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Dublin Bus Changes to Improve City Center Journeys

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,109 ✭✭✭✭cgcsb


    An elevated luas would never in a million years get planning approval, primarily because of the urban environment it'd destroy beneath it, and really there is no need, it's must cheaper and hassle free to dish out some car bans, but for some reason we're not capable of that.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 443 ✭✭Kh1993


    Seen a 39a using Luke Street (behind Tara St) to to get to the Quays there not long ago. Tara St now almost completely blocked up at rush hour.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,905 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    dfx- wrote: »
    A bus might go that long winded way of getting through. That is an alternative, is it better?

    20-30 routes meandering around the Liberties and major routes with key pick up stops like the 66s, 39s and 67s is another thing entirely.

    Meandering Around? But it would be quicker to send buses around the Liberties than around College Green, Pearse Street, Westland Row if going to the Quays and Westbound. Dublin City Centre is not huge people can walk to another place to get a bus.

    I suggest sending all routes a different way only some in order to balance out and prevent buses all getting stuck in the one place which is currently happening in College Green.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,905 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    Ernest wrote: »
    Correct. It was crazy to force large electric trains/trams through the city centre streets in a city like Dublin instead of putting them off-street through either underground or on stilts (elevated), as you say.

    Remember too that the existing DART is an ELEVATED Railway in the City Centre all the way between Ballsbridge and Clontarf (Lansdowne Rd to Killester stations). that's why it can run so efficiently without disrupting traffic.

    The Luas is a tramway and The Dart is a Railway.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,202 ✭✭✭✭hmmm


    Nothing moving on Tara Street this evening. Still, it's only bus passengers affected.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭Phil.x


    When will we see people sacked.

    https://www.rte.ie/amp/939243/


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,885 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Phil.x wrote: »
    When will we see people sacked.

    https://www.rte.ie/amp/939243/

    That incident was caused by a taxi driver who blocked the LUAS by stopping in a yellow box junction, if the taxi driver didn't do that the incident would not have happened at all and the LUAS would have got through.

    Only bad doctors treat symptoms rather than causes, and the cause of the above was the fact that traffic offences are allowed on a regular basis on our streets due to lack of enforcement and the private cars and taxis are a law unto themselves because the powers that be don't want to clamp down on this kind of thing.


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 17,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭cherryghost


    devnull wrote: »
    That incident was caused by a taxi driver who blocked the LUAS by stopping in a yellow box junction, if the taxi driver didn't do that the incident would not have happened at all and the LUAS would have got through.

    Only bad doctors treat symptoms rather than causes, and the cause of the above was the fact that traffic offences are allowed on a regular basis on our streets due to lack of enforcement and the private cars and taxis are a law unto themselves.

    Actually I hope more of this nonsense happens, keep bringing the transport problems of the city to the front. And I'm especially ecstatic if Taxis continue to be a cause of it too.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭Phil.x


    devnull wrote: »
    That incident was caused by a taxi driver who blocked the LUAS by stopping in a yellow box junction, if the taxi driver didn't do that the incident would not have happened at all and the LUAS would have got through.

    Only bad doctors treat symptoms rather than causes, and the cause of the above was the fact that traffic offences are allowed on a regular basis on our streets due to lack of enforcement and the private cars and taxis are a law unto themselves because the powers that be don't want to clamp down on this kind of thing.
    The cause was the luas.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,885 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Phil.x wrote: »
    The cause was the luas.

    :rolleyes:

    No, the fact that the LUAS could not get past was because of the fact that a taxi blocked it, if the taxi was not blocking the LUAS by being in a place that it should not be in, the LUAS would have got through, which makes the taxi the cause and the LUAS not getting through a consequence as that.

    Did you expect the LUAS to carry on and crash into the taxi that was in a position that it shouldn't be in that was blocking the way of the tram?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,229 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    People blocking the yellow box has been happening since the Luas started and causing problems, actually it's always been a problem just more exacerbated now as it causes far more problems down the line of traffic


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭Phil.x


    devnull wrote: »
    :rolleyes:

    No, the fact that the LUAS could not get past was because of the fact that a taxi blocked it, if the taxi was not blocking the LUAS by being in a place that it should not be in, the LUAS would have got through, which makes the taxi the cause and the LUAS not getting through a consequence as that.

    Did you expect the LUAS to carry on and crash into the taxi that was in a position that it shouldn't be in that was blocking the way of the tram?
    A Silly, stupid extra long tram was the problem, Dublin City planners and Co. are the second reason why it got stuck in the yellow box.

