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    #92
    rex-x
    Registered Users Posts: 1,893 ✭✭✭rex-x


    Waterboy2014 wrote: »
    If this is actually true, I give up. The quay is so much better than it was in the past. I am so tired of listening to people quoting the quay as the biggest mistake ever made by the council. So ridiculous. So many terrible planning decisions that I could name. The quay is so much more attractive and I've never had to wait for more than 15 mins to travel the full length. Anyway living in a major urban area means traffic and it's completely naive to expect traffic free driving. I really wonder what sort of people have such expectations.

    Aside from it being a terrible idea to revert back to the past, the cost is completely unjustified. Whatever about tweaking what is in place, a complete reversion is so wasteful.

    How is it not possible to understand that the quay will have traffic on it no matter what way it is laid out... it's city centre traffic. End of!

    I cant agree, the quay was far better before, its a disgrace and a disaster in its current form, truly awful and I don't say that lightly.


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    #93
    alta stare
    Registered Users Posts: 2,326 ✭✭✭alta stare


    Waterboy2014 wrote: »
    If this is actually true, I give up. The quay is so much better than it was in the past. I am so tired of listening to people quoting the quay as the biggest mistake ever made by the council. So ridiculous. So many terrible planning decisions that I could name. The quay is so much more attractive and I've never had to wait for more than 15 mins to travel the full length. Anyway living in a major urban area means traffic and it's completely naive to expect traffic free driving. I really wonder what sort of people have such expectations.

    Aside from it being a terrible idea to revert back to the past, the cost is completely unjustified. Whatever about tweaking what is in place, a complete reversion is so wasteful.

    How is it not possible to understand that the quay will have traffic on it no matter what way it is laid out... it's city centre traffic. End of!

    To be fair the traffic is worse now than it ever has been. I agree about the notion of tearing it up, it would be such a waste of funds. They would be better suited spending the money on building social housing than tearing up the roads putting in stupid one way systems and the likes.


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    #94
    Waterboy2014
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭Waterboy2014


    Perhaps the traffic has gotten worse... I haven't witnessed it to the same degree as others report. I guess it's not such a black and white issue as some people make it. The problem is surely related to more than one factor. More people are driving now in the city than 3/4 years ago (more employment)... while some of the traffic can be result of quay changes, I really doubt that traffic will magically disappear if layout reverts to what it was in the past.


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    #95
    wmpdd3
    Registered Users Posts: 9,624 ✭✭✭wmpdd3


    The only really solution to volumes on the quay is a crossing from the N25 to the Dunmore rd area.


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    #96
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    There is a notional idea about this but ludicrously it would come out by the A&E/old entrance to the hospital!


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    #97
    BBM77
    Registered Users Posts: 1,874 ✭✭✭BBM77


    Waterboy2014 wrote: »
    If this is actually true, I give up. The quay is so much better than it was in the past. I am so tired of listening to people quoting the quay as the biggest mistake ever made by the council. So ridiculous. So many terrible planning decisions that I could name. The quay is so much more attractive and I've never had to wait for more than 15 mins to travel the full length. Anyway living in a major urban area means traffic and it's completely naive to expect traffic free driving. I really wonder what sort of people have such expectations.

    Aside from it being a terrible idea to revert back to the past, the cost is completely unjustified. Whatever about tweaking what is in place, a complete reversion is so wasteful.

    How is it not possible to understand that the quay will have traffic on it no matter what way it is laid out... it's city centre traffic. End of!

    There are too many people who think The Quay as it stands is just not working for it to be dismissed as people just whingeing.

    I have seen the The Quay backed up on Saturday mornings and Saturday and Sunday evening on normal days with no particular events on in the city. If traffic is backing up at times like these when the traffic is generally light in the city there is something wrong. You’d never see The Quay backed up at these times before the changes were made.

    An example of what is wrong with The Quay is one Saturday morning I needed to go over the bridge coming from the Dunmore Road area. The traffic was backed up on The Quay and Lombard St. So, I turned up The Mall and up through John’s St to Ballybricken, down The Glen and over the bridge. So instead of traffic going along a high capacity artery it was being encouraged up through narrow city streets many of them residential.


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    #98
    BBM77
    Registered Users Posts: 1,874 ✭✭✭BBM77


    wmpdd3 wrote: »
    The only really solution to volumes on the quay is a crossing from the N25 to the Dunmore rd area.

    This could be the reason changes to The Quay will be made. I heard on WLR that the council sounded out the government on another bridge and they were told they won’t get funding because it is too soon after the last bridge was built.

    So the real world translation is that we won’t get funding until Waterford has a TD serving as a full minister.


