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Threadneedle Road/Taylor's Hill/Kingston Road Junction

tomhenryford

I attend a course in the Ardilaun Hotel every second weekend. I haven't been since the new traffic light system launched.

I usually turn left out of the Ardilaun car park, and then I usually take a right at the traffic lights to head back towards the Galway Shopping Centre and up and out for Sligo.

I can't take that right turn anymore apparently so what should I do? I need to head back that Seamus Quirke Road so I just need to figure out the best way to get onto it as easily as possible.

A) Should I go straight through the traffic lights at Taylor's Hill and turn somewhere down Kingston Road and come back into the traffic lights and turn left

Or

Should I turn left down Threadneedle Road and turn and come back up to go straight through the lights that way.

Are either of those solutions possible? (any one-way systems or no-turning that I don't know about)

Any help much appreciated.

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Worn Out

the_sonandmoon wrote: »

The new sequencing with one right of way only at a time from BOD and Threadneedle Roads isn't great. Im hoping its just the council experimenting. It was backed up way passed Manor Drive on the Kingston Road at 10.30 yesterday morning, when there would usually be no/very little traffic. The there are no cars moving through the junction as the few cars that had been waiting to go through Threadneedle have done so, but the green light remains.

I think the new junction is great, but needs a few days police enforcement to stop illegal right turners.

The new sequencing is a disaster and offers no improvement. I have complained to the council on this as have many others. The sequence simply doesn't let enough cars through the junction frequently enough to ease the cars backed up. Plus it's backed up as far as Salerno on the thread needle road.

Redhairedguy

Really noticing it at Deane Roundabout all week. Used to breeze through without too much hassle at 8.30am, but it's been diabolical recently.

Worn Out

Redhairedguy wrote: »

Really noticing it at Deane Roundabout all week. Used to breeze through without too much hassle at 8.30am, but it's been diabolical recently.

Please inform the council. They need to be made aware of how bad the junction is now. My journey takes 50% longer now. I do a car share with a neighbour that used to take 20 mins but now takes over 30. Hopefully it's just a trial.

Gingganggooley

The theory behind the change to this junction should make for less congestion, but the poor sequencing has really made things worse.

The greater amount of traffic arrives from the west in the morning and from the east in the evening, yet no allowance for this has been made. I approach that junction and now join a long queue. When I eventually reach the lights, I have sat there waiting while no cars pass.

And with this new system, why can't you turn left once it's safe to do so? This option works well at the Liosban Estate junction with the Tuam rd.

It's all a bit Irish at the moment.

[Deleted User]

Went through this a few times today and it was fantastic when nobody was trying to turn right but turned into a mess otherwise

The worst was being forced to sit through 2 cycles of the lights coming from Taylors because all 5 cars in front wanted to go right.

I'll echo what some others have said, signage is an issue. There should be "no right turn" signs attached to the lights, same as at the Quincentiannial.

A week or two of enforcement or a camera or two wouldn't go amiss.

I pity the folks in the houses at that junction. They must be getting sick of the sound of cars honking

On a side note, I have to say I'm well impressed with the traffic calming on threadneedle and Dr. Mannix. Exactly how it should be done, credit where it's due.

buzz11

http://connachttribune.ie/snails-pace-at-rush-hour-traffic-woes-201/

Mrs OBumble

I went thru in a vehicle today. Arrows painted on the road and left / straight green arrows made it 100% clear to me what I could / couldn't do.

buzz11

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I went thru in a vehicle today. Arrows painted on the road and left / straight green arrows made it 100% clear to me what I could / couldn't do.

Old habits die hard and regular users may not spot (or heed) approaching signs such those painted on the ground.

The key thing thats missing at this junction are "no right turn" signs mounted on the traffic light poles, thereby directly facing a driver who is considering turning right.

They have these at the huntsman junction, large signs attached to the traffic light poles, so why not the same thing at this junction ?? It beggars belief.

dastardly00

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I went thru in a vehicle today. Arrows painted on the road and left / straight green arrows made it 100% clear to me what I could / couldn't do.

I'm of the belief that people who are turning right are fully aware that they are not allowed to do it, but are just doing it anyway.

Uncle Mclovin

Don't know if anyone on here drives this way on week mornings but just said I'd highlight it. They changed the traffic light system on Threadneedle before Christmas and all it has done is make traffic worse. It literally is twice as bad coming from Rahoon to Salthill.

Who makes these decisions and is there any way of making a complaint somewhere to go back to the old system?

GerardKeating

Uncle Mclovin wrote: »

Don't know if anyone on here drives this way on week mornings but just said I'd highlight it. They changed the traffic light system on Threadneedle before Christmas and all it has done is make traffic worse. It literally is twice as bad coming from Rahoon to Salthill.

