittest of cyclists who probably do well over 30 miles on a regular basis.
3. Nonsensical urban planning: In the last 50 years or so, the urban sprawl of Dublin has expanded as far out as Swords to the north, Kildare to the west and Greystones to the south. In the process, it has elasticized the journey length for regular commuters. At the same time, the bulk of a highly extensive tram network and a more diverse railway network have been dismantled. Nimby driven limitations on building heights has pushed residential and commercial development outwards from the city center.

The issues above all add exponentially to congestion on and off the M50.

Sheldons Brain

Is there any actual intention of public transport in Dublin to serve the journeys people make, or are people simply expected to organise their lives around the limited range of public transport?

serfboard

sgarvan wrote: »

Change the drop down on the page to the location you want.

Here is March 7th 2013. And it has almost 130,000 as the daily number.
00-24 - 129380

http://86.47.108.84/c2/tfdayreport.asp?sgid=ZvyVmXU8jBt9PJE$c7UXt6&spid=NRA_000000001502&reportdate=2013-03-07&enddate=2013-03-07

Fair enough. I looked through March and I get 130K or over on the following days:

March| Number
1 | 135
8 | 136
15 | 133
21 | 130
28 | 134I thought the numbers were around 100K. To see them going over 130K is a major surprise to me. Having said that, I've added to it recently myself when going from Galway to Belfast. I could have gone cross-country, but the roads are sh1te.

patrickbrophy18 wrote: »

There are a number of other factors which drive up (no pun intended ) use of the M50 ...

1. Bad co-ordination and integration of public transport: ... v-shaped commutes ...
2. Excessive short-hop journeys made by car...
3. Nonsensical urban planning

Agree with all of this.

As I've said on another thread, public transport has to be carrot and stick. If you take away one of the carrots of better public transport (the Network Direct review) then all you are left with is the stick and, given the numbers I've quoted above, I think the day is fast approaching when more tolls will be put on the M50.

will56

Stheno wrote: »

It's always like that in the morning, it's the traffic going to IBM in Damastown and the industrial parks further on.

I often work in that area and either get there early, or else factor in about twenty minutes to get through it.

Its getting worse these mornings. Huge issue at the slip road from Clonee joining the N3 up to the exit for mulhuddart.
I seen 5 lanes of traffic this morning where there should be 2 on the N3 a 1 lane merging off the slip road.
2 lanes coming down the slip road and people driving in the hard shoulder before seem to be causing jams at this simple junction

nuttlys

tobsey wrote: »

The increased traffic is caused by the fact that the M1 upgrade is now complete and there is no delay for traffic coming down the M1 and joining the M50 SB. Previously traffic would crawl from before J4 Donabate past junction 3 Swords. This acted as a throttle to prevent the M50 getting too busy. This traffic now flows straight onto the M50 and as a result the usual slowdown between J7 and J9 is starting even further back at J4.

That's so logical and probably the most likely reason the M50 has been standstill from M1/M50 to Red Cow since Sept.

I'd also agree with others that a number of large offices which were vacant for years are getting occupied on the M50 belt again. In my building alone 200 odd souls have moved in on one floor. Thats 200 cars. And in Dundrum Business Park, Car Trawler have taken quite a large floor. Thats just two examples that I know of in the last year, where in the previous 4, nothing was happening.

IMHO, before any talk of extra tolls (which are money spinning rackets anyway and should be removed when the build cost is paid for) or lane widening is even thought of, the gov really needs to put the T21 for Dublin back on the table.

http://www.dublincity.ie/RoadsandTraffic/Transport21/Documents/T21Map[1].jpg

When I saw that map, I believed it was the most obvious solutions to Dublin commuting, and still I still do. A large park'n'ride outside swords would alleviate a lot of the M1 S/B traffic. Dublin Bus to be fair have improved in terms of their cross city routes, but rail can handle many more people, easier, faster & cheaper.

I travelled J3 - J15 M50 nearly every morning & evening for 4 years, but since Sept it has been unbearable and am now finding myself just as well to go through town on days (not saying its any better time wise, but its nearly half the fuel consumption).

The M50 is becoming an issue again, but it's not necessarily the M50s' fault, its the lack of viable alternatives.

nuttlys

What are peoples thoughts on Ramp meters for the M50? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramp_meter

Has this ever been discussed?

I can think of a number of benefits off the top of head:

• creates a disincentive for drivers only travelling 1 or 2 junctions. if they see a long queue for a ramp signal they may just choose to pick an alternative route.
• could bring back a 'throttle' to the M1/M50 junction, which has turned into a super funnel causing standstill traffic on M50 SB most mornings.
• regulating the quantities of cars on the motorway at peak *should* mean more room between cars, less sudden braking and less collisions.
• Where ramps backup to the previous on-ramp junction, the on-ramp junction should stop letting cars on, meaning a more consistent and safer flow for the mainline.