more roads moaning. or am I getting ahead of myself

corkgsxr

Have ya noticed lately there taking away loads of lanes around the city? By extending the path at the lights so that lane is useless to go through the lights.

Maybe making the city harder to get around so the idea of going through a tolled tunnel isnt so bad just to avoid the city

farmerjj

ya its crazy, what they have done to the lane lay out over by popes quay, the genius who designed that should get the boot talk bout making a balls of it!! it creates problems all the way back to brian boru bridge.. muppets!!

Loire

Taking a lane from Washington St (from the courthouse to western road) is a disaster.

Another terrible one (for a new road) is at the end of the Wilton Roundabout (coming from Tesco). The grass verge slopes down to the road so anytime it rains it leaves a dangerous pool at this busy corner.

Dannyboy83

Loire wrote: »

Taking a lane from Washington St (from the courthouse to western road) is a disaster.

Looks like they're going to dig it up again:
http://www.corkindependent.com/20140116/news/taxi-for-planners-washington-street-to-be-rejigged-S78381.html

Amazes me how they claim they have no funds to fix the roads despite our pleas for mercy, yet they are squandering large amounts on redesigns which nobody apparently wanted or asked for.

Bogger77

I just loved that when the Tunnel was closed, they decided to close down one lane of the lower Glanmire road, for manhole cover work, for the last 2 nights.

Joined up thinking is absent from City Hall.

Knasher

I think a lot of what they are doing right now is to add in cycling lanes before the rentable bicycles are introduced.

Flesh Gorden

It's kind of funny though that they're squeezing cars out and prioritizing the city roads for the stingiest of all road users, instead of trying to promote families to head to the city.

Imagine the difference free street parking on a Saturday would make to bushiness.

Won't happen though, so F*ck it, they can keep the city centre and it's botched roads for the few, while I spend my money on the outskirts with the many.

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Amazes me how they claim they have no funds to fix the roads despite our pleas for mercy, yet they are squandering large amounts on redesigns which nobody apparently wanted or asked for.

Someone mentioned on another thread that road repairs and road building are two different budgets.
I've heard before too that if they don't use up either budget fully they'll lose what's left and will have a reduced budget for the following year.

Makes sense considering the half arsed expensive ideas get built so quickly.

KCAccidental

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Looks like they're going to dig it up again:
http://www.corkindependent.com/20140116/news/taxi-for-planners-washington-street-to-be-rejigged-S78381.html

Amazes me how they claim they have no funds to fix the roads despite our pleas for mercy, yet they are squandering large amounts on redesigns which nobody apparently wanted or asked for.

Washington St, like Anglesea St before it, were changed to facilitate high yield cycle lanes. The budget for this came from the NTA, not the council.

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

It's kind of funny though that they're squeezing cars out and prioritizing the city roads for the stingiest of all road users, instead of trying to promote families to head to the city.

Imagine the difference free street parking on a Saturday would make to bushiness.

Interesting, I would have the opposite viewpoint. Taking heavy traffic out of the city centre and promoting pedestrianization on main shopping streets would entice families back in to shopping in the city.

while free parking in the suburban shopping centre is one enticement to families, the other one is that they are able to shop in a controlled and safe environment with their kids, away from traffic and other dangers.

Make our city centre more friendly to shoppers and they will come back.

Missyelliot2

Funnily enough, this morning i was driving towards Douglas, to the right of me was Evergreen Florists (I had just passed St. Finbarrs, which was also on my right).There ends the cycle lane! There is no cycle lane ......until I pass the pedestrian walkway to the Gus Healy pool.(Luckily I happened to be tailing the cyclist)

People say that this is in preparation for the 'Cork Bikes', - ones that will equal London? Having lived in London for years...they are having a laugh!

In London, families were encouraged into the City of London on Sundays- there was free parking/entertainment etc.
I just don't understand what is the point of all the manic cycling lane construction?

AAAAAGGGGHHHH! I lived in the Netherlands (where there's not a lot of this crap tolerated),for years, and nothing on earth is as crap as local government here!

gobnaitolunacy

Should have a free (or at least cheap) parking day in the multi story parks, the fees charged by those robbing b*stards are astronomical.

Parked in one of those for half a day once, never again.

D'Agger

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

Funnily enough, this morning i was driving towards Douglas, to the right of me was Evergreen Florists (I had just passed St. Finbarrs, which was also on my right).There ends the cycle lane! There is no cycle lane ......until I pass the pedestrian walkway to the Gus Healy pool.(Luckily I happened to be tailing the cyclist)

People say that this is in preparation for the 'Cork Bikes', - ones that will equal London? Having lived in London for years...they are having a laugh!