    Also, how many times per hour does the luas block the yellow box at the college street junction.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,885 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    There should be almost zero discretion when it comes to traffic offences in the city center because of the knock on effect it is happening on public transport that has always been an issue, but with the LUAS now going cross city, it becomes even more important that there is pretty much a zero tolerance attitude towards traffic offences such as those outlined in this thread.

    Anytime I see a traffic offence in the city center, if anyone does anything about it, which itself is rare, it's a friendly little chat, told not to do it again and the driver normally just agrees not to do it again and does the same thing the next day and the day later because they know the Garda will simply tick them off but never actually do anything.

    If the people committing these offences day in day out and knew they were going to get punished for them and not just a friendly chat, they'd soon stop, but right now they know that barely anyone is enforcing the rules and the chance of being actually punished is almost non existent so it will go on and on and on
    Phil.x wrote: »
    A Silly, stupid extra long tram was the problem, Dublin City planners and Co. are the second reason why it got stuck in the yellow box.

    Remove the people who are breaking the rules of the road and remove the traffic offenders and you'll remove problems that happened like the case described on RTE this morning.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    While taxi drivers are nearly always culprits in the city centre, you can;t blame them and ignore the fact that the Luas drivers are behaving in the exact same way. They are the ones driving into junctions knowing full well they can't clear it and are going to block everyone else

    Exact same thing this evening, Luas driver knew he was going to block the junction and he just carried on anyway.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,885 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Bambi wrote: »
    While taxi drivers are nearly always culprits in the city centre, you can;t blame them and ignore the fact that the Luas drivers are behaving in the exact same way. They are the ones driving into junctions knowing full well they can't clear it and are going to block everyone else

    Exact same thing this evening, Luas driver knew he was going to block the junction and he just carried on anyway.

    I've today seen a taxi break lights and end up blocking a tram and this is by no means an isolated incident, in the past few weeks I've also seen cyclists and another taxi pull into the yellow box as the tram is crossing the bridge and the tram driving having to put their brakes on very hard to avoid a crash.

    The taxis and the private cars need to be dealt with rather than a friendly tap on the shoulder and until the powers that be get real and deal with this issue with proper punishments and/or penalty points, drivers are still going to keep trying it in the knowledge that they won't get any punishment whatsoever.

    Breaking red lights like I've seen in the last few weeks is extremely dangerous and could result in a serious incident sooner or later and quite frankly the Gardai owe it to the safety of the public to deal with this kind of thing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 271 ✭✭BowSideChamp


    Phil.x wrote: »
    When will we see people sacked.

    https://www.rte.ie/amp/939243/

    Imagine the luas on both bridges blocking North and Southbound Quays when more of these 55m trams are running.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,905 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    devnull wrote: »
    I've today seen a taxi break lights and end up blocking a tram and this is by no means an isolated incident, in the past few weeks I've also seen cyclists and another taxi pull into the yellow box as the tram is crossing the bridge and the tram driving having to put their brakes on very hard to avoid a crash.

    The taxis and the private cars need to be dealt with rather than a friendly tap on the shoulder and until the powers that be get real and deal with this issue with proper punishments and/or penalty points, drivers are still going to keep trying it in the knowledge that they won't get any punishment whatsoever.

    Breaking red lights like I've seen in the last few weeks is extremely dangerous and could result in a serious incident sooner or later and quite frankly the Gardai owe it to the safety of the public to deal with this kind of thing.

    Unfortunately here in Ireland unless you murdered your granny, you in most cases the gardai and our justice system will let offenders away with a slap on the wrist.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,764 Mod ✭✭✭✭dfx-


    MJohnston wrote: »
    With respect, that's just a restatement of the problem, not an actual plan for solving it.

    No it is not a restatement of the problem. It is the first step for any solution.

    All solutions to the problem start with getting buses through College Green first and foremost because the city runs through College Green.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,399 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    devnull wrote: »

    Remove the people who are breaking the rules of the road and remove the traffic offenders and you'll remove problems that happened like the case described on RTE this morning.

    While ultimately the taxi may have caused this particular issue, the planners still need to shoulder some of the blame.

    Anyone involved in similar design and planning know you need to plan for both expected and unexpected scenarios. Today's scenario falls into the so expected it's a certainty bucket. So what do you do in such a situation, you ensure there's no knock on effect. The longer tram is almost a folly. They needed to ensure that both nothing gets caught at the bridge blocking it and that there'll be space on the other side on O'Connell Street itself.

    In a city like Dublin you really needed to have factored this certainly in instead of potentially wasting resources such as Gardai policing a relatively tiny bit of road space.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,744 ✭✭✭✭MJohnston


    dfx- wrote: »
    No it is not a restatement of the problem. It is the first step for any solution.

