City just crazy

Mrs OBumble

ben.schlomo wrote: »

The path on the housing side should be removed and ....

Yet another idea that says "fúck you" to residents.

Under this plan, people living in or visiting the houses would step out of their front gates directly onto the roadway. Can you see issues with this?

Yes, some properties have access to College Rd. But some don't. Some residents drive everywhere - but some don't own cars (yes - I can actually name one!). Some properties are mainly holiday apartments - but that just makes it worse because visitors would not be used to not having a footpath outside their gate.

Mrs OBumble

xckjoo wrote: »

Can't run a city around one person though.

Agreed.

But we can learn that when a street in an Irish city is pedestrianised, one of the likely consequences is high levels of night-time noise pedestrian, which makes it less desirable for residents.

Even so called slow-traffic shared spaces can cause issues: the Salt House in Raven's Terrace put up a signs a few weeks ago, asking patrons to confine themselves to outside the pub, because the amount of drunken sprawl was causing issues with the neighbours

ben.schlomo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

80% of how many?

The survey was carried out in late June amongst Galway Chamber’s 400 members – 112 responses were received.

Source: https://connachttribune.ie/traffic-is-strangling-galways-business-404/

That article further expands on the previous one

AndrewJRenko

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Some properties are mainly holiday apartments - but that just makes it worse because visitors would not be used to not having a footpath outside their gate.

I'd imagine that any adult that can manage to book a holiday apartment could survive the trauma of not having a footpath outside their gate without serious injury.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

the Salt House in Raven's Terrace put up a signs a few weeks ago, asking patrons to confine themselves to outside the pub, because the amount of drunken sprawl was causing issues with the neighbours

Confine their what? Do you mean parking?

ben.schlomo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

ben.schlomo wrote: »

The path on the housing side should be removed and ....

Yet another idea that says "fúck you" to residents.

Under this plan, people living in or visiting the houses would step out of their front gates directly onto the roadway. Can you see issues with this?

Yes, some properties have access to College Rd. But some don't. Some residents drive everywhere - but some don't own cars (yes - I can actually name one!). Some properties are mainly holiday apartments - but that just makes it worse because visitors would not be used to not having a footpath outside their gate.

Quite the dramatic response. I'm sure a narrow alternative could be used while still allowing enough for a cycle lane on what is a hugely wasted resource of a road/path system currently.

ben.schlomo

Deleted User wrote: »

ben.schlomo wrote: »

80% of how many?

The survey was carried out in late June amongst Galway Chamber’s 400 members – 112 responses were received.

Source: https://connachttribune.ie/traffic-is-strangling-galways-business-404/

That article further expands on the previous one

As I expected, quite a small response from their members not to mention the many businesses not affiliated.

ben.schlomo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Quite the dramatic response. I'm sure a narrow alternative could be used while still allowing enough for a cycle lane on what is a hugely wasted resource of a road/path system currently.

Making it a one way road and putting a cycle lane either side of the car lane, one going each way.

This would increase capacity, improve the situation for walkers and cyclists alike

Also whoever mentioned getting rid of paths... The shift is to increase livability, not eliminate it altogether

Thargor

Deleted User wrote: »

Also whoever mentioned getting rid of paths... The shift is to increase livability, not eliminate it altogether

You must be new to traffic threads on the Galway City forum :pac:

xckjoo

Deleted User wrote: »

Making it a one way road and putting a cycle lane either side of the car lane, one going each way.

This would increase capacity, improve the situation for walkers and cyclists alike

Also whoever mentioned getting rid of paths... The shift is to increase livability, not eliminate it altogether

Didn't they try that when they were doing up the road under the rail bridge? One-way Lough Atalia, the other way College Road? Can't remember the details but there was uproar about it and it was rolled back pretty quickly.

It seems like a logical approach but maybe there's something I'm missing.

joeKel73

xckjoo wrote: »

Didn't they try that when they were doing up the road under the rail bridge? One-way Lough Atalia, the other way College Road? Can't remember the details but there was uproar about it and it was rolled back pretty quickly.

