Galway traffic

donvito99 · 10-04-2021 3:53pm

Laviski wrote: »

that make it super attractive to give up the car.?

If it's quicker than the car (which it will be in the city if the bus lanes go in and the bypass doesn't) then they will. Galway is no different to any other city in this regard.

10-04-2021 6:28pm

Laviski wrote: »

that make it super attractive to give up the car.?

Yeah if you don't need to keep watching the clock and fit to an infrequent timetable and you don't risk getting stuck in traffic then it does become more attractive.

Small changes like tapping in/out at stops instead of queuing up to pay the driver are quick wins that have an impact too. No sitting around as people pay and board, open the side doors and flood people in and out, then move on.

I've lived somewhere before where it was low density and well outside the city. The bus was every 20 minutes but arrived within 30 seconds of timetable every time and that also worked well for a reliable quick commute. You need dedicated lanes for that to work.

Laviski · 10-04-2021 7:02pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Yeah if you don't need to keep watching the clock and fit to an infrequent timetable and you don't risk getting stuck in traffic then it does become more attractive.

Small changes like tapping in/out at stops instead of queuing up to pay the driver are quick wins that have an impact too. No sitting around as people pay and board, open the side doors and flood people in and out, then move on.

I've lived somewhere before where it was low density and well outside the city. The bus was every 20 minutes but arrived within 30 seconds of timetable every time and that also worked well for a reliable quick commute. You need dedicated lanes for that to work.

Was that place in ireland? Cause I've been abroad too and see how effective infra can work. Such things in ireland just some crazy to sum.

Regarding the tap, the way leapcard works outside dublin is super inefficient. Should be tap on tap off, this crap waiting period for the machine to process or sometimes not at all....

10-04-2021 7:30pm

Laviski wrote: »

Was that place in ireland? Cause I've been abroad too and see how effective infra can work. Such things in ireland just some crazy to sum.

No - not Ireland, we're not there yet!

11-04-2021 12:44am

More fantastic news

https://twitter.com/OwenHanleyLives/status/1380900863384948746?s=19

On a side note do not underestimate how much impact having kids cycling to school will have on a network of cycling infrastructure.

Safe, protected, segregated cycling infrastructure will be the bare minimum expectation for everyone sending their kids to school on the bike and they won't be long letting those feelings be known to the council and the Councillors themselves

11-04-2021 4:37pm

Laviski wrote: »

people want traffic gone, best way to do that is remove the cars - how do you remove cars, well....

“Remove the people driving them. Galway is at capacity. The carscum can f off.”

People will (and are) voting with their feet. Best thing anti-cars can do is be open about their “f cars” ness.

11-04-2021 5:09pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

“Remove the people driving them. Galway is at capacity. The carscum can f off.”

People will (and are) voting with their feet. Best thing anti-cars can do is be open about their “f cars” ness.

All that quote was generated from within your own mind SeaSlacker, the aggression and anger doesn't really help the discussion.

11-04-2021 5:24pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

“Remove the people driving them. Galway is at capacity. The carscum can f off.”

People will (and are) voting with their feet. Best thing anti-cars can do is be open about their “f cars” ness.

Supporting more sustainable options is not anti anything.

A different opinion to yours does not translate to 2 fingers

Mrs OBumble · 11-04-2021 6:03pm

Deleted User wrote: »

More fantastic news
....Safe, protected, segregated cycling infrastructure will be the bare minimum expectation for everyone sending their kids to school on the bike and they won't be long letting those feelings be known to the council and the Councillors themselves

I agree it's good news, and anything which encourages segregated cycle lanes is good.

But really it's sad to see the word "zoning" misused.

Internationally, a school zone is an area in which all resident children are guaranteed a place in the local school. This reduces traffic by stopping people from needing to travel around the city to attend schools in other neighbourhoods. It gives all children, including ones with disabilities, a right to education in their own neighbourhood.

Proper school zones would have more impact on traffic than dedicated road space ever will be.

What we are introducing is not zoning.

donvito99 · 11-04-2021 6:08pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I agree it's good news, and anything which encourages segregated cycle lanes is good.

But really it's sad to see the word "zoning" misused.

Internationally, a school zone is an area in which all resident children are guaranteed a place in the local school. This reduces traffic by stopping people from needing to travel around the city to attend schools in other neighbourhoods. It gives all children, including ones with disabilities, a right to education in their own neighbourhood.

Proper school zones would have more impact on traffic than dedicated road space ever will be.

What we are introducing is not zoning.

Ah here.

Nobody is going to confuse this scheme with the UK / US system of going to the school in your area/district/'zone'.