    All solutions to the problem start with getting buses through College Green first and foremost because the city runs through College Green.

    Okay, so where would you put the Luas instead?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,626 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    MJohnston wrote: »
    Okay, so where would you put the Luas instead?

    more, smaller trams?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,744 ✭✭✭✭MJohnston


    I think this is the descending order of blame:

    DCC are to blame for not following through with the NTA backed plan to remove all private traffic from Bachelor's Walk, Eden Quay, Burgh Quay and whatever you call that other southside Quay to the west of O'Connell Bridge. They've also failed us all completely on not enabling Parliament Street to be a capacity relieving alternative to College Green.

    Private car drivers are to blame for being an absolute pox on the city centre.

    The Government are to blame for not enabling the Guards to have the resources to properly police traffic.

    The Guards are to blame for completely resisting automation of enforcement of a wide range of traffic offences, as well as not considering the outsourcing of manual enforcement of these offences.

    Taxi, bus, and delivery drivers are to blame for not understanding that breaking traffic rules by, for example, blocking yellow boxes, simply leads to knock-on effects of congestion that makes their jobs more difficult in the long run.

    Whoever designed the Luas signal patterns is to blame for not understanding that the aforementioned drivers were always going to be selfish and block junctions that the trams were supposed to get clear run-throughs at.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,744 ✭✭✭✭MJohnston


    more, smaller trams?

    Long trams aren't the problem. In fact fewer, longer trams would probably be significantly better for congestion.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,132 ✭✭✭✭Spanish Eyes


    I know it won't happen anytime soon, but surely a dedicated Traffic management system, whether run by DCC (who have outsourced parking fines and clamping) or an outsourced company devolved from the Gardai who just seem to be turning a blind eye or are not interested would be good.

    You know, number plate recognition, instant fines and all operated from a hub somewhere with CCTV.

    Someone with half a brain can see this is essential in the city centre now, and if the Gardai are not interested, then the laws should be changed to allow outsourcing. Think of the moolah, and the retraining of the traffic chancers.

    Who do I contact about this lol?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,399 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    all operated from a hub somewhere with CCTV.

    Such a place already exists in the form of Dublin City's traffic control centre in the civic offices, all the equipment and infrastructure is there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    We could always run a couple of roads through Trinity College, it's a massive blockage in the middle of the city centre :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 271 ✭✭BowSideChamp


    Shops need to fined for accepting deliveries from Van drivers parked on a bus lane or a double yellow. Couple of black spots for this behaviour:
    1. The Spar on Parliament St. Trucks & vans always parked blocking one of the main N/S arteries.
    2. Age Action/Tesco on Camden St. Again same story, van drivers parked on bus lane without a care for the commuters they delay.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,882 ✭✭✭prinzeugen


    devnull wrote: »
    That incident was caused by a taxi driver who blocked the LUAS by stopping in a yellow box junction, if the taxi driver didn't do that the incident would not have happened at all and the LUAS would have got through.

    Only bad doctors treat symptoms rather than causes, and the cause of the above was the fact that traffic offences are allowed on a regular basis on our streets due to lack of enforcement and the private cars and taxis are a law unto themselves because the powers that be don't want to clamp down on this kind of thing.

    The article states "It was blocked by a taxi beforehand".

    Physics is the reason a 55m long tram cannot fit on a 45m long bridge, not taxis. Myself and others here said this would happen months ago.

    I have yet to see a single Luas go from Westmoreland St to O'Connell St without stopping on the bridge.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,506 ✭✭✭StreetLight


    MJohnston wrote: »
    I think this is the descending order of blame:

    DCC are to blame for not following through with the NTA backed plan to remove all private traffic from Bachelor's Walk, Eden Quay, Burgh Quay and whatever you call that other southside Quay to the west of O'Connell Bridge. They've also failed us all completely on not enabling Parliament Street to be a capacity relieving alternative to College Green.

    Private car drivers are to blame for being an absolute pox on the city centre.

    The Government are to blame for not enabling the Guards to have the resources to properly police traffic.

    The Guards are to blame for completely resisting automation of enforcement of a wide range of traffic offences, as well as not considering the outsourcing of manual enforcement of these offences.

    Taxi, bus, and delivery drivers are to blame for not understanding that breaking traffic rules by, for example, blocking yellow boxes, simply leads to knock-on effects of congestion that makes their jobs more difficult in the long run.

    Whoever designed the Luas signal patterns is to blame for not understanding that the aforementioned drivers were always going to be selfish and block junctions that the trams were supposed to get clear run-throughs at.

    A lot of people to blame, yet no-one seems accountable.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,801 ✭✭✭✭suicide_circus


    We don't do accountability in ireland. For anything.


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