'Ghost' bus stops

DUBLINBUSGUY · 08-07-2018 08:32PM

About 100m before Stop 5106 in Ballyogan (opposite Ballyogan Wood LUAS Station) there is bus stop markings but no actual stop there.

Conway635 · 08-07-2018 08:43PM

The stop on the Dundrum bypass is for use by the 14/44 during the Dundrum Festival each year when the Main Street is closed. They put it up one Festival year and never took it down.

The one on Castleforbes Road was a short lived terminus of the 151.

C635

XPS_Zero · 08-07-2018 10:32PM

DUBLINBUSGUY wrote: »

The 45a goes through Shanganagh Cliffs Estate sometimes. The stops in the estate aren't marked on the map of the route because they are route variation stops and the route only uses them once or twice a day during the week only. If someone looked at that route map and then saw the stops (they are the bare type) they would think they are not in use.

There is one that goes down to Dun Laoghaire in the morning and one coming back to drop you home in the afternoon. I once was on a 45a when it went down there and it made me curious to check it out. There used not be actual poles at Rathsallagh but there is one now dunno where there isn't in Shangannagh. It's actually quite well used as an option lot of people seem to use it to go down and back to DL for some shopping.

Wishbone Ash · 08-07-2018 11:45PM

Lower Main Street, Rush - southern side - bus stop pole opposite the Michael Collins pub (The Cradle Rock). The no. 33 bus only serves Upper Main Street and doesn't go to Lower Main Street.

Rawr · 11-07-2018 05:17PM

Not sure if this one counts as a ghost stop at all, but maybe more of a stop that never happened:

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3690585,-6.5069757,3a,75y,317.86h,79.72t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sko0DgGLXeKZ3g63CKFHGAQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I remember this stop appearing when Leixlip Lousia Bridge (and the Car Park) were rebuilt in the late 90's. From day one, it looked like there was going to be a bus stop here, even with the bus stop-style kerb stones strategically placed at the car park entrance. However nothing seemed to ever appear. Instead the spot was used for un-official parking.

Eventually they cracked down on the unofficial parking here on Accommodation Road (I remember a lot of folks trying to avoid the pay-to-use car park by parking up on the kerb and grassy areas). They put in bollards all along the pathway and I guess they also painted down the "Bus Only" letters to prevent use of that area for parking. Despite the lettering, no bus service ever seemed to operate at the stop.

It has been may years since I have been to Leixlip, so it could have changed. I can even see what I assume to be the HP -> Intel Shuttle in this Google maps image, which might be using it.

However I always wondered if there was an actual plan to use this stop with a Dublin Bus route, or if this was just a design decision to add a bus stop that was never requested.

L1011 · 11-07-2018 08:02PM

KCC like requiring bus stops in planning permission, whether needed or not - one is being put as a condition on a new road in Maynooth that will never be on any route..

TallGlass · 11-07-2018 08:10PM

Say due it's position it was deactivated, hard to merge into and out of in heavy traffic.

https://goo.gl/maps/z5xD2ZGukrN2

https://goo.gl/maps/ArEfZ3LXodr

pm1977x · 11-07-2018 08:18PM

Any tips on getting the one outside my house 'ghosted'? Sick of picking cans, naggins, wine bottles, take away wrappers, nappies and assorted rubbish out of the hedge all the time, not to mention 'customers' believing they have free reign to use your garden as a toilet if caught short! :eek:

Muahahaha · 06-05-2020 09:14AM

Glad I came across this thread because I had this exact problem with the 65 route from Ballymore the other day.

DUBLINBUSGUY wrote: »

On the 65 when the bus approaches Ballymore Eustace the driver stops sometimes and lets people off. There are no stop poles or anything there but Google Maps has stops marked for the inbound 65 and the outbound one near there but it is unclear to me (I'm quite unfamiliar with the area) where exactly on the road Google are talking about because when you open up Streetview for the stop there, there is nothing there and the pictures are from 2009 so the area looks different to when I went on my bus trip to Ballymore earlier this year.

