Temporary Closure of Section of Lough Atalia Road from 23rd March to May, 2015

Julabo

So haven't had to negotiate this yet.

Decided to do it today. Wow, i pity anyone who has to do it daily.

People jumping the lanes is horrendous. Used my horn plenty.

Any word on progress? On time? What date is completion due?

joeKel73

The latest thing seems to be to take the right lane then turn in to the Radisson and do a U-turn back out onto the road. Makes it legitimate, apparently....

ratracer

J o e wrote: »

The latest thing seems to be to take the right lane then turn in to the Radisson and do a U-turn back out onto the road. Makes it legitimate, apparently....

I don't know why peeps even bother to do this, if you're gonna lane jump, just do it properly, all the way down to the park house car park entrance, then hop in while the yellow box is clear:cool:

Zzippy

ratracer wrote: »

I don't know why peeps even bother to do this, if you're gonna lane jump, just do it properly, all the way down to the park house car park entrance, then hop in while the yellow box is clear:cool:

People are getting so annoyed with this that they're driving onto the yellow box to prevent it. I don't blame them...

Apt username by the way!

Fozzie Bear

ratracer wrote: »

then hop in while the yellow box is clear:cool:

I hate them. Hate them with an all consuming firey passion. B@stards one and all.

It should be legal that people who do this, can be dragged from their car by their fellow motorists and beaten to death with their own shoes.

*Sigh* some day, some glorious day when I'm Supreme Ruler and Over Lord.....

Diabhal Beag

I've noted that last week was the breaking point for most of us not letting right laners in. It's the same cars that pass you in Lough Atalia doing 80 that expect you to let them out by the Radisson. No longer will such a major atrocity be ignored.

snubbleste

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

I've noted that last week was the breaking point for most of us not letting right laners in. It's the same cars that pass you in Lough Atalia doing 80 that expect you to let them out by the Radisson. No longer will such a major atrocity be ignored.

Still happening this morning..every minute

boardzz

They should put a warden at the yellow box stopping cars from moving lane, make them go all the way around again. Only let the buses and taxi in.

Julabo

boardzz wrote: »

They should put a warden at the yellow box stopping cars from moving lane, make them go all the way around again. Only let the buses and taxi in.

That was what I was thinking.

So date of reopening? Anyone know?

Iwannahurl

boardzz wrote: »

They should put a warden at the yellow box stopping cars from moving lane, make them go all the way around again. Only let the buses and taxi in.

The Council has a grand total of six Community Wardens at present.

Their duties include

• detection of Motor Tax offences
• parking control
• enforcement of alcohol consumption by-laws
• litter control
• dog control
• horse control
• monitoring of lifebuoys
• monitoring of "activities which are licensable by Galway City Council (e.g. opening of roads, placing of skips in public roads, erection of scaffolding, placing of tables and chairs on public roads, non-motorised passenger transporters etc.)"
• monitoring of compliance with tenancy agreements
• identifying breaches of Planning legislation, Buildings Control Legislation and Pollution Control Legislation
• identifying "hazards or other problems which require rectification by Galway City Council, for example, hazards on footpaths, damage to signage, inadequate road marking, defective public lighting"
• "provision of information and advice to tourists/visitors as appropriate", and
• "such other duties as may be assigned."

What are the chances of adding Yellow Box Monitoring, realistically?

joeKel73

Sounds more like a job for a Garda...

boardzz

One warden at peak times over the period of construction will not break the bank.

dastardly00

A Garda for an hour in the morning and evening for a few days in a row will sort a lot of it out pretty quickly.

ratracer

I don't do it btw, but there is no law against changing lanes. It is annoying watching brazen drivers do it, but they are breaking no law!

joeKel73

They are in the lane clearly marked as College Road Only (with some exceptions).

boardzz

ratracer wrote: »

I don't do it btw, but there is no law against changing lanes. It is annoying watching brazen drivers do it, but they are breaking no law!

Road Traffic Act:

Careless driving.

52.—(1) A person shall not drive a vehicle in a public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the place.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence.

joeKel73

Surely they could be nailed with some of these?

- Proceeding beyond a traffic lane control sign other than in accordance with such sign or without yielding. 1 penalty point. €60 fine

- Entry by driver into hatched marked area of roadway. 1 penalty point. €80 fine

- Failure to obey requirements at junctions, e.g. Not being in the correct lane when turning onto another road. 1 penalty point. €60 fine

- Failure to comply with traffic lane markings. 1 penalty point. €60 fine

manna452121

Heading up to Salthill from Limerick early tomorrow morning,with the buses not working,will the roads be very busy around city centre?

Late merging is encouraged in many countries as its a more efficient use of road space and reduces queues.

Iwannahurl

manna452121 wrote: »

Heading up to Salthill from Limerick early tomorrow morning,with the buses not working,will the roads be very busy around city centre?

If you come proper early it won't be a problem.

If you're going to Salthill you could avoid the city centre, which will get increasingly busy with morning market etc.

No need to go near Lough Atalia Road.

Try this route perhaps.

Zzippy

Iwannahurl wrote: »

The Council has a grand total of six Community Wardens at present.
...
What are the chances of adding Yellow Box Monitoring, realistically?

They said at the start that wardens would enforce the extension of the clearway on Forster Street to prevent trucks blocking the 2-lane system during the works. The other morning I drove past one of these wardens on said Forster Street, who was calmly observing as a delivery driver unloaded his parked truck that was blocking the RH lane, undeterred by her presence...

