Galway's traffic issues

Wombatman · 15-02-2019 10:51pm #1

It's such a sh1tshow right now a radical solution is the only way. I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I've always been a fan of a one way dual carriageway, coming in Lisosban\College road and going out Bohermore\Tuam road (or the other way round).

Sounds interesting

An ‘Inner City Access Route’ will be two-way, linking Lough Atalia to the N6, via Fairgreen Road, Bóthar Uí hEithir, Prospect Hill, Bóthar na mBan and Headford Road. Fairgreen Road is currently three lanes, including a bus lane, and is a one-way system. The bus lane will be removed and road changed to two-way.

https://connachttribune.ie/plans-for-radical-changes-to-galway-citys-traffic-flow-090/

bobbyss · 16-02-2019 9:10am

Fairgreen Road is a one way system? Am I reading this correctly? Or will be a one way system?

flazio · 16-02-2019 9:29am

It'd certainly be handy if there was a bus lane the whole way in from the Galway clinic to the coach stations. Especially for the expressways and their rivals. Not sure Irish Rail will like it though.

Ashleigh1986 · 16-02-2019 9:42am

Anyone that drives in galway every day knows it's a mess .
It's nuts allowing on street parking ( it's all about money for city hall )and expecting roads to operate 2 way .
Back the west is a joke . So is mill street .
Anywhere there is a school it's chaos with drop offs and pick ups .
All roundabouts need pulling out and rush hour cctv operated traffic lights/ management need to be installed .
PROPER ENFORCEMENT AND SIGNAGE .... Needs to a priority .
It needs to be done 7 days a week not the usual galway Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm bull**** .

Storm 10 · 16-02-2019 11:29am

Eglinton street is a joke with cars parking on the yellow lines while they go into the post office, yesterday morning there was a big hold up as buses and trucks tried to move but due to cars parked there was no space for two lane traffic and of course no Garda or Wardens to be seen.

biko · 16-02-2019 11:33am

We all know of the traffic issues in general, it's not new.
Keep this thread on topic - items proposed in the plan.

Ashleigh1986 · 17-02-2019 9:52am

Can't wait for major changes to galway traffic issues .
Totally agree that some roads ...eglinton street / foster street should be no parking allowed .
The main roads tru a city should be kept clear to allow traffic especially buses pass tru .
The key to all these plans will be proper enforcement .
Will that enforcement be there ?
Galways record of above is extremely poor .

beardybrewer · 17-02-2019 12:00pm

The irish way is when something is inadequate you make do. Look at the parking at UCHG, despite a multistory to help, there's long lines at every paid car park so hundreds park on double yellows all around the campus because what else are people to do?

So I know what you mean about enforcement but until something proper is provided people will thumb their nose at it en masse.

Johnny_BravoIII · 17-02-2019 11:58pm

Every progressive city globally is planning to remove cars from the city centre. Galway should do the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkB8LMtYPec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwnFd32eV8g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZORzsubQA_M&t=214s

The penny hasn't dropped yet with Galway city planners.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-City-Transforming-Through-Design/dp/0141047542/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550444536&sr=8-1&keywords=happy+cities

18-02-2019 12:14am

I have no issues with traffic in Galway as I just don’t drive in the crazy 30 mins when everything is driving to work even though most could start at staggered times etc. I don’t get into the city until after 9 and have zero hold ups even crossing the city. In the evening don’t leave work till after 6 and again fly home with no issues.

18-02-2019 1:55am

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

I have no issues with traffic in Galway as I just don’t drive in the crazy 30 mins when everything is driving to work even though most could start at staggered times etc. I don’t get into the city until after 9 and have zero hold ups even crossing the city. In the evening don’t leave work till after 6 and again fly home with no issues.

Was going to explain the situation, but couldn't be arsed once I saw the username

Johnny_BravoIII · 18-02-2019 2:07am

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

I have no issues with traffic in Galway as I just don’t drive in the crazy 30 mins when everything is driving to work even though most could start at staggered times etc. I don’t get into the city until after 9 and have zero hold ups even crossing the city. In the evening don’t leave work till after 6 and again fly home with no issues.

