WTF happened to Newtownpark Avenue?

Truthvader · 07-09-2020 12:33pm #1

Drove down there this morning for first time in about 6 months Traffic locked solid in all directions. New bicycle lanes (not being used by anyone) but can that alone explain the traffic? Wondering have DLR Co Co messed with the traffic light sequence to maximise delay. Also thanks to bicycle lane the exit on to Blackrock Road is now reduced to one lane but that wouldn't explain the delay up towards Foxrock. Anyone know what is going on?

magicbastarder · 07-09-2020 1:14pm

never really noticed much delay at the bottom (northern) end, morning or evening, when i used to pass there before lockdown; but southbound at the N11 junction was already backing up a bit before 7:30am back then. i'd guess if you were in a car, arriving at the back of the queue would involve several light sequences (up to half a dozen at worst) before you got through the junction. can't imagine what it'd be like at half eight on a school day.

AngryLips · 07-09-2020 1:30pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Drove down there this morning

This is the problem

Seaswimmer · 07-09-2020 1:51pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Drove down there this morning for first time in about 6 months Traffic locked solid in all directions. New bicycle lanes (not being used by anyone) but can that alone explain the traffic? Wondering have DLR Co Co messed with the traffic light sequence to maximise delay. Also thanks to bicycle lane the exit on to Blackrock Road is now reduced to one lane but that wouldn't explain the delay up towards Foxrock. Anyone know what is going on?

The light sequences in most of the DLR area have been altered since the early days of lockdown. The green phases for all motor traffic have been decreased with the resulting increase in green phase for pedestrians. Given that it was a wet Monday morning and the schools are back (Guardian Angels and Holly Park in particular around there) it was probably worse than usual. The left turn filter lane is now also gone so cars have to make a hard left turn on the main green to head left to Blackrock.
On a slightly separate note I don't live too far from Holly Park and the amount of kids walking this morning, well wrapped up and some with umbrellas was noticeable so maybe a positive of Covid or parents are finally realising the benefits of letting kids walk to school.

Truthvader · 07-09-2020 2:28pm

AngryLips wrote: »

This is the problem

Coming from North City. How else was I to get there?

There is no bus stop outside my door and if there was it would probably involve 2 or 3 buses, endless waiting and full buses plus covid death. Not up to cycling in the rain out to Newtownpark Avenue like some 19th century Chinese peasant (but in worse weather)

MJohnston · 07-09-2020 2:34pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Coming from North City. How else was I to get there?

There is no bus stop outside my door and if there was it would probably involve 2 or 3 buses, endless waiting and full buses plus covid death. Not up to cycling in the rain out to Newtownpark Avenue like some 19th century Chinese peasant (but in worse weather)

Coming from where in the North city to where in the south?

goingnowhere · 07-09-2020 2:36pm

AngryLips wrote: »

This is the problem

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Country Council are the problem (and have been for some time)

GreeBo · 07-09-2020 2:36pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Coming from North City. How else was I to get there?

There is no bus stop outside my door and if there was it would probably involve 2 or 3 buses, endless waiting and full buses plus covid death. Not up to cycling in the rain out to Newtownpark Avenue like some 19th century Chinese peasant (but in worse weather)

Outside your door?
Did you lose your legs in 'Nam?

crisco10 · 07-09-2020 2:36pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Coming from North City. How else was I to get there?

There is no bus stop outside my door and if there was it would probably involve 2 or 3 buses, endless waiting and full buses plus covid death. Not up to cycling in the rain out to Newtownpark Avenue like some 19th century Chinese peasant (but in worse weather)

OT, but you are completely over estimating how often it actually rains in Dublin. at precisely the times you are commuting.

Did Glasnevin to Sandyford 4 times a week for 4 years, and I'd say i only got really wet about 5 or 6 times a year. Yes, other days had showers, but nothing noticeable or uncomfortable.

MJohnston · 07-09-2020 2:49pm

Blaming the cycle lanes is absolute insanity. This was a single lane road before, and it's a single lane road now.

cgcsb · 07-09-2020 2:55pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Drove down there this morning for first time in about 6 months Traffic locked solid in all directions. New bicycle lanes (not being used by anyone)

So the space allocated to cars was congested and the space allocated to cycling was completely free of congestion, well that's great news. Pre Covid the Grand Canal cycleway (the only notable piece of cycling infrastructure in Central Dublin)was completely congested with bicycles most of the day, they need to widen it to a 4 lane cycleway to reduce congestion.

Amirani · 07-09-2020 2:57pm

MJohnston wrote: »

Blaming the cycle lanes is absolute insanity. This was a single lane road before, and it's a single lane road now.

