Dublin City and Greater area – Danger points

rushfan

Wishbone Ash wrote:

The section of the R132 southbound between Blake's cross and Turvey Avenue (north Co Dublin) is probably the most dangerous piece of road I use regularly. It's only a few hundred meters but about 15 years ago the hard shoulder was converted into an second lane to make exiting from R127 (Lusk) easier for motorists. I never feel comfortable on it even when I 'take' the left lane. The surface is also poor with numerous ruts and holes and a few shore covers.

Not a section of road that I like either, always slightly relieved when I get to the roundabout used to access the Tesco warehouse.

Arcade_Tryer

Too many to mention but Victoria Quay (crossing the lanes toward Phoenix Park) is probably the only part of Dublin that I am terrified to tackle at busy times due to a confluence of events including the speed of other vehicles, the non-existent cycling infrastructure, and the complexity of the manoeuvre itself. Thankfully have very little reason to venture near there.

Gerry

N4 eastbound from first flyover to hermitage. Terrible bike lane or road full of pissed off drivers. N4 westbound anywhere near a turnoff trying to not get killed by drivers who can't fathom that you aren't taking the turn. So that would be the ballyfermot turn before chapelizod bypass, m50 turn, fonthill turn, newcastle turn, etc. Actually the whole n4 really

De Bhál

Westmoreland Street ain't for the nervous.

bazermc

Ranelagh Village and the cycle lane in the Phoenix park. Full of twats.

Breezer

Harold's Cross Bridge. Outbound cycle lane shoehorned into a driving lane where there's no room, long queues of frustrated drivers, and a blind right turn for inbound drivers onto the canal, who can't see traffic coming over the bridge until the last moment.

The junction of New St South/Patrick St/Dean St/Kevin St. Inbound there's manholes in the cycle lane, drivers constantly turning left on a straight ahead arrow onto Dean St across the cycle lane and through a pedestrian light, then there's a sort of a cycle lane (faded purple paint but no white line) marked in the bus lane but it's far too narrow for traffic to pass you if there's traffic in the driving lane, which there always is. Then outbound drivers constantly block the junction, also huge potential for left hooks onto Kevin St. Meanwhile going from Kevin St to Dean St there's a microscopic cycle lane shoehorned in just like the one on Harold's Cross Bridge. From Dean St to Patrick Street there's an orange filter arrow and pedestrian crossing that drivers ignore. All the various bits of pedestrian crossings operate at different times, even crossing the same street. And for some reason the pedestrian crossing on the Kevin St bit is 30m down the road which leads to pedestrians crossing through traffic. Absolute clusterf*ck of a junction!

alentejo wrote: »

Memorial Bridge south bound (North Stand / IFSC) heading towards south quays and O'Connell Bridge. Need to position yourself in the middle of 4 lanes of traffic.

Seconded.

droidus wrote: »

Its a short stretch, but the Canal to Harts corner can be a bit tricky if you take the lane and are turning right.

Church st/Constitution hill is a nightmare with either close passing or so much congestion its impossible to filter. I just avoid it now.

That's on my commute. I find you just have to be really assertive with the lane. Even still, I was nearly taken out of it the other day by a driver who decided she'd use the bus lane to jump the queue for the junction with the green Luas, before nipping back into the right lane. I caught up with her in Phibsborough.

And then coming back inbound again there's far too narrow a cycle lane coming up to the junction with North King St, and when you move out of it to take the lane you have a massive manhole in the middle of the lane that's about 8 inches below the level of the road tarmac.

helimachoptor wrote: »

For me, going southbound at Kielys in Donnybrook.
Two narrow lanes going around the corner, cars in the outside lane want to keep as left as possible, meaning cars in the inside lane basically want to run you up onto the footpath.

I was knocked off my bike here years ago. It hasn't improved since.

AGC wrote: »

I find coming into town and going up the hill after O'Shea's Merchant when the road swings to the left, everyone tries overtaking you and there just is not the space with it being 2 lanes and always traffic in the outside lane.