In London, families were encouraged into the City of London on Sundays- there was free parking/entertainment etc.
I just don't understand what is the point of all the manic cycling lane construction?

AAAAAGGGGHHHH! I lived in the Netherlands (where there's not a lot of this crap tolerated),for years, and nothing on earth is as crap as local government here!

I admit that Cork needs to model itself on a better organized City but London has 12million inhabitants and is always going to be lightyears ahead, as with most things in Cork, space is the issue, the roads are simply too narrow to accomodate bus lanes & cycle lanes not to mention on street parking, with that said, you see them narrowing roads.

Speaking of Douglas though - if you're looking to get onto the South Link there's a very bad pothole by the entrance to Tesco on the inside lane, you can't see it in the mornings alot of the time due to traffic congestion, went straight into it this morning and it gave my wheel a right thump. If anybody goes into it at speed they'd be at risk of doing serious damage to their wheel.

corkgsxr

Sur see in Mayfield they added a bus lane. Which makes it a bus lane, lane about 2 foot wide and then a normal lane. Its ridiculous.

gimmick

Re the multi stories - surely a "validate scheme" would be beneficial. Park in Paul St for example. If you spend €5 or more your parking is free. Don't spend anything in Paul St SC you pay for your parking.

Dannyboy83

KCAccidental wrote: »

Washington St, like Anglesea St before it, were changed to facilitate high yield cycle lanes. The budget for this came from the NTA, not the council.

I thought that was the case alrite, I'm just surprised to see them observing the concept of ringfencing!, given how motor tax is infamously never ringfenced.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/archive...on-222761.html
"Cork City has relatively low public transport usage — just 8% of commuters in the city and the suburbs using public transport, compared to 21% in Dublin," Mr Kelly said.

"Cork also has a relatively low cycling share with just 2% of commuters using bikes to get to and from school and work.

"We want more people to use public transport, cycle and walk to work or school. But people need the necessary infrastructure to make the choice to change their mode of travel.

I realise they want to try encourage cycling but nearly 90% of people are using a car to commute according to the statistics. There is encouraging alternative means of transport and then, there is abandoning motorists.

The current redesigns seem very shortsighted in that regard where some of the footpaths are now wider than the actual road.

But honestly, I'd tolerate the "redesigns" if they'd only redesign the roads to be less swiss-cheese like while they're at it.

Interesting, I would have the opposite viewpoint. Taking heavy traffic out of the city centre and promoting pedestrianization on main shopping streets would entice families back in to shopping in the city.

I believe the council are going to do that in 2014.
Patrick's street is going to be pedestrianized and Mac Curtain's street is going to become 2 way. once again. lol

Days 298

The buses dont pull up properly on Washington street. They leave their arse protruding into the car lane making it even narrower. The cycle lane is used by taxis and the odd car as parking (of course they use the hazards :pac:)

This bus lane http://goo.gl/maps/pFXGL on Dyke Parade outside Pres and St Jospehs is the most pointless thing I have ever seen. Used by mummies as parking when waiting for their children. The whole lane is filled 20 minutes before the schools even get out. In the mornings pricks use it to skip the traffic queues and taxis bomb down it and Western Road before hand often well in excess of the speed limit or a reasonable speed for the conditions often to try and get ahead of as many cars as possible before the lane ends. There would be no traffic if both lanes were open. And its infuriating seating in a queue to watch 2-3 cars take the easy option only to put on their indicators seconds later to squeeze back in :mad:

If you use the South Link you know what Im going to mention. This lane http://goo.gl/maps/dnk71. Used by pricks to skip queues during rush hour :mad: Should be closed or bollards put in place or converted into another lane for people heading to Douglas.

The city center is horrid to drive. No matter what utopia people want to build we are a car city. Weather is wet and population apparently to sparse to have a decent affordable public transport system The cost of parking in the city center, the overuse of parking discs areas is to the detriment of the city IMO. They dont want people parking in the suburbs and getting the bus in to town (Wilton as an example) so they have disc parking. People are sticking to the suburbs and businesses there are welcoming them with open arms.

Patrick Street has no Unique Selling Point at all IMO. I dont see a good future for it tbh. Internet and Shopping centers will disseminated it unless action is taken

Also humorous how the government appears to do its darn best to get us into new cars yet another part of it wants us to leave them at home.

hoodwinked

the only thing i don't understand is these super-wide footpaths that seem to be the fashion trend of this decade,
obvious examples would be in Douglas, both outside the douglas village shopping center and at the entrances to the estates in donnybrook,these ridiculously wide footpaths taking up the space of a car lane?
they are not meant for cyclists at all, and make life more difficult for cars


i know they are trying to encourage walking & cycling, but they seem to forget, unlike Dublin Cork is FULL of hills, big steep hills that with all the will in the world i would never be able to cycle up after making the long commute home,

then you have the good old irish weather, i would rather just drive then spend weeks with sniffles and colds, with the random downpours we get you'd be coming home soaked most days.

until they fix both these issues (if they can) you will see the majority of people choosing the fast, more efficient and dry method of travel.

