Dublin Bus route 14, 15, 15a, 15b, 65 and 65b - solving the the Rathmines issue

Victor

[Parallel thread here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057536742 for Harold's Cross.]

I regularly use the 14, 15, 15a, 15b, 65 and 65b. At times, there are profound delays getting through Rathmines. Some of the issues are (a) at peak times the bus lane doesn't function from Rathmines Garda station to the Grand Canal; (b) from 07:15 to 08:15 demand exceeds supply, in particular on the Rathgar-Grand Canal section - demand drops at the canal because of the schools in Rathmines and people getting off to head along the canal to Baggot Street / Grand Canal Dock; and (c) off-peak the amount of random parking is absurd - a combination of poor rules and non-enforcement.

So, I'm suggesting:
14 - route via Hawkins street instead of the overcrowded D'Olier Street.
15 - as is
15a/b - should these be extended to provide proper cross-city services? Merging them with the 130 might be one idea, with one route providing a clockwise service at Clontarf and the other anti-clockwise. Extend 15a to Ballymount, as a destination and an interchange point.
41 - extend as far as Dartry. This provides much more of Dublin 6 with an airport service. The 83 - already connects Rathmines and Finglas. In my other thread, I'm suggesting routing the 16 via Christchurch.
65/b - should this be made a semi-express service between Tallaght / Templeogue (service is weak from Tallaght to Templeogue) and the city?
49 - extend to Grand Canal Dock / Ringsend garage.
54a - extend to Grand Canal Dock / Ringsend garage.
83 - as is, but has potential to extend to Crumlin hospital, as a destination and an interchange point.
140 - change the terminus from Dartry to Terenure, e.g. a Bushy Park loop.
142 - as is.

Now, I'm not certain that extending the 140 to Terenure will solve the capacity issue, so I'm wondering if a short-running service from Terenure to the Bleeding Horse would be appropriate.

So how are we going to pay for all this? Use the same number of buses, but improve the running time.
1. Turn on the bus gate in Rathmines (northbound at the petrol station, southbound at the Swan Centre). This would move the queue of cars from the Charleville Road-Castlewood Avenue section to Rathgar Road, allowing buses to quickly get from the petrol station to the Swan Centre. Another option would be to add a bus lane in front of the Garda station (both sides) - this would likely require acquiring front gardens.
2. Rearrange the junction with Leinster Raod, allowing for a continuous bus lane. I once spent 6 minutes on the bus trying to get from one side of the yellow box to the other. This might mean moving the railings closer to the library or removing the right-turn lane.
3. Possibly change the bus lane on South Richmond Street from southbound to northbound. It is rarely used southbound, in part because it is invariably obstructed.
4. Enforce parking restrictions, especially on South Richmond Street

When parking is allowed off-peak, allow it in the bus lane, but ban it in the cycle lane. Having parking on both sides just causes chaos.

magicbastarder

ranelagh is also an issue; i work out beside sandyford industrial estate, and live on the northside on the 11 route. which means i could get the 11 across and have a ten minute walk from the stop to our office. but i get the bus (4, 9, 11 or 13) into town, and the luas out; the 11 is much slower on the southside. usually due to school traffic in the morning, rather than ranelagh village itself, but in the evening ranelagh seems to turn into a car park, and it's too narrow for a bus lane.

LXFlyer

I wouldn't change the 15a and 15b - they carry reasonably large numbers to the North Quays and Grand Canal Dock areas from the Rathmines corridor and removing them from there would leave people having to switch buses or walk.

Also there is a reason that the 14 serves D'Olier St rather than Hawkins St - it shares a stop there with the 16 which allows people travelling to Ballinteer from the heart of the city centre to take whichever bus comes first.

As per the other thread there is nowhere suitable in Terenure for buses on the 140 to lay over (Bushy Park Rd is too narrow and Rathfarnham Rd too busy) - they would have to travel beyond there possibly to the old 54a terminus at Templeville Rd.

LXFlyer

magicbastarder wrote: »

ranelagh is also an issue; i work out beside sandyford industrial estate, and live on the northside on the 11 route. which means i could get the 11 across and have a ten minute walk from the stop to our office. but i get the bus (4, 9, 11 or 13) into town, and the luas out; the 11 is much slower on the southside. usually due to school traffic in the morning, rather than ranelagh village itself, but in the evening ranelagh seems to turn into a car park, and it's too narrow for a bus lane.

Nothing really can be done on the Ranelagh corridor to be honest - it still needs a bus service, but it's too narrow for bus priority measures.

Victor

magicbastarder wrote: »

ranelagh is also an issue;

In fairness, it has Luas that provides a quick service, which is likely to get better with longer trams and more city centre stops coming.

lxflyer wrote: »

I wouldn't change the 15a and 15b - they carry reasonably large numbers to the North Quays and Grand Canal Dock areas from the Rathmines corridor and removing them from there would leave people having to switch buses or walk.

Extend the 49 and 54a. At least then they won't be clogging up space in the immediate city centre and connect to Pearse Station.

Also there is a reason that the 14 serves D'Olier St rather than Hawkins St - it shares a stop there with the 16 which allows people travelling to Ballinteer from the heart of the city centre to take whichever bus comes first.

If Dublin Bus were competent at running a bus service, they would rearrange a huge number of multi-route bus stops in the city centre. They completely messed up the re-routing of the Rathmines buses from SSG, e.g. why don't the southbound Rathmines buses share the same stops on College Green and Dame Street? Why don't the 14, 15 and 27 (all Malahide Road) share the same stop at the Central Bank?

As per the other thread there is nowhere suitable in Terenure for buses on the 140 to lay over (Bushy Park Rd is too narrow and Rathfarnham Rd too busy) - they would have to travel beyond there possibly to the old 54a terminus at Templeville Rd.

