Farronshoneen Roundabout

Jerry Atrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124016124#Comment_124016124

Would they cover 'rain pants' and south facing window boxes?

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124016124#Comment_124016124

why do ambulances persist in using the quay as opposed to the bypass (unless they are responding to an incident on the quay) I doubt the driver of the ambulance has to pay for the toll out of his/her own pocket 🤔

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124016249#Comment_124016249

Because I would suspect it is still the quickest route for an ambulance. The only troublesome sports are lombard St, and sections of the Quays.

I reckon an ambulance still gets from UHW across rice bridge in a handful of minutes whereas the ORR would be longer.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124015993#Comment_124015993

I wasn't calling elderly people names, I'm pointing out that people seem to think every elderly person is incapable just because they are old. But you knew that already.

it would take you 15min to remove a rain jacket and rain pants? Are you ok? As somebody who wears both I can assure you it takes about 30seconds or less to remove them.

I love how you use the example of people going to meetings, court etc. Go to places like Germany and rain pants are pretty normal. People just keep them rolled out in their bag. No big deal, when it rains people wear them so they arrive dry to their destination.

But in Ireland it seems to be the hardest thing in the world to do, it really is amusing to see how incapable some people are in Ireland when it comes to rain. But then most people aren't even clever enough to get themselves a good rain jacket.

As for the photo, yes it does indeed paint a thousand words.
A photo that could be avoided if Waterford put in proper bus lanes, then the ambulance and fire engines could just use them. In other areas the city could also build out proper cycle lanes and emergency services could use them too. Win win. Both of which you are against.

If it helps you to get over the idea perhaps you can call them emergency service lanes, they work great in other countrys

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/e5RG1OvB_VU

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124016124#Comment_124016124

There is parking in that spot though and this space could be used for a bus lane rather then private property storage.

Removing the central medium doesn't help move buses any better, bus lanes in both directions the entire length of the quays makes the most sense.

BBM77

How the council can talk about active travel schemas but maintain roundabouts all across the inner ring road, at Farronshoneen roundabout, Newtown, three in Ardkeen and one at the start and end of Keane’s Road plus other places. I just find it beyond ridiculous.

I am a keen cyclist (I drive also). But these so called active travel schemas are doing F^%K ALL to make it safer for me to cycle around. I mean Farronshoneen roundabout is just absurd.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124016986#Comment_124016986

The roundabouts should follow this model to be truely designed for cyclists to safely use them,
But imagine how many people would cry in this thread if they did this

https://irishcycle.com/2023/05/29/irelands-first-dutch-style-roundabout-opened-in-dublin-15/

BBM77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124017010#Comment_124017010

No, they should be traffic lights. If the council are serious about making urban areas less intimidating for people to walk and cycle junctions in the areas I listed need to be traffic lights. Would not be popular I know.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124017040#Comment_124017040

Its a joint zebra crossing, cyclists and pedestrians have priority with the design used.

The crossing area is also raised to slow down traffic, the other key is low speed limits as well.

Traffic lights result in cars having greater priority and it would be a disaster trying to go around the aroundabout on a bike. They make pedestrians have less priority and make an area more hostile to people when compared to zebra crossings.

Before you say this design won't work, it works just fine in other countrys.
When its a common design motorists expect to have to stop…just like the vast majority by far stop at standard zebra crossings.

Even on busy roundabouts
https://twitter.com/Basbreman/status/936140039368691712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E936140039368691712%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Firishcycle.com%2F2023%2F05%2F29%2Firelands-first-dutch-style-roundabout-opened-in-dublin-15%2F

BBM77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124017874#Comment_124017874

What you are talking about is driver behaviour.

I said they should be traffic lights. I mean roundabouts like the Farronshoneen roundabout should be removed and have one set of traffic lights. Instead of the nonsense of a pesdratian crossing on the Williamstown road, two sets of traffic lights on the outer ring road, a pesdratian crossing on the upper grange road and another set of traffic lights on the Ardkeen side of the outer ring road.

