Cycling path on the Greenhills Road

Tombo2001

Was on this today.

Is there a more dangerous cycle path in Ireland?

briars coming in from one side; trucks and cars uniformly veering into the cycle path on the other......presumably 60k speed limit, road far too narrow for the vehicles using it.

I was terrified, eventually got up and walked the bike along the path.....(which was too narrow to cycle on even if I'd wanted to.

Anyone use this regularly?

boardbeer

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Anyone use this regularly?

I've used it a couple of times, and didn't have any bad experiences - maybe its the time of day?
Most of my colleagues cycle to work out from town that way, I'll ask what they think tomorrow.

jober

Use this most days .iv never be too bothered by it.cars can get bit close on some of the bends but nothing out of the ordinary

crosstownk

I assumet he OP means the section from the Walkinstown Roundabout to the Lidl. It's not great. It's a busy road and narrow enough given the traffic volume. I've used it a few times but I don't like it.

Maybe use Ballymount Road and join the Greenhills Road just after the Esso service station (or vice versa). It won't add much in distance or time.

AmboMan

Not really a path, more like a shared lane !

Use it almost every day all year and have never had any problems, in my experience there would be more RTC's on Ballymount Road as opposed to Greenhills Road.

LpPepper

Used to use it for going to work - not the best design in the world at all. The road is too narrow for a cycle lane on both sides realistically, have had a few close shaves on it alright. There are worse roads though

Tombo2001

crosstownk wrote: »

I assumet he OP means the section from the Walkinstown Roundabout to the Lidl. It's not great. It's a busy road and narrow enough given the traffic volume. I've used it a few times but I don't like it.

Maybe use Ballymount Road and join the Greenhills Road just after the Esso service station (or vice versa). It won't add much in distance or time.

Yes, that's the part - I should have been more specific. Down towards Tallaght is fine.

My understanding is the the 'guidance' for safe driving is to leave a 1.5m gap on roads of 60km limit or more......that just wouldn't be possible here.

And the type of drivers who use it - Van drivers with a delivery etc - aren't the type to wait patiently behind a cyclist going up a hill.

buffalo

In somewhat good news, the council are planning on upgrading the Greenhills Road, as part of a wider scheme:

http://www.sdcc.ie/services/roads-and-traffic/road-infrastructural-projects/awaiting-funding
http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=4143

I've seen a zoomed out view of the scheme showing the new Greenhills Road, but can't find the map at present.

average_runner

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Yes, that's the part - I should have been more specific. Down towards Tallaght is fine.

My understanding is the the 'guidance' for safe driving is to leave a 1.5m gap on roads of 60km limit or more......that just wouldn't be possible here.

And the type of drivers who use it - Van drivers with a delivery etc - aren't the type to wait patiently behind a cyclist going up a hill.

Yeah i run it that way once a week, so keep off the path

The cycle lane doesn't have a continuous white line on it and the road is too narrow for the cycle lane. Was a silly addition to that road.

average_runner

buffalo wrote: »

In somewhat good news, the council are planning on upgrading the Greenhills Road, as part of a wider scheme:

http://www.sdcc.ie/services/roads-and-traffic/road-infrastructural-projects/awaiting-funding
http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=4143

I've seen a zoomed out view of the scheme showing the new Greenhills Road, but can't find the map at present.

That's old news from 2005, can't see that happening now, no room for it

HivemindXX

I'll join in the chorus and say it's not that bad as a road. The Blessington road out to Crooksling, which doesn't have a cycle lane on it admittedly, it far worse in my opinion.

The issue seems to be the cycle lane, but given the road is very unlikely to get any wider what is the solution? You can get rid of the paint but that doesn't improve things at all. I'd rather have the paint than not have it.

To be honest I find the Walkinstown roundabout far more intimidating when I go out that way.

Chips Lovell

Use the Greenhills Road regularly. Never found it dangerous.

buffalo

average_runner wrote: »

That's old news from 2005, can't see that happening now, no room for it

Certain parts are certainly going ahead - I've seen news of developments within the last couple of months. I just can't fecking find it now...

Ah, here it is: http://www.sdublincoco.ie/viewdocument.aspx?id=e58b5b1d-c9e9-4fe6-bc48-a5fd00d5e564 (PDF) The Greenhills Road is the one with the green dot in the middle, which shows a roundabout at the entrance to Lidl. Walkinstown Roundabout is just off the bottom of the map (which is also being reconfigured).

Update from a councillor in the area from January this year:

I am happy to note that works on the long-awaited Greenhills/Ballymount/Robinhood Reconfiguration Scheme will begin later this year. This scheme, which aims to improve traffic flow on and around the Greenhills Road and into Ballymount and Robinhood, was agreed as long ago as 2006 and 2008 by the Council but was held back due to the lack of finances available. I have sought to keep this on the agenda since my election in 2009 through meetings, questions and motions.

Part One of the scheme will take place in 2016 to upgrade the junction between Ballymount Road Lower and Ballymount Avenue into a signal controlled four way junction, thereby improving traffic flow in the Industrial Estate. Anyone who uses these roads during peak times will note the problems at this junction and on adjoining roads.

The other elements of the scheme will involve the reconfiguration of the Greenhills and Calmount Roads near Tymon Park/Greenpark, the realignment of the Greenhills Rd at Parkview in Kilnamanagh and the extension of Limekiln Rd to the Greenhills Rd. I have made clear that the final element - the extension of Limekiln Rd, which has been on County Development Plans since the 1970's - needs in particular to be prioritised.