I'm open to suggestions, but I wouldn't go west of Terenure, given how bad it is at peak time.

Carawaystick

lxflyer wrote: »

Nothing really can be done on the Ranelagh corridor to be honest - it still needs a bus service, but it's too narrow for bus priority measures.

It's even narrower if this is tolerated

dubscottie

I am 99% sure that the 140 is part funded by Trinity College from the city centre to Palmerston Gardens (for the Halls of Residence on Dartry Rd), so shifting the terminus might not be possible..

I find the biggest issue in Rathmines (out bound) is the pedestrian crossing between Lidl/Aldi..

Once the bus passes that it is usually clear(ish) road ahead.

fleet_admiral

I would send the 65/b through Harolds Cross again. There can be huge gaps between a 16 and 49

Victor

fleet_admiral wrote: »

I would send the 65/b through Harolds Cross again. There can be huge gaps between a 16 and 49

I hear what you are saying, but that would remove links between Tallaght and Rathmines and make Tallaght / Templeogue more dependent on Harold's Cross and the risk of disruption.

LXFlyer

fleet_admiral wrote: »

I would send the 65/b through Harolds Cross again. There can be huge gaps between a 16 and 49

The whole point of changing the 65/b to operate via Rathmines was to avoid duplication with the 49 and create a link between Rathmines and Tallaght which didn't exist.

Your suggestion would seriously frustrate those people who make that trip, just to satisfy a need due to unscheduled gaps in the service on the Harold's Cross route.

LXFlyer

dubscottie wrote: »

I am 99% sure that the 140 is part funded by Trinity College from the city centre to Palmerston Gardens (for the Halls of Residence on Dartry Rd), so shifting the terminus might not be possible..

I find the biggest issue in Rathmines (out bound) is the pedestrian crossing between Lidl/Aldi..

Once the bus passes that it is usually clear(ish) road ahead.

He was suggesting replacing the 140 with the 41 following the exact same route south of the Liffey.

AlekSmart

Carawaystick wrote: »

It's even narrower if this is tolerated

Well spotted !

If you pan to the rear of the van,you can see one of the MAJOR contributory factors to congestion in Ralelagh,the refusal of the City Council to extend the double yellow lines to connect seamlessly up with the same markings further South along Ranelagh Village.

Included here also is the refusal to erect pedestrian barriers or Bollards to physically prevent the White Van Man's Jinnetry, so well depicted in that photo grab.

If you study the two Nissan Micra's up on the kerb outside Domino's Pizza,you'll see the Delivery Drivers lobbing against the car and the wall with nary a bother on them,whilst further up again,one nonchalant WVM has stuck their WV FULLY :eek: up on the footpath,which in some developed societies is ILLEGAL :eek: :eek:.

It appears that the right to keep and bear a Motor Vehicle on the Public Footpath,is one which Dublin City Council and An Garda Siochana will defend to the bitter end,and Public Transport users can Fc*k Right Off with their whingin...;)

The major causes of Ranelagh's daily codology could be solved for little more than the cost of some 25 Metres worth of Yellow Paint.

Even sadder is the reality of DCC managing to do 75% of the necessary work last year,but bottling-out on the remaining 25% of measures which would have solved the issue for good.....The true Irish way of addressing problems

The issue is LACK OF INTEREST.

dubscottie

lxflyer wrote: »

He was suggesting replacing the 140 with the 41 following the exact same route south of the Liffey.

No, he did say change the terminus of the 140 from Dartry to Terenure..

140 - change the terminus from Dartry to Terenure, e.g. a Bushy Park loop.

LXFlyer

dubscottie wrote: »

No, he did say change the terminus of the 140 from Dartry to Terenure..

Yes but elsewhere he mentions sending the 41 to "Dartry", which I believe equates in Victor's mind to Palmerston Park. So no loss of service to Upper Rathmines. I doubt TCD are worried if the bus number is 41 or 140 - as long as there is a bus!

Personally I'd think that the natural course for the 140 will be an extension to UCD.

Victor

lxflyer wrote: »

Personally I'd think that the natural course for the 140 will be an extension to UCD.

I once tried to get from Rathmines to Clonskeagh by taxi in the morning rush hour. It was painful.

stop

A bit off the wall, but what about making inbound Rathgar Road from the junction with Charleville bus only (single lane) and routing all other traffic around Charleville & Wynnefield (with removal on on street parking there where required. Similarly put in a bus lane for the opposite section.
Then give proper priority to buses.

Extend the buslane on Rathgar Road closer to the junction, reinstate the bus gate.

At the junction with Leinster, extend the buslane to the junction, ban the left turn (the opposite is not currently allowed).

place soft bollards along the bus lane edge between the library and Williams park - keep the morons driving their fat kids to school in the traffic lane until the junction!

Either fill in the bus bay at the pool, or extend it into the dead space - it is never used as is and just results in people boarding (e.g. a second bus queued at the stop) on the road bringing them into conflict with undertaking cyclists.

Make the cycle lanes 24/7 from Portobello to Rathgar, double yellow, pavement bollards, whatever it takes to keep it clear!

Also, remove the outbound stop beside Dominos, far too close to others, and there is no equivalent stop on the other side.

Oh and finally - take Lidl to task over their massive truck deliveries, yes it occurs at night but it blocks half the road, and a northbound bus cannot pass is there is southbound traffic.

dubscottie

One thing that need to be done ASAP is re painting the ASL in Rathgar.. Watched a lad on a bike block a 14 bus that wanted to turn left.

Would he move? No. "its a cycle lane"!!

I walk into the cyclists now that run into me while crossing the road.