Galwegians rugby grounds to be sold for high-density housing

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Galwegians Grounds to be sold.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/galway-rugby-grounds-to-be-sold-for-high-density-housing-1.3275061
"
Crowley Park’s 9.76 acres to go for minimum price of €6m
"

McTigs

wow 6 is a big climb down from 25... still it should be good for the club.

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McTigs wrote: »

wow 6 is a big climb down from 25... still it should be good for the club.

The more expensive the land, the more expensive the houses will be? Am sure density of houses/apartments will be high here.

Mrs OBumble

Old Mervue.
New Mervue.
And soon to be Even-newer Mervue!

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Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Old Mervue.
New Mervue.
And soon to be Even-newer Mervue!

Probably be called "Renbeag"

Utopia Parkway

Interesting that Wegians themselves are moving from the east to the west side of the city. There's already a Barna/Knocknacarra rugby club isn't there albeit just for juniors. Maybe there will be some sort of link up there.

youngrun

Wow big money move.
Where will they go to? Out Barna side/Cappagh?

bobbyss

Am thinking of all the extra cars accessing the Dublin Road. Another nightmare.

what_traffic

bobbyss wrote: »

Am thinking of all the extra cars accessing the Dublin Road. Another nightmare.

Nah not buying that, vast majority of car traffic on Dublin Road is not Renmore or Mervue residents. This housing scheme wont change that.

Zzippy

what_traffic wrote: »

Nah not buying that, vast majority of car traffic on Dublin Road is not Renmore or Mervue residents. This housing scheme wont change that.

Yes but turning right onto the main road from the new development will be a nightmare unless they install another set of traffic lights, which could impact on traffic flow.

bobbyss

what_traffic wrote:

Nah not buying that, vast majority of car traffic on Dublin Road is not Renmore or Mervue residents. This housing scheme wont change that.

A percentage of the scheme will have cars coming and going on a daily basis. They will be using the Dublin Road. This will add to the woes.

It'll be full of students from gmit

what_traffic

Zzippy wrote: »

Yes but turning right onto the main road from the new development will be a nightmare unless they install another set of traffic lights, which could impact on traffic flow.

That is not the real problem, the real issue that needs to be addressed for the Dublin Road is why should car traffic flow for County Commuters outweigh the needs of the local residents. If people stop high density housing in the City Centre like this to accommodate rural Galway County Commuters traffic flow - then it is just vicious CAR Traffic Hellhole that you are creating.

what_traffic

bobbyss wrote: »

A percentage of the scheme will have cars coming and going on a daily basis. They will be using the Dublin Road. This will add to the woes.

Need to address the current real woes on the Dublin Road.

Mr_A

Having more housing close to the main employment centres is good for the traffic situation overall. It's having the housing spread all over a huge area, where the density isn't sufficient to make public transport an easily viable option, that's a root cause of the car reliant culture that causes the traffic chaos.

Webbs

Is good to see some high density housing going in to an fairly city centre location. Maybe they can make use of the Coke bikes as no one else seems to in that area!
Hopefully a re-examination of the Dublin Road traffic flow for bus car and cyclists can be looked at as I have never seen a fairly major artery into a large town/city have so many choke points in such a short distance (lights, roundabouts)

fergiesfolly

Webbs wrote: »

Is good to see some high density housing going in to an fairly city centre location. Maybe they can make use of the Coke bikes as no one else seems to in that area!
Hopefully a re-examination of the Dublin Road traffic flow for bus car and cyclists can be looked at as I have never seen a fairly major artery into a large town/city have so many choke points in such a short distance (lights, roundabouts)

If there's going to be up to an extra 150 homes built on that road, what can be done to improve traffic flow for all that extra traffic, that isn't being done already, for existing traffic?

This isn't a dig. Just genuinely wondering how it'd be done.

Webbs

fergiesfolly wrote: »

If there's going to be up to an extra 150 homes built on that road, what can be done to improve traffic flow for all that extra traffic, that isn't being done already, for existing traffic?

This isn't a dig. Just genuinely wondering how it'd be done.

No I agree with you and not really sure what can be done there, isnt much additional space for road widening to allow for bus and bike lanes.
Maybe Pedestrian overpasses would be an idea to replace crossings.

An extra 150 houses isnt going to make much of a difference it just seems a road that has developed with little or no planning for all users over the years

aperture_nuig

Webbs wrote: »

No I agree with you and not really sure what can be done there, isnt much additional space for road widening to allow for bus and bike lanes.
Maybe Pedestrian overpasses would be an idea to replace crossings.

