City Council and City Planner Decisions

Motivator

How are decisions by the City Council and the planners decided on? Are they put to a vote or what way does it work?

This morning I see the Council has told the Causeway Group that they can’t continue to use outdoor areas on a number of premises. Some wishy washy reason was given for the decision. How was this decided on by the Council? I know the members of the City Council are useless and none of them seem to have a brain, but my god this is some terrible decision. Wouldn’t you think that between them there might be a semblance of common sense and someone might put their hand up and realise that the Causeway Group is a big employer who are trying their best to jazz up the nightlife offerings in another wise failing city. A city failing due to the ineptitude of the City Council. Businesses that seem to be doing well in town seem to be doing well in spite of the City Council, not because of them.

I know it’s been discussed here at length in the past but the traffic situation on the Quay is getting worse and it is literally killing the town. Sunday night at 9pm it took me 30 minutes to get from Sallypark to the traffic lights at the Tower Hotel due to bumper to bumper traffic. This is not right and I’d love to know how long it would take me to do the same journey at 3pm on a Tuesday. I’ve never done it simply because I avoid the Quay at all costs nowadays. The last time I was on the Quay in day time hours, an ambulance had to drive up on that monstrosity in the middle of the road in order to bypass traffic that was holding it up.

How has there not been mass objections against the City Council for the total mess they have made on the Quay? Do the City Council and City Planners honestly think it’s a good idea and that they’ve done a good job? They are ruining the city in every possible way. Last week I saw they want to evict shop owners based down around the Reg side of the Quay. More evidence of incompetence and just general stupidity on the City Councils’s behalf.

Can someone honestly explain to me how decisions, such as the above, that negatively impact the City of Waterford, are made? Can they be objected to? If so, by who?

JohnC.

The quay is fine. The only time I've seen an ambulance have trouble is when some waste of skin doesn't let it pass. There's plenty of room for it to pass. People park on the cycle lane and trucks are able to pass, so how can it possibly be that an ambulance can't pass if people pull over appropriately for a few seconds?

As for 3pm on a Tuesday, I've found that to be an easy time to use it. There's even been 3 times I've had the traffic lights on my side and I travelled the whole way from Johnstown and out through Sallypark without having to stop and barely having to slow. Just today, it only took a few minutes to get down the quay just after 5:30, a busy time when many are starting to head home from work.

Valhalla90

The Quay is certainly not fine!

deisemum

The Quay is busy most of the time now though the traffic is moving much better by the Tower Hotel since the bollards were erected to stop people coming in the Dunmore Road and going behind the Tower Hotel and out onto the Quay avoiding the traffic lights.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581324#Comment_119581324

it is if people obey the law and drive with due care and attention.

If an ambulance can make its way through the streets in Kilkenny which are much narrower, then one can sure as hell fit down the quays. All it takes is people paying attention and getting out of the way.

Would also second the improvements around the tower, the bollards are great!

BBM77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581033#Comment_119581033

The Quay is certainly not fine. It was designed to force traffic over the bypass, councils/NTA’s words not mine. The Quay is not a tool to force traffic onto a tolled road. The changes on the Quay have made traffic in other areas worse. For example traffic delays have increased coming in Newtown because traffic gets bottle-necked on The Quay.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581711#Comment_119581711

I don't really have an opinion either way on the Quay but Waterford is a city and at peak times you have to expect traffic.

Pre the by pass the Quay had four lanes and was probably worse than it is now. I remember traffic back up as far as WIT main campus, back up bridge st, upper yellow road as far as the top of keanes road, back up Morrisses road down towards Mattie's hill.

The simple fact is one crossing at the very end of the Quay is the issue.

Having four lanes or more lanes won't reduce/help traffic flow at Lombard St, Parnell st due to the junctions (timing of lights and large traffic volumes) with everyone trying to go the one direction.

The solution would need to be another river crossing east of Rice bridge or one way systems at Lombard St, Parnell st, Catherine St, John St etc similar to what was done with manor st.

Adding further lanes to the Quay will not help traffic flow. Getting to the Quay is the issue once on the Quay the traffic flows relatively well.

ArtVandelay76

I find once you get onto the quay heading towards the bridge it's not too bad but Parnell street and the Mall are a nightmare a lot of the time. The lights at the junction by the maryland going from red to green numerous times before you make any progress.

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot

Agreeing to a toll on the bypass was still one of the worst decisions for Waterford. The Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork and Shannon Tunnel in Limerick are both toll free for their bypasses but yet Waterford has to have a toll on our bypass for some reason. And now that its in its not so easy to remove it because its owned by a private company so the council/NTA will need to buy them out of it if they want to remove it which wouldn't come cheap.

But then again Cork and Limerick are still choked with traffic even with their toll free bypasses so maybe removing the toll isn't the be all and end all to Waterford's traffic problems as some people might think on Facebook.

*Also probably time we started a dedicated Waterford Traffic Thread*

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119582618#Comment_119582618

Putting back the lanes won't help the quays and putting in cycle lanes won't make things worse, if people think it will then they don't understand induced demand.

Less space = more traffic is an outdated view on how traffic is managed.

It's worth watching this video:

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

We are still seeing HGV's going through the quays where their final or drop off destination is out in an industrial estate on the Cork road. These really need to be banned the the ban enforced.

There's also lots of car traffic going through the city that could use the bypass, but I guess some people would rather sit in traffic and make things worse.

mart 23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119583363#Comment_119583363

The Limerick tunnel is not toll free . The official name is Limerick tunnel and not Shannon .

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119583577#Comment_119583577

The full bypass in Limerick is not toll free but you can still get from east to west of the city without hitting a toll. The equivalent would be moving the toll on the Waterford Bypass from its current location to just before the Kilmeaden roundabout so the point still stands.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058262153/city-council-and-city-planner-decisions

I suggest you start by having a look at the various local government act/acts it will explain how councils and councillors work……😀😀

this thread has become a discussion about the quays and toll bridge as opposed to addressing the OP’s query

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119583677#Comment_119583677

id accept tolls if the infrastructure was to remain in public ownership, they generally are bloody expensive to build and maintain, but for them to be used for pure wealth extraction, ta fcuk!