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    #99
    Gardner
    Registered Users Posts: 1,113 ✭✭✭Gardner


    I like the quay and the quay works but the biggest problem we have here is the driving standards/attitudes of people. Example of this, is parking on the quay. Pulling in to leave people off or pick up, driving slowing to find a parking spot.

    The council need to implement a no parking area along the whole quay. From Reginald’s tower to the bridge. Have only business laydown areas and bus areas on the inside lane. Other than that if a car stops your fined and get penalty points. Simple as that.
    To help the business on the quay. The council should look at a 20 minute free parking area in the existing car parks to curtail people from pulling in. The next step after that is to invest in infrastructure either for over or under areas to accommodate people crossing the road to eliminate all pedestrian across and lights. We got to start thinking like a big city if we want to be a progressive city. How many European cities have we all been in and we have seen this!


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    #100
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    BBM77 wrote: »
    Are you talking about The Quay?

    Hope not, the quays was an utter mess before and very unsafe


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    #101
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    rex-x wrote: »
    I cant agree, the quay was far better before, its a disgrace and a disaster in its current form, truly awful and I don't say that lightly.

    Yeah it was much better as a race track where I was almost run down twice when I was legally crossing at a crossing point.

    It's city centre and slower speeds should be encouraged, no way in hell the quays will return to the way it was. It was a disaster


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    #102
    fargojones123
    Registered Users Posts: 120 ✭✭fargojones123


    Sadly the quay works were a waste of money and it would just cost more money to revert it back to the way it was, which wasn't great to begin with. My biggest problem with the quays are the pointless bus lanes, some seem to be about two car lengths long and eventually the buses have rejoin the main traffic.


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    #103
    rex-x
    Registered Users Posts: 1,893 ✭✭✭rex-x


    Cabaal wrote: »
    Yeah it was much better as a race track where I was almost run down twice when I was legally crossing at a crossing point.

    It's city centre and slower speeds should be encouraged, no way in hell the quays will return to the way it was. It was a disaster

    Thats not a popular opinion you have though, the reason for the move back is the massive volume of complaints about the current setup both from emergency services and from locals.

    You have to remember its not really city centre, its more on the edge of the city and is the main artery coming off the only bridge in the area. To have it single lane with high curbs is madness.... No emergency services can get through, you could be waiting 1 hour to move from the tower to the bridge at times! they haven't taken the decision to revert lightly, its because the way it is now is clearly so much worse than before.

    In ideal terms we would have another bridge but given that wont happen in the foreseeable future things need to revert.


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    #104
    smaoifs
    Registered Users Posts: 508 ✭✭✭smaoifs


    Changes at Bath Street have now been postponed to mid January. They were meant to be implemented over today and tomorrow but due to "technical difficulties" they're being postponed.

    (Source Waterford Council Facebook post)


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    #105
    Flow Motion
    Registered Users Posts: 465 ✭✭Flow Motion


    BBM77 wrote: »
    There are too many people who think The Quay as it stands is just not working for it to be dismissed as people just whingeing.

    I have seen the The Quay backed up on Saturday mornings and Saturday and Sunday evening on normal days with no particular events on in the city. If traffic is backing up at times like these when the traffic is generally light in the city there is something wrong. You’d never see The Quay backed up at these times before the changes were made.

    An example of what is wrong with The Quay is one Saturday morning I needed to go over the bridge coming from the Dunmore Road area. The traffic was backed up on The Quay and Lombard St. So, I turned up The Mall and up through John’s St to Ballybricken, down The Glen and over the bridge. So instead of traffic going along a high capacity artery it was being encouraged up through narrow city streets many of them residential.

    Agree 100% with both posts. I travel up/down the Quay quite a lot everyday and I can categorically confirm that the traffic is much worse than before the current set up was implemented. As others have posted I have regularly found myself stuck in traffic jams @ totally random times of the day & night. And for no apparent reason. With the one lane with central median system all it needs is for one vehicle to stop/breakdown/drive slowly and the effect ripples back behind. Add the roundabouts and traffic lights and then its no surprise why the traffic suddenly build up and comes to a virtual standstill on a regular basis thoughout every day. Not just @ peak time.

    The situation with the emergency services is disgraceful. Peoples lives are at risk as ambulances have very little room to pass and negotiate a path thru the traffic. One morning I could see blue lights flashing back behind me in the distance in my rear view mirror. Its slowly snaked its way thru but as it passed me it took off the drivers side mirror and totally destroyed it. When I contacted the hospital they paid to replace it but said: "It happens all the time, there's nowhere for the ambulances to pass and they have to get to the hospital/accident asap". The driver that hit me knew he did but he also had to reach Ardkeen in a hurry. He reported the hit and was surprised that he hadnt caused more damage.


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    #106
    kayaksurfbum
    Registered Users Posts: 700 ✭✭✭kayaksurfbum


    rex-x wrote: »
    they haven't taken the decision to revert lightly

    Ehh...