Lea Limited Schoolwork wrote: »

Late merging is encouraged in many countries as its a more efficient use of road space and reduces queues.

Are you mad man? This is Ireland! Don't be talking crazy... :pac:

Eeden

Zzippy wrote: »

Are you mad man? This is Ireland! Don't be talking crazy... :pac:

Zzippy - funny, as it is also known as zip merging.

Yes, I think this should be encouraged; but for some weird reason, we would rather have an empty lane rather than have cars merge only when they really need to.

joeKel73

Lea Limited Schoolwork wrote: »

Late merging is encouraged in many countries as its a more efficient use of road space and reduces queues.

It reduces queue length but it does not increase throughput. Wouldn't make sense at Lough Atalia as that road can handle a very long backlog without blocking the junctions behind. Also it would unnecessarily delay those using the right lane correctly.

zarquon

Zip merging is the most efficient use of road space, particularly along lough atalia atm. If everyone did it, it would be grand. The problem is about 5 to 10% only do it which means cars tearing up unused lanes and cutting in which only adds to road rage.

If you can't beat them, join them. The advantage is greatly diminished when more people used the empty lane effectively making both lanes equal in progression time.

I think the greatest issue are passive drivers who are almost incapable of switching lanes in busy traffic without a massive gap. There are far too many drivers in Galway who are incapable of proactive driving and making reasonable progress so they take the easy approach and stay in massive lane queues getting mad at more progressive drivers and blocking up junctions and roundabouts by not making reasonable progress. It's a nightmare to be stuck behind such drivers who require loads of (non existant) empty road space before making progress.

If you want to be a cowardly driver - fine, but don't get angry with progressive drivers. Especially considering that failing to make reasonable progress is a driving test fail.

Mrs OBumble

J o e wrote: »

It reduces queue length but it does not increase throughput. Wouldn't make sense at Lough Atalia as that road can handle a very long backlog without blocking the junctions behind. Also it would unnecessarily delay those using the right lane correctly.

Exactly.

In fact, it slows progress if lots of people are merging. In countries where periodic slow/passing lanes are routinely built into road designs, these lanes are sometimes closed during high volume periods to allow the road to handle more traffic overall.

Routine use of both lanes is good if there is a road capacity issue. But that's not the case here.

Discodog

zarquon wrote: »

Zip merging is the most efficient use of road space, particularly along lough atalia atm. If everyone did it, it would be grand. The problem is about 5 to 10% only do it which means cars tearing up unused lanes and cutting in which only adds to road rage.

If you can't beat them, join them. The advantage is greatly diminished when more people used the empty lane effectively making both lanes equal in progression time.

I think the greatest issue are passive drivers who are almost incapable of switching lanes in busy traffic without a massive gap. There are far too many drivers in Galway who are incapable of proactive driving and making reasonable progress so they take the easy approach and stay in massive lane queues getting mad at more progressive drivers and blocking up junctions and roundabouts by not making reasonable progress. It's a nightmare to be stuck behind such drivers who require loads of (non existant) empty road space before making progress.

If you want to be a cowardly driver - fine, but don't get angry with progressive drivers. Especially considering that failing to make reasonable progress is a driving test fail.

So is ignoring all the road markings & signs that tell you to stay in lane. The queue isn't being caused by passive drivers. It's being caused by ignorant bullies who ignore the signs & markings & push in.

Zip merging can't be used on Lough Atalia because the two lanes serve different destinations.

O.A.P

[QUOTE=Discodog;95328683

Zip merging can't be used on Lough Atalia because the two lanes serve different destinations.[/QUOTE]
That's the best answer on this thread so far.
Sorry I did not post it first

joeKel73

zarquon wrote: »

Zip merging is the most efficient use of road space, particularly along lough atalia atm. If everyone did it, it would be grand.

You're just latching on to something to try excuse giving yourself priority over your fellow road users.

Road space on Lough Atalia is not an issue, there's plenty of space for a long line of cars.

If a zip/late merging traffic plan was in place here (and not just in your self-serving fantasy land) how would it help here?? It wouldn't improve the traffic flow through to Eyre Square at all and it just delays all traffic going to the bus station and College Road.

zarquon

Discodog wrote: »

So is ignoring all the road markings & signs that tell you to stay in lane. The queue isn't being caused by passive drivers. It's being caused by ignorant bullies who ignore the signs & markings & push in.

Zip merging can't be used on Lough Atalia because the two lanes serve different destinations.

That's different so, i wasn't aware of signage requesting to stay in lane.

For the record i was hypothesizing only. I'm fortunate enough to not have to use lough atalia much and therefore have not been near this area since the works began and i don't intend to until they're complete, if i can help it.

As long as the queues are not backing up past the college road/lough atalia junction, then i agree there is no need to encourage zip merging behaviour. If there are blockages on this junction at peak times then multi lane use should be encouraged.

Iwannahurl

As I bypassed two lines of near-stationary traffic on Fairgreen Road recently, I had a quick look at the yellow box just here.

Its actual function when I saw it was to allow motorists avail of the gap to cut in from the right lane into the left lane. Cue furious blowing of horns by motorists behind who were queuing in the left lane.

If motorists taking the left lane, as required by the Traffic Management Plan, did not leave space at this point, the queue jumpers would not get any advantage. So what is being achieved by dutifully leaving the yellow box clear?