Ludo

Did you seriously just say that the council need to fix the amount of hills in Cork and the weather?
:-)

the beer revolu

Ludo wrote: »

Did you seriously just say that the council need to fix the amount of hills in Cork and the weather?
:-)

also claimed that driving is the more efficient form of travel!

hoodwinked

Ludo wrote: »

Did you seriously just say that the council need to fix the amount of hills in Cork and the weather?
:-)

damn right, we need a glass dome like the simpson's have!

the point i was making was until they fix the un-fixable, which they will never do people will use drier forms of transport.

the beer revolu wrote: »

also claimed that driving is the more efficient form of travel!

in Cork it is??? our bus service is ****, cycling is not efficient due to weather/hills, trains don't go around the city/countryside, and you'd hardly walk from the city to carrigaline?

Days 298

the beer revolu wrote: »

also claimed that driving is the more efficient form of travel!

For most it is........

Cian92

KCAccidental wrote: »

Interesting, I would have the opposite viewpoint. Taking heavy traffic out of the city centre and promoting pedestrianization on main shopping streets would entice families back in to shopping in the city.

while free parking in the suburban shopping centre is one enticement to families, the other one is that they are able to shop in a controlled and safe environment with their kids, away from traffic and other dangers.

Make our city centre more friendly to shoppers and they will come back.

I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with you. I'd much prefer to be able to go into town, but what with parking so difficult I avoid it. Public transport is not an option, I do my shopping in one of the shopping centres in the suburbs.

I do go to town late at night for a meal or whatever as parking is free.

Also the change to Washington Street didn't only cause problems for car drivers, I have a friend who gets a bus into UCC, and since the change has been made the bus has been late and he can't get to 9am lectures on time.

Cycling will probably never kick off in Ireland, it is too wet. How many of us have the facility for a shower when we arrive in work? Not many of us I'd suspect.

Days 298

Cian92 wrote: »

Cycling will probably never kick off in Ireland, it is too wet. How many of us have the facility for a shower when we arrive in work? Not many of us I'd suspect.

You learn how bloody hilly Cork is and how crap our roads are when you sit on a bike! Maybe mopeds or motorbikes should be an aim for the government..... Especially for 6th years and college students.

the beer revolu

Days 298 wrote: »

Maybe mopeds or motorbikes should be an aim for the government..... Especially for 6th years and college students.

Why would they want mopeds when mummy and daddy will buy them all cars?
(because they need them:rolleyes:)

Days 298

the beer revolu wrote: »

Why would they want mopeds when mummy and daddy will buy them all cars?
(because they need them:rolleyes:)

Dont know what world you are living in. Alot of them relay on lifts and would jump at the idea of affordable mopeds. It costs more currently to get on a moped than a car for the first time.

It is possible to need a car as a student. Dont be so quick to judge .:rolleyes::rolleyes: Just because some have them and dont need them is irrelevant. Their money their choice.

Not everyone can afford cars or "mummys and daddies will buy them all cars.." as you put it and not everyone can afford to wait for or wants to use public transport. It was a suggestion...... Didnt expect an anti car response.

the beer revolu

Days 298 wrote: »

Dont know what world you are living in. Alot of them relay on lifts and would jump at the idea of affordable mopeds. It costs more currently to get on a moped than a car for the first time.

It is possible to need a car as a student. Dont be so quick to judge .:rolleyes::rolleyes: Just because some have them and dont need them is irrelevant. Their money their choice.

Not everyone can afford cars or "mummys and daddies will buy them all cars.." as you put it and not everyone can afford to wait for or wants to use public transport. It was a suggestion...... Didnt expect an anti car response.

need is a very subjective word.

Days 298

the beer revolu wrote: »

need is a very subjective word.

No interest in an argument on private transportation and evil cars. Sorry.

the beer revolu

Days 298 wrote: »

No interest in an argument on private transportation and evil cars. Sorry.

