Galway traffic

The number 1 issue for every cyclist is safety from motor vehicles.

Sort that and the rest will follow

xckjoo

CowboyTed wrote: »

Agreed... But we have to look on the other side of COVID...

The truth is Galway's exists Cycle infrastructure is is heavily under used... Why are we not pushing to see why it is not used...

Some good suggestions here:
Showers

E-Bikes

Car Pooling (too wet to cycle home)

There is many more.

But we have to accept that our weather is not conducive to cycling all the time (Amsterdam has generally very nice weather most of the time especially in the Summer).
Our city have low density, you have to cycle a long way to get places.
Galway has hills.

Is the target of 20% by 2030 realistic? If not then what is our realistic target?

There is also the normal scooter options, what is wrong with this:

<snip>

Very stable on the roads and not hugely expensive.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202003037959341?sort=price-asc&body-type=Three%20Wheeler&radius=1501&advertising-location=at_bikes&postcode=e18rj&page=1

Park them up and off you go...

We do know why it isn't used. Our cycling infrastructure is extremely poor. It's all very disjointed, poorly maintained and poorly planned. It often does things like stop abruptly in railings or dumps the cyclist awkwardly on a roundabout or other junction. I had far more close calls trying to use it than avoiding it completely and sticking to smaller roads.

That 20% figure is almost certainly what I mentioned in a previous reply. It was a national target that the government laid down late last decade. I never saw a serious attempt (or even a plan) for it to be achieved. As Dacor mentioned, the biggest issue cycling is safety from cars. I still cycle a good bit (fastest way to commute for me) but it does put me off. I've had a lot of close calls from people who readily admit to having done it on purpose. I don't know if 20% is a realistic figure but there has never been a serious attempt to increase cycling numbers in Galway. The most they've done is tack on a cycle lane to a new road build. It's an after thought rather than a serious piece of planning.

I've often wondered why we don't see more motorbikes/moped in Galway too. Would probably cut commute times considerably.

Mrs OBumble

xckjoo wrote: »

I've often wondered why we don't see more motorbikes/moped in Galway too. Would probably cut commute times considerably.

Lack of assigned parking for two-wheelers is one issue.

FitzShane wrote: »

Imagine how much more busy it could be if they just turned the beach into a car park too! :pac:

Don't give him ideas! This is one of the beautiful beaches in Donegal where motorists have been vigorously defending their god-given right to park on it...

blueshark2 wrote: »

Don't give him ideas! This is one of the beautiful beaches in Donegal where motorists have been vigorously defending their god-given right to park on it...

:eek::eek::eek:

Whereisgalway

blueshark2 wrote: »

Don't give him ideas! This is one of the beautiful beaches in Donegal where motorists have been vigorously defending their god-given right to park on it...

Some que for 99’s

Lord Glentoran

blueshark2 wrote: »

Don't give him ideas! This is one of the beautiful beaches in Donegal where motorists have been vigorously defending their god-given right to park on it...

Rossnowlagh, and frankly that’s disgraceful. Same with Downhill in Co Derry.

Lots of older folks taking to trikes lately, fantastic to see. One Galway lady is becoming quite famous from it all

Just showing that there are often alternatives to the car that are healthier and a hell of a lot more fun

https://twitter.com/SilkeRichard/status/1281487424309334016?s=20

https://twitter.com/RossiTheBossi/status/1281603642416672770?s=20

https://twitter.com/RossiTheBossi/status/1281549130976899072?s=20

https://twitter.com/Jemima_Vivien/status/1276922538136752133?s=20

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

Rossnowlagh, and frankly that’s disgraceful. Same with Downhill in Co Derry.

Thats not a beach, its a sandy car park that floods daily

The Lighthouse cafe have a new kitchen and cafe at Terryland, here's their solution to getting through traffic between the two cafes...

blueshark2 wrote: »

Any progress on the cycle lanes out by Salthill? There was talk of it a few weeks ago but all quiet since. There is a growing demand now for parking in Salthill and the council might be under pressure to remove the cones and open on-street parking soon.

