Matt Talbot Memorial Bridge changes

rp

"To provide better public transport links and improved cycling and walking facilities on the
north Quays. "
Anyone know how bikes are supposed to cross the Liffey now that the right-turn over the Talbot bridge has been closed? If you are coming in along the North Quays, and want to access St Georges Dock, say, then the new bridge doesn't help (no eastbound cycle path), the loop behind the Customs House is a pain (more lights), or keep on until the Beckett bridge, and even then, getting back westbound requires hopping the curb, plus it adds about 1km to your route.

Idleater

For the new Bridge, with the current signage, the bridge seems useful for anyone on bicycle who wishes to traverse the liffey from Marlborough Street.

For one or two people this may fit with the dcc description.

Or if cycling on the N quays, this might be a good time to start the Copenhagen process of turning right (in our case) by pulling to a stop in front of the traffic lights to go straight across the bridge.

I'll try that tomorrow.

Riskymove

rp wrote: »

"To provide better public transport links and improved cycling and walking facilities on the
north Quays. "
Anyone know how bikes are supposed to cross the Liffey now that the right-turn over the Talbot bridge has been closed? If you are coming in along the North Quays, and want to access St Georges Dock, say, then the new bridge doesn't help (no eastbound cycle path), the loop behind the Customs House is a pain (more lights), or keep on until the Beckett bridge, and even then, getting back westbound requires hopping the curb, plus it adds about 1km to your route.

you could cross O'Connel Bridge and go down lombard street to george's dock

or as you say go around the Custom house

or go over Beckett bridge

or or or or

seriously, how many options do you want

buffalo

Idleater wrote: »

Or if cycling on the N quays, this might be a good time to start the Copenhagen process of turning right (in our case) by pulling to a stop in front of the traffic lights to go straight across the bridge.

I'll try that tomorrow.

Aye, I was just going to suggest a box turn at the west end of the Custom House - go straight along the quays in front of the Custom House, then pull in at the junction as if you had come straight down from Amiens Street. Not too sure of the legality of that though.

There is a cycle track on the east side of Talbot Bridge, but it's northbound as far as I can remember, going into the contra-flow lane at the back of the Custom House, so no help.

Actually, I observed a woman on a bike yesterday morning, cycling on the footpath in the same direction as the contra-flow lane beside her, which is separated from car traffic. I'll never understand some people.

Anyway, might be worth getting in touch with DCC and see what their Smart Travel advice is for this scenario.

buffalo

Riskymove wrote: »

you could cross O'Connel Bridge and go down lombard street to george's dock

Is Lombard St not one-way, and in the wrong direction? As is City Quay, Townsend Street and many more avenues there.

Idleater

buffalo wrote: »

Is Lombard St not one-way, and in the wrong direction? As is City Quay, Townsend Street and many more avenues there.

No, you can go towards Georges dock on lombard st to the junction with Pearse St. Pearse and the South quays are one way towards town.

Re the legality of the box turn, in Copenhagen it was the defacto way to get across, mainly because there weren't any filters for vehicles either. As a pedestrian it is infuriating though having to cross a pedestrian zebra crossing full of pobs.

I'd consider it a grey area, like filtering.

buffalo

Idleater wrote: »

No, you can go towards Georges dock on lombard st to the junction with Pearse St. Pearse and the South quays are one way towards town.

umm... I'm confused. I can see no route from the north quays to George's Quay down Lombard Street that would be efficient in any way.

http://goo.gl/maps/EQrpA ?
http://goo.gl/maps/8mNlE ?

Oddly enough, Google seems to believe one can cycle the wrong way down it - http://goo.gl/maps/Y34x6

Riskymove

buffalo wrote: »

umm... I'm confused. I can see no route from the north quays to George's Quay down Lombard Street that would be efficient in any way.

sorry I confused Lombard street and townsend street

go over O'Connell bridge, down Townsend street and then take a left down Luke St to George's quay

buffalo

Weepsie wrote: »

people are always cycling down Lombard st in the wrong direction. Generally they seem to be dangerously turning off westland row or coming from the footpath.

Aye, I've seen it a fair bit too. I think some are inconsiderate and reckless arses, but some probably genuinely believe that all cycle lanes are two-way.

Conversely, I often meet cyclists going with flow in the contra-flow lane on Capel Street, and get dirty looks (http://goo.gl/maps/7dZqs). I think they need arrows in the bike lane, people don't take the hint of the orientation of the bike. Sometimes not even the road markers, judging by the City Quay reversal.

check_six

Can anyone tell me how I might use the new bridge (Hackett Bridge?) usefully as a cyclist?

Just looking at the map it links Marlborough St and Hawkins St, which looks good for buses, but not much use for me on my bike. Maybe if I'm going down the North Quays and I want to skip D'olier St on my way to Pearse St.? It's not really much help is it?

Having said that, I'm still struggling to work out the best way to use the Samuel Beckett Bridge.

check_six

buffalo wrote: »

I think they need arrows in the bike lane, people don't take the hint of the orientation of the bike. Sometimes not even the road markers, judging by the City Quay reversal.

Has City Quay contra flow been reversed?

wicklowwonder

check_six wrote: »

Can anyone tell me how I might use the new bridge (Hackett Bridge?) usefully as a cyclist?

