I hate the M50 [Warning post #222]

duffman3833

I was heading to Wexford and was heading for m50. Entered m50 just after going past airport and withing 3 min of me been on the m50 the traffic was at stand still. I don't use the m50 at all really, only for i had to go to Wexford. But stopping and starting most of way on m50 is really bad. At one point i was in the overtaking lane (right hand lane) and we were at a standstill but left hand lane was moving freely. How is that possible? Is this a design fault or issue with badly timed traffic lights on exit of m50 or what?

eeguy

duffman3833 wrote: »

I was heading to Wexford and was heading for m50. Entered m50 just after going past airport and withing 3 min of me been on the m50 the traffic was at stand still. I don't use the m50 at all really, only for i had to go to Wexford. But stopping and starting most of way on m50 is really bad. At one point i was in the overtaking lane (right hand lane) and we were at a standstill but left hand lane was moving freely. How is that possible? Is this a design fault or issue with badly timed traffic lights on exit of m50 or what?

Could be near an exit and cars in the left hand lane were moving out of the gridlock. You were stuck on the righthand side with people who had no intention of using the exit?

megabantz

duffman3833 wrote: »

I was heading to Wexford and was heading for m50. Entered m50 just after going past airport and withing 3 min of me been on the m50 the traffic was at stand still. I don't use the m50 at all really, only for i had to go to Wexford. But stopping and starting most of way on m50 is really bad. At one point i was in the overtaking lane (right hand lane) and we were at a standstill but left hand lane was moving freely. How is that possible? Is this a design fault or issue with badly timed traffic lights on exit of m50 or what?

the M50 turns into a car park when idio*t drivers do silly things and cause an incident, just like today when 8 cars were involved in a RTc EIGHT F*ucking CARS!!! madness.

Also the traffic moving freely in the left hand lane can be as a result of a number of things mainly...

1) most people who get onto the M50 head straight for the "FAST LANE" instead of driving how you should have been thought and to use the left hand lane until you need to overtake etc etc

2) there could have been an incident in the right lane causing it to come to a standstill

duffman3833

megabantz wrote: »

the M50 turns into a car park when idio*t drivers do silly things and cause an incident, just like today when 8 cars were involved in a RTc EIGHT F*ucking CARS!!! madness.

Also the traffic moving freely in the left hand lane can be as a result of a number of things mainly...

1) most people who get onto the M50 head straight for the "FAST LANE" instead of driving how you should have been thought and to use the left hand lane until you need to overtake etc etc

2) there could have been an incident in the right lane causing it to come to a standstill

I didn't hear of a 8 car crash today, when was it?
I was stuck in the fast lane at that point as the lane next to me was at standstill also but the 2 lanes to left were flowing. I eventually got free.

megabantz

it was part of the traffic report on 98fm thismorning. It may have been minor but would have caused delays for sure.

duffman3833

megabantz wrote: »

it was part of the traffic report on 98fm thismorning. It may have been minor but would have caused delays for sure.

took a good hour for me to get from one end of m50 to the other. I just don't understand how a 4 lane motorway can be at a standstill

megabantz

its very annoying alright but I put it down to 0 educational requirement when taking a test. I think they should make people do their test and should they pass they must then pass a motorway module. I bet you your house it would help. a lot of people don't know how to drive on the motorway, you just have to look at Germany I think it is where the Authobahn has no speed limit but they have a motorway module as part of taking their test so they know how to drive on a motorway and how to properly change lanes and enter / exit safely. I see it daily people driving on suicide missions flying around lanes like its the waltzers and then at the last minute zip across 3 lanes to an exit! madness

duffman3833

megabantz wrote: »

its very annoying alright but I put it down to 0 educational requirement when taking a test. I think they should make people do their test and should they pass they must then pass a motorway module. I bet you your house it would help. a lot of people don't know how to drive on the motorway, you just have to look at Germany I think it is where the Authobahn has no speed limit but they have a motorway module as part of taking their test so they know how to drive on a motorway and how to properly change lanes and enter / exit safely. I see it daily people driving on suicide missions flying around lanes like its the waltzers and then at the last minute zip across 3 lanes to an exit! madness

after you get off the m50 and you get on the n11 i think it is, the speed limit is 100kmh. Why? it a motorway essentially and not a busy one. so why make us do 100?
I agree with the training for motorways as a lot of people fear them and need to use it