Unfortunately this is as I feared, Council have been too slow to get organised and will now be reopening the on-street parking along Salthill again. They'll likely go into a spiral of reports and nimby meetings now.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10217190305413601&id=1349495973

To the Mayor and Elected Members of Galway City Council

A chara,

Following from the Council Meeting on Monday last, and the subsequent meeting with the West Ward Councillors, where the proposal to provide a cycle lane along the promenade in Salthill was discussed:

• It is the intention of the City Council, working with the National Transport Authority, to continue the work on the proposal to provide for cycling provisions in this area but respecting the Motion passed at Council, we have begun engagement with The Village Salthill Committee.

• As that engagement is likely to run over the month of July and into early August and having considered the Statutory Approval required for such a cycling intervention, if not delivered immediately as an emergency measure under COVID-19, it is therefore necessary to consider the parking restrictions in place at present in Salthill. The parking restrictions were put in place during the Government “#StayatHome” order that came into effect at the beginning of April. The removal of parking was to assist in restricting people visiting Salthill, when there was a high risk of transmission of the Covid-19 virus if social distancing was not adhered to. These restrictions were introduced at that time on the recommendation of An Garda Síochána.

• At a Joint Inter-Agency Meeting between the HSE Public Health, Fire Service, Galway City Council and An Garda Síochána, the restriction on parking was discussed. An Garda Síochána have been monitoring the Salthill Promenade Area and have confirmed that in line with the Government relaxations of restrictions under COVID-19, that they no longer require the parking restrictions to remain in place.

• Therefore, the City Council will remove the parking restriction in Salthill. All measures undertaken by the City Mobility Team are temporary in nature and in response to COVID-19, and will remain under review, in consultation with An Garda Síochána and the HSE. Galway City Council will still proceed with the designs for a temporary cycle facility in Salthill in consultation with The Village Salthill Committee and will bring a report back to Council on this matter.

Le mór meas,
Issued on behalf of Brendan McGrath,
Chief Executive- Príomh Fheidhmeanach

Statement received this evening from the City Manager in relation to the issue of the provision of Cycle Lanes in Salthill.

blueshark2 wrote: »

Unfortunately this is as I feared, Council have been too slow to get organised and will now be reopening the on-street parking along Salthill again. They'll likely go into a spiral of reports and nimby meetings now.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10217190305413601&id=13494959]

Great news and the right decision!

Where are the posters who told me it was gone for good and I need to get used to it and it was never coming back etc etc????

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Great news and the right decision!

Where are the posters who told me it was gone for good and I need to get used to it and it was never coming back etc etc????

Your glee may not last too long, the days of parking along the prom are numbered

Nox's reaction to pedestrians and swimmers on the prom during pandemic when there was no parking.

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Prom needs to be totally shut down prior to the weekend, no walking by anyone no swimming either since the black rock swimmers are too ignorant to stay at home and just swim up further along the beach instead.

I’d fine every one of them, would wipe away their smug attitude fairly fast.

Nox's reaction to the prom being open to car parking so people can drive up to walk and swim on the prom during pandemic.

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Great news and the right decision!

lol!

blueshark2 wrote: »

The Lighthouse cafe have a new kitchen and cafe at Terryland, here's their solution to getting through traffic between the two cafes...

Nice set up. I use a trailer with my regular push bike. Much less likely to be stolen too.

Mrs OBumble

Deleted User wrote: »

Lots of older folks taking to trikes lately, fantastic to see.

Someone is prohibited from driving for medical reasons, and you think it's ok for them to propel a two or three-wheeler? Really? Next think you'll be telling us that the drink-driving regulations don't apply to them either.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Someone is prohibited from driving for medical reasons, and you think it's ok for them to propel a two or three-wheeler? Really?

Yes. Really.