Bizarre.
Returned to Galway last year after 6 years away. Its the most disappointing aspect to living here. I'm here for the foreseeable but it makes me question my decision. Galway is possibly the worst planned city in Ireland with the worst traffic. Its truly horribly with no signs of improvement. The plan to build a road through an dangan over the corrib is near- sighted and likely the end of the romantic version of Galway.

Its just another polluted cogested city with reduced quality of life for its citizens compared to many other EU cities.

jjpep · 18-02-2019 10:44am

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

I have no issues with traffic in Galway as I just don’t drive in the crazy 30 mins when everything is driving to work even though most could start at staggered times etc. I don’t get into the city until after 9 and have zero hold ups even crossing the city. In the evening don’t leave work till after 6 and again fly home with no issues.

Ah yes, the "I'm alright jack" school of urban planning lead cheer leader is here.

18-02-2019 11:13am

jjpep wrote: »

Ah yes, the "I'm alright jack" school of urban planning lead cheer leader is here.

The point was that there is more to it than the usual “ban cars” or similar line that gets thrown around by some.

Build the bypass, get collective and more sensible across the board staggering of work start times as it makes a massive difference to traffic levels if everyone isn’t going at the same time. The difference in not just the city but all the traffic on roads into the city between driving the at 8:30 or driving then at 9 is massive.

Backward old school strict 9 to 5 fixed hours by many employers is a cause of a lot of the traffic in the city along with schools which again could have staggered start times to help ease the glut of traffic in the same time period.

More working from home etc is another thing that needs to be encouraged for those who can do it. If large numbers of peope were doing one day per week even from home it would ease traffic significantly.

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

Bizarre.
Returned to Galway last year after 6 years away. Its the most disappointing aspect to living here. I'm here for the foreseeable but it makes me question my decision. Galway is possibly the worst planned city in Ireland with the worst traffic. Its truly horribly with no signs of improvement. The plan to build a road through an dangan over the corrib is near- sighted and likely the end of the romantic version of Galway.

Its just another polluted cogested city with reduced quality of life for its citizens compared to many other EU cities.

I’ve had the opposite experience having moved by home in the last year, having read and listened to all the talk of traffic mon to fri in Galway for the last few years while living in a different part of the country I am very surprised how easily I am commuting in from well out the county by just avoiding peak times by 30 mins. I expected my commute to significantly longer or that I’d have to avoid peak times by longer in order to limit by dealing with traffic but it hasn’t panned out that way.

xckjoo · 18-02-2019 11:25am

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

The point was that there is more to it than the usual “ban cars” or similar line that gets thrown around by some.

Build the bypass, get collective and more sensible across the board staggering of work start times as it makes a massive difference to traffic levels if everyone isn’t going at the same time. The difference in not just the city but all the traffic on roads into the city between driving the at 8:30 or driving then at 9 is massive.

Backward old school strict 9 to 5 fixed hours by many employers is a cause of a lot of the traffic in the city along with schools which again could have staggered start times to help ease the glut of traffic in the same time period.

More working from home etc is another thing that needs to be encouraged for those who can do it. If large numbers of peope were doing one day per week even from home it would ease traffic significantly.

Or just get people to use more public transport to get around. Sounds easier than convincing thousands of workplaces to completely change their working habits (which they may not be in direct control of anyway). Do we stagger school starting times as well? How do we tie them in workplace starts for parents? I would assume most jobs that can be done from home already offer the option to workers so unless we mandate that people must work from home if they can, I don't think that'll change things much.

18-02-2019 12:29pm

I have no problem with encouraging public transport use but I have a major problem with tactics which try to do so by various anti-car measures creating hard-ship for the many many people who public transport will never be an option for (me being one of those people).