Who makes these decisions and is there any way of making a complaint somewhere to go back to the old system?

It was actually changed about two months before Christmas,

I go through daily and it either better or no worse, except then some numpties try an illegal right turn.

the_sonandmoon

GerardKeating wrote: »

It was actually changed about two months before Christmas,

I go through daily and it either better or no worse, except then some numpties try an illegal right turn.

The no right turns (from Kingston and Taylors Hill) were introduced about 2 months before Christmas. They were working well (apart from the pr!cks who ignore them and wait to turn right, making everyone behind wait and back up the traffic).
About a week before Christmas they introduced a new light sequence where traffic from BOD Rd goes, THEN Threadneedle, and then Taylors Hill/Kingston. Each sequence takes forever. That, I think, I what is being complained about since just before Christmas.

Uncle Mclovin

the_sonandmoon wrote: »

The no right turns (from Kingston and Taylors Hill) were introduced about 2 months before Christmas. They were working well (apart from the pr!cks who ignore them and wait to turn right, making everyone behind wait and back up the traffic).
About a week before Christmas they introduced a new light sequence where traffic from BOD Rd goes, THEN Threadneedle, and then Taylors Hill/Kingston. Each sequence takes forever. That, I think, I what is being complained about since just before Christmas.

This is what I was saying. Not enough cars get through the junction in each sequence and its causing huge knock on effects for the rest of the area.

They really need to rethink this.

snubbleste

Contact GalwayCityCouncil and tell them to change it
www.galwaycity.ie

Gadgetman496

BOD road is stopped dead in both directions every morning now. not because of the introduction of the no right turn at the Kingston junction but directly as a result of the more recent light sequence change Uncle Mclovin is referring to.

They have also changed the sequence of the lights filtering onto BOD Rd particularly the ones at the shrine on the Rahoon/cemetery Rd opposite the Glen Oaks and it too is making a bad situation worse.

As for the local Muppet's who are more than aware of the ban on right turns at some of the Kingston junctions but continue to flaunt the rules, they should be dealt with as harshly as possible and with no mercy whatsoever.

youngrun

Garda enforcement needed surely at these lights and other junctions eg QCB at topaz/newcastle end where many cars break lights and break pedestrian greens, and the Westside roundabout where it can be a game of chicken to see who can get through it before oncoming cars ...
Simple things such as on the spot fines/points and presence alone is needed to deter bad driving and rule breaking which impacts or endangers in some cases

Gadgetman496

Another thing I have not heard mention of here relating to the Kingston junction is the work the Corpo carried out on Threadneedle Rd prior to the introduction of the no right turn. They introduced traffic calming measures on Threadneedle Rd but more importantly they also introduced one of the widest cycle lanes in the city at the Kingston junction officially reducing it down to one lane.

Before that cycle lane was introduced there was ample room there for two lanes of traffic (allbeit unofficial) and if a car traveling from Blackrock to the Kingston junction that wished to turn right at the junction to go down towards the Ardilaun Hotel was held waiting for through traffic coming from the BOD road to Salthill, traffic behind that car could safely go straight through on the inside space (now the cycle lane). I'm all for making the roads safer for cyclists and to that end it's fine but the problem now is that if one car needs to turn right now, it holds up everything coming behind it which was never the case under the old system.

If anything, that right hand turn should be banned now too.

snubbleste

That cycle lane has already been mentioned. There should be another on t'other side of the road too.

Curious Geroge

Galway City Council response to the change in the sequencing of the lights..

"The further changes made to the signals were to deal with safety issues with the original timings. On the original timings vehicles coming from Threadneedle that were turning right would do so when there gaps in oncoming traffic from Bishop O' Donnell Road. The Threadneedle traffic would get a red and Bishop O' Donnell stays green with a green right turn arrow also. However if a vehicle waiting in the junction to turn right, did not know that that oncoming traffic still had a green it makes the turn even though they see approaching traffic expecting it to stop. This has led to some near misses at this junction.

The left turn filter for Kingston Road was also changed as the number of cars that can avail of the left turn lane is limited by the queue for the straight ahead movement and therefore limited in the amount of relief it gave to this arm. However vehicles that could not access this lane regularly mounted the footpath putting pedestrians lives at risk.

We have made some changes to the timings at this junction and will continue to monitor to see what further changes are required. In line with this we have programmed in for somebody to go out when the schools are back after Christmas to observe traffic behaviour. We cannot reintroduce the original traffic sequence due to the above but are looking also at alternatives which would help alleviate the traffic issues and address the safety concerns."