    They haven't taken the decision at all!!!


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    #107
    TheQuietFella
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,857 ✭✭✭TheQuietFella


    kayaksurfbum wrote: »
    Ehh...

    They haven't taken the decision at all!!!

    I am led to believe that the decision is out of their hands and if this is the
    case there should be heads rolling for this debacle!


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    #108
    alta stare
    Registered Users Posts: 2,326 ✭✭✭alta stare


    Cabaal wrote: »
    Yeah it was much better as a race track where I was almost run down twice when I was legally crossing at a crossing point.

    It's city centre and slower speeds should be encouraged, no way in hell the quays will return to the way it was. It was a disaster


    Now its people crossing the median at random places walking out in front of cars.


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    #109
    JohnC.
    Registered Users Posts: 3,382 ✭✭✭JohnC.


    If people think traffic on the Quays are bad, they should try visiting a real city.


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    #110
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    Oh get you!


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    #111
    Max Powers
    Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭Max Powers


    JohnC. wrote: »
    If people think traffic on the Quays are bad, they should try visiting a real city.

    According to aa survey this year, we have less traffic than Sligo, not even a city. What we do have, like every Irish place, is a crowd of whiners, whinging consistently, its seems to be a natural topic of discussion for us Irish, like talking about the weather.it is pathetic really and shows a real small town small mind attitude, complaints about being stuck in city centre traffic for 15 or so minutes to get from one side to the other, I'm surprised its not being covered by sky news.


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    #112
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    What we do have and this is the crux of the issue is traffic squeezed down a single route which has become ever narrower as bits and pieces of street furniture have been added junctions altered, bus lanes added and traffic volumes raised. Many moons ago there should have been a strategic decision to create a major arterial route that would steer traffic away from the quays/centre entirely while staying within the City boundaries (does anyone use the ring road on their regular commute?). Instead we've had a piecemeal mess which helps no one really.

    (Five axle trucks should be banned outright within the Outer Ring Road (unless heading to and from the industrial parks and then only from the ORR side) and the by pass, that you can trundle them along the "old N25" during morning rush hour is madness)


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    #113
    kayaksurfbum
    Registered Users Posts: 700 ✭✭✭kayaksurfbum


    Harry Palmr wrote: »
    What we do have and this is the crux of the issue is traffic squeezed down a single route which has become ever narrower as bits and pieces of street furniture have been added junctions altered, bus lanes added and traffic volumes raised. Many moons ago there should have been a strategic decision to create a major arterial route that would steer traffic away from the quays/centre entirely while staying within the City boundaries (does anyone use the ring road on their regular commute?). Instead we've had a piecemeal mess which helps no one really.

    (Five axle trucks should be banned outright within the Outer Ring Road (unless heading to and from the industrial parks and then only from the ORR side) and the by pass, that you can trundle them along the "old N25" during morning rush hour is madness)

    A ban like this
    http://www.waterfordcouncil.ie/departments/roads-parking/5-axle-truck-ban.htm


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    #114
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    Not a ban like that -
    The restriction applies to vehicles of greater of 5 axles, i.e. Articulated Trucks, and from 11.00am until 7pm

    So they are free to get in everyone's way during the morning rush hour.


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    #115
    kayaksurfbum
    Registered Users Posts: 700 ✭✭✭kayaksurfbum


    Harry Palmr wrote: »
    Not a ban like that -



    So they are free to get in everyone's way during the morning rush hour.

    Fair enough, good point, BUT you cant have businesses in the city and not allow trucks in to deliver in the mornings.

    Im a rep, i travel all around the country, I drive into every city center and Waterford is one of the better city's/towns to get around. Try commute around Galway or Cork.
    Have a look around the country and you will see how good and bad things can be. Galway is a good example of bad! Limerick is good now, used to be really bad.
    Driver attitude can make or break the city. The standard of driving in Waterford is shocking, Blocking junctions should be publishable by getting your car taken off you and crushed!

    ALSO, someone show me some statement or any text saying the quay is been changed again.


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    #116
    alta stare
    Registered Users Posts: 2,326 ✭✭✭alta stare


    Max Powers wrote: »
    According to aa survey this year, we have less traffic than Sligo, not even a city. What we do have, like every Irish place, is a crowd of whiners, whinging consistently, its seems to be a natural topic of discussion for us Irish, like talking about the weather.it is pathetic really and shows a real small town small mind attitude, complaints about being stuck in city centre traffic for 15 or so minutes to get from one side to the other, I'm surprised its not being covered by sky news.

    Jesus Max why oh why do you constantly come along to these threads and label people with different opinions as whingers, whiners etc... You call their views pathetic well not all of us are as blinkered as you when it comes to our dear old city.