Whop said cars are evil?
I have a car and I drive.
For years I didn't have a car because, in my view, I didn't need one - I used public transport, my legs (very effective) and occasionally rented a car when necessary.
I really don't know what got your knickers in such a twist. I was simply making a flippant comment on how many young people are so spoilt by their parents when it comes to having cars. I made no anti car statement.

corkgsxr

Motorbikes and scooters would be brilliant in the city and perfect solution for loads of people but government wants people off them. They should be encouraged

gobnaitolunacy

corkgsxr wrote: »

Motorbikes and scooters would be brilliant in the city and perfect solution for loads of people but government wants people off them. They should be encouraged

That plus crap weather/roads and traffic is about as friendly towards motorbikes and scooters as it is towards bicycles. There was a time most lads bought a motorbike if they couldn't afford a car.

Cian92

the beer revolu wrote: »

Whop said cars are evil?
I was simply making a flippant comment on how many young people are so spoilt by their parents when it comes to having cars. I made no anti car statement.

And do you have figures to back up that "so many young people are spolit" by having cars? Yes parents in some cases pay for a car, but in many cases the young person works and buys one...

pow wow

Do the plans to 'fix' the problem on Washington Street extend down to Square Deal? Pulling out of Little Hanover Street with cars parked either side is a daily exercise in getting my face blown off by cars coming up Washington Street who don't realise you can't see anything when coming out at that junction. Visibility was bad before but it's non-existent now.

corkgsxr

pow wow wrote: »

Do the plans to 'fix' the problem on Washington Street extend down to Square Deal? Pulling out of Little Hanover Street with cars parked either side is a daily exercise in getting my face blown off by cars coming up Washington Street who don't realise you can't see anything when coming out at that junction. Visibility was bad before but it's non-existent now.

Pulling out by the bailey is stupid too. Before you could turn into the right hand lane and filter into traffic. Now you have nowhere to go.

Days 298

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

That plus crap weather/roads and traffic is about as friendly towards motorbikes and scooters as it is towards bicycles. There was a time most lads bought a motorbike if they couldn't afford a car.

Used to be the case a few years ago around here when the moped category was given with the car. Lads used have mopeds to get to and from school/gym/work.

All gone now along with boy racers. Not a moped in sight. Looked dead handy. Could be parked anywhere and you could carry bags with books etc. And nip through traffic. They can also take the hills with more ease than bikes.
Always jealous when I am abroad and see the locals popping around the place on mopeds.

Im in the process of getting a licence for mopeds and motorbikes. Spent €80 so far and don't even have the licence yet.......

gobnaitolunacy

Seems a balls alright, so many hoops to jump through in order to drive something simpler than a lawnmower.

Blitzkrieger

Days 298 wrote: »

Im in the process of getting a licence for mopeds and motorbikes. Spent €80 so far and don't even have the licence yet.......

I don't want to say it'll be no use, but be aware that a lot of Cork streets are too narrow to 'filter' between lanes going in the same direction, and there's often a solid white line in the center that will often make filtering between lanes illegal. My bike probably isn't the best example because it's a sports bike, but I often find myself stuck in traffic, overheating, when in the city center.

corkgsxr

Blitzkrieger wrote: »

I don't want to say it'll be no use, but be aware that a lot of Cork streets are too narrow to 'filter' between lanes going in the same direction, and there's often a solid white line in the center that will often make filtering between lanes illegal. My bike probably isn't the best example because it's a sports bike, but I often find myself stuck in traffic, overheating, when in the city center.

Ah stop there's enough space. Its rare enough you end up struck

AugustusMinimus

More and more I'm really hating Cork City Council.

This time they are now widening the path at the end of South Main Street where it meets the bottom of Barrack Street. They are getting rid of the 2 lanes and replacing it with 1.

Why are they doing this ? The better question is why they are spending my tax Euros on this pointless exercise.

pwurple

Blitzkrieger wrote: »

I don't want to say it'll be no use, but be aware that a lot of Cork streets are too narrow to 'filter' between lanes going in the same direction, and there's often a solid white line in the center that will often make filtering between lanes illegal. My bike probably isn't the best example because it's a sports bike, but I often find myself stuck in traffic, overheating, when in the city center.

You can still filter legally on a solid single white line, as long as you have room to pass without crossing it.

kcb

Would this be right place to mention that pet-hate of mine... the way the pedestrian plaza that is now on Coal Quay becomes a car park at the weekends (possibly weeknights too?)

It just makes a complete mess of the area. It also makes it dangerous if you are mixing pedestrians and cars.

What makes it more baffling is that it is right outside the Garda Station there!

the beer revolu

kcb wrote: »

Would this be right place to mention that pet-hate of mine... the way the pedestrian plaza that is now on Coal Quay becomes a car park at the weekends (possibly weeknights too?)

It just makes a complete mess of the area. It also makes it dangerous if you are mixing pedestrians and cars.

