Non-cyclist myself, and would rather that more money be put towards public transport and walking than anything else, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting additional cycle lanes. And proper lanes too, to achieve complete separation between cars and bikes, rather than just painted lines. Even a cheap barrier such as there is here would help.
The very basic point being made, that better cycling infrastructure encourages more people to cycle, which frees up the roads, is entirely sensible.
There's a huge financial benefit to getting rid of a car in a household too. They're serious money pits.
Ya this is what it boils down to. Money. Walking and Cycling spend is the cheapest and get the greatest ROI as well.
Not Galway, just interesting reading. I'm still all for a park and ride, less cars, more bikes, more scooters, more walking. (And I say this as someone who has problem walking - I'd rather hop on a bus and get off quicker & closer to where I need to be than sit in stupid single occupancy cars in stupid traffic jams and still have to park a 10 minute walk away.)
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/11/the-big-idea-should-cars-be-banned-from-cities
Imagine your walking problem got worse, and you simply couldn't walk. What would a city be like for you if motor vehicles were totally banned?
Read the article again, read twice, read slower.
I can imagine practically every wheelchair user in the country rolling their eyes at that comment.
It would be a lot friendlier for mobility scooters
I imagine, on many levels, it would be a distinct improvement.
Nope, because bicycles can be parked as badly as cars can be. And will be more frequently if there are more of them.
Imagine 7am, midwinter, pouring rain, and to get to the taxi that's taking you to work, you have a 15 roll in your mobility scooter. The cyclists can manage a shower to warm up when they get there. But you just get to stay damp all day.
Anything that says "ban X" is just bollix.
We need to be enabling thing that work for more people, not removing options.
Has anyone proposed a total ban on cars including taxis, and presumably buses also - otherwise why wouldnt you get a bus to work?
Too many cars and car infrastructure being priority is already impacting the other options, only way to enable things for more people is to reduce the prevalence of cars.
We need more space for cars damnit
The article quoted says "is it time to ban cars" - it's headline answer is Yes. Maybe its got some small print saying "well not quite", but that wasn't obvious from a quick read on the phone.
I use buses a lot. Reckon my monthly ticket probably qualifies for gold-VIP status. And I've done a lot to encourage their use. But they aren't a universal solution. They cannot stop at every house or every 50 metres. They're not great for slow loaders like wheelchairs. Some people will always need individualised solutions.
Would that mean there's no way we can ever pedestrianise anywhere, ever again because we have to retain the ability to drive from door to door from every location to every location?
Should we remove existing pedestrianisation too?
What about people like myself who don't have a driveway and only on-street parking that's not directly outside the house? If I was unable to walk easily, how do I get across the busy road to my car? There used to be parking on both sides of the street but it was removed to improve traffic flow. Now traffic moves fast and the nearest pedestrian crossings are 1) a few hundred meters away and 2) require crossing another road to use (one that doesn't have any pedestrian crossings on it).
If I ever end up disabled I'll probably have to move. My possibility of an individualized solution has been removed so people can drive past my house faster. And the footpaths and road crossings are so poor it would make it nearly impossible for me to get around in a chair.
all shops should have drive-thru facilities as well.
Headline is misleading as they are basically thinking about it, that's all
Good photo though. I am pretty sure Cllr Noel Larkin firm in Tuams makes kissing gates (as well as cycling stands). Lots of these galvanized gates in the City need to be repurposed.
Bikes are great mobility aids for many people.
Car lanes are only of use to those with the financial resources to pass the test and buy a car. Infrastructure is needed for all road users.
...
Have you ever had a lift from a friend, of taken a taxi anywhere?
Surely much better because there'd be space to actually get your wheelchair or mobility scooter around
I recall getting a taxi on Shop Street back in the mid 90's.
Now I go to the rank on Eyre Square or Cross Street.
Times change
What on earth are dribbling on about bicycles can be as badly parked as a car. Is this a serious comment or is it a windup? You do know roughly the size difference between bikes and cars surely?
Due to resourcing issues the council will not be able to fully commit to have safe routes to school in this decade
So, yeah, best of luck kiddies
They should really ramp up pedestrian priority in the city center during the arts festival. Big groups building at pedestrian crossings, long waits for short crossings.
I'm sure they could centrally flip these light sequences into festival mode and give pedestrians the priority for a few weeks. Who knows, it might even stick...
But Cllr Keane it is those pesky pedestrian lights at Spanish Arch that is causing the [car] traffic problems. They had gardai there for hours to facilitate people crossing on Saturday, great to see a shift in thinking
"
Mr Greene said the Council invited expressions of interest from primary schools and it was up to each school community, including parents, to opt to take part.
this is such nonsense when ya think about it. All Schools should be included, if any School want to opt out they can. None will. Its a paper pushers way of putting onus on a group in Society whom they should be servicing. Such laziness in Galway City Council.
In an Irish context, areas that have been pedestrianised tend not to have many residents left.
In areas which depending on socialisation, it makes sense to allocate some public space for it. For example Shop/High/Quay Streets. But be aware that this has consequences (few residents left above the shops in those streets).
Here's a selection of what I'm talking about. (Calling other people's post "dribbling on" doesn't reflect well on you, BTW).
All local photos, taken over the last few years.
The first is my favourite, subtitled "Ok kiddies, no on else needs to come or go from this shop while WE are here".
The postie's bike, dumped smack-bang in the middle of the street, outside an old person's front door, is also pretty special. The postie was nowhere to be seen.
I regularly see bicycles "parked" like this, don't bother taking photos of all of them, just the best examples.
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