Mrs OBumble · 11-04-2021 6:44pm

Deleted User wrote: »

City fringe, that's a good one. Within 200m you have Eyre square, the Eyre Sq SC, William St/Shop St.

City fringe it ain't

...

Going back 100 years it has been a mixed-use area with both shops & residences. It also had a thriving market in times past which was retried with great success a number of years ago and now forms part of the city council Galway Public Realm Strategy as an area for renewal

By that standard, Bohermore, Forster Court (the estate), the Elms, and much of the Claddagh are all city centre.

Which is rubbish. They are all primarily residential. There are lots of buildings where people's living rooms are on the streets, at ground-floor level.

The article about the market being retried with "great success" in 2013 is a joke. Sure it was re-tried a couple of times (2, maybe 3). But if it was really a great success, it would have continued. It didn't.

Don't know about you, but I visited the market each time they tried. The crowd was meh. The stall-holders weren't committing to coming back. If I purchased lunch there, then local rate-paying businesses didn't get my cash that day.

I'd agree that the space could be better used than being a car-park, and that there's plenty of other parking around. (Though personally I make quite a bit of the GoCar which is there: it's a reasonable walk from my house, and easer to get back to on time than the one in Newtonsmith.)

But the simplistic "remove private cars" and "make it a public plaza" totally misses the mark, and ignores the nature of the area.

Traffic solutions need to address actual traffic problems.

cgcsb · 11-04-2021 7:08pm

The funny thing is that the Galway Bus Connects scheme basically ignores bikes in the City Centre, not a solitary metre of cycle lane is proposed.

donvito99 · 11-04-2021 7:15pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Traffic solutions need to address actual traffic problems.

The actual traffic problem is the private car. If there is less parking available you'll go along way to addressing the traffic problem in the city centre.

11-04-2021 7:30pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Traffic solutions need to address actual traffic problems.

The plan for Woodquay isn't a traffic solution, it's an urban regeneration and development project.

It's "one of a number public spaces in the city centre that Galway City Council proposes to ‘re-imagine’, to make them less hostile for pedestrians and to boost footfall".

CowboyTed · 11-04-2021 8:33pm

Deleted User wrote: »

“Induced demand” is to infrastructure what Andrew Wakefield is to vaccine science. False equivalence.

If we’re on about stopping demand, let’s Stop Demand. Put a population cap in place, licence car ownership, tighten immigration laws up so that it’s exceptionally difficult to enter the “protected” place as a newcomer. (None of these things I’m advocating BTW.)

If we need to stop demand, we need to Stop Growth.

I think the solution is a one child policy...

CowboyTed · 11-04-2021 8:47pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Your extremist policies aside, no need to be so reactionary about it lol

Just invert the priority of modes of transport so that private cars are given the lowest priority rather than the highest and anything is achievable. Thankfully this has already happened within the CC with the GTS

We will see this gaining further traction with the GTS review and updating, the release by the Dept of Transport of the updated National Cycle Policy Framework and their Sustainable Mobility Policy Framework. Both of which will need to be adhered to by any council expecting funding from the Dept.

Its been said time and time again on this thread, but it needs to be repeated every now and again......Galways roads are already at capacity already and its population is planned to grow by 50% by 2040. If you want these people to be able to move around the city, regards of origin or destination, you need to prioritise pedestrians, bikes & buses in that order. After that comes logistics and taxis and finally comes private car access.

There is no other logical option that withstands serious scrutiny

That is why getting the traffic out of the city is needed...

We have hinterlands which can't support public transport... Private car is there only option...

When asked about targets to achieved and further targets there is little to nothing there...

CowboyTed · 11-04-2021 8:58pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm not asking the next step for you, the next step for Galway? What do we do after we build this additional road space and it becomes gridlocked? What then for those that moved to Furbo/Spiddal and work in Parkmore (a short commute before the road filled)? Move them all to Canada?

Lets make it simpler...

Public transport wants the Salmon Weir Bridge for there use solely...

There are 4 times the cars in Galway since the last bridge was opened.

To get that bridge the cars need another bridge...

If you want to object, cars pay for vast majority of the roads, they can at least expect the same service while they are paying more than 4 times the revenue...

Mrs OBumble · 11-04-2021 9:11pm

cgcsb wrote: »

The funny thing is that the Galway Bus Connects scheme basically ignores bikes in the City Centre, not a solitary metre of cycle lane is proposed.

If we're saying that private cars shouldn't be in the area, then neither should private bicycles be there.

11-04-2021 9:29pm

CowboyTed wrote: »

Lets make it simpler...

Public transport wants the Salmon Weir Bridge for there use solely...