I was coming up there on a Dublin bike a while back, slowly to be fair, and had a Garda on a motorbike motion me into the gutter. Nothing stopping traffic overtaking me in the right lane. I told him no, he drove on, and I caught up with him at the light at Christchurch 30 seconds later. Again, just really take the lane.

buffalo

Anywhere you've to cross Luas tracks at a weird angle, particular in the middle of a junction. Top of O'Connell Street, College Green, Naas Road by the canal, etc. Grand if you've time and it's dry, but stressful when wet and there's drivers up your arse.

ted1

LennoxR wrote: »

East Wall Road, from the roundabout at the east link up to North Strand. Especially if you are trying to take right onto Alfie Byrne Road to get on to the cycle lane north to Howth.

There’s a decent off road cycle path on most of that. I also use that daily.

OleRodrigo

+ 1 on the South Quays from Parliament St up to the Chapelizod bypass.

Actually, worse still, is the other side of the bypass coming into town. Like lots of other similar junctions you are sharing the bus lane beside fast moving traffic and then it ends and blends into a left turn.

If you are continuing straight, you are crossing traffic that may be moving across to take that left. You hope that they are alert enough to see you will going straight.

But whats really dangerous is when someone decides at the last minute to change direction and take that left exit at 70/80 kmph . There's nothing you can do to protect yourself from this except hope for the best. Its unlikely this person will see you moving out from the left lane in this scenario. They will only have glanced at the lane they are crossing. This very scenario killed a cyclist over the other side, on the Conyngham road, a few years ago. He was moving out from a bike lane, but it was a motorists last minute change of direction as he did so that caused the crash. These kind of layouts rely heavily on motorists going below the speed limit and paying attention.

Now I take a left through Inchicore and come out past the bypass. Too many close calls despite being hyper aware of this sort of danger.

The pinch points and traffic light sequences slow traffic moving through the city centre where there are the most pedestrians, but once they get an open stretch - such as past Parliament St or even Parnell Square west - they really put the foot down to make up lost time. And its speeding traffic that is the real problem in Dublin, IMO.

Arcade_Tryer

whysomanyhills wrote: »

And its speeding traffic that is the real problem in Dublin, IMO.

It's astounding. At least when there are lots of cars, they are getting in each others way, and constrained from causing too much damage by the limited space in most parts of the city. But the speed at which motorists tear around the place when given a chance is just crazy. An incredible lack of consideration for others, and ultimately a reflection on the poor driver education and overall lack of citizenship in this country. Nobody cares, until someone is hurt or dies that is, when suddenly we become the best in the world for platitudes, funerals and faux concern.

magicbastarder

ted1 wrote: »

There’s a decent off road cycle path on most of that. I also use that daily.

on the east wall road? there's a stretch which crosses over the railway tracks, but i stay on the road from the eastlink, and up alfie byrne road.

mloc123

Gerry wrote: »

N4 eastbound from first flyover to hermitage. Terrible bike lane or road full of pissed off drivers. N4 westbound anywhere near a turnoff trying to not get killed by drivers who can't fathom that you aren't taking the turn. So that would be the ballyfermot turn before chapelizod bypass, m50 turn, fonthill turn, newcastle turn, etc. Actually the whole n4 really

I find the N4 fine... The cycle path is okay, not great but you also have the option of a 24/7 bus lane. The only issue I have is coming out of town, getting over the m50 on the road is way too risky and it is awkward to get across into Palmerstown village to use the separate bridge

mloc123

check_six wrote: »

N4 is no fun to cycle on that Chapelizod Bypass section. Very narrow bus lane.

When they did the work to create the traffic calming at the ballyfermot slip road they started to make a separated cycle lane and never finished it. It is now just overgrown gravel.