First Up

megabantz wrote: »

its very annoying alright but I put it down to 0 educational requirement when taking a test. I think they should make people do their test and should they pass they must then pass a motorway module. I bet you your house it would help. a lot of people don't know how to drive on the motorway, you just have to look at Germany I think it is where the Authobahn has no speed limit but they have a motorway module as part of taking their test so they know how to drive on a motorway and how to properly change lanes and enter / exit safely. I see it daily people driving on suicide missions flying around lanes like its the waltzers and then at the last minute zip across 3 lanes to an exit! madness

And I'd suspect that this is the cause of most of the accidents on it. But until there is (a) some education and (b) enforcement of how to use a motorway, the quickest and clearest route on the M50 will continue to be the inside (driving) lane.

mickoneill31

duffman3833 wrote: »

took a good hour for me to get from one end of m50 to the other. I just don't understand how a 4 lane motorway can be at a standstill

Why not? It can only handle so many cars per hour. If it hits that number, traffic goes to a standstill.

This site is great.

https://www.nratrafficdata.ie/c2/gmapbasic.asp?sgid=ZvyVmXU8jBt9PJE$c7UXt6

If you click any junction you'll get an average annual daily traffic for the last couple of years. So far this year the average is up 8000 cars a day.

Have no fear, our councils are springing into action and should have some plans to make it better in the next 15 years or so.

There are loads of things that could be done to make it easier on the commuter like tolling at each entrance & exit rather than just at one spot, a reduced rate toll for people who commute at non peak times, variable speed limits. Maybe joining up with the ferrys so they don't seem to dump 1000 trucks into the system at peak times.
I think these just seem like futuristic ideas for our planners though.

duffman3833

First Up wrote: »

And I'd suspect that this is the cause of most of the accidents on it. But until there is (a) some education and (b) enforcement of how to use a motorway, the quickest and clearest route on the M50 will continue to be the inside (driving) lane.

in Finland, don't they teach you have to control drift a car? yet we cant teach people to drive, in basically a straight line ha

The J Stands for Jay

I love the M50. It's just the other drivers I hate...

There needs to be proper enforcement of the rules of the road, rather than the occasional squad car going along, in the wrong lane like all the other dopes.

First Up

McGaggs wrote: »

I love the M50. It's just the other drivers I hate...

There needs to be proper enforcement of the rules of the road, rather than the occasional squad car going along, in the wrong lane like all the other dopes.

Yes, police cars are invariably in the outside lane, which they seem to think is their birthright. I've also seen RSA vehicles sailing along in the middle lane, only crossing the driving lane en route to the exit.

I have never seen lane behavior enforced, nor have I ever seen anything on the overhead gantry about it. Nor has it ever featured as a topic in any of the RSA ads on radio or TV. And yet hardly a day passes without a few shunts and huge tailbacks, a high proportion of which are due to stupid driving and chaotic lane usage.

Daft.

cython

duffman3833 wrote: »

after you get off the m50 and you get on the n11 i think it is, the speed limit is 100kmh. Why? it a motorway essentially and not a busy one. so why make us do 100?
I agree with the training for motorways as a lot of people fear them and need to use it

The M50 itself is 100km/h for the most of it, the M11 is 120km/h, and the N11 becomes 100km/h as you mention. In many instances these non-motorway sections are because they replaced (rather than ran alongside) the existing route, and if they were to operate as motorways it would lead to ridiculous detours, or even no access, for disallowed vehicles. The northernmost section of the Arklow bypass is just one such example, whereby the only access to the rugby club was off that until the latest upgrade along that corridor.

Ronin247

megabantz wrote: »

its very annoying alright but I put it down to 0 educational requirement when taking a test. I think they should make people do their test and should they pass they must then pass a motorway module. I bet you your house it would help. a lot of people don't know how to drive on the motorway, you just have to look at Germany I think it is where the Authobahn has no speed limit but they have a motorway module as part of taking their test so they know how to drive on a motorway and how to properly change lanes and enter / exit safely. I see it daily people driving on suicide missions flying around lanes like its the waltzers and then at the last minute zip across 3 lanes to an exit! madness

This drives me insane. My other favourites are
Drive along in the left hand lane passing all the cars queuing in the slip lane to exit, even if there is a gap ignore it untill 50 metres to go, stand on the brakes, left indicate and push in causing everyone to brake hard...... then wonder what is causing the tailback

Enter a motorway,right indicator on and head straight across to the furthest right lane ( the "fast lane" ) , irrespective of what speed you are doing or anyone else is doing or whether conditions require it or not.

