Bilberry - Embarrassing Road for Greenway Tourism

JohnC.

I’ve been through it several times and if people can’t get through it, maybe they should hand in their licence until they learn to drive.

Azatadine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120684982#Comment_120684982

Have you made the right turn from the bridge onto Grattan Quay yet? Take a look at that around 6 in the evening. The island has made the turning arc very tight indeed unless you are driving a mini.

BBM77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685432#Comment_120685432

People will just have to pay attention to their driving and steer their car.

Azatadine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685676#Comment_120685676

Good one 👍

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120684501#Comment_120684501

"Green anti-road/anti-car agenda" 🤣🤣 Get a life you absolute melon and don't be believing everything you read on Facebook

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120684501#Comment_120684501

Making a lane or junction narrower is good road design as it forces traffic to slow down and makes things safer for pedestrians esp in crossing areas, if a HGV. or car collides then they've likely gone too fast and taken the turn way to wide. Thats poor driving, not poor road design.

You might think this is anti-car, but the reality is its pro safety for other road users.

Your alternative is wider, faster and more dangerous junctions.

Valhalla90

There is an anti car mentality within the council for sure. The junction is not that bad. The main problem is the The Quays it’s an absolute mess. Traffic is crawling along daily.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686029#Comment_120686029

Err.. it's actually national policy as regards urban design and has been for 13 years (and no, it wasn't the Greens who introduced it, it was a certain L. Varadker when Minister for Transport)

Document at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/3360b1-design-manual-for-urban-roads-and-streets/ - see section 2.2.2, p28

BBM77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685747#Comment_120685747

Yep, imagine that. Having to take responsibility for your driving in urban areas. All the things!

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686029#Comment_120686029

and traffic still crawled when it was a 4 lane road I know because when it was I regularly cycled and drove it and anytime I cycled it I could pass basically every car on the quays. The fact it was allowed be 4 lane for so long was insane. Cities are moving away from such bad designs and for good reason.

Outside of rush our times the quays used to be a race track, it was lethal to cyclists and pedestrians and regularly cars and HGV's used to blow through the red lights especially at the bus station. Slowing down the traffic makes for safer roads and for anyone using the quays as a pass through they can choose to go an alternative route.

Azatadine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686073#Comment_120686073

Good one 👍

Dunmoreroader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685856#Comment_120685856

I don't read Facebook, you Grapefruit.

The new layout will definitely slow down traffic as people avoid collisions resulting in lower throughput resulting in longer tailbacks at peak times on the Quay and all the way back down to the other trafficlight clusterfcuk at the Mall/Lombard St. Junction.

Mark my words and abandon all hope all ye who drive here.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686291#Comment_120686291

Ah yes because the Mall/Lombard St junction was a paradise when the quays was 4 lanes, 🤣🙄

You do know that building more motor traffic lanes on a road only creates induced demand, while initially you might see traffic move faster long term it actually creates more traffic congestion. When the quays had 4 lanes we actually had this as traffic moved very slowly as I've already pointed out.

Long term if you want motor traffic to flow better then you should want more dedicated bus lanes, cycle lanes and safer pedestrian infrastructure to encourage people out of cars. I'm all for the quays being 4 lanes, provided the 2 extra lanes can ONLY be used by buses and any cars that enter the bus lanes get fined.

You may find this video useful to understand induced demand btw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UabSO0X1rYw

BBM77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686126#Comment_120686126

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686628#Comment_120686628

What you are saying is the actual problem with the Quay. It was not designed to have bus lanes and segregated cycle lanes it’s full length. Or any vision of improving public transport and to get people out of their cars. It was designed to force traffic onto the bypass, the council’s words not mine. To my mind that is just wrong. The centre of a city is not a tool to get people to use the bypass. The mindset behind the changes to the Quay was flawed from the start. What should have happened is, using the space there, the design should have tried to make it easier to get into the city centre by public transport and cycling. That is not what happened.

Valhalla90

The 4 lane quay could have been reduced to a bus lane each way and a normal traffic lane. This was not done. It was designed to cause the upmost congestion and to divert traffic into the Bypass.

Aquos76

How the hell did they get away with having an official opening whey it clearly isn't finished. I drove out bilberry this evening, firstly, the right turn from the bridge is very tight, whatever about doing it in a car, a HGV won't have a hope, the new pole which i assume will be for CCTV will be wiped out of it fairly soon. The new extended greenway section is not even accessible in 3 sections as there isn't even a proper surface laid on those parts and there are railings around them. The new road section is a big improvement and it's great to have it back two way again, but the PR surrounding the official opening of something which isn't finished is strange.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120688538#Comment_120688538

its a bit peculiar alright but maybe it was to mark the re-opening of the bilberry road…🤣 either way the removal of that awful one way section that existed since 2017/2018 is a vast improvement as is the generous width of the new path which must be close to 4m, definitely more than 3. Also the section along the car parks o the key must be almost 6m wide and looks really well…..apart from the ‘rusty coloured tree boxes’. Impressed also with the amount of trees planted at the top end on left hand side as you approach the bilberry car park. There was quite a few mature trees removed and was assuming some sort of boundary wall in block or concrete would replace them but thankfully they didn’t go with this and have kept it ‘green’. The ‘mess’ at the rice bridge as it has been described by a few above is really not that bad……the right turn onto grattan quay may be tricky for a large van / delivery artic but is there not some sort of weight ban in place on the quays …?

BBM77

Lots of things are not 100% done when an opening ceremony happens. Other than the bizarrely placed rusty coloured tree boxes it is all good. On the tight turns, well if Irish people would grow up in terms of how they drive things like that would not be needed as much.

Dunmoreroader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686628#Comment_120686628

OK, I watched the video, thank you, and I get the Induced Demand concept but I wasn't advocating for more traffic lanes. I'm all for more bus lanes, bike lanes, walking, public transport etc., I'm all about the environment, sustainability and all that jazz. I just think it was badly designed, introducing a new hazard, the shrunken double-lane right turn off the quay onto the bridge, rather than alleviating danger.

If my earlier suggestion about extending the pedestrian/cycle-lane element is too hair-brained then maybe they need to merge the two lanes coming down the quay approaching the bridge once they pass Penrose Lane?

I do hope the Induced Demand theory works and those who can, choose to leave their cars at home, so that those of us that can't, have less traffic to compete with.

Asdfgh2020

Is the situation at this junction any worse than the ‘mess’ at the rail station side of the bridge…..has to be the worst access/egress to a train station 🚉 in the world…😡

Valhalla90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120693175#Comment_120693175

at least the new station is under construction!