What makes it more baffling is that it is right outside the Garda Station there!

If I could thank that post 100 times I would.
It was the same in Emmett place but they finally put up bollards there.
I've written to the council about this but got no reply.
I've often counted 40+ cars there on a Sunday morning.
There's a lot of parking ticket revenue being missed out on too.

ofcork

There should be barriers put on the coal quay area like the ones which rise out of the ground so when the traders are finished,barriers up and no parking.Another area I was driving yesterday which needs to be sorted imo is the lower road from the church down past the train station,the lanes are too narrow.

Dannyboy83

Is Western Road being made 1 lane now also?


They've made a dog's dinner of Pope's quay, there are regularly traffic queues at 6.30am since they've cut it down to one lane

kcb

ofcork wrote: »

There should be barriers put on the coal quay area like the ones which rise out of the ground so when the traders are finished,barriers up and no parking.Another area I was driving yesterday which needs to be sorted imo is the lower road from the church down past the train station,the lanes are too narrow.

Barriers are fine but surely it's up to the authorities to clearly state that you cannot park on the plaza and just dole out a load of tickets from then on.

It's frustrating when you see cars parked like this (also happens on the paved area outside courthouse) while you are diligently driving around looking for a legal space to park (and then pay for that space!).

I assume the people parked on the plazas do not actually pay anything either.

It's frightening the amount of incompetence within the councils/corporations. The place would be run better using polls on a forum!

gobnaitolunacy

George Hook was on yesterday about the utter joke that are parking discs, hard to find places that sell them and a baffling system to grasp for people unfamiliar with the city. Should be relegated to the dark ages.

D'Agger

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

George Hook was on yesterday about the utter joke that are parking discs, hard to find places that sell them and a baffling system to grasp for people unfamiliar with the city. Should be relegated to the dark ages.

Parked out by College of Comm the last day thinking there might actually be free parking there - firstly - that was a foolish notion on my part but got out, saw all the parking discs on the cars and figured I was a good 10min return journey from a place that would sell them....absolute joke, hopped back in and went to Merchant St. shopping centre

Blitzkrieger

corkgsxr wrote: »

Ah stop there's enough space. Its rare enough you end up struck

There's plenty of places where there's not much room. Now that there's 4 lanes in places in Mahon there's often no room between cars there. In town in places like Lavitts Quay there's not much room either; if there's a truck or something, forget about it. In other places it doesn't take a driver being too far to the left/right to make it impossible to filter too; I swear sometimes they do it on purpose.

My bike's not that big and I do make nice progress through traffic, but it's not magically going to get me through every jam.

deRanged

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Is Western Road being made 1 lane now also?

it looks like it - I'd guess the big wide cycle lane will continue out to UCC.

Missyelliot2

I wish they'd repair the roads we have left....I've seen so many cars almost falling down one of the two craters on the road over the South Link - after St. Finbarrs hospital, on the way into town.
Bad enough during the day, but at night you've not a chance of avoiding them.

rob316

I think what they are doing to the city is a joke. City centre retailers are already struggling now the city planners are forcing people to go shop in places like mahon because you cant bring your car to town. These businesses pay the highest rent and rates in the city they deserve better.
what is the obsession with widening footpaths?they are like 10ft wide on one side of washington st totally unnecessary. They made cycle lanes so wide you can literally drive a car down them.
taxi federation and gaurds are having war with the council over the removal of the taxi ranks on washington st. Instead of been able to catch a car on washington st you now have to go into patrick st or the grand parade adding to the already drunk and messy crowds which the gaurds cant handle.
I mean they couldn't of made a bigger mess of it if they tried.

mordeith

rob316 wrote: »

I think what they are doing to the city is a joke. City centre retailers are already struggling now the city planners are forcing people to go shop in places like mahon because you cant bring your car to town. These businesses pay the highest rent and rates in the city they deserve better.
what is the obsession with widening footpaths?they are like 10ft wide on one side of washington st totally unnecessary. They made cycle lanes so wide you can literally drive a car down them.
taxi federation and gaurds are having war with the council over the removal of the taxi ranks on washington st. Instead of been able to catch a car on washington st you now have to go into patrick st or the grand parade adding to the already drunk and messy crowds which the gaurds cant handle.
I mean they couldn't of made a bigger mess of it if they tried.

They're talking about reducing the size of the footpaths now on Washington street.

rob316

mordeith wrote: »

They're talking about reducing the size of the footpaths now on Washington street.

Ya they are looking at the cost of reversing the works done. I spoke to a solicitor in the area recently there is a huge number of complaints from businesses. It is a serious health and safety issue not just affecting business.