It is useful when people say such things though, immediately lets you know they shouldn't be taken too seriously in the points they raise.

MJohnston · 07-09-2020 3:02pm

cgcsb wrote: »

So the space allocated to cars was congested and the space allocated to cycling was completely free of congestion, well that's great news. Pre Covid the Grand Canal cycleway (the only notable piece of cycling infrastructure in Central Dublin)was completely congested with bicycles most of the day, they need to widen it to a 4 lane cycleway to reduce congestion.

That's the fun thing about cycling infrastructure—even when it's at or above capacity, it'll look empty 90% of the time.

People who spend their entire time travelling in cars simply do not understand that bicycles do not, in any way, conform to the same precepts of spatial usage as cars.

donvito99 · 07-09-2020 3:03pm

Amirani wrote: »

It is useful when people say such things though, immediately lets you know they shouldn't be taken too seriously in the points they raise.

Truthvader typically takes issue with any attempts to re-allocate finite road space to transport modes that don't absolutely shite the bed every morning and evening.

Mrs OBumble · 07-09-2020 3:07pm

GreeBo wrote: »

Outside your door?
Did you lose your legs in 'Nam?

Right now publuc transport is only for absolutely necessary journeys. Ic you have any other alternative (walking, bicycle, tricycle, car) you should use it.

Seaswimmer · 07-09-2020 4:31pm

Looks like this will descend into the usual cyclists v motorists debate. I live in the area and I can tell you that traffic is busy everywhere whether DLR council have built cycle lanes or not. Combination of traffic light phases, schools reopening, more people back at work, wet weather today. There are tailbacks at most major junctions at certain times of the day. I don't think it is going to get any better in the short to medium term unless they prioritise motor traffic and that is not going to happen bar maybe public transport.

Truthvader · 07-09-2020 6:53pm

OK travelling from marino to newtownpark avenue. Used to do it fairly regularly up to about two years ago. Also before all the Green party and bicycle loons come steaming in with their "Walk a mile to wherever and get a bus to some other dump change to a different bus and then its just a 15 minute walk" or "cycling in the rain is great and its so enjoyable passing out cars etc etc" I have no interest in the filth, unreliability and pure sh1tness of buses and I stopped cycling after I left school many many years ago and wont be returning to that horror show. And I dont commute any more.

Agree that the cycling lane cant explain all of it (though they have blocked the filtre lane at the Blackrock end which obviously doubles the exit time there. Doesn't explain the absolute traffic standstill though. And I did travel it regularly before and it was nothing like this. When you factor in that that was pre covid, something else is in play. Suspect it is a continuation of Owen Keegans war on cars and destruction of Dun Laoghaire by his successors but cant figure out what they have actually done to make it so bad

Eric Cartman · 07-09-2020 7:02pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Drove down there this morning for first time in about 6 months Traffic locked solid in all directions. New bicycle lanes (not being used by anyone) but can that alone explain the traffic? Wondering have DLR Co Co messed with the traffic light sequence to maximise delay. Also thanks to bicycle lane the exit on to Blackrock Road is now reduced to one lane but that wouldn't explain the delay up towards Foxrock. Anyone know what is going on?

yeah while we were all working from home and locked down the government basically took a few choice roads inside the M50 and completely ruined them to artificially slow down car traffic as if it will magically make people choose the public transport options they don't have to get to work. Its called a road diet, expect to see more of it.

donvito99 · 07-09-2020 7:12pm

Truthvader wrote: »

OK travelling from marino to newtownpark avenue. Used to do it fairly regularly up to about two years ago. Also before all the Green party and bicycle loons come steaming in with their "Walk a mile to wherever and get a bus to some other dump change to a different bus and then its just a 15 minute walk" or "cycling in the rain is great and its so enjoyable passing out cars etc etc" I have no interest in the filth, unreliability and pure sh1tness of buses and I stopped cycling after I left school many many years ago and wont be returning to that horror show. And I dont commute any more.

Agree that the cycling lane cant explain all of it (though they have blocked the filtre lane at the Blackrock end which obviously doubles the exit time there. Doesn't explain the absolute traffic standstill though. And I did travel it regularly before and it was nothing like this. When you factor in that that was pre covid, something else is in play. Suspect it is a continuation of Owen Keegans war on cars and destruction of Dun Laoghaire by his successors but cant figure out what they have actually done to make it so bad

If us drivers actually paid for the construction and upkeep of the roads, as well as the occassional line parallel to the gutter that amounts to 'cycle infrastructure', then I'd agree with the frustration.