Dawdle along at 100kph in a 120 kph zone and then when someone goes out to pass...... right foot down and speed up, trapping them on the outside.Cnuts.

Del2005

The reason why you where stopped and the other lanes moving is due to other people driving too close and hitting their brakes as they get closer to the car in front, as most people are too close they then have to brake which leads to a phantom traffic jam. This travels in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic leading to a stand still several km back from the original incident.

The M50 is like all orbital routes and suffers traffic congestion. The M25 around London is 6 lanes in some parts and that has huge congestion daily, the orbital around Paris is another massive motorway with massive congestion.

Arbiter of Good Taste

duffman3833 wrote: »

I didn't hear of a 8 car crash today, when was it?
I was stuck in the fast lane at that point as the lane next to me was at standstill also but the 2 lanes to left were flowing. I eventually got free.

You were not stuck in the fast lane. There is no "fast lane". It is an overtaking lane. It is driving like you are that causes the tail back

0ph0rce0

Ronin247 wrote: »

This drives me insane. My other favourites are
Drive along in the left hand lane passing all the cars queuing in the slip lane to exit, even if there is a gap ignore it untill 50 metres to go, stand on the brakes, left indicate and push in causing everyone to brake hard...... then wonder what is causing the tailback

Enter a motorway,right indicator on and head straight across to the furthest right lane ( the "fast lane" ) , irrespective of what speed you are doing or anyone else is doing or whether conditions require it or not.

Dawdle along at 100kph in a 120 kph zone and then when someone goes out to pass...... right foot down and speed up, trapping them on the outside.Cnuts.

I hate that, i've been sitting here for 10 minutes and you want in? I think not. I stay as close to the car in front and i know i shouldn't but i politely stick my middle finger up and never let these people in

blackbird 49

Hate the M50 and I'm only a passenger, I have driven it once or twice maybe but only because I had no choice, there are people who drive this road every day and have been lucky enough not to have a accident so some of them have the attitude that they are perfect drivers

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Severard

Traffic is bad on it most days but today with the crash it was a complete holdup. I get off at exit 13 northbound for Sandyford but at 8:30 I was at exit 15 and there was already a standstill. So I took that exit, went through Foxrock and made it into work within 15 minutes. Fairly quite & the only real traffic was just off the exit.

stanley1980

Agree with most of the above! My own two main hates are:

Idiots who do 80km or less in the middle lane- oblivious to all around them.

Dickheads who try to merge at the last moment where others have been queuing for half a kilometre. I never let them in-usually some asshole in a bmw or a van.

JumpShivers

cython wrote: »

The M50 itself is 100km/h for the most of it, the M11 is 120km/h, and the N11 becomes 100km/h as you mention. In many instances these non-motorway sections are because they replaced (rather than ran alongside) the existing route, and if they were to operate as motorways it would lead to ridiculous detours, or even no access, for disallowed vehicles. The northernmost section of the Arklow bypass is just one such example, whereby the only access to the rugby club was off that until the latest upgrade along that corridor.

Roads don't need motorway status to have a speed limit of 120 km/h. The N1 (after the M1 ends) between Jonesborough and the Border is an N road and has a speed limit of 120 km/h and is therefore accesible to cyclists and agricultural vehicles (it has a large hard shoulder).

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

john the one

The M50 is a kip between 7 and 8:30 in the morning. fact. its ok after that, but its still a kip

Carawaystick

I love the M50.
If it wasn't there, it would take me 3 times as long to get to the Folks house
5 times as long to get to work, if there was work, in a backward non-bypassed capital city

gogreen81

mickoneill31 wrote:

There are loads of things that could be done to make it easier on the commuter like tolling at each entrance & exit rather than just at one spot, a reduced rate toll for people who commute at non peak times, variable speed limits. Maybe joining up with the ferrys so they don't seem to dump 1000 trucks into the syst

see no response to your comment. It's. Good idea to toll each entry and exit. Y only the west side blanch guys pay the toll . Whereas from west to all south there is no toll at all. So ppl using it for free . With extea money something can be done to the road . Another m50 etc. Also there should be some good direct routes from west side to source considering there are so many ppl living in west and working in south.. Unfortunately there is nine.