On that section of road I find if the traffic is at a standstill or moving very slowly, don't use the bus lane... I instead filter between the two lanes of traffic. If traffic is moving I usually don't have problems with buses as they tend to overtake properly in the other lanes.

Tombo2001

Drumcondra Road coming out of town towards the Dodder

There is a bike path on the footpatch all the way as far as Fagans

The bike path merges with the road at a point where
(I) Buses are pulling in to a bus stop
(II) Cars are turning left onto Botanic Road

Very hairy.

You then progress onto the bridge - two narrow car lanes. There is NO room to overtake cyclists but many motorists try to do it anyway.

Polar wizard adventure

Macken Street/Cardiff Lane heading north and south. Parking both sides. Cars coming in an out of Hanover Street and Misery Hill, permanent construction works on both sides from the past 8/10 years, a hotel with coaches and taxis crammed outside, thousands of gormless pedestrians and the worst junction in the city at Pearse Street (particularly when heading south) .

Vel

Around DIT Aungier Street and Carmelite Church on Whitefriar Street

Camden Street around lunchtime on my commute home can be awful. Sometimes the entire cycle lane and bus lane are blocked with parked cars and delivery vans.

Left turn off Camden Street opposite the Bleeding Horse and towards Harcourt Street. Road breaks into four lanes, two heading left and two heading right, around by the luas tracks. I head right and am constantly undertaken at speed by cars behind coming from the left hand lanes into the right hand lane, rather than wait safely behind we and then overtake if/when safe to do so.

Tombo2001

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

It's astounding. At least when there are lots of cars, they are getting in each others way, and constrained from causing too much damage by the limited space in most parts of the city. But the speed at which motorists tear around the place when given a chance is just crazy. An incredible lack of consideration for others, and ultimately a reflection on the poor driver education and overall lack of citizenship in this country. Nobody cares, until someone is hurt or dies that is, when suddenly we become the best in the world for platitudes, funerals and faux concern.

Completely agree.

I really don't know how they get away with it.

They are completely unchecked. For example, Alfie Byrne Road or Drumcondra Road they are tearing about the place given half a chance; I doubt if there has ever been a speed check done on either road.

The other thing is that 50k is considered reasonable on so many residential streets. The entirety of Rathmines and Rathgar has a 50k speed limit. Maxwell Road - 50k speed limit FFS.

I would be surprised if there is any other European city where cars can legally drive so fast on narrow residential streets.

spurious

check_six wrote: »

The bend in the road outside the cash and carry on Richmond Road is awful for the auld close pass. The road and 'footpath' are not well defined and motorists will tend to cut across the space you are occupying to take a short cut across the footpath. Hair-raising!

Richmond road generally is (and has been for years) terrible. Even in a car, I prefer to take Clonliffe Road.

Tombo2001

spurious wrote: »

Richmond road generally is (and has been for years) terrible. Even in a car, I prefer to take Clonliffe Road.

Yup

Richmond Road is nuts.

Walking on the footpath, the vans will pass by 18 inches away from you.

Have you noticed how it is STANDARD PRACTICE for cars approaching the Drumcondra Junction from Richmond Road to drive with one wheel on the footpath for 100 metres or so.

AlanG

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Too many to mention but Victoria Quay (crossing the lanes toward Phoenix Park) is probably the only part of Dublin that I am terrified to tackle at busy times due to a confluence of events including the speed of other vehicles, the non-existent cycling infrastructure, and the complexity of the manoeuvre itself. Thankfully have very little reason to venture near there.

That is bad but I actually find Cunningham road turning into the park to be worse, when you get across you have to wait in the turn lane while inbound cars come straight towards you and they have to veer to the left just before the turning lane. I hate waiting there to turn if there is not a car behind me also waiting. It would really benefit from a traffic island at that point.

onmebike

A map of these would be interesting. I'd say a lot of the main routes and anywhere there is more than one lane will feature.


For me, N4/M50 flyover inbound and outbound. I use the bike lane inbound when I go that way and just don't go near the area coming outbound any more.