Until that point you can't expect every single square metre of road space to suit your transport mode alone.

Charles Babbage · 07-09-2020 7:16pm

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Looks like this will descend into the usual cyclists v motorists debate. I live in the area and I can tell you that traffic is busy everywhere whether DLR council have built cycle lanes or not. Combination of traffic light phases, schools reopening, more people back at work, wet weather today. There are tailbacks at most major junctions at certain times of the day. I don't think it is going to get any better in the short to medium term unless they prioritise motor traffic and that is not going to happen bar maybe public transport.

The problem is that DLR do not even attempt to serve their citizens, neither motorists, cyclists nor pedestrians.

They have some of the worst designed "cycle lanes" in Europe,e.g. in Sandyford, and just to make sure the pedestrians don't get away without being disrupted they have cycle lanes which pointlessly direct people on to footpaths and pedestrian crossings. They have a load of cones at the M50 Sandyford roundabout which effectively make it impossible to use it in a legal way.They spend quite a lot of money, which could be used to benefit people, but waste most of it.

ted1 · 07-09-2020 7:17pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Drove down there this morning for first time in about 6 months Traffic locked solid in all directions. New bicycle lanes (not being used by anyone) but can that alone explain the traffic? Wondering have DLR Co Co messed with the traffic light sequence to maximise delay. Also thanks to bicycle lane the exit on to Blackrock Road is now reduced to one lane but that wouldn't explain the delay up towards Foxrock. Anyone know what is going on?

No school kids 6 months ago.

Truthvader · 07-09-2020 7:20pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

yeah while we were all working from home and locked down the government basically took a few choice roads inside the M50 and completely ruined them to artificially slow down car traffic as if it will magically make people choose the public transport options they don't have to get to work. Its called a road diet, expect to see more of it.

Yep thats been going on for twenty or thirty years but it is usually very easy to see what they have done. Usually road just blocked or footpath deliberately extended by 10 feet for no reason. Believe traffic problems in Dublin are substatially deliberately engineered. Cant figure out what they have actually done in this case though.

As is apparent here and throughout Boards there is a cult like support here for any measure that "gets" drivers.

donvito99 · 07-09-2020 7:24pm

Truthvader wrote: »

Yep thats been going on for twenty or thirty years but it is usually very easy to see what they have done. Usually road just blocked or footpath deliberately extended by 10 feet for no reason. Believe traffic problems in Dublin are substatially deliberately engineered. Cant figure out what they have actually done in this case though.

As is apparent here and throughout Boards there is a cult like support here for any measure that "gets" drivers.

Any measure designed to benefit someone not in a car is interpreted by you and others as a measure to 'get' drivers.

Bus gate to massively improve bus journey times (representing vast majority of commuters and over twice that of motorists)? A disgrace

Cycle lane to encourage people to cycle and actually reduce congestion? Treasonous

Widen a footpath so pedestrians aren't falling over each other? Bloody Owen Keegan

Perhaps if you earned more money and lived in the leafy suburbs inhabited by the Greens who have clearly worked harder by this reasoning, you wouldn't be so irate about one junction redesign?

Seaswimmer · 07-09-2020 8:02pm

Charles Babbage wrote: »

The problem is that DLR do not even attempt to serve their citizens, neither motorists, cyclists nor pedestrians.

They have some of the worst designed "cycle lanes" in Europe,e.g. in Sandyford, and just to make sure the pedestrians don't get away without being disrupted they have cycle lanes which pointlessly direct people on to footpaths and pedestrian crossings. They have a load of cones at the M50 Sandyford roundabout which effectively make it impossible to use it in a legal way.They spend quite a lot of money, which could be used to benefit people, but waste most of it.

But you see what happens when they design a state of the art, fit for use cycle lane such as the new one from Sandycove to Blackrock. You would think that every road in Dun Laoire was being closed off to see the online reactions and vitriol against it. Sure they make mistakes but I have made many submissions and observations to them over the years and always find that they respond and in some cases even act..

Have you made your concerns known to them?

MJohnston · 07-09-2020 8:11pm

Truthvader wrote: »

As is apparent here and throughout Boards there is a cult like support here for any measure that "gets" drivers.

Great! The time of the car is over, get used to it.

monument · 07-09-2020 9:47pm

Given the style of posts on this thread and this recent post below, I don't think this is just a matter of different views, I think there's major trolling going on here:

Truthvader wrote: »

The car is the most civilised, comfortable and safest mode of transport. Endy story. That is why, given a choice, people will prefer it. It is delusional to think otherwise. The bicycle agenda is a step backwards in time

WTF happened to Newtownpark Avenue?

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