gogreen81

If there are direct bus routes from west to sandyford there would be a lot less traffic . Y only talk about Luas and dart which has long waiting period. More than people travel to airport they travel to work in pathetic m50 traffic. I wonder why there is nothing done yet to cover such a profitable route. Y do we need to go to city centre first to go south.. How stupid is that . Are Dublin buses banned on m50? 2 buses would take 100 cars off road .
20 buses to take 1000.. Is is not simple math??
Never liked the fact that I had to pay hefty toll from west to west travel

cart man

gogreen81 wrote:

Y only the west side blanch guys pay the toll . Whereas from west to all south there is no toll at all. So ppl using it for free

The toll was introduced to pay for the bridge crossing the Liffey, it was called the west link. Similarly there is toll on the bridge crossing the Liffey in the East called - Eastlink.

Why toll the motorways at all, when you consider the total mileage covered in a year on them they must be the cheapest and safest roads in the country.

Bulmers

I think its just volume, been using it last 4 years leaving around 7am from clonee to donnybrook and used to take about 35 mins at 7am couple years ago buy 7am not, looking at 1hr 30m or so,but definitely more cars on it now again.

Need to get up earlier.

We need an m60 now!

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Ayrtonf7

You guys should try a motorcycle of your sick of all the traffic. They work wonders. Just be carful not to get clipped by that d******d coming across 3 lanes to exit

Carawaystick

Bulmers wrote: »

We need an m60 now!

Or effective orbital public transit/cycle routes. There's a buslane all along the ORR but no busses
There's no bus/cycle route across the Liffey from Lucan to Chapelizod. A high level crossing from Liffey Valley to Carpenterstown would provide good access. Also the bridge from Farmleigh could be brought into use for bike/pedestrian use easily.
The ORR should cross the Liffey and connect to the N3 ad probably the 2 also
There should be some proper PT option from Tallaght to Sandyford too.

The buslane on the r139 should be re-instated.

A Swords to D15 route should be set up, running through the Business park where DHL is to avoid Kilshane X delays at peak times.

Nichard Dixon

They should toll all of the M50, with a premium toll at peak times and simultaneously launch orbital bus services with a fare less than the toll and some park and ride facilities.

gogreen81

Nichard Dixon wrote:

hey should toll all of the M50, with a premium toll at peak times and simultaneously launch orbital bus services with a fare less than the toll and some park and ride facilities.

as long as they introduce some good bus service from d15 to sandyford leopards town and from Lucan also . Else we will just end up paying more.

Is that too illogical ? Interested to know anyone has a different opinion about this. Or y this is not implemented by our transport or government . Fairly new to m50 travel but fed up already. No rocket science to ilopement this idea I believe

Keyzer

Spent 9 years driving up and down this glorified car park, it saddens me know to think of the amount of time I wasted sitting waiting.

Two things which spring to mind over the years:

1. Massive tailback all the way to Blanchardstown years back. Took 2 hours to get to Sandyford. All the time I'm thinking there must be a serious car crash up ahead. How wrong was I - turned out if was a huge directors chair (as in movie director) in a field promoting the Irish film festival and everyone decided to slow down for a look. At a fúcking chair. In a field.

2. Again, another enormous tailback going Northbound this time from Sandyford. Turned out it was some knob end driving a Ford GT who had run out of petrol. Apparently the car locks the steering wheel so a flat bed truck had to come along with a crane to lift the car up and take it off.

duffman3833

Arbiter of Good Taste wrote: »

You were not stuck in the fast lane. There is no "fast lane". It is an overtaking lane. It is driving like you are that causes the tail back

so because i called it a 'fast lane' and i was in it, im causing tailbacks? how? I was in it initially when i came on the m50 to overtake cars but then traffic came to stand still and i was stuck in it for ages

Del2005

Nichard Dixon wrote: »

They should toll all of the M50, with a premium toll at peak times and simultaneously launch orbital bus services with a fare less than the toll and some park and ride facilities.

There should be no tolls at all on the M50. It's a multi lane motorway takes a lot of traffic. Tolling it would put all this traffic onto the local roads, which aren't designed for high volumes, which would lead to even more traffic chaos. Also DCC is planning on even more traffic restrictions in the city centre so where are all the vehicles that use the M50 and Dublin city centre supposed to go since there is no plans for public transport?

mickoneill31

Del2005 wrote: »

There should be no tolls at all on the M50. It's a multi lane motorway takes a lot of traffic.