As for my other suggestions I stand by them, many work places already operate with flexitime etc so it’s just a matter of it becoming the done thing. I don’t think you will have any difficulty in “forcing” anyone to work from home as anyone who has the option is going to use it, why wouldn’t they.

There are already some staggering of school start times, not sure about Galway city but I know there are some schools that don’t start until 9:15 or 9:30 while others start at 9 etc. I know where I was living for the past few years having the two local schools not start at the same time significantly helped traffic in the area.

biko · 18-02-2019 12:32pm

One more time, and last I hope
Stay on topic - the proposal in the linked article in OP.
Any posts not directly relating to article is offtopic
Offtopic posts will be removed, so don't make them long as you will just waste your time when it's deleted.

xckjoo · 18-02-2019 1:22pm

Are there any timelines starting to appear for this stuff?

zell12 · 18-02-2019 1:26pm

Yet another junction:
A new link road between Sandy Road and Seán Mulvoy Road will instead be built.

Goofy · 18-02-2019 2:01pm

Are there any plans or images of this available? I can't find anything on the council website.

Johnny_BravoIII · 18-02-2019 2:57pm

I went along to the Greens Galway Transport Talk last Friday. For those of you interested there is about an hour on the new transport plan. https://www.facebook.com/GreenPartyIreland/videos/373986873185076/

Johnny_BravoIII · 18-02-2019 3:06pm

what_traffic · 18-02-2019 5:33pm

zell12 wrote: »

Yet another junction:
A new link road between Sandy Road and Seán Mulvoy Road will instead be built.

Not a bad idea - but states that Cemetery Cross is still to be retained as a 4 arm roundabout rather than traffic lights? This is weird considering the no of traffic controlled junctions will be all around it and also close proximity to them.

what_traffic · 18-02-2019 5:39pm

bobbyss wrote: »

Fairgreen Road is a one way system? Am I reading this correctly? Or will be a one way system?

No TWO way. This part of the scheme is poorly thought out IMHO.
Draws private Car traffic into the City Centre

There is a typo in the article which creates the confusion

https://connachttribune.ie/plans-for-radical-changes-to-galway-citys-traffic-flow-090/
"
An ‘Inner City Access Route’ will be two-way, linking Lough Atalia to the N6, via Fairgreen Road, Bóthar Uí hEithir, Prospect Hill, Bóthar na mBan and Headford Road. Fairgreen RoadBóthar Uí hEithir, is currently three lanes, including a bus lane, and is a one-way system. The bus lane will be removed and road changed to two-way.
"

Galway City Council plan to CPO houses in Woodquay to accommodate this as well at St Brendans Ave(junction of Dyke Rd/Headford Rd)

ratracer · 18-02-2019 5:55pm

what_traffic wrote: »

Galway City Council plan to CPO houses in Woodquay to accommodate this as well at St Brendans Ave(junction of Dyke Rd/Headford Rd)

This line!!

So for any of this to work, Galway City Co need to CPO houses, I presume for demolition? In which case, this "traffic plan" will be years in the making, by the time CPO's are complete.

what_traffic · 18-02-2019 6:04pm

ratracer wrote: »

This line!!

So for any of this to work, Galway City Co need to CPO houses, I presume for demolition? In which case, this "traffic plan" will be years in the making, by the time CPO's are complete.

Yes for demolition, that part of it could be delayed..... but owner of property might be pleased to be CPO'd. Who knows TBH.
This junction: https://goo.gl/maps/an3SRZhaq5N2

John_Rambo · 20-02-2019 8:51pm

The article mentions the removal of car parking. From my experience of Galway there seems to be a good big of illegal parking wherever legal parking ends blocking buses and larger traffic causing tailbacks. Cutting down on parking completely to create or lengthen bus and cycle lanes should hopefully dissuade illegal parking as they'd stand out like sore thumbs and attract tow trucks and clampers.