On DB site the map feature shows no bus stops at all between Ballymore and Blessington, they are just not marked even though there are two of them physically there. But then the other thing is that TFI maps marks several but there are no actual yellow poles or bus stop platforms. The stop I was looking for was Bishops Lane/N81 7287 seen here on TFI maps but non existant on DB maps
https://www.transportforireland.ie/plan-a-journey/?name_origin=Poulaphouca+%28Wicklow%29%2C+Poulaphouca+%28Wicklow%29&nameInfo_origin=suburbID%3A57112150%3A10351056%3APoulaphouca+%28Wicklow%29%3A694363%3A291494%3AITMR&name_destination=Dublin%2C+Dublin&nameInfo_destination=suburbID%3A57102020%3A10822013%3ADublin%3A715807%3A265257%3AITMR&itdTripDateTimeDepArr=dep&qqueryMacro=true&language=en&useProxFootSearch=on&itdDate=20200506&itdTime=108&custom_suggestMacro=true&std3_commonMacro=trip&std3_customMacro=true&inclMOT_8=1

I was walking up and down that section of the N81 like a spare eejit looking for a yellow pole and none to be found anywhere and then the 65 goes flying by me anyway.

Ive since emailed DB and they say that TFI maps are wrong and that if its not marked on the DB site as a stop then it isnt a stop. However what this then means is the 65 begins in Ballymore and that there is no stop for the first approx 6-7kms of its journey until it reaches the junction with Russborough House. Theres other stops marked on the TFI map along that stretch (eg Ballymore GAA club, 7284), again no yellow poles present.

So wondering if anyone knows whats going on here. Is it actually the case that the route starts in Ballymore village and then flys by 6-7km worth of houses/side lanes/junctions before it even stops for the first time? Or is there a sort of informal thing with the drivers that if you put your hand out they will stop? If not the only way for lots of people living along the 65 route to get the bus is to actually drive as its way too far to walk.

Also who is responsible for location of bus stops, DB/NTA or county council?

Dravokivich · 06-05-2020 09:26AM

Traditionally, Dublin bus applies for planning to council. To place stops.

But with NTA looking to make them more of a service provider as opposed to owner, that'll probably change.

Muahahaha · 06-05-2020 09:36AM

Yeah had thought the NTA might have some input but its not clear from either their site or DBs.

Seems bizarre to me to have a 6-7km stretch with no stops along it. Must be some sort of record for a Dublin Bus route. I know theres a couple of locations in Dublin like at Tolka Valley/N2 where there is barely 100m between two stops, this seems to lurch completely the other way with none to be found anywhere.

What garage runs the 65 route? I might give them a ring because I dont think customer service have any inside info as to what the story is about this.

Rawr · 06-05-2020 09:41AM

Muahahaha wrote: »

Glad I came across this thread because I had this exact problem with the 65 route from Ballymore the other day.

On DB site the map feature shows no bus stops at all between Ballymore and Blessington, they are just not marked even though there are two of them physically there. But then the other thing is that TFI maps marks several but there are no actual yellow poles or bus stop platforms. The stop I was looking for was Bishops Lane/N81 7287 seen here on TFI maps but non existant on DB maps
https://www.transportforireland.ie/plan-a-journey/?name_origin=Poulaphouca+%28Wicklow%29%2C+Poulaphouca+%28Wicklow%29&nameInfo_origin=suburbID%3A57112150%3A10351056%3APoulaphouca+%28Wicklow%29%3A694363%3A291494%3AITMR&name_destination=Dublin%2C+Dublin&nameInfo_destination=suburbID%3A57102020%3A10822013%3ADublin%3A715807%3A265257%3AITMR&itdTripDateTimeDepArr=dep&qqueryMacro=true&language=en&useProxFootSearch=on&itdDate=20200506&itdTime=108&custom_suggestMacro=true&std3_commonMacro=trip&std3_customMacro=true&inclMOT_8=1

I was walking up and down that section of the N81 like a spare eejit looking for a yellow pole and none to be found anywhere and then the 65 goes flying by me anyway.

Ive since emailed DB and they say that TFI maps are wrong and that if its not marked on the DB site as a stop then it isnt a stop. However what this then means is the 65 begins in Ballymore and that there is no stop for the first approx 6-7kms of its journey until it reaches the junction with Russborough House. Theres other stops marked on the TFI map along that stretch (eg Ballymore GAA club, 7284), again no yellow poles present.

So wondering if anyone knows whats going on here. Is it actually the case that the route starts in Ballymore village and then flys by 6-7km worth of houses/side lanes/junctions before it even stops for the first time? Or is there a sort of informal thing with the drivers that if you put your hand out they will stop? If not the only way for lots of people living along the 65 route to get the bus is to actually drive as its way too far to walk.

Also who is responsible for location of bus stops, DB/NTA or county council?

That is kind of odd.
I had a look a Google maps you can even see what looks like people waiting at an unmarked stop just outside the center of Ballymore. This spot is marked as a bus stop on both Google Maps and the NTA sites.

https://www.google.no/maps/@53.1325946,-6.6105514,3a,83.4y,272.12h,84.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sZz7EfWucs0az6pJLb4vAMQ!2e0!5s20090901T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Is it that only drivers and locals to the area know about these stops? If so, it would seem a bit unfair to anyone who is new to the area.