An extra 150 houses isnt going to make much of a difference it just seems a road that has developed with little or no planning for all users over the years

Like the rest of the city's infrastructure.

Webbs

Webbs wrote: »

Maybe Pedestrian overpasses would be an idea to replace crossings.

That's if you want to prioritise car commuting over every other method, which is the exact opposite of what needs to be done.

Mrs OBumble

fergiesfolly wrote: »

If there's going to be up to an extra 150 homes built on that road, what can be done to improve traffic flow for all that extra traffic, that isn't being done already, for existing traffic?

Let the houses to GMIT students / staff who are currently living in other areas and travelling there by car.

No extra cars from the houses. And reduced cars coming in.

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Let the houses to GMIT students / staff who are currently living in other areas and travelling there by car.

No extra cars from the houses. And reduced cars coming in.

Its a good point but I am not sure it will happen. Staff yes - but students? I say more Young Urban Professionals will reside here who work in the City Centre or surrounding estates. Since 2015 GMIT have had a big growth in Students applying for parking permits as they cannot afford OR get accommodation in the City.

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

Since 2015 GMIT have had a big growth in Students applying for parking permits as they cannot afford OR get accommodation in the City.

Just curious, what's the source for that? I'm asking about the permit info and also the info as to why, that you mention.

what_traffic

Deleted User wrote: »

Just curious, what's the source for that? I'm asking about the permit info and also the info as to why, that you mention.

Was mentioned by GMIT reps at a Galway City Council/Hall Smarter Travel meeting back in Feb 2016. The GMIT facilities team gave a presentation and results of Travel Survey they did in 2015

sgthighway

I don't know the details on the future plans for the site but in the past they were granted outline planning permission for 68 houses but the entrance was not onto the Dublin Road. It was onto Michael Collins Road. People can only speculate will the entrance be still Michael Collins Road and if it is will traffic go left or right. With public transport on their doorstep and they way traffic is at the moment it should be bus or bike for anybody living there.

Just on the Bus Lane outbound idea. Galway City Council should make compulsory orders on land to put in a bus lane outbound from Glenina Heights out as far as they can.
The entrance to Flannerys can moved to be at the entrance Belmont and that same entrance at Belmont can be re-aligned to have it opposite Ballyloughane Road and incorporate the Pedestrian Lights into the same junction.

shenanagans

Would have thought that was a prime site for some high density student accommodation. Major shortage of accommodation over that last couple of years.

Even if not student accommodation surely it will be high density, mixture of houses and apartments given the price of the site.

sgthighway

shenanagans wrote: »

Would have thought that was a prime site for some high density student accommodation. Major shortage of accommodation over that last couple of years.

Even if not student accommodation surely it will be high density, mixture of houses and apartments given the price of the site.

A Dun na Coirbe type of estate with Secure Underground Car Parking would be nice. Maybe go a Floor higher than Dun na Coirbe.

Flannery's could reopen Frankies.

Webbs

Deleted User wrote: »

That's if you want to prioritise car commuting over every other method, which is the exact opposite of what needs to be done.

Why is it prioritising car traffic? It is allowing a two way flow cars one way pedestrians the other?

Its fairly common practice in the UK to have pedestrian over and under passes across roads and is positively received by all users.

This has to be a realisitic approach to planning, you want people out of their cars and on public transport so even the buses would flow better and be on time more. Its about creating a flow of people movement, not a them and us situation.

I am a bus user by the way and go down that road and can easily see that having less brakes to a flow would be beneficial.

Im not going to change the minds of those who are entrenched one way or the other and these are only suggestions as Galway as a town has the least creative ways I have seen to inproving everyones road and pavement use

what_traffic

Webbs wrote: »

Its fairly common practice in the UK to have pedestrian over and under passes across roads and is positively received by all users.

In a built up Urban environment like the Dublin Road at the Bons? Nah not buying it. UK and IRE have pedestrian over and under passes across dual carriageways and motorways which this is evidently not. We have one underpass in Galway City at Briarhill. It is not successful and is not used all that much.

Webbs

what_traffic wrote: »

In a built up Urban environment like the Dublin Road at the Bons? Nah not buying it. UK and IRE have pedestrian over and under passes across dual carriageways and motorways which this is evidently not. We have one underpass in Galway City at Briarhill. It is not successful and is not used all that much.

