Cities around the world that are reducing car access

Pete_Cavan

The half dozen or so cottages and the golf course will mean the Wooden Bridge will remain open.

I have for a long time thought that a bus service should operate from Clontarf Road station, over the Wooden Bridge, along the road on the land side of the island, back across the Causeway and loop around in Raheny. It could operate only certain months of the year with the bus being the only vehicle allowed across the Wooden Bridge on weekends and Bank Holidays. Pure fantasy though, not a chance something like that would happen here.

downtheroad

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

The half dozen or so cottages and the golf course will mean the Wooden Bridge will remain open.

I have for a long time thought that a bus service should operate from Clontarf Road station, over the Wooden Bridge, along the road on the land side of the island, back across the Causeway and loop around in Raheny. It could operate only certain months of the year with the bus being the only vehicle allowed across the Wooden Bridge on weekends and Bank Holidays. Pure fantasy though, not a chance something like that would happen here.

Interesting idea re the bus.

There is access to Royal Dublin from the Causeway so that's a very simple solution if the council had the courage to ban vehicle access over the wooden bridge. The handful of houses would be a challenge alright. Beach access for kitesurfers etc should only be from the Causeway also.

Seth Brundle

State body in charge of national road network calls for mandatory registration and insurance of e-scooters

donvito99

It claimed registration and insurance for e-scooters would act as a deterrent for users who failed to obey traffic rules or who caused obstructions on footpaths and assist with enforcement of road traffic legislation.

lol

Anything limited to 25/30kph should be free of any such requirements. In fact, the Government should take what is taken in in "road" tax and use it to subsidise such vehicles.

riddlinrussell

donvito99 wrote: »

lol

Anything limited to 25/30kph should be free of any such requirements. In fact, the Government should take what is taken in in "road" tax and use it to subsidise such vehicles.

They can tax and insure e-scooters when Cars are speed limited to 25km/h

magicbastarder

https://twitter.com/daraobriain/status/1389553131374194690

Peregrine

Nice to see the Northside will get a look in after the naysayers in Sandymount. I have a feeling this is going to be underwhelming.

Maybe a half assed measure on Capel Street that avoids disrupting traffic, a few tables on Smithfield Square which was already pedestrianised and Lower Liffey Street which was voted to be pedestrianised two years ago if we're lucky. Hopefully I'm wrong.
https://twitter.com/DubCityCouncil/status/1390242297355325440?s=20

Thelonious Monk

https://www.thejournal.ie/pedestrianising-streets-5429843-May2021/

They've started works today, it amounts to f*ck all really, I mean the likes of South Anne St is pretty much car free anyway. They just don't want to upset the status quo.

bb1234567

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

https://www.thejournal.ie/pedestrianising-streets-5429843-May2021/

They've started works today, it amounts to f*ck all really, I mean the likes of South Anne St is pretty much car free anyway. They just don't want to upset the status quo.

Yep all lip service! Afraid to make any big moves. Peregrine is right, the 'hint' of pedestrian area planned for north of the city will be that tiny sliver of northern capel street that is not used by cars. And probably mary street, which is just an extension of henry street and should have been pedestrianised about ten years ago.

Peregrine

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

https://www.thejournal.ie/pedestrianising-streets-5429843-May2021/

They've started works today, it amounts to f*ck all really, I mean the likes of South Anne St is pretty much car free anyway. They just don't want to upset the status quo.

They announced trials for these streets ten months ago. They've basically taken last year's homework and used it again. The only changes they've announced this year are wider footpaths on Merrion Row and potential pedestrianisation of the northern side of Sandymount Green.

Meanwhile Capel Street was by far the most requested street through DCC's COVID mobility form. It alone accounted for 10% of all requests.

32 days left.

cgcsb

A distinct lack of ambition. The drury street bit is the most ambitious section. Anne Street isn't any use to cars anyway, neither is the bit of Capel Street between Parnell St and Ryders row. I bet they won't tackle the section of Capel street that's a 3 lane motorway and the Liffey street scheme from years ago is forgotten.

magicbastarder

well, the plans announced for capel street seem to be underwhelming to the point of not actually really being worth doing?

https://twitter.com/DublinCommuters/status/1390597533953576960

Peregrine

Ah, it's definitely worth doing. It removes almost all the parking from the street.

The pedestrianised section is not a useful through route for cars. We shouldn't have had to ask for that 230 times in a year. It should have been done years ago.

It's the level of ambition that would have been great ten years ago though. In 2021, it's just underwhelming

Thelonious Monk

I think we all knew this is the maximum they would be willing to inconvenience motorists

downtheroad

Capel St is 650m long according to Google Maps (hope I've got that right). The pedestrianised section between Parnell St and Ryders Row will be roughly 83m. So less than 13% of the street to be fully pedestrianised.

p_haugh

Why is the 3 lane motorway even needed for the junction at the quays? It should be 2 maximum (and even that's a push!)

cgcsb

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, the plans announced for capel street seem to be underwhelming to the point of not actually really being worth doing?

https://twitter.com/DublinCommuters/status/1390597533953576960

It's actually more than I expected to be honest, perhaps that's a product of the low expectancy / performance vicious circle we see with DCC.