Muahahaha · 06-05-2020 11:37AM

Okay so I think this conundrum is solved with the assistance of a very helpful poster here. I rang Ringend garage and the controller there confirmed that along this stretch from Ballymore you stand in a safe place where the road is wide and put your hand out, he said try to stand near where the stops are marked on the map. I'll be testing this later this afternoon and will report back.

Rawr wrote: »

That is kind of odd.

Is it that only drivers and locals to the area know about these stops? If so, it would seem a bit unfair to anyone who is new to the area.

Yeah it appears that way. I've checked four bus stop locations along this stretch on Streetview (July 2019) and none of them have yellow poles or any kind of stop infrastructure. So if you're new to the area you could easily assume there is just no stops for about 7km. Its a fair assumption to make because of the restrictions drivers are under about only stopping at marked stops. But if you didnt know how it works you could assume that for years without knowing the real story.

Its a pity really as the unmarked stops run parallel to the Blessington greenway. So someone could get a bus from Dublin to Blessington, then walk the 8km greenway along the lake side via Russborough House (cafe, walled gardens, bird of prey centre) all the way to its southern end from where stop 7287 Bishops Lane/N81 is there and would get you back to Dublin. It would be a neat day trip for tourists but when they get to stop 7287 without local knowledge you wouldnt see a yellow pole or know what to do.

Dravokivich · 06-05-2020 11:51AM

I'd have concerns then from Autumn to Spring. How'd they see you when it's dark?

neris · 06-05-2020 12:02PM

One on station road in sutton heading towards the dart station. Im not sure if the dublin bus pole is even there anymore but the layby/pull in for the bus is still there but its been years since a bus used that stop. Cant even remember what bus used it as it was an infrequent stop on one of the routes

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3899181,-6.1116373,3a,75y,120.76h,70.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm-h2tKxPkAC5pyGFIafGIA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Muahahaha · 06-05-2020 12:27PM

Dravokivich wrote: »

I'd have concerns then from Autumn to Spring. How'd they see you when it's dark?

yeah, it would be pitch dark along these sections. You'd have to wear hi vis and shine your phones torch down at your legs. Luckily that specific stretch of the N81 is pretty wide and the hard shoulder is wide enough for the bus to pull entirely into it.

I wouldnt fancy standing around on it if it was narrow there, the N81 has the location of every single road death along it marked with a white cross so you're under no illusion of how dangerous this road can be. There was three major accidents at the Poulaphoca dam area just last summer alone, one of them a Polish motorbiker who lost his life.

tnegun · 06-05-2020 12:30PM

Spent a lot of time on the 65 in the 90s on the BallyKnockan route which is even more rural than the Ballymore Eustace run. Buses would stop anywhere you request once you left Blessington and you just flagged them down when wanting to travel. They installed some stops along these routes in the last 10 years but the old rules still apply!

As someone mentioned Spring and Autumn could be interesting for both trying to board and disembark!! I don't think I ever missed one in the dark and wet but I do remember having to run several 100m up the road after the driver only saw me last minute and same when trying to figure out where you were in the dark country side to get off. If a light wasn't on in a house of the bulb blew it could completely throw you!

I agree it is a real pity these aren't properly marked particularly with the Greenway and Russbourough house hopefully the new greenway budget/project will address some of this!

Victor · 06-05-2020 12:48PM

neris wrote: »

One on station road in sutton heading towards the dart station. Im not sure if the dublin bus pole is even there anymore but the layby/pull in for the bus is still there but its been years since a bus used that stop. Cant even remember what bus used it as it was an infrequent stop on one of the routes

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3899181,-6.1116373,3a,75y,120.76h,70.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm-h2tKxPkAC5pyGFIafGIA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think some of the route 102 services and some school operated south of Sutton Cross.

GerardKeating · 06-05-2020 01:59PM

Victor wrote: »

I think some of the route 102 services and some school operated south of Sutton Cross.

And (in ye olden days) the old Route 88 might have used the stop

Muahahaha · 07-05-2020 03:01PM

just to update I got the 65 yesterday from that reverse ghost stop with no yellow pole (7287). Just stuck the hand out on a wide hard shoulder and he pulled in immediately. Full cash fare was 3.30 which is a bit of a bargain for a 40km trip to the city centre. It flew in too, got to Dame St in exactly 1 hour.

'Ghost' bus stops

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