Are the bus strikes affecting traffic on "non-strike" days?

H3llR4iser

Hey folks, just something I seems to have noticed lately - please know that this is not a thread to discuss the merits of the DB drivers / strikes as they are.

Long story short, It looks to me like since the whole bus strikes story has started, traffic around Dublin is getting heavier and heavier - as if more and more people are deciding to basically "ditch" the bus and use the car instead.

I would normally use the DART - and even on the train, it looks to me like there's been a marked increase in passengers; The one I normally take home in the evening was usually pretty deserted, and it's quite packed.

I don't think it has anything to do with schools being back in - I see a marked difference also compared to say April or May.

I have a suspect that a lot of people who were of the "Noooo, I could never drive to work..." actually tried during the strikes, figured out it ain't that bad (I've lived in Rome, believe me, traffic in Dublin is a breeze compared) and are now driving more often

whiskeyman

I've noticed marked increases in volumes over the past year or so simply due to the economy / more jobs / more offices on my route.
With schools back, there's been more since Sept, and many colleagues are back now too, so that may have put more cars on.
I doubt many have 'taken up' driving because of the strikes in general to really notice it.
Could be wrong though!

LeinsterDub

It's October and heading into winter. People abandoning the bike or walking at this time of year. Seasonal sales jobs are starting to pick up as are more people in town shopping. Colleges only really get going late September too.

Dodge

It's a combination of all those factors

More working
Schools back
Colleges back
worse weather

Can't see many who are stuck in city centre traffic on the strike days and think "this is a good thing, I'll do this more!"

H3llR4iser

Dodge wrote: »

It's a combination of all those factors

Can't see many who are stuck in city centre traffic on the strike days and think "this is a good thing, I'll do this more!"

I actually can...it's something that needs to be experienced.

As I said, I use the DART 90% of the times, and I do so only because there's no parking at the office. Otherwise, even with traffic jams, using the car is marginally quicker (unbelievably quicker in the evening after 7pm, 15 minutes vs 50), marginally less expensive (2.46 each way for 10 km isn't cheap at all, even my utterly inefficient 2 litres petrol doesn't use that much fuel) and considerably more comfortable (not having to stand squished between strangers, not getting soaked in rain - or in sweat when it's actually not raining during the walk to and from the station). Not to mention that being on the Malahide fork, if I miss the train by the nick of time (like, doors close as I get to the platform), it's 30 minutes loitering around the station...

Dodge

Oh I'm not arguing that driving is bad, just that it's unlikely that driving on the worst days will sway too many people. It may have with some, but the other factors are in there too

athtrasna

I've definitely noted the trend, traffic has increased on the days between strike days and since. I've been driving to work for more than a decade and the past few weeks have been abnormally heavy.

goz83

athtrasna wrote: »

I've definitely noted the trend, traffic has increased on the days between strike days and since. I've been driving to work for more than a decade and the past few weeks have been abnormally heavy.

Agreed. And it starts earlier and lasts longer. I only make the odd trip to the city and this was very noticeable in recent weeks. On a non strike day, I was on Griffith avenue this week and it was as bad as the strike day the day before.

Augme

H3llR4iser wrote: »

I would normally use the DART - and even on the train, it looks to me like there's been a marked increase in passengers; The one I normally take home in the evening was usually pretty deserted, and it's quite packed.

How does this correlate to an increase in people driving?

LXFlyer

This happens every September first when the schools return and secondly and probably more so when the colleges go back.

Initially everyone in college is in first thing and this causes major issues for several days.

It takes several weeks for people to adjust their travel patterns - start earlier or later, and for students to settle down into a routine as well.

H3llR4iser

Augme wrote: »

How does this correlate to an increase in people driving?

People shunning the bus - some drive, some use other transport.

lxflyer wrote: »

This happens every September first when the schools return and secondly and probably more so when the colleges go back.

Initially everyone in college is in first thing and this causes major issues for several days.

It takes several weeks for people to adjust their travel patterns - start earlier or later, and for students to settle down into a routine as well.

It's true, but that is taken into account. What I am noticing - and I see I am not alone - it's a marked increase in traffic and more importantly, its distribution (I normally work later than most people, which means very little traffic as I get out "after the big wave") compared to the same period in other years. Saying "there's more traffic now than in August!" would be a very daft observation

LXFlyer

The economy is also picking up with more people working - loadings on the buses are growing as well - I'm noticing people being left behind at stops due to buses being full.