Luas Cross City Launch Discussion

Pelvis

Is the luas running this morning? I'm standing at a packed platform on the green line with no luas in site for a good 20 minutes now

LeinsterDub

Pelvis wrote: »

Is the luas running this morning? I'm standing at a packed platform on the green line with no luas in site for a good 20 minutes now

https://twitter.com/Luas/status/961518288965652480

errlloyd

Well folks, I was on the 55m today. I believe it is number 5027, maybe I wasn't in which case someone can correct me. There seemed to be a bus blocking O Connell Bridge when got our first green, so we waited on Westmorlen and crossed at the next green. I don't know if that mucked up the cycle, but as predicted we ended up blocking almost all of the Southside junction while waiting for the northside lights.

I was sitting in the four seater at the back which is where I took this picture, so there is probably another 5 or 6 metres of tram behind me, another set of seats, doors and another drivers cab.

Idbatterim

What a joke. Can they not turn back some trams at ssg and not extend the ones that run over ocb?

Could they not use far more intelligent traffic management solutions at ocs?

Sierra Oscar

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Was there the predicted o'connell bridge traffic chaos with the new longer trams?

New extra-long Luas blocks yellow box at O’Connell Bridge

It was not a great start to the second day of operations of Dublin’s new 55-metre Luas as the tram stopped on O’Connell Bridge this morning, its rear protruding across the south quays, in exactly they way operators said it wouldn’t.

It's not ideal to say the least.

cgcsb

It's almost as if DCC has done NOTHING for the past 5 years of preparation time.

errlloyd

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

New extra-long Luas blocks yellow box at O’Connell Bridge



It's not ideal to say the least.

Haha, I am in the photo on that Irish Times article.

Anyway, as I said I think the reason why was because the tram missed it's first green light due to a bus going right from the quays on to O Connell Bridge that had stopped blocking the Luas track. Presumably that green light was purposely sequenced to let it cross. We ended up waiting at the lights an extra cycle for the next one.

Idbatterim

cgcsb wrote: »

It's almost as if DCC has done NOTHING for the past 5 years of preparation time.

which is Exactly what I would expect here. ...

Geuze

One of the IT photos today really shows the length............55m, man that is long.

That's over 4x buses long, isn't it?

Can I confirm - these are the longest trams in the world?

hmmm

This is beyond a joke now. The bus network that goes through town is all over the place time-wise, people are passing out in the crush on the LUAS green line, a cyclist is going to be seriously injured, and there is no solution in sight. This is all doing immeasurable damage to the perception of public transport, and kneejerk solutions involving diverting buses via the Aran Islands aren't helping. Better to suspend LCC, and put the pressure back on whichever of the 3 letter agencies is responsible to fix this.

errlloyd

Geuze wrote: »

One of the IT photos today really shows the length............55m, man that is long.

That's over 4x buses long, isn't it?

Can I confirm - these are the longest trams in the world?

These are the longest trams Allstom has ever built.

I believe there are trams in Budapest that are 56m long.

cython

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

New extra-long Luas blocks yellow box at O’Connell Bridge



It's not ideal to say the least.

Irish Times wrote:

In fairness to the Luas operator, the 55-metre tram did move again in about two minutes, and before the lights changed for waiting traffic at the south quays. Nor did problems arise on the way back across the 48 metre Rosie Hackett Bridge. Approaching the Rosie Hackett Bridge the tram slipped effortlessly from Marlborough Street across Eden and Burgh quays and on to Hawkins Street without stopping. The Rosie Hackett bridge also being of a shorter span than the new Luas could potentially result in problems on the north quays.

Not ideal as you say, but to be honest if the signals were coordinated in such a way that overhanging the back off the bridge doesn't interfere with traffic flows (as the above seems to suggest was the case here, though I'm not sure how it was stopped for 2 mins without traffic getting a green on the south side), then it's fairly immaterial as an issue.

Idbatterim

hmmm wrote: »

This is beyond a joke now. The bus network that goes through town is all over the place time-wise, people are passing out in the crush on the LUAS green line, a cyclist is going to be seriously injured, and there is no solution in sight. This is all doing immeasurable damage to the perception of public transport, and kneejerk solutions involving diverting buses via the Aran Islands aren't helping. Better to suspend LCC, and put the pressure back on whichever of the 3 letter agencies is responsible to fix this.

Why doesn't waffling varadkar sort it out? All of the agencies here are farcical. Turn some trams back at ssg as has been suggested here...

devnull

cython wrote: »

Not ideal as you say, but to be honest if the signals were coordinated in such a way that overhanging the back off the bridge doesn't interfere with traffic flows (as the above seems to suggest was the case here, though I'm not sure how it was stopped for 2 mins without traffic getting a green on the south side), then it's fairly immaterial as an issue.

The tram itself was blocked by a rogue taxi that apparently made a last second dash after the lights changed, if what I've read on social media and elsewhere is true.