Just looking at the map it links Marlborough St and Hawkins St, which looks good for buses, but not much use for me on my bike. Maybe if I'm going down the North Quays and I want to skip D'olier St on my way to Pearse St.? It's not really much help is it?

Having said that, I'm still struggling to work out the best way to use the Samuel Beckett Bridge.

I work down by the O2 and cycle down the north Quays. I can now cycle whole way to Hackett bridge and it is quicker and easier than crossing anywhere earlier in my opinion. Well it was yesterday!

buffalo

check_six wrote: »

Has City Quay contra flow been reversed?

It depends from when you mean. It was originally marked as contra-flow (eastbound), but it's currently marked as with-flow (westbound) - has been for well over a year I'd say.

Victor

rp wrote: »

St Georges Dock

Do you mean (King) George's Quay?

check_six

wicklowwonder wrote: »

I work down by the O2 and cycle down the north Quays. I can now cycle whole way to Hackett bridge and it is quicker and easier than crossing anywhere earlier in my opinion. Well it was yesterday!

I don't quite understand how you are using the bridge. What route do you use? Can you go across it in both directions?

buffalo wrote: »

It depends from when you mean. It was originally marked as contra-flow (eastbound), but it's currently marked as with-flow (westbound) - has been for well over a year I'd say.

Kinda pointless if it's with flow I would have thought?

Idleater

Riskymove wrote: »

sorry I confused Lombard street and townsend street

go over O'Connell bridge, down Townsend street and then take a left down Luke St to George's quay

Oops, me too!

wicklowwonder

check_six wrote: »

I don't quite understand how you are using the bridge. What route do you use? Can you go across it in both directions?

Cycle normal route whole way to Custom House, instead of crossing the bridge to the southside here and crossing three lanes of traffic I cycle down the contra flow bus lane as far as the new bridge (traffic lights and all directing me), cross the new bridge and then take a right onto the Southside Quays following the traffic lights of course. One of the bus lanes across the bridge allows you to turn right onto the Quays.

cdaly_

wicklowwonder wrote: »

cross the new bridge and then take a right onto the Southside Quays following the traffic lights of course. One of the bus lanes across the bridge allows you to turn right onto the Quays.

I haven't seen the bridge in action yet. Does the right turn have you crossing the luas tracks? And is there any islanding to force this turn to a 90 degree crossing? If not, I can see a whole bunch of crashes as front wheels slip out on wet tracks...

buffalo

check_six wrote: »

Kinda pointless if it's with flow I would have thought?

Aye. I think whoever was responsible for updating the bike markings didn't pay close attention to what they were doing.

nomdeboardie

Idleater wrote: »

No, you can go towards Georges dock on lombard st to the junction with Pearse St. Pearse and the South quays are one way towards town.

Re the legality of the box turn, in Copenhagen it was the defacto way to get across, mainly because there weren't any filters for vehicles either. As a pedestrian it is infuriating though having to cross a pedestrian zebra crossing full of pobs.

I'd consider it a grey area, like filtering.

There seems to be at least one 'officially sanctioned' one in Dublin, here at the Cornelscourst crossroads of the N11 for city-bound cyclists turning right onto Clonkeen Road. (There is a lot of space there, though.)

rp

Tried the official car route this morning, around the back of the Customs House: I wouldn't recommend it.
Aside from four sets of lights designed on the 'red wave' anti-principle, the bike lane lines you up to be cut-off by traffic coming from your right. Its like a big mad roundabout with an interesting architectural feature in the middle.

tomasrojo

nomdeboardie wrote: »

There seems to be at least one 'officially sanctioned' one in Dublin, here at the Cornelscourst crossroads of the N11 for city-bound cyclists turning right onto Clonkeen Road. (There is a lot of space there, though.)

There's a box turn marked in the Sandyford Industrial estate, as you approach Aldi coming from the direction of the Kilmacud Luas stop. It's a strange one, because it's not an especially difficult junction to turn right at, but there's a tiny refuge marked out for you to wait in until the lights make the traffic behind you stop.

ThisRegard

There was a story on Broadsheet, including drawings of the original design, about how the contra flow cycle lane is missing

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2014/05/20/wheres-the-contra-flow-cycle-lane/

monument

buffalo wrote: »

There is a cycle track on the east side of Talbot Bridge, but it's northbound as far as I can remember, going into the contra-flow lane at the back of the Custom House, so no help.

Actually, I observed a woman on a bike yesterday morning, cycling on the footpath in the same direction as the contra-flow lane beside her, which is separated from car traffic. I'll never understand some people.

While going contra-flow correctly beside Custom House, I had a talk with a cyclist going the wrong way on the contra-flow, who if I recall correctly got annoyed when I tried to explain it was contra-flow only.

Maybe the same happened to that woman?

ThisRegard wrote: »

There was a story on Broadsheet, including drawings of the original design, about how the contra flow cycle lane is missing

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2014/05/20/wheres-the-contra-flow-cycle-lane/

http://irishcycle.com/2014/05/21/studies-to-look-at-contra-flow-cycle-lane-on-dublins-new-bridge-says-council/