It seems like a logical approach but maybe there's something I'm missing.

It was one-way with two lanes. This resulted in high speeds in the "fast lane" with a huge amount of cars jumping/forcing into the left lane at the end of the road.

Edit: The other issue was with B&Bs on College Road not happy with HGVs leaving the docks being directed over that way.

xckjoo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Agreed.

But we can learn that when a street in an Irish city is pedestrianised, one of the likely consequences is high levels of night-time noise pedestrian, which makes it less desirable for residents.

Even so called slow-traffic shared spaces can cause issues: the Salt House in Raven's Terrace put up a signs a few weeks ago, asking patrons to confine themselves to outside the pub, because the amount of drunken sprawl was causing issues with the neighbours

Noise is and always will be an issue when you live in the middle of the city. It's why a lot of people move further out. Not sure there's any real solution other than noise-proofing your home (which isn't always possible). I've the issue of having to keep my bedroom window closed because of all the passing cars at night. This summer was a particular pain with the heat. It would have been nice to have some kind of air coming in, but that's life sometimes. I love where I live so can put up with discomfort in some areas.

BTW, does this not go against your argument elsewhere that pedestrianisation can cause an increase in crime due to the loss of passing car traffic? Surely all those noisy people would surely be as able to stop a crime as a single passing taxi driver.

xckjoo

J o e wrote: »

It was one-way with two lanes. This resulted in high speeds in the "fast lane" with a huge amount of cars jumping/forcing into the left lane at the end of the road.

Edit: The other issue was with B&Bs on College Road not happy with HGVs leaving the docks being directed over that way.

Cheers Joe. I couldn't remember any of the details

zell12

J o e wrote: »

It was one-way with two lanes. This resulted in high speeds in the "fast lane" with a huge amount of cars jumping/forcing into the left lane at the end of the road.
Edit: The other issue was with B&Bs on College Road not happy with HGVs leaving the docks being directed over that way.

Galway's own F1 track

ben.schlomo

zell12 wrote: »

J o e wrote: »

It was one-way with two lanes. This resulted in high speeds in the "fast lane" with a huge amount of cars jumping/forcing into the left lane at the end of the road.
Edit: The other issue was with B&Bs on College Road not happy with HGVs leaving the docks being directed over that way.

Galway's own F1 track

The current speeding situation is bad enough without adding to it.

zell12

Significant road flooding causing motorists to deliberately assault pedestrians with water. (refusing to slow down)
Why do motorists do same?

benjamin d

zell12 wrote: »

Significant road flooding causing motorists to deliberately assault pedestrians with water. (refusing to slow down)
Why do motorists do same?

It's an offence to splash pedestrians like that - driving without reasonable consideration or something to that effect. 2 penalty points and a fine I think.

zell12

benjamin d wrote: »

It's an offence to splash pedestrians like that - driving without reasonable consideration or something to that effect. 2 penalty points and a fine I think.

I'm aware.
But guess what the Garda will do? Yep, exactly

benjamin d

zell12 wrote: »

I'm aware.
But guess what the Garda will do? Yep, exactly

I'd love to know how many people have ever been fined for it alright.

We have all the right laws in place to sort out most of the issues on the roads, just nobody in charge who gives a f*ck about enforcing them.

Cheshire Cat

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-45006657

That driver wasn't punished by the police but by his employer and rightly so!

xckjoo

I got soaked by two cars going through the same puddle that day last week we had the torrential rain in the evening. I can kinda forgive the first one as they might not have realised in time, but the second car could should clearly see me get soaked by the first. Unless she was too busy looking at her little darlings in the car. All so they could rush to join the traffic jam 2m ahead :rolleyes:. I just gave them the stink eye as it wasn't worth getting worked up about.