Victoria quay as many have mentioned is awful.


The Nangor Road heading towards the Long Mile Road is like wacky races much of the time. The road is OK - reasonable bus lane - but the behavior of drivers here is appalling, particularly before 7am.


Long Mile Road has some terrible bus lane abuse and speeding at times.

Weepsie

I don't think it's one that is done very often by cyclists, but I've had the misfortune of twice going over the Red Cow roundabout.

The bike lane ends abruptly, and I'm not sure if the idea is to go up on the bridge or not. it's not suitable anyway for a bike, and most of the traffic acts like it doesn't see you or that you shouldn't be there. Merging traffic once over it is another headache.

De Bhál

I cycle in by Glasnevin cemetery most days and if the traffic is jammed up you get cars chancing their arm going into the buslane to get up to Harts corner. While in the buslane they usually gun it so as not to be breaking the law for too long (I assume). Not nice to be passed by these cars. Taxis and busses are fine along here just private cars.

schemingbohemia

onmebike wrote: »

A map of these would be interesting. I'd say a lot of the main routes and anywhere there is more than one lane will feature.


For me, N4/M50 flyover inbound and outbound. I use the bike lane inbound when I go that way and just don't go near the area coming outbound any more.


Victoria quay as many have mentioned is awful.


The Nangor Road heading towards the Long Mile Road is like wacky races much of the time. The road is OK - reasonable bus lane - but the behavior of drivers here is appalling, particularly before 7am.


Long Mile Road has some terrible bus lane abuse and speeding at times.

Dublin Inquirer did one a few years ago, not sure how up to date it is. Also think it is more collision related rather than the possibly more useful stuff discussed here.
https://www.dublininquirer.com/2015/10/20/bicycle-collision-tracker/

check_six

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Dublin Inquirer did one a few years ago, not sure how up to date it is. Also think it is more collision related rather than the possibly more useful stuff discussed here.
https://www.dublininquirer.com/2015/10/20/bicycle-collision-tracker/

Yeah, a collision could be anywhere for any multitude of reasons, but a guaranteed fright is assured in all the areas listed so far in this thread. It's important to evaluate why the frights are so prevalent in these spots, and so far awful road design and worse motorist behaviour are coming out tops.

07Lapierre

Would it not be easier to just Highlight the non-dangerous points?

1. Clontarf Cycle path.

Thread\

check_six

07Lapierre wrote: »

Would it not be easier to just Highlight the non-dangerous points?

1. Clontarf Cycle path.

Thread\

Woah, that's a bold statement! The Clontarf Cycle Path has some shaky spots too don't forget like the carpark exits, etc.

07Lapierre

check_six wrote: »

Woah, that's a bold statement! The Clontarf Cycle Path has some shaky spots too don't forget like the carpark exits, etc.

Good point! .... Don't mind me so! Mods, don't close the thread!

Breezer

De Bhál wrote: »

I cycle in by Glasnevin cemetery most days and if the traffic is jammed up you get cars chancing their arm going into the buslane to get up to Harts corner. While in the buslane they usually gun it so as not to be breaking the law for too long (I assume). Not nice to be passed by these cars. Taxis and busses are fine along here just private cars.

Yep, I remembered that one this morning. I come the other way, from Phibsborough up towards St Mobhi Road, and the bus lane along the Finglas Road outbound and then particularly once you turn right might as well not be there. I don't so much filter as play Tetris with the cars there.

gavinoontheweb

1: Beaver Row/Beech Hill Road, just too narrow and dangerous when congested. In an ideal world it would be one way but I can never see it happening with too many business's and residences on the road.
2: Macken Street/Pearse Street, ****show.
3: Drumcondra/Swords road 'cycle path', stretch leading up to Griffith Ave you either get blasted out of the bus lane by private coaches and taxis or you take your life into your own hands on the slippery path with multiple blind entrances.