Edit: RTE confirms the above

The tram - which has two extra carriages compared to existing trams - was itself blocked beforehand by a taxi parked in a yellow box.

devnull

devnull wrote: »

The tram itself was blocked by a taxi.

No suprise there. There should be automatic fines for anyone acting the maggot in the yellow boxes on the luas line.

Sierra Oscar

devnull wrote: »

The tram itself was blocked by a rogue taxi that apparently made a last minute dash after the lights changed.

Which, to be fair, isn't a problem of Transdev's making. There will need to be strict traffic enforcement at the junction until it sinks in that it's not acceptable to block it.

cython

devnull wrote: »

The tram itself was blocked by a rogue taxi that apparently made a last second dash after the lights changed, if what I've read on social media and elsewhere is true.

Sorry, I realise I wasn't clear in what I was saying - I wasn't suggesting there was any deliberate coordination in this instance, but more as a general observation that if the sequence of lights allowed for this it need not be as much of an issue as people might have suggested. I assumed there was an external influence in this particular instance, and not surprised considering the one time I took a tram on the extension the driver had to slam on on Westmoreland due to someone acting the idiot in front of them.

devnull

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Which, to be fair, isn't a problem of Transdev's making. There will need to be strict traffic enforcement at the junction until it sinks in that it's not acceptable to block it.

Indeed - this mornings issues were caused by private traffic rather than Transdev.

It all depends on An Bord Pleanála doing something in March to stop the private cars and taxis from clogging things up - personally I cannot see it happening even though it should, I just don't have faith in ABP doing what is best for public transport, especially with the high end hotels, taxi lobby, and car park owners lobbying them hand.

MOH

cgcsb wrote: »

It's almost as if DCC has done NOTHING for the past 5 years of preparation time.

Ah here now, that's hardly fair. Sure there's no way anyone without a crystal ball could possibly have predicted this highly unlikely scenario


/s

Curly Judge

devnull wrote: »

Indeed - this mornings issues were caused by private traffic rather than Transdev.

It all depends on An Bord Pleanála doing something in March to stop the private cars and taxis from clogging things up - personally I cannot see it happening even though it should, I just don't have faith in ABP doing what is best for public transport, especially with the high end hotels, taxi lobby, and car park owners lobbying them hand.

Great idea!
Ban anyone with a few bob in their pocket from coming into the city and the place will improve out of all recognition.

ohnonotgmail

MOH wrote: »

Ah here now, that's hardly fair. Sure there's no way anyone without a crystal ball could possibly have predicted this highly unlikely scenario


/s

I'm not sure i would call a taxi running a red light and blocking a junction "highly unlikely". Get a guard to stand at that junction for a week or so and the message would get through.

Curly Judge

MOH wrote: »

Ah here now, that's hardly fair. Sure there's no way anyone without a crystal ball could possibly have predicted this highly unlikely scenario


/s

I'm sure there are computer programmes available to simulate all kinds of traffic and footfall from dozens of different sources under dozens of different circumstances.
I wonder if anything like that was employed?
Perhaps they adopted the Clontarf sea wall approach?
"Ah shure, build it there lads and we'll see what it looks like"

cgcsb

Curly Judge wrote: »

Great idea!
Ban anyone with a few bob in their pocket from coming into the city and the place will improve out of all recognition.

Yeah all the 98-LM reg'd Missan Micras flying around the place, few bob there alright. banning cars doesn't ban anyone, it only forces them onto PT.

Curly Judge

cgcsb wrote: »

Yeah all the 98-LM reg'd Missan Micras flying around the place, few bob there alright. banning cars doesn't ban anyone, it only forces them onto PT.

Where have you come across all these 98-LM reg'd Missan Micras?
Are you in favor of banning taxies as well?

cgcsb

Curly Judge wrote: »

Where have you come across all these 98-LM reg'd Missan Micras?
Are you in favor of banning taxies as well?

I'd ban them from College Green entirely but keep them on the quays for now. Cars on Bachelors walk have to go.

suicide_circus

didn't we know this was going to happen the minute plans were published?

Tow

suicide_circus wrote: »

didn't we know this was going to happen the minute plans were published?

It was discussed several times over the last couple of years.

serfboard

cgcsb wrote: »

Cars on Bachelors walk have to go.

Sorry can't have that. Arnotts car park dictates that we must have private cars on Bachelors Walk.

noelfirl

cisk wrote: »

No suprise there. There should be automatic fines for anyone acting the maggot in the yellow boxes on the luas line.

Nah don't bother with fines. Just crush the taxi/offending vehicle into a cube. Lesson learned...

Jamie2k9

serfboard wrote: »

Sorry can't have that. Arnotts car park dictates that we must have private cars on Bachelors Walk.

There was provisions on the first plans for access, the others need to go....