You probably have a pint there, but what options can you suggest for that road as its a particularly bad stretch for all transport with a 'choke' point be it roundabout or lights every 300m on average for around a 2km stretch?

bonzodog2

I wonder if there is any data collected about the amount of pedestrian traffic at the various lights on the Dublin Rd, and what effect on traffic flow it might have if the lights didn't have to allow for pedestrians?

what_traffic

bonzodog2 wrote: »

I wonder if there is any data collected about the amount of pedestrian traffic at the various lights on the Dublin Rd, and what effect on traffic flow it might have if the lights didn't have to allow for pedestrians?

Your addressing the wrong issue. Pedestrians are the most efficient mode on this corridor, followed by buses, then cyclists and last and if this was a race they would be essentially lapped by all the other modes comes the private motor car. Want to improve car traffic flow - remove cars.

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

Your addressing the wrong issue. Pedestrians are the most efficient mode on this corridor, followed by buses, then cyclists and last and if this was a race they would be essentially lapped by all the other modes comes the private motor car. Want to improve commuter flow - remove cars.

Fyp

The Lost Sheep

great news for Galwegians.
A new location outside the city will allow them provide proper facilties for all their teams from minis, youths boys and girls teams, mens teams and ladies teams.

Wonder where they may try look for a new grounds and how that could affect other clubs...
Of the other city rugby clubs. Boys Club are in the sportsground and only field 1 team at adult level so a move by wegians wont affect them.
If Galwegians moved to the west side of the city it could affect NUIGs youth academy which had been set up as no club catered for kids on the west side of the city with only options being wegians or corinthians.

Unrealistic

Webbs wrote: »

Why is it prioritising car traffic? It is allowing a two way flow cars one way pedestrians the other?

Its fairly common practice in the UK to have pedestrian over and under passes across roads and is positively received by all users.

As one of those users I can definitely say that is not the case. The only thing positive you can say about them is that they are better than no pedestrian crossings at all but they are much less desireable than crossings at surface level. Overpasses and underpasses attract anti-social activity and often stink of p!ss and provide an enclosed space conducive to muggings. They are also just a pain in the arse for anyone pushing a buggy or with limited mobility (including older people who have trouble with steps, not just wheelchair users).

If you force people to use underpasses/overpasses you are discouraging walking as a means of getting around so it is effectively prioritising car traffic.

Webbs

Unrealistic wrote: »

As one of those users I can definitely say that is not the case. The only thing positive you can say about them is that they are better than no pedestrian crossings at all but they are much less desireable than crossings at surface level. Overpasses and underpasses attract anti-social activity and often stink of p!ss and provide an enclosed space conducive to muggings. They are also just a pain in the arse for anyone pushing a buggy or with limited mobility (including older people who have trouble with steps, not just wheelchair users).

If you force people to use underpasses/overpasses you are discouraging walking as a means of getting around so it is effectively prioritising car traffic.

overpasses have to be ramped not steps now, only older ones are steps. But I do agree about the underpasses and there was no way they would be put in in galway anyway.
All I am suggesting is to think a little different see what other places do and try something. In an ideal world we could all walk or cycle to work but that just isnt realistic as things currently are and any change is going to be slow unfortunately. Thats not to say change shouldnt happen especially as far as public transport goes which is woefully inadequate and far too expensive.

Webbs

Webbs wrote: »

overpasses have to be ramped not steps now, only older ones are steps. But I do agree about the underpasses and there was no way they would be put in in galway anyway.
All I am suggesting is to think a little different see what other places do and try something. In an ideal world we could all walk or cycle to work but that just isnt realistic as things currently are and any change is going to be slow unfortunately. Thats not to say change shouldnt happen especially as far as public transport goes which is woefully inadequate and far too expensive.

I take your point about looking at others but given the ****e state of UK commuting it's preferable to look at much more successful examples i.e. Holland, Portland etc.

One of the few good examples in the UK is Oxford and that's primarily down to the council there making it difficult to drive into the town.

Unrealistic

Webbs wrote: »

overpasses have to be ramped not steps now, only older ones are steps.

Ramps are still a pain with a buggy or for older people who struggle on steeper inclines. And some of the overpasses I've seen have had steps combined with lifts (often out of order and stinking of p!ss).

Webbs wrote: »

But I do agree about the underpasses and there was no way they would be put in in galway anyway.
All I am suggesting is to think a little different see what other places do and try something. In an ideal world we could all walk or cycle to work but that just isnt realistic as things currently are and any change is going to be slow unfortunately. Thats not to say change shouldnt happen especially as far as public transport goes which is woefully inadequate and far too expensive.

But surely if you think encouraging walking and cycling should be the ideal, and you agree changes are necessary, then it would make sense to advocate changes that move things closer in that direction rather than further away from it?