I've said it before, Galway could be an amazing foot city with plaza's and lots of pedesrianised areas. The bad planning around the city is impossible to service with public transport, some of the areas being large housing estates of one of housing so park and ride facilities seems to be the answer.

The whole project will need bravery and ambition.

ratracer · 20-02-2019 9:08pm

John_Rambo wrote: »

The article mentions the removal of car parking.

The whole project will need bravery and ambition.

Unfortunately bravery and ambition is not something that any elected rep in Galway could ever be credited with! There is no such thing as long term planning, only whatever can get them re- elected!

Galway’s traffic nightmare and the lack of any action to relieve same should be one of the first questions asked of candidates knocking on doors in the very near future.

20-02-2019 9:11pm

ratracer wrote: »

Unfortunately bravery and ambition is not something that any elected rep in Galway could ever be credited with! There is no such thing as long term planning, only whatever can get them re- elected!

Galway’s traffic nightmare and the lack of any action to relieve same should be one of the first questions asked of candidates knocking on doors in the very near future.

Fyi, they have little to no impact on the developments of infrastructure in the city apart from a rubber stamping role

Councillors have very little power over anything much

Johnny_BravoIII · 20-02-2019 9:36pm

Travelled this evening from Salthill to the Tuam road via lough Atalia at 6pm took approximately 45mins. I couldn't imagine travelling to claregalway or gort at this time. Does anybody know the approximate average commute time from/to Claregalway, Athenry, Oranmore, Gort, Spiddal, Moycullen at peak traffic?

These are all places from which people should not be commuting to the city by car (single occupant). Any transport plan which doesnt address this fact is madness.

Mrs OBumble · 20-02-2019 10:37pm

John_Rambo wrote: »

I've said it before, Galway could be an amazing foot city with plaza's and lots of pedesrianised areas.

In ireland, a lovely plaza at 2pm can be an absolute zoo at 2am.

John_Rambo · 20-02-2019 10:43pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

In ireland, a lovely plaza at 2pm can be an absolute zoo at 2am.

Yeah, I can see exactly where you're coming from and you make a very valid point, but it has been done and the Grand Canal Dock plaza in Dublin is a very quiet convivial place to be at 2pm and at 2am It's fairly dead with not much hassle. I know it's got to do with a lot of apartments, professional workers, people up early etc... but it works. In Ireland. Most of the civic plaza's in Dublin are actually ok after midnight. They're either closed or in the case of the GCD surrounded by people living there that use the plaza.

21-02-2019 2:25am

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

In ireland, a lovely plaza at 2pm can be an absolute zoo at 2am.

2 points

First, as can the footpath outside a pub, club, chipper, taxi rank, etc.

Second, a potential, alternate use for something is not a valid reason against anything, ever

xckjoo · 21-02-2019 2:42pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Fyi, they have little to no impact on the developments of infrastructure in the city apart from a rubber stamping role

Councillors have very little power over anything much

They don't have direct power, but they have influence and use it heavily. They've gotten very good in recent years at abdicating responsibility for anything.

Deleted User wrote: »

2 points

First, as can the footpath outside a pub, club, chipper, taxi rank, etc.

Second, a potential, alternate use for something is not a valid reason against anything, ever

Yes! Some people make it sound like car traffic is the only thing preventing society crumbling into anarchy.

cgcsb · 21-02-2019 2:51pm

Has the Galway transport strategy been abandoned or is it being rebranded?
https://www.galwaycity.ie/galway-transport-strategy

what_traffic · 21-02-2019 4:38pm

cgcsb wrote: »

Has the Galway transport strategy been abandoned or is it being rebranded?
https://www.galwaycity.ie/galway-transport-strategy

More like a - pick and choose strategy. Some stuff will be implemented, other stuff abandoned.