Am I correct that this was the system that was in place for years before all the changes and before they introduced the widest cycle lane in Ireland on threadneedle road ?

They also suggested that children be dropped off at Kingston / Taylors Hill junction and walk to school which is infuriating. I wonder where exactly they recommend dropping the kids.

snubbleste

No mention of pedestrians in that missive. Clearly a mistake.

the_sonandmoon

The Kingston Road approaching the lights could be widened by reducing the (very wide) footpath on both sides of the road, particularly on the other side in front of the handball ally, and realigning the road/lanes.
The top of Threadneedle could have a right hand turn box at the top, especially if they narrowed that cycle lane, and could introduce a filter arrow at the same time as the one from the BOD road

galwaycyclist

snubbleste wrote: »

That cycle lane has already been mentioned. There should be another on t'other side of the road too.

Arguably no not really (according to one school of thought).

Leaving aside the issue of whether this cycle lane was a good idea at this time.

The thinking was that if cyclists are going downhill then a cycle lane probably isn't needed as much as everyone is travelling at more similar speeds. Going uphill is different since cyclists are much slower and need wobble space. The idea is like the climbing lanes found on some "N" routes.

I am not sure what is going on with the hard-shoulder markings that went in after since I don't think they were in the original plans. They seem to defeat the original concept.

galwaycyclist

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Arguably no not really (according to one school of thought).

Leaving aside the issue of whether this cycle lane was a good idea at this time.

The thinking was that if cyclists are going downhill then a cycle lane probably isn't needed as much as everyone is travelling at more similar speeds. Going uphill is different since cyclists are much slower and need wobble space. The idea is like the climbing lanes found on some "N" routes.

I am not sure what is going on with the hard-shoulder markings that went in after since I don't think they were in the original plans. They seem to defeat the original concept.

Just to make sure people understand this point. A cyclist travelling downhill at speed may need more space rather than less - as in they may need to use the whole lane.

gordongekko

snubbleste wrote: »

No mention of pedestrians in that missive. Clearly a mistake.

why would they answer a question that wasnt asked?

JillyQ

youngrun wrote: »

Garda enforcement needed surely at these lights and other junctions eg QCB at topaz/newcastle end where many cars break lights and break pedestrian greens, and the Westside roundabout where it can be a game of chicken to see who can get through it before oncoming cars ...
Simple things such as on the spot fines/points and presence alone is needed to deter bad driving and rule breaking which impacts or endangers in some cases

saw a couple of twats do it this morning. Also saw people coming from Rahoon turn left onto taylors hill the stop and let there kids off for the two schools on threadneedle road.

beardybrewer

Went through there today, they finally have the signage right now with the no right turn signs. Nobody in front of me tried to turn so I made it straight through despite the apparent sequencing issue.

buzz11

Light sequence appears to have changed, its much faster but I think there is a problem with the threadneedle rd side, it seems to skip this side a lot.

spurscormac

buzz11 wrote: »

Light sequence appears to have changed, its much faster but I think there is a problem with the threadneedle rd side, it seems to skip this side a lot.

There's a bit of an issue with the order of the lights now that causes a slow down in traffic pulled up on threadneedle waiting for green.
After the Kingston/Taylors goes red, the first green is given to those coming from the Deane roundabout.
This makes it impossible for the traffic waiting on the hill (and a difficult hill start it is, even for experienced drivers) to anticipate the green light, as you can't possibly know when the traffic coming against you is gone amber & then red.

To sequence it in the opposite way, those on threadneedle getting green first, followed by those coming from Deane, would speed up the reponse times to the green of cars coming from Blackrock and probably get one or two more cars through at peak times.

Of course, the best solution to slow response times at lights, would be to introduce the same lights sequence as in the UK, an amber before the green to alert people to the fact it's about to change.
But when has logic ever been a factor in this country.

Better be careful or FHE will be nabbing my idea for her Roads GE Campaign.

ir555

10 minutes to get from Salerno School past the lights this morning. On 2 occasions the green light for Threadneedle traffic barely allowed 2-3 cars past - max 20 seconds green..

Are these lights working on a fixed sequence or dare I even suggest that would be working off some sort of sensors watching the traffic.

D

maudgonner

spurscormac wrote: »

<snip>

Of course, the best solution to slow response times at lights, would be to introduce the same lights sequence as in the UK, an amber before the green to alert people to the fact it's about to change.
But when has logic ever been a factor in this country.

Better be careful or FHE will be nabbing my idea for her Roads GE Campaign.

Amber before green would be a terrible idea in Ireland. It works in the UK because people actually obey the traffic lights. Here you would get people jumping the light as soon as they saw amber, crashing into all the people coming the other way who are running the red light. Bang, crash, wallop!