M4 - Maynooth to Leixlip [constr. of inbound bus lane underway;planning and design underway on rest]

buffalo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122801678#Comment_122801678

I'm not a green? How can a bus lane not be a meaningful improvement? It's literally giving priority to public transport over private, increasing reliability and speed. Is it too much or too little for you?

KrisW1001

It is a meaningful improvement for bus services, but it’s fairly clear from your posts that it will have no direct benefit to your commute. It's fine to be upset about that, but it doesn't make the scheme worthless.

The “safety” argument is a bit bogus: there's already a bus-lane on the N4 all the way from the eastern end of M4 to the M50. Chaos has not reigned; people haven't been trapped in their cars. This project extends that bus-lane further out, along the M4. Yes, that's a motorway road, but so what? Despite the vibe on here sometimes, “Motorway” isn't a religion - it's just a set of traffic regulations; putting special lanes on a motorway is normal practice near to cities.

If people really objected to the bus lane on the grounds of "it's a motorway; it needs shoulders", then there's an easy answer: motorway restrictions can easily be removed from M4 for the length of the scheme. It was only a ministerial order that made this road a motorway in the first place.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122801524#Comment_122801524

Why don't we spend money trying to improve what we actually have rather than throwing money at nonsense.

Regularly, there are queues on the M4 and onto the N4 all the way to the M50 (and beyond). However, from J5 on the N4 onwards, people sitting on a bus are not held up by people who made the choice (for whatever reason) to drive. You don't see queues of busses blocking each other - they're moving along!
Jesus, the very fact that someone on a bicycle can often travel faster along the N4 than those in cars should make you realise that sitting in your car is not the optimal solution you seem to think it is.
In order to move people quickly, the reality is that you need to move them along in groups aka mass transit. You cannot do this properly if they are in cars. You cannot move them along swiftly if they are stuck behind a queue of people in cars. In addition, the more people that move via public transport, the less make the choice to drive and therefore traffic should lighten for those that actually need to drive.
That you need this simple concept explained to you speaks volumes about your understanding of the subject!

But no, what we get is a stupid & childish accuastion that someone who wants to travel quicker is a "green gowl" 🙄

I told ya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122801764#Comment_122801764

The M4 Leixlip to Maynooth section was opened about 30 years ago as a motorway. A green field new build, there was no existing duel carriage way.

There were a number new build duel carriage ways that were subsequently designated motorway status, e.g. N6 Kinnegad to Athlone.

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122802363#Comment_122802363

My mistake. This part of M4 was indeed opened as a motorway in 1994.

Re: N6, yes. Like most of the current motorway network it didn't start out as a motorway, and was only made one by Ministerial order in 2009. The act below has the full list in it, and it gave Ireland a large motorway network practically overnight without an inch of tarmac being laid.

S.I. No. 255/2009 - Roads Act 2007 (Declaration of Motorways) Order 2009

Legally, you need an order like this for every motorway, regardless of whether it's a new build or an already existing road. Because this is a legal process, it is also possible for a Minister to extinguish motorway restrictions on any part of the network, and make a road general purpose again, but that has never been done to date.

cgorzy

Regarding the opening of the bus lane is there a plan to resurface the existing lanes Eastbound prior to opening the new bus lane or will it be opened in advance of any resurfacing? Noise levels are awful, in my opinion, in that section. It’s difficult to tell how much better the noise level is Westbound where it is already resurfaced but hopefully having both resurfaced would improve the overall levels.

spacetweek

If people really objected to the bus lane on the grounds of "it's a motorway; it needs shoulders", then there's an easy answer: motorway restrictions can easily be removed from M4 for the length of the scheme. 

Ahem! I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that!
Any attempt to downgrade expensive infrastructure should be resisted strongly.

Redsoxfan

This makes it seem like they won't be finished until April 2025?

https://kildarecoco.ie/Adverts/ExtensionofRoadWorksSpeedLimitOrderNRO22024-M4.html

veryangryman

It's good that the design and planning are underway but when is this going to construction?

(Or some other way to try and be polite asking a mod to update thread title… in your own time)

spacetweek

Updated.

veryangryman

Divil a word on this lately. What is expected completion

buffalo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123307716#Comment_123307716

They announced last week that they're closing the road for further work overnight for two weeks in April:

https://kildarecoco.ie/Adverts/TemporaryClosingofRoads-NoticeofIntention-M4J6-J5.html

cullenswood

Anyone know the situation with this.

I think I read somewhere it wouldn't actually be a "bus lane".

It seems done from Junction 6, but not in use

bennyineire

What a complete wasted of time and money

Kermit.de.frog

Yes. A total waste of money.

What was done here will be ripped up for the needed extra lanes within a few years, a scheme that was progressing until the Greens ended up in government.

The M11 one needs to be stopped as well. An even bigger waste of our money.

This really isn't complicated. Just do things properly in the first place. It's way easier and cheaper.

riddlinrussell

You're view of 'properly' is a 12 lane highway through the country from my recollection... if any further lanes were to be built there they should absolutely be dedicated ROW for buses, given the carry people far more efficiently. I don't really see why we can't do bus lane hard shoulders like on the M1 in NI. Obviously in all of that, caveat it with 'enforced by ANPR Camera'

Redsoxfan

So the the bus lane plan is over? All that work for what? Yes the new surface is nice, but is that it?

Seth Brundle

Is there anything actually confirmed on this or are people simply responding to a poster who thinks they read something…?

L1011

Nothing has been cancelled, even if someone desperately hopes it has been.

There's legislation required for it, which hasn't happened. Rather distracted Government currently means its unlikely to be a priority. Local politicians are starting to notice it's sitting there unused, its mentioned in the Champion this week.

Redsoxfan

Yeah was wondering if legislation was the issue.