Mrs OBumble · 22-02-2019 2:51am

John_Rambo wrote: »

Yeah, I can see exactly where you're coming from and you make a very valid point, but it has been done and the Grand Canal Dock plaza in Dublin is a very quiet convivial place to be at 2pm and at 2am It's fairly dead with not much hassle. I know it's got to do with a lot of apartments, professional workers, people up early etc... but it works. In Ireland. Most of the civic plaza's in Dublin are actually ok after midnight. They're either closed or in the case of the GCD surrounded by people living there that use the plaza.

So let's consider Galway: Shop / High / Quay streets are one big pedestrian plaza. There are only three buildings I know of that still have people living upstairs in them. There may be a few more that I haven't spotted, but I'm sure there aren't many. Unlike the surrounding non-pedestrianised streets that are full of above-the-shop residents. Why have people moved out of Shop etc streets? Based on what I've seen and heard, street noise is a major factor.

Deleted User wrote: »

2 points

First, as can the footpath outside a pub, club, chipper, taxi rank, etc.

Second, a potential, alternate use for something is not a valid reason against anything, ever

Architecture can and does either increase or decrease the likelihood and consequence of behaviours. Open plazas encourage mobs to form - think "who's a sexy garda" outside Supermacs at 2am: on footpath there's just less potential for large round crowd which takes on mob characteristics.

Likely alternative uses are absolutely valid reasons for design choices.

22-02-2019 3:30am

You are using rag week as your argument?

Alrighty then

Please outline what you would like Eyre Square turned into so.

And Shop street etc.

Don't forget to clarify how it will eliminate drunken students singing at 2am during rag week

I'm honestly curious

Oh, and the reasons you outlined above are still not sufficient to not go ahead with improvements

connemara man · 22-02-2019 9:00am

MOD NOTE

What does the above have to do with the traffic plan?

Keep the thread on topic!

John_Rambo · 24-02-2019 1:22am

connemara man wrote: »

MOD NOTE

What does the above have to do with the traffic plan?

Keep the thread on topic!

To answer that you've asked, I'm guessing MrsOBumble is worried about the impact that the traffic plans will have on Galway city dwellers like herself. She's obviously worried that further pedestrianisation will impact her quality of life. I personally believe the radical changes to Galways city traffic flow will affect her, but in a positive way. MrsOBumble doesn't believe so, other's disagree and they're posting their reasons why. I think it's on topic and MrsOBumbles concerns are legit, she makes valid points, and the posters that disagree with her are legit, they make valid points and the whole thread is very much on topic.

connemara man · 25-02-2019 1:27pm

John_Rambo wrote: »

To answer that you've asked, I'm guessing MrsOBumble is worried about the impact that the traffic plans will have on Galway city dwellers like herself. She's obviously worried that further pedestrianisation will impact her quality of life. I personally believe the radical changes to Galways city traffic flow will affect her, but in a positive way. MrsOBumble doesn't believe so, other's disagree and they're posting their reasons why. I think it's on topic and MrsOBumbles concerns are legit, she makes valid points, and the posters that disagree with her are legit, they make valid points and the whole thread is very much on topic.

Conversations about a Plaza in a thread about a plan with no plaza is off topic

xckjoo · 25-02-2019 3:10pm

Same general topic though no? Is there no allowance for the free flow of conversation anymore?

Johnny_BravoIII · 25-02-2019 3:17pm

The conversation about Galway's Traffic plan cannot include spatial planning, urban design or public realm issues??? The reason the plan is bad is for these reasons. Can we just rename the thread? "Solving Galway's Traffic Issues" and open it up a bit.

joeKel73 · 25-02-2019 3:18pm

xckjoo wrote: »

Is there no allowance for the free flow of conversation anymore?

This is why Galway City boards has been dying off. Any deviation away from the opening post and discussion is stopped or split into a new thread where you can only talk about that specific related point.

Boards.ie is self described as "discussion forum" but over moderation has turned this forum into nothing more than a notice board.

grbear · 25-02-2019 4:48pm

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

Travelled this evening from Salthill to the Tuam road via lough Atalia at 6pm took approximately 45mins. I couldn't imagine travelling to claregalway or gort at this time. Does anybody know the approximate average commute time from/to Claregalway, Athenry, Oranmore, Gort, Spiddal, Moycullen at peak traffic?