I wonder now if I had the GoPro with me and reported them if something would have come of it. I wasn't too bothered as I was expecting to get soaked and was heading home, but it's a dick move.

what_traffic

zell12 wrote: »

Significant road flooding causing motorists to deliberately assault pedestrians with water. (refusing to slow down)
Why do motorists do same?

Galway City Council really are woeful for clearing gullies. Its only if you are walking or cycling do you really notice this neglect. Many of the gullies are full to the top with dirt and clay so no where for the water to go during a downpour.

zell12

xckjoo wrote: »

I wonder now if I had the GoPro with me and reported them if something would have come of it. I wasn't too bothered as I was expecting to get soaked and was heading home, but it's a dick move.

Nothing. Puddle on road at a covered busstop in Parkmore. Cars drive through the puddle and soak the awaiting humans. Zero conscience and no consequences.

However, Council has no problem rushing to fill a huge pothole on the QuinnBridge outbound where the heat melted asphalt of the previous covered pothole. It was big, taking up ~50% of the lane.

McGiver

zell12 wrote: »

xckjoo wrote: »

I wonder now if I had the GoPro with me and reported them if something would have come of it. I wasn't too bothered as I was expecting to get soaked and was heading home, but it's a dick move.

Nothing. Puddle on road at a covered busstop in Parkmore. Cars drive through the puddle and soak the awaiting humans. Zero conscience and no consequences.

However, Council has no problem rushing to fill a huge pothole on the QuinnBridge outbound where the heat melted asphalt of the previous covered pothole. It was big, taking up ~50% of the lane.

In UK, this is a £100 fine if caught by police. But since there is no guards around here, even if there was a law for this it wouldn't help, I think.

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

Galway City Council really are woeful for clearing gullies. Its only if you are walking or cycling do you really notice this neglect. Many of the gullies are full to the top with dirt and clay so no where for the water to go during a downpour.

Counted 14 Gulleys that were fully blocked on a 10km cycle across town this afternoon. Thankfully had the neoprene overshoes on.
A Splish Splash Splosh cycle.

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

We need a Port Tunnel for Galway. The Galway Bay Port Tunnel has a nice ring to it. On a serious note - your 100% correct. Lough Atalia is one of the busiest roads for HGV's and Coach Buses in Galway City. Not a pleasant road to cycle on.

I don't think you'd even need a tunnel. road alongside the rail line to Renmore could be squeezed in handily, though you'd have to break up some of the Barrack's facilities for it to pass South of it. Join proper traffic through/past the Bus Eireann depot, and the road's ready if that megaport ever gets built.

McGiver

benjamin d wrote: »

It's an offence to splash pedestrians like that - driving without reasonable consideration or something to that effect. 2 penalty points and a fine I think.

Oh really, didn't know that. But how to enforce it exactly? No guards around ever, I see them twice a year on the road. And if they were there then? Shout and wave at them? I'd need to take a snap of the reg plate of the offending car. Impossible to do on time.

benjamin d

McGiver wrote: »

Oh really, didn't know that. But how to enforce it exactly? No guards around ever, I see them twice a year on the road. And if they were there then? Shout and wave at them? I'd need to take a snap of the reg plate of the offending car. Impossible to do on time.

Well, this is it. We have dozens, if not hundreds of great laws that cover almost all the annoying and dangerous road traffic offences. Finding someone to enforce them is a whole other story - other than the few easy ones like going 70 in a 60 zone on a dual carriageway.

Mrs OBumble

Of course we could try expecting people to do the right thing even if there's not a parent / teacher / cop standing there watching.

To have consideration for otjer people instead of being selfish a**holes.

Maybe even not giving licences to people until they can prove emotional maturity.

Or is that too difficult???

motley

Anyone know what was going on with the traffic yesterday evening. It took forever/15 minutes to get across the bridge.

ArtyC

Traffic yesterday was chronic alright, I was expecting an easy run Tuesday after a bank holiday ! I dread the traffic more than work some days now