I feel safer cycling on wide roads. Not narrowed junctions or pesdratian crossings that a lot of Irish drivers just ignore.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124016451#Comment_124016451

but I would suspect that you are incorrect, if pictures/footage like those shown in this thread are correct. With modern sat nav aids (which also give journey time estimation)….surely a quick interrogation by the Ambulence driver before he/she sets out will quickly inform him/her of which route is the quickest? In any case even without any travel aid assistance if a driver has any local knowledge of the traffic situation on the dunmore road and the quays in general only an imbecile would set off on a journey from the hospital to say new Ross at anytime between 4 and 6pm and not use the outer ring road and toll bridge, especially if the toll cost is not an issue plus being immune form getting pulled for speeding.
However for some unknown reason Ambulence drivers persist in traversing the dunmore road and quays irrespective of the time of day🤔🤔

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022152#Comment_124022152

For most times of the day ambulance drives have no issue in over taking cars on the dunmore road or Quays.

It's 4km from UHW to rice bridge. It's 15km from UHW to the TFM bridge.

With the exception of 2-3 pinch points via the dunmore road Quays, I would put my money on it being quicker for an ambulance over taking traffic.

Jerry Atrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022152#Comment_124022152

From 4-6pm the traffic is bumper to bumper from UHW to Farranshoneen roundabout. So much so that there are traffic jams on the grounds of UHW.

Bottom line, Council/Active Travel have made a shambolic decision with Farronshoneen roundabout. Plans to come from Passage Road to Ashe Road are going to have a massive impact and further compound the situation; all while not being challenged by anyone.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022225#Comment_124022225

I specifically mentioned the 4 to 6pm time period.

Jerry Atrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022985#Comment_124022985

Yes you did and I've also said traffic is crazy on ring road to Farranshoneen at that time.

Meatball.Martin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022507#Comment_124022507

Yep the inner ring road can be bumper to bumper as it is. If you shoehorn & overlay the active travel madness onto that particular road than yer gonna have gridlock. It will be interesting to see how that progresses!

spookwoman

This active travel is supposed to be for "Safety" but when you look at the road from Tesco Arkdeen out to the ring road it is not safe for pedestrians.

Tesco Ardkeen roundabout - there is the entrance from Mount Pleasant on the exit and you have people stopping on the roundabout to let people cross. Today was bad because there is also the low sun to deal with. They are supposed to be getting people to walk so why can't people walk down to the proper pedestrian crossing where it is safer. Pedestrians do not have automatic right of way on them and often enough people just walk out on that roundabout. Introducing Jay Walking laws would go a long way to pedestrian safety and general road safety.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124026149#Comment_124026149

Driver's should yield to pedestrians at said roundabout based on the yield signs being present before where pedestrians cross and as per the rules of the road via RSA once a pedestrian steps on the road vehicles should yield to the pedestrians as they have priority as they are regarded as the most vulnerable, also notice the solid white lines for the pedestrian crossings.

Meatball.Martin

Won't somebody please think of the bus drivers....

https://www.waterford-news.ie/news/waterfords-heavy-city-traffic-proving-a-nightmare-for-bus-drivers_arid-79172.html

WCCC want ppl to be 'active' but the public transport buses are sitting in traffic!

This driver makes a good few points and explains the current situation succinctly. Will anyone is City Hall listen and take it onboard??

Jerry Atrick

Time to get 'rain pants' on a black Friday deal. That'll sort the problem!

Hodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124027949#Comment_124027949

Fair play to the drivers for speaking out on this. they often get the brunt of people's frustration regarding the traffic system on the Quays. I see it a few times, passenger gets on snapping, 'I'm waiting here ages, you are over 20 minutes late,' as if the driver is sitting in traffic for the fun of it.

I actually said to someone last year " I share your frustrations, but it’s not the bus driver's fault. The bus drivers didn’t take away traffic lanes from the Quay, the Council did " .