These are all places from which people should not be commuting to the city by car (single occupant). Any transport plan which doesnt address this fact is madness.

When I was going to college in Galway the reason I started driving instead of taking the bus was that there wasn't a Bus Eireann service going from Galway to Tuam after 1815. Only option was to wait for a Burke's Bus at 2100. Anyone from near Tuam working in Galway would have the same rubbish options. A quick look at the Bus Eireann site suggests that hasn't changed. Silly set up.

Johnny_BravoIII · 25-02-2019 5:42pm

grbear wrote: »

When I was going to college in Galway the reason I started driving instead of taking the bus was that there wasn't a Bus Eireann service going from Galway to Tuam after 1815. Only option was to wait for a Burke's Bus at 2100. Anyone from near Tuam working in Galway would have the same rubbish options. A quick look at the Bus Eireann site suggests that hasn't changed. Silly set up.

.

Best practice globally is to invest heavily in public transport then actively restrict cars. Instead of another motorway which blows the population further away from cities, we should put the money towards rail and bus.

If there was a train every 5 minutes during peak hours from and to tuam, claregalway, oranmore, gort, moycullen, spiddal etc...with an additional €5 tax on single-occupant cars entering the city.....would we need the motorway?

brutes1 · 25-02-2019 5:51pm

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

.

Best practice globally is to invest heavily in public transport then actively restrict cars. Instead of another motorway which blows the population further away from cities we should put the money towards rail and bus.

If there was a train every 5 minutes during peak hours from and to tuam, claregalway, oranmore, gort etc...with an additional €5 tax on single occupant cars entering the city.....would we need the motorway?

Doubt it.
Trains, buses and the greenways out West would make it So much easier getting in and out and around town . Should just be done

cgcsb · 25-02-2019 6:15pm

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

.

Best practice globally is to invest heavily in public transport then actively restrict cars. Instead of another motorway which blows the population further away from cities we should put the money towards rail and bus.

If there was a train every 5 minutes during peak hours from and to tuam, claregalway, oranmore, gort etc...with an additional €5 tax on single occupant cars entering the city.....would we need the motorway?

There's no need for the M17 as it is, complete road overkill. That money could have built an impressive high frequency bus system in the city. My 2 experiences of using the M17, the only other road users I seen didn't seem to know how to drive, much less drive on a motorway. They were going up the hard shoulder, almost stopping in the over taking lane and not an indicator between them.

25-02-2019 6:19pm

grbear wrote: »

When I was going to college in Galway the reason I started driving instead of taking the bus was that there wasn't a Bus Eireann service going from Galway to Tuam after 1815. Only option was to wait for a Burke's Bus at 2100. Anyone from near Tuam working in Galway would have the same rubbish options. A quick look at the Bus Eireann site suggests that hasn't changed. Silly set up.

Blame the planning system which allows the building of one-off houses on every road everywhere.

Without critical mass, you cannot run an adequate public transport system.

Imagine the kind of public transport that might be a realistic possibility if all the population within 7-8 miles of the town, were actually in it.

Mrs OBumble · 25-02-2019 6:22pm

connemara man wrote: »

Conversations about a Plaza in a thread about a plan with no plaza is off topic

We don't actually know what the plan includes. The opening post points to a short-form only article which lists some but not all of tbe plan features.

I responded to a comment about plazas, on the basis that it was made by someone who had seen the whole plan and knew that it it did. My bad if it didn't.

Johnny_BravoIII · 25-02-2019 9:09pm

2019-02-25_2002.png

Whilst traffic-flow needs to be managed and optimised, my view is there are too many vehicles travelling into the city centre.

Is there a thread to discuss the new motorway?
Is just so desperately sad to think that the new motorway would run right through beautiful sports and walking amenity in Dangan.

Galway's traffic issues

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