The Council have budgeted for €4 million over the next three years, with €1.35 million to be spent this year. This is in addition to the existing money spent on design and CPO's. These are provided for through the Council's 3 Year Capital Programme, meaning that the funds will come from development levies.

Please feel free to ask any questions.

Fattes

Just do what my old man used too while using it every day! A jam jar in a plastic bag and swing it, keeps cars away from you on that road!

average_runner

buffalo wrote: »

Certain parts are certainly going ahead - I've seen news of developments within the last couple of months. I just can't fecking find it now...

Ah, here it is: http://www.sdublincoco.ie/viewdocument.aspx?id=e58b5b1d-c9e9-4fe6-bc48-a5fd00d5e564 (PDF) The Greenhills Road is the one with the green dot in the middle, which shows a roundabout at the entrance to Lidl. Walkinstown Roundabout is just off the bottom of the map (which is also being reconfigured).

Update from a councillor in the area from January this year:

Just what we need, another bloody roundabout

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

jober wrote: »

Use this most days .iv never be too bothered by it.cars can get bit close on some of the bends but nothing out of the ordinary

That statement, to me, is quite striking and worrying

AmboMan

AmboMan wrote: »

Not really a path, more like a shared lane !

Use it almost every day all year and have never had any problems, in my experience there would be more RTC's on Ballymount Road as opposed to Greenhills Road.

I've used it as cyclist and motorist.

It's a shared lane to be honest as two cars coiming in opposite directions take up at least the "Car" portion of the road.
Most people who drive that road tend to be used to cyclists on it, along with how narrow the road is, (and they are going nowhere fast anyway at busy periods) so tend to be better behaved than more equiped roads.

crosstownk

average_runner wrote: »

Just what we need, another bloody roundabout

From my understanding of the plans you won't use that new roundabout except to access Greenpark, Lidl or the other businesses on that section of the 'old' Greenhills Road. If you're continuing on/coming from Kilnamanagh/Tallaght, you'll use the new traffic light junction.

RayCun

buffalo wrote: »

Certain parts are certainly going ahead - I've seen news of developments within the last couple of months. I just can't fecking find it now...

Ah, here it is: http://www.sdublincoco.ie/viewdocument.aspx?id=e58b5b1d-c9e9-4fe6-bc48-a5fd00d5e564 (PDF) The Greenhills Road is the one with the green dot in the middle, which shows a roundabout at the entrance to Lidl. Walkinstown Roundabout is just off the bottom of the map (which is also being reconfigured).

Update from a councillor in the area from January this year:

They're putting a road through Tymon? WTF?

crosstownk

RayCun wrote: »

They're putting a road through Tymon? WTF?

It's been planned since the 1970s and I'm sure the residents of Greenpark will be happy enough as it'll drastically reduce the volume of traffic through that estate.

The M50 also bisects Tymon.

buffalo

RayCun wrote: »

They're putting a road through Tymon? WTF?

haha! Where were you when the M50 was built? :pac:

As crosstownk says, it's been planned since Greenpark was built - the Dip was only ever supposed to be an access road for construction traffic.

RayCun

buffalo wrote: »

haha! Where were you when the M50 was built? :pac:

As crosstownk says, it's been planned since Greenpark was built - the Dip was only ever supposed to be an access road for construction traffic.

I was there, man, I was there ...
But the park was only landscaped at about the same time. It's not like tymon was around for years andthen they knocked a motorway through it

secman

The lane beside the cuckoo nest , the entrance was only blocked up in recent years due to the noisy neighbours, was actually a road that runs right through the park and exits beyond the far side of the basketball arena. I'm old enough to remember the park evolving, was a great spot for running.
The bottom of the Greenhills road is a bit hairy in rush hour traffic for cycling to be fair, road is so narrow for the volume of traffic it carries.

buffalo

secman wrote: »

The lane beside the cuckoo nest , the entrance was only blocked up in recent years due to the noisy neighbours, was actually a road that runs right through the park and exits beyond the far side of the basketball arena. I'm old enough to remember the park evolving, was a great spot for running.
The bottom of the Greenhills road is a bit hairy in rush hour traffic for cycling to be fair, road is so narrow for the volume of traffic it carries.

I'm only old enough to remember being able to walk from my house in Greenhills all the way across to the playground without having to cross any bridges. And riding bikes around the scrambler which was a leftover construction site from the M50 afaik.

We're on a bit of a tangent, but here's the 1829-41 OS map of the area that lane and road were around even then - stretching across the middle of the map and past the castle.

The Greenhills Road is the bigger road at the top-left of the map, the Cuckoo's Nest is just where it says 'Green Hills'. The Basketball Arena is *just* off the bottom of the map, where it says '200' beside the road exiting the map.

RayCun

history of Tymon park

The M50 was part of the plans in the original compulsory purchase orders to create the park. And that tower in the south by the M50 roundabout is the ESAT Millenium Tower - I knew it was a phone mast!

buffalo

RayCun wrote: »

history of Tymon park

The M50 was part of the plans in the original compulsory purchase orders to create the park. And that tower in the south by the M50 roundabout is the ESAT Millenium Tower - I knew it was a phone mast!

There's also what I like to call the 'magic tree', a semi-cleverly disguised mast near the ranger's house - https://goo.gl/maps/x3TUJAbYiCu

There's some at the back of Marley too: https://goo.gl/maps/BFwc2JFfVt62