Is there any explanation offered as to why there's a need for 3 lanes at the bottom and no improvement to the dangerous crossing on the north east side of the bridge? A build out on the lower east side of the street could move the crossing further west, it would be a lot safer.

cgcsb

Peregrine wrote: »

Ah, it's definitely worth doing. It removes almost all the parking from the street.

The pedestrianised section is not a useful through route for cars. We shouldn't have had to ask for that 230 times in a year. It should have been done years ago.

It's the level of ambition that would have been great ten years ago though. In 2021, it's just underwhelming

But motorists might have missed their turn onto ryders row and need a second exit just in case. :pac: honestly that is the level of thinking.

Kant Kope.

Thelonious Monk

Why oh why do the general public think that pedestrianising a street means goods can't be delivered? Jesus Christ if I have to read that comment one more time...

cgcsb

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Why oh why do the general public think that pedestrianising a street means goods can't be delivered? Jesus Christ if I have to read that comment one more time...

I can only assume this comes from culchies who've never left their locality. Even country places like Galway have pedestrianised streets. Even towns have them now, must be a very insular life they lead.

Thelonious Monk

But I mean I used to cycle down Grafton St on the way to work sometimes at 7 or 8am and it would be full of vans delivering things, it isn't rocket science.

Amirani

p_haugh wrote: »

Why is the 3 lane motorway even needed for the junction at the quays? It should be 2 maximum (and even that's a push!)

I didn't expect too much from the plan and we didn't get too much. But they absolutely have to reduce the number of car lanes. A street like Capel Street should not be 3 car lanes wide (let alone in 1 direction) at any point, it's just fundamentally wrong.

Obviously full pedestrianisation would be great. But if we're not going to get that, I'd happily settle for what is proposed, plus some reduction in car lanes.

JohnC.

Dublin City Council to trial on the spot fines for parking illegally in bus and cycle lanes

https://www.thejournal.ie/fines-for-parking-on-footpaths-cycle-and-bus-lanes-dublin-city-council-5431167-May2021/

Was this not already a thing? Was it only clamping and towing until now?

cgcsb

JohnC. wrote: »

Dublin City Council to trial on the spot fines for parking illegally in bus and cycle lanes

https://www.thejournal.ie/fines-for-parking-on-footpaths-cycle-and-bus-lanes-dublin-city-council-5431167-May2021/

Was this not already a thing? Was it only clamping and towing until now?

Enforcement was theoretical.

And it will continue to be so. Apparently only 10% of the enforcement officers will have the power to impose the fines 🙄

AlmightyCushion

JohnC. wrote: »

Dublin City Council to trial on the spot fines for parking illegally in bus and cycle lanes

https://www.thejournal.ie/fines-for-parking-on-footpaths-cycle-and-bus-lanes-dublin-city-council-5431167-May2021/

Was this not already a thing? Was it only clamping and towing until now?

It won't be any deterrent for people. The fine is only €40 and the lack of enforcement means your chances of getting caught are incredibly low.

Peregrine

It is only a trial to see if it's better than clamping. The logic is that it takes too long to put on and they have to wait around to remove them. That's not going to work if you have 10 or 15 cars illegally parked. The number of clampers needed to clamp them all before they drive away would probably cause an obstruction in itself. Another issue is that clamping a car in place is just prolonging the obstruction if it's on a bus lane etc.

Fines do work in other cities and can be issued in a matter of seconds but €40 is nothing. Unfortunately, they're set nationally and DCC can't increase them. Ryan can increase them with an SI. minister@transport.gov.ie is the email you should write to ask him to increase it.

AlmightyCushion

Peregrine wrote: »

It is only a trial to see if it's better than clamping. The logic is that it takes too long to put on and they have to wait around to remove them. That's not going to work if you have 10 or 15 cars illegally parked. The number of clampers needed to clamp them all before they drive away would probably cause an obstruction in itself. Another issue is that clamping a car in place is just prolonging the obstruction if it's on a bus lane etc.

Fines do work in other cities and can be issued in a matter of seconds but €40 is nothing. Unfortunately, they're set nationally and DCC can't increase them. Ryan can increase them with an SI. minister@transport.gov.ie is the email you should write to ask him to increase it.

The lack of enforcement is the bigger problem. €40 could be a deterrent if you knew your chances of getting caught were pretty high but the way it is now, you can park illegally for months without getting caught.

cgcsb

The fine is low at €40 and only 10% of a clearly under resourced group of staff have the new power so we'll still have low fines and low likelihood of enforcement which equals no behaviour change. It's as if the trial is set up to produce poor results.

Peregrine

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

The lack of enforcement is the bigger problem. €40 could be a deterrent if you knew your chances of getting caught were pretty high but the way it is now, you can park illegally for months without getting caught.

Yes but one of the reasons they're trialling this is to see if this results in more fines being issued through the time savings of fines vs clamping.

Clamping a car and waiting to remove it takes up the best part of half an hour. If they can fine 10-15 drivers in that time, that could result in an increase in enforcement coverage.

I don't think DCC even breaks even from clamping. The clamp and tow release fees also haven't been updated in a long time.

bb1234567

https://twitter.com/oceanclub/status/1390611550331867138