The article mentions Parnell Street and it’s spot on. Because these drivers are on the roads constantly trying to get people from A to B, they see firsthand what a complete mess the Council has made for the public. You only have to look at the stretch from the Credit Union down to the Tower Hotel—having three sets of traffic lights in such short proximity serves no purpose other than to make the traffic flow slower and more awkward. The drivers are doing their best in a broken system."

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124029075#Comment_124029075

So you think its a good idea not to have a pedestrian crossing betwen the city's two main tourist attractions, Waterford Crystal and the Bishop's Palace? In other countries there would be a plaza betwen the two places with no traffic at all! But who'd want that?

Jerry Atrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124029362#Comment_124029362

And in other countries, a city of significance would not have one bridge crossing within the city confines. Let's just keep harping on about Amsterdam, Paris and wherever else and not comment on the issue at hand. Waterford City.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124029489#Comment_124029489

I agree with you here.

We can discuss all day long about 4 lanes on the Quay v 2 lanes, traffic lights, pedestrian lights etc but the core issue is one river crossing and the location of rice bridge.

If more people use public transport, cycle and use the outer ring road we'll still have tails backs along our Quays etc as rice bridge is a choke point.

12k is people live in ferrybank and surrounds, even take a small number working in SETU, UHW, IDA, say 200 people make their way to and from work at a similar time, we'll still be backed up.

I think if we had another river crossing somewhere between Lombard at and UHW, we could actually introduce proper active travel schemes

Meatball.Martin

The only bit of open river frontage with space available is the old de la salle pitch on the other side of the road on the Newtown road. Beside Falconers architects. Think there's a teacher training centre there now. Used to be first and second year classrooms when I was in DLS in late 80's. It would be directly opposite the meat factory on other side of river. With slight diversion and alignment you could link it up to the main road out by Slieverue and thereby the bypass. How much for another bridge though? And good luck with getting planning out in that part of town!

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124029489#Comment_124029489

I was trying badly to make a joke.. I believe that new bridge should have been pedestrian only and that a secong traffic bridge should hve been built downstream. Problem is where? Old Graves site suggests itself, remove the petrol station or relaocte it slightly.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124029983#Comment_124029983

We won't get funding and their lies the issue.

Their is a nice chunk of idle land opposite the people's park, a bridge which could span across towards abbey park, some under water tunnel near UHW linking the ORR would be the right job.

Chances of either of those happening slim to none. So then what's the solution?

Jerry Atrick

Agree with these posts above and apologies if I didn't take an intended joke in spirit it was written! We badly need a 2nd river crossing and until we do we're going to have an ever worsening issue. Houses, badly needed, are just being built on green field sites without any infrastructure improvements. Add in the city council tinkering with traffic flows and it's a recipe for disaster.

spookwoman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124027510#Comment_124027510

There is no yield on exiting the roundabout at Tesco Ardkeen. It's this exit that is a danger because people will not walk down to the pedestrian crossing halfway down. I presume the reason to put it down there was it's half way between the bus stops where are placed in those locations for safety reasons. To cross from Mount Pleasant they walk over 3 lanes and there has been a few pedestrians hit here. It is also this direction and road that gets the sun directly into your eyes during the winter.

As someone else said on the main Farronshoneen roundabout, intelligent and practical lights should be put in and the pedestrian crossing moved further back up, especially on the Grange side again for everyone's safety. Having a pedestrian crossing on a bend is dangerous for everyone.

914

Again look at the crossing, continuous white line.

The rules of the road are simple on this, you stop at a continuous white line, if it was yield for pedestrians it would be a broken white line followed by a continuous white line, in this instance it is just a continuous white line.

So once a pedestrian steps onto the road here, drivers should stop and give way to pedestrians.

A pedestrian should only proceed here when it's safe to do so.

This all comes down to everyone using common sense and being safe.

Pedestrians should stop, wait look and listen, drivers should be proceeding slow and give way in a safe manner. Cars behind should keep an reasonable distance for any of the above.