Getting around Galway

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122145690#Comment_122145690

Each to their own, I guess. I've just driven from Salthill, through the city centre, and out again heading east, and I stopped 4 or 5 times to let people on foot cross the road. It made me happy, and seemed to make them happy, so I guess your view on the etiquette of road crossing is a minority one at best.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146364#Comment_122146364

It a minority of 2 at the minimum, because I feel the same.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146364#Comment_122146364

Come back to us when you've even rear-ended, or been the pedestrian who watches a "nice" stopped driver get rear-ended.

I had the latter almost happen on the old HP/Digital RAB shortly after coming here. There was a Transit van involved. Could have been quite "interesting" if things had kicked off. Luckily I wasn't on the piece of road that the following car swerved onto, and we all went happily on our way.

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146346#Comment_122146346

You are only taught not to stop to let pedestrians cross 2 lanes - because you cannot be sure the other lane is free or that the other driver will stop.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146393#Comment_122146393

Ya but you've also almost been mowed down by 627 bikes too so.......

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122147966#Comment_122147966

Do posts like that make you feel good?

zell12

Both ends of Wolfe Tone Bridge is now traffic light controlled by pedestrians 😂

Minister for Transport is there today to inspect it and the new walkway, then walk the Eglinton Canal, walk the Prom, walk the talk so to speak

rustyfrog

Those menacing pedestrians will probably set up a toll to cross.

The city council have removed the main pedestrian crossing to the Spanish Arch overnight. Forcing everyone around to the new crossing. One step forward, one step back.

zell12

Also walking along Claddagh/Grattan Road the past few weeks has been delightful since it's been closed to through traffic due to roadworks. Normally motorists floor it through there to avoid traffic on Fr Griffin. You can hear the birds and get a new appreciation for South Park's location. Should be made semi-permanent

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122149194#Comment_122149194

Two steps back. Or ten.

Most people who want to cross to Spanish Arch come down Quay Street, not along the river walk. So most people now have to cross without lights, or do a silly loop to get to them.

Same as the madness at Dominick St / Raven'sTce: the most commonly used point to cross the road is between Monroes and the Centra. So they put the pedestrian crossing in line with the canal walkway instead.

ratracer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122149249#Comment_122149249

I don’t think the residents of the Claddagh would agree with you, with the huge increase in traffic on the narrow streets during the works.

zell12

So, who's been on the new WTB walkway, looks narrow, was expecting more for the money spent

Homelander

The man himself, though more talking about traffic and general travel stuff.

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/eamon-ryan-says-solutions-to-traffic-chaos-in-galway-cannot-be-decided-in-dublin/

xckjoo

I still think the best solution down there is zebra crossings/shared street space, but maybe people driving can't be trusted anymore.

In other news, night time street closures started again last night in the west end. Car diversions in place but lovely place for a stroll in the evenings now.

sgthighway

If there was a Zebra Crossing there would be constant traffic of cars as there is so many on foot. Lights give both cars and pedresians a chance to move.

xckjoo

Traffic lights have a built in inefficiency by virtue of how they work. Every sequence change involves a period where both sides are red/stopped. This is compounded with every sequence change. Then add in the human things like drivers being slow to start moving, pedestrians pressing the button but then crossing before the green man, etc. They have their place but in the middle of a city where the road space is shared so evenly, a zebra crossing is far more efficient.

Traffic lights that change to flashing amber at peak times when traffic is crawling anyway could be a good approach. I've never seen that anywhere though

GBXI

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152407#Comment_122152407

I'd love to see some data to back this up. My instinct is that the opposite is true - that there would be less traffic if there was a zebra crossing at the Spanish Arch. For large parts of the year the lights go red and nobody crosses. The traffic from this is already significant.

GBXI

I feel strongly that you should, in general, not stop to let pedestrians cross because it is dangerous driving. Especially in the example of the roundabout above. Obviously if there is no car near you, it is not a problem.

what_traffic

So Council added two pedestrian crossings at either end of Wolfe Tone but removed pedestrian crossing at the Spanish Arch and the Fire Station. Real pedestrian bottleneck now at the Leonardo crossing point. Car traffic flow is still the main priority in this 50kmph road zone area

zell12

Tacit admission that drivers don't know how to use roundabouts? How many 'near misses' has there been?

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/moycullen-bypass-roundabouts-being-changed-as-drivers-not-using-them-correctly/

Homelander

Removing a lane though surely wouldn't make much difference as the right lane would be for turning fully around and going back the way and doubt many motorists are doing that at any given time. Obviously drivers are using both lanes but going the same direction so yes seems a lot of people don't understand the 12 o' clock rule.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122166018#Comment_122166018

Flawed design from the start. Engineers trying to give cars the priority car traffic flow over road safety. Both are 3 arm roundabouts, there was no need to make the roundabout a dual lane roundabout as all exits and entrances are one lane. The same flawed design and ideology can be seen in the heart of Salthill village at Seapoint Roundabout. Car traffic flow is the KING and must overrule everything else

rustyfrog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122166620#Comment_122166620

Were there any markings or signage to override the default roundabout flow? That's normally where confusion starts.

?Cee?view

Makes sense if the priority is to keep the vast majority of people moving

xckjoo

You have to factor in safety too though. Even a minor crash grinds all traffic to a halt.

milout

The amount of times I've been cut up by people in the left hand lane turning right at that Salthill roundabout is unreal.

A lot of drivers are absolutely clueless about the 12 o'clock rule

rustyfrog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122184159#Comment_122184159

With the level of illegal parking that's tolerated in Salthill, a lot of drivers just dismiss some lanes as parking areas. Especially when approaching the roundabout from the "village" and going right towards Blackrock.

The left lane approaching from Blackrock back towards the village is an unofficial drop-off for the cinema now in the evenings.

rustyfrog

Then the council don't make things clearer either. Approaching the Deane roundabout used to be marked left turn only, overruling the 12 o clock rule. It was like this for years and caused constant confusion.

They eventually poorly painted over it with this mess. Not sure if there was a normal 12 o clock flow before the left turn marking was applied.

rustyfrog

Frequent misuse of the Brown roundabout too, coming from the bridge up Westside. Clashes between old school drivers using the "first 2 exits" rule in the right lane vs "12 o clock" rule drivers in the left lane, exiting at the same exit.

Similarly on Joyce roundabout going out the Tuam Road from the city centre.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122184518#Comment_122184518

What is the best solution when removing this 5 arm roundabout? Make it a T-Junction and put two NEW entrances and exit from WDR for Carraig Ard/ Fort Lorenzo and same for Cuan Glas onto Bishop O Donnell Road? Good chance the WDR section here at Garraí De Brún will get a Bus lane added ( inbound at least )