Dun Laoghaire Traffic & Commuting Chat

Amen qb123. Arguments against significant infrastructure improvements are entirely self defeating. This is why nothing can be done right in this country. Unless, we have significant road changes across the burrough (no exceptions like "me heritage town"), the chaos and disjointedness will continue.

The use of heritage to impose, appropriate or glamorize limitations on a towns function or accessibility is somewhat akin to a very mildly disabled person using it to forgo achievable tasks. We should be aiming up and not down.

While I am aware of the fact that people claim exclusiveness of some parts of the burrough as a unique selling point, it only serves to encourage future generations of residents to become car dependent over a feature which is equal parts myopic, self-serving and ego boosting. Some of these people then resort to using the heritage status in a thinly veiled attempt at keeping themselves propped up.

NOW, I am NOT saying that the heritage of the burrough should be tarnishished beyond recognition or whole towns ripped asunder. If co-ordinated correctly, roads can be improved for ALL road users while maintaining the bulk of an areas heritage.

As to the assertion about American style grid system. At least they are designed to be future proof, are easy to navigate and allow for scalability of commercial, residential and industrial density. This is an attractive feature for would be residents who are looking for convenience and efficiency.

Regarding the other half of that statement, a road is only hostile to pedestrians if they are not observant of their surroundings with the exception of dangerous drivers (i.e. those who break red lights and speed among the myriad of other driving offences).

I would also argue that a ban on jaywalking should be introduced in urban areas to prevent people from just stepping out on to the road on red without even bothering to look. I even see some pedestrians get aggravated when motorists call them out on this by means of beeping at them.

If motorists have to obey traffic lights, so too should the other road user groups. There should be one standard for all and NOT double standards. I think everyone will agree that zombie members from each road user group with their heads buried in their phones while in motion is particularly frustrating, especially at junctions.

As per usual, you are taking my posts way out of context. A place can look largely the same and be higher functioning. In my opinion, it is very insidious to use the heritage of any town as an excuse to place shackles on its function and accessibility. From a functional stand point, this leads to wasted opportunities while from an accessibility stand point, it keeps cars on the road. How exactly is improved accessibility and function destroying it or making it unrecognizable?

On a personal level, I am not talking nonsense. You are just very set in your ways given your rigidness with a myopic approach to town planning. Yourself and a couple of other boardie's mightn't take me seriously. As usual, your criticisms come off as sanctimonious and condescending.

The cyclists were already home as they didn't get stuck in traffic ;)

The CMR has a steady stream of cyclists on it throughout the day and, as I said earlier, proved its worth through the winter months last year. Just been on it a while ago to get to Tesco and passed several others. And bike racks at Tesco busy enough, so there's some evidence that if you provide the right infrastructure people will use it. Here's it at 6:30 today.

I agree, DL is a heritage town, with fantastic assets in terms of it buildings, seafront and great potential in its streetscapes, surrounds and history.

I was listening to an interview with passengers at the new railway station opened this week in Pelletstown, one lady passed the remark that it was great that they could now go all the way to DL by train. People see DL as a destination town, a place that they want to visit and spend some time. It should be developed as such. But development of DL as a destination town is not going to happen on the back of huge capital works to facilitate traffic and consequently, creating uncomfortable grotty streets full of cars, buses or lorries. People have enough of that at home. They wont want to travel to DL for more of the same, that's for sure.

Case in point, look at DL's sister town, Cobh (Queenstown) in Cork. I know that town very well. They have slowly been developing Cobh as a destination town for a number of years and now, from a fairly rundown place in the 70's and 80's, similar to DL in a lot of ways, it is now a fantastic place to visit. People come from the city to eat or have a day out and increasingly (pre covid) American and other tourists from visiting liners were choosing to stay and explore the town, as opposed to traveling elsewhere. Its good for business. Its good for everyone!

Maybe DL could learn lessons from its southern sister?

TP, I do admire your stamina and your ability for spouting such sh*te.

They're giving up their cars, because the new homes they are purchasing have either one assigned parking space, or none at all.

© Kevin Denny on Facebook

One that they sent to the Central Mental Hospital following her arraignment 20 months ago and has not appeared in a Court since. And don't get smart with me.

Theres where the bus priority should be (this was taken today).

And if bus parking is whats needed, there is acres of space in the harbour. I'm not sure a load of parked buses describes a particular efficient operation though.

That was one example of solving an issue and something that is done frequently the world over. See the following link:

Structure relocation - Wikipedia

This shows how imaginative other countries are when it comes to making space for projects like road improvements among many other things. So, ridiculous, it aint.

Unfortunately, you seem to be heavily indoctrinated into the very unimaginative Irish planning process riddled with restrictions, red tape, parish pump politics and resultant high construction costs which is a hinderance to a lot of potential economic growth, tourism and opportunities. It's also the kind of stupidity lampooned in shows like Father Ted where perpetuation of such perception is just cringeworthy.