In a thread talking about the M50 being at a standstill this doesn't really make a lot of sense.

Varying the toll cost at certain times would encourage people to leave earlier in the mornings. Having the toll encourages "some" people to car pool.
Having a toll doesn't make everybody go onto surrounding roads. Time is worth money. It's a cliche, but if you're earning a few quid an hour, spending an extra 30 mins or hour in traffic to save a quid and use more petrol isn't cost efficient. E.g. the trucks that are about 10% of the M50 traffic aren't going to wander off around windy back roads.

I come from Swords -> Parkwest every morning. If there was a toll at each entrance / exit I could choose to take the back roads which are slower or take the full M50 and pay more. At the moment I take the back roads, because the M50 is stopped, then join the M50 at Blanch, drive across the toll and take the next exit. So I'm paying the same if I use either route. They way it's going now the M50 is getting full and people are taking the surrounding roads anyway.

There's more to do than just tolling though.

megabantz

I spoke with an engineer before who has worked on projects on the m50 and I was old that the original infrastructure that was set up as the old M50 doesnt fully allow for expansion in parts so essentially it was built with a narrow mind at the start and now they are screwed as to the extent of the expansion they can get away with as a result.

Quality Irish engineering

Thinkingaboutit

It's great at time to only need second gear on the M50.

Bulmers

On the m50 now,got on at dundrum northbound and looks like crash and not moved in 40 mins.

Giving up,costing me €80 a month for this everyday,its a joke.

mfceiling

Stuck on it here for over 20 minutes. Was supposed to collect material for a job before 4.30. Haven't a chance now because of a 5 car pile up. Job is now cancelled...more lost income for me because some dick can't drive properly.

Bulmers

Not budging at all.

Must be well back passed sandy industrial estate now

BastardFace

I was looking here, https://www.dublincity.ie/dublintraffic/ and hit refresh a few times. A side funny note, a bird is after crapping on one of the camera lenses since.

DublinWriter

The 8 car collision yesterday doesn't surprise me - aren't people aware of SSD's anymore?

Yes lads, nothing gets you to your destination quicker than going right up someone's backside at speed like a complete f*ck knuckle, especially when it's raining.

The standard of driving has gone to pot in the last 15 years in Dublin.

Arbiter of Good Taste

duffman3833 wrote: »

so because i called it a 'fast lane' and i was in it, im causing tailbacks? how? I was in it initially when i came on the m50 to overtake cars but then traffic came to stand still and i was stuck in it for ages

Actually, yes. Essentially what you are saying is that everyone else was doing it, so I had to.

Maybe if one person at a time just started to observe the rules of the road and pull in, these tailbacks would eventually subside. It has to start somewhere.

The fact that you automatically think of it as a "fast lane" says a lot though.

maninasia

megabantz wrote: »

its very annoying alright but I put it down to 0 educational requirement when taking a test. I think they should make people do their test and should they pass they must then pass a motorway module. I bet you your house it would help. a lot of people don't know how to drive on the motorway, you just have to look at Germany I think it is where the Authobahn has no speed limit but they have a motorway module as part of taking their test so they know how to drive on a motorway and how to properly change lanes and enter / exit safely. I see it daily people driving on suicide missions flying around lanes like its the waltzers and then at the last minute zip across 3 lanes to an exit! madness

You'd have the same problems anywhere with accidents and poor driving. The problem is too many cars in a given space of time trying to use the same road. I understand people like to have some target to rant at but the answers aren't so easily found.

beauf

Don't agree. The standard of driving is at an all time low all over Dublin but its especially bad on the M50. I've never seen, heard of so many accidents on it ever before. Its gone from one major hold up a week to one a day and now a few a day. The N3 at Blanch is similar.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Muahahaha

Ayrtonf7 wrote: »

You guys should try a motorcycle of your sick of all the traffic. They work wonders. Just be carful not to get clipped by that d******d coming across 3 lanes to exit

Agree with this, I motorbiked to the Bray Air Show earlier this summer using the m50 southbound. There was a huge jam from the Dundrum exit all the way into Bray itself as half of south Dublin seemed to want to go to the event. I just filtered between cars and probably overtook 1,500 odd of them by the time I got to Bray. When I got there and the Air Show had just started I kinda felt sorry for the thousands still stuck out of the m50 in their cars