    There is clearly a serious issue regarding the build up of traffic along some routes in the city be it because of works, poor layout design, bad planning etc etc and with that will come criticism and to be fair it is warranted regarding the quays and the current works/plans in bath street/college street.

    I travel the quays every day and it can take longer to travel it than ever before. A big problem is people crossing the median at various places, someone is going to get killed someday. There has not been a single day where i have passed along the quay to see no less than 3/4 people crossing at different lengths of the median. A young kid almost ran out in front of my car one morning and only the combination of myself and his mother being alert that kid would of been knocked down. It is a well known issue that the emergency services are slowed down when traversing the quays and this should not be the case, again i have seen that very issue multiple times myself even once i had the oppurtunity to time it took to get from the Tower hotel to the bridge......20mins. There is no doubt the quays look nice but it just is not practical for a main artery in a city.

    On to the works at Bath Street/College Street. Again i drive this route regularly because of work and the traffic out that way is gone off the chart. The tailbacks from the lights up towards Morris's is chronic at this stage and all it is doing is making people go drive across the side streets which in turn clogs those up. One particular evening it took me 30 mins to get from the IDA, past the WIT and down to Manor street, a journey which usually took no more than 10-15 mins before the no turn at Bath Street. Needless to say i try and avoid that route now unless i have to take it. I now try and go the Brownes Road route which come the evening can be busy aswell so yes it is having a knock on effect not just where the works/changes are taking place.

    I hope all these changes will be positive and that it helps traffic but my experience so far suggest it wont........and sorry Max that does not make me a whinger or anything like it.


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    #117
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    Max Powers wrote: »
    According to aa survey this year, we have less traffic than Sligo, not even a city. What we do have, like every Irish place, is a crowd of whiners, whinging consistently, its seems to be a natural topic of discussion for us Irish, like talking about the weather.it is pathetic really and shows a real small town small mind attitude, complaints about being stuck in city centre traffic for 15 or so minutes to get from one side to the other, I'm surprised its not being covered by sky news.

    15min? There's a post above saying it takes 60min to travel the quays!

    Worst traffic then the quays in Dublin apparently


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    #118
    alta stare
    Registered Users Posts: 2,326 ✭✭✭alta stare


    Cabaal wrote: »
    15min? There's a post above saying it takes 60min to travel the quays!

    Worst traffic then the quays in Dublin apparently


    No it says it "can" take an hour. Personally i have never seen that myself but one never knows what others may have come across at that time. I would imagine tho travelling from say the cove bar to the bridge could take an hour given how bad it is when you take all of that route into consideration. Any traffic backing up along the quays, the tower, can cause a big tail back up along the park area de le salle etc and of course it happens the opposite way aswell.

    I know most urban areas have bad traffic at times but there is no denying when it comes to Waterford some of the route changes and design layouts have helped create traffic rather than aleviate it.


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    #119
    Road-Hog
    Registered Users Posts: 1,412 ✭✭✭Road-Hog


    alta stare wrote: »
    No it says it "can" take an hour. Personally i have never seen that myself but one never knows what others may have come across at that time. I would imagine tho travelling from say the cove bar to the bridge could take an hour given how bad it is when you take all of that route into consideration. Any traffic backing up along the quays, the tower, can cause a big tail back up along the park area de le salle etc and of course it happens the opposite way aswell.

    I know most urban areas have bad traffic at times but there is no denying when it comes to Waterford some of the route changes and design layouts have helped create traffic rather than aleviate it.

    There is an alternative to the quay and I'm not suggesting the toll bridge. There is no reason why the majority of locals whose end destination is not somerhwere on the quay or environs should persist in using the route clogging it up just because they were used to being able to transverse it freely in the past. The Maypark bridge crossing would help of course but that is a number of years away yet.....in the mean time complains about being backed up on the quay when there is an alternative for people going through the city to day new Ross, south kk etc is just being 'pig headed'.


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    #120
    sillysocks
    Registered Users Posts: 2,634 ✭✭✭sillysocks


    I travel the quay a few mornings a week, and a couple of afternoons and have never taken anywhere near an hour. In fact in the morning by 8:45 I generally don't stop the full length from the Tower to the bridge unless the lights are red. For a city at 'rush hour' that's pretty good going. I would say the traffic to get to the quay is often worse than the quay itself but I can't ever see it taking an hour (barring an accident or something)


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    #121
    gobo99
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭gobo99


    Just to add to the point about going from ardkeen to rice bridge. Up the quay would always have been the quickest way. Since that is now a bottle neck the alternative was through Poleberry and up Bunker hill. This now a total mess down there so what's the alternative???Bearing in mind that the folly is also a carpark for several hours of the day...


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