Tricycles for people with limited mobility are a thing and have been for a long time. I've a stroke victim neighbour that carries out all his daily runs to the local butcher, greengrocer, baker etc... on an adapted for his needs tricycle.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Someone is prohibited from driving for medical reasons, and you think it's ok for them to propel a two or three-wheeler? Really? Next think you'll be telling us that the drink-driving regulations don't apply to them either.

You need to open your mind to other possibilities. A disability is not the prison sentence you make it out to be

Johnny_BravoIII

I'm inclined to see the reasoning to open Salthill to cars as the correct course of action. Same as the reason to re-open the gates of phoenix park as a throughway. (If anybody has been following)
We can't just close off areas which have been previously used as commuter routes and replace with bike lanes and footpaths.
There's a sense of a lack of fairness until alternatives exist. We have allowed a car dependant society to develop for the last 50 years with mayhem on the planning side. We need to invest in alternatives before reducing access.
Where is the access to Salthill without parking for someone from Oranmore or Athlone?

Great that this type of debate is permeating the popular discourse. Not just "loonie lefties on their bikes". I mean if someone like Cathal Crowe is talking about reducing car access to the city.

This is the guy with the giant "Build that bridge" posters during the last GE. He's clearly not coming from a place of deep-thinking on issues of spacial planning and future proofing the Galway city region over the next 50 years.

He just smells which direction the wind is blowing on both issues and ploughs in. It's a really good thing. If this guy is talking about reducing car access then its only a matter of time.

Hopefully post-Covid starts to open people up to the idea that theres a better life out there beyond car dependance.

Theres a better version of society that doesn't involve 2 hours per day in commuter hell ( 2 hrs per day, 5 days per week, 48 weeks per year = 480 hours per year

= 20 days per year
= 100 days every 5 years
= 200 days every 10 years
= 400 days every 20 years

Sitting in a metal box moving mostly slowly forward.

John_Rambo wrote: »

Nox's reaction to pedestrians and swimmers on the prom during pandemic when there was no parking.

Nox's reaction to the prom being open to car parking so people can drive up to walk and swim on the prom during pandemic.

lol!

Bit of a difference between the height of the pandemic and now when it’s pretty safe (for the time being anyway) to be out in the open air in public once social distance isn’t maintained. Don’t let that get in the way of your fantastically researched and delivered joke though :rolleyes:

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

Where is the access to Salthill without parking for someone from Oranmore or Athlone?

In the 324 free parking spaces in the two main car parks, along the prom and beside the aquarium?

blueshark2 wrote: »

In the 324 free parking spaces in the two main car parks, along the prom and beside the aquarium?

Which can fill up even on bog started weekdays in off season never mind weekends in good weather etc.

On more than one occasion on wet midweek lunch time I’ve driven back to salthill couldn’t get parking close enough to coco/full duck (before it closed)/creamery and just went to a petrol station and grabbed a roll instead.

Johnny_BravoIII

blueshark2 wrote: »

In the 324 free parking spaces in the two main car parks, along the prom and beside the aquarium?

The aquarium car park is always pretty full.
We would need to consider extending significantly i.e. maybe moving the childrens play area.

It's not enough to just not like cars

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

It's not just enough to not like cars

I know that, but you can't say they're not provided for. A huge area of public space in Galway City is dedicated to cars. Put in an extra 500 spaces and more people will see driving to Salthill as the preferable option as there's more easy parking and as the roads are even busier with cars it's unsafe to cycle with a family.

Continuing to feed the car demand is a vicious cycle. The more cars are catered for the less hospitable the roads and community spaces are for more sustainable options.

We definitely do need to cater for those with reduced mobility though. Vast amounts of that main car park should be reserved for elderly, blue badge holders and families with small children.

Some additional parking should be reserved for elderly and blue badge holders near Blackrock. There are some options that could be looked at - like do we need the wide footpath in front of the apartments opposite Blackrock? You could create 10 spots there for elderly swimmers.