There are 4 times the cars in Galway since the last bridge was opened.

To get that bridge the cars need another bridge...

If you want to object, cars pay for vast majority of the roads, they can at least expect the same service while they are paying more than 4 times the revenue...

That ship has sailed, that bridge will be closed to private cars end 2022/early 2023

Mrs OBumble · 11-04-2021 10:37pm

donvito99 wrote: »

the traffic problem in the city centre.

What is the traffic problem in the city centre?

11-04-2021 10:53pm

CowboyTed wrote: »

There are 4 times the cars in Galway since the last bridge was opened.

More roads solution leads to more cars - well demonstrated.

Same again?

Why not make the public transport changes first this time, if the road goes ahead it'll be another 10++ years so let's get the city moving before then. From the ramp up in traffic in the last few weeks it looks like we'll rebound to near pre-Covid levels fairly quick.

CowboyTed wrote: »

If you want to object, cars pay for vast majority of the roads, they can at least expect the same service while they are paying more than 4 times the revenue...

The old "they don't even pay any 'road tax' Joe" argument? Presumably you're talking about the motor tax based on engine size or emissions - that's not a subscription for road space.

11-04-2021 11:46pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If we're saying that private cars shouldn't be in the area, then neither should private bicycles be there.

Not necessarily?

cgcsb · 11-04-2021 11:53pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If we're saying that private cars shouldn't be in the area, then neither should private bicycles be there.

What? Why would you say that?

cgcsb · 11-04-2021 11:54pm

CowboyTed wrote: »

Lets make it simpler...

Public transport wants the Salmon Weir Bridge for there use solely...

There are 4 times the cars in Galway since the last bridge was opened.

To get that bridge the cars need another bridge...

If you want to object, cars pay for vast majority of the roads, they can at least expect the same service while they are paying more than 4 times the revenue...

Cars don't pay for anything.

ben.schlomo · 12-04-2021 8:11am

cgcsb wrote: »

What? Why would you say that?

Irrational fear of anything on two wheels.

Storm 10 · 12-04-2021 9:52am

donvito99 wrote: »

The actual traffic problem is the private car. If there is less parking available you'll go along way to addressing the traffic problem in the city centre.

I am in the City Centre a lot during the day for work and I have never came across traffic problems there so don't know what you are on about, most of Galway's traffic issue are on the Tuam road Dublin road Headford road and Western distributor roads inbound and outbound, City centre is great.

12-04-2021 10:21am

The biggest pinch point in the city centre is probably coming around by the docks and Spanish Arch in the evening rush hour with commuter traffic going to Salthill/Knocknacarra/Barna direction.

I know a lot of commuters use Google Maps daily so if the N6 gets backed up they'll be rat-runned into city streets until they clog up shortly after.

what_traffic · 12-04-2021 11:56am

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If we're saying that private cars shouldn't be in the area, then neither should private bicycles be there.

Nobody is saying this except you?
There is still going to be access for private cars in the City Centre, will be limited and will not be able to use certain streets, same goes for "private" bicycles and the "public" bikes - certain streets are not available as it stands.

13-04-2021 9:17am

Serious step up in morning traffic this week as schools started back. Are there many/any dedicated school buses in Galway that do a pick-up route around the estates to the schools?

donvito99 · 13-04-2021 1:30pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Serious step up in morning traffic this week as schools started back. Are there many/any dedicated school buses in Galway that do a pick-up route around the estates to the schools?

There was a time when children walked or cycled to school.

Any attempt by the government or local authorities to encourage either is usually labelled as Green Party quackery.

The difference (in normal times) between schools out/schools in traffic is night and day in my experience. Forget your bypass, knock down a few walls between estates and stick in a 2m cycle lane on the busy routes and watch the journey times for everyone fall off a cliff.

14-04-2021 12:50pm

In case you're wondering where the "active travel" funding is being used. The mind boggles.

https://twitter.com/conorkearney/status/1382271392784191491?s=19

what_traffic · 14-04-2021 2:12pm

Deleted User wrote: »

In case you're wondering where the "active travel" funding is being used. The mind boggles.

Totally expected to be honest, what is that saying about leopard and spots.
Always get sense they are making up stuff as they along when you see implementation attempts like this, they have no template, or built up knowledge of how to approach a problem.
Design manuals exist but they just don't see to use them.
Do any of the people in the top positions in City Hall live here in the City?
Does City Manager live in Galway (City or County) or even Connacht?

14-04-2021 2:33pm

what_traffic wrote: »

Do any of the people in the top positions in City Hall live here in the City?
Does City Manager live in Galway (City or County) or even Connacht?

I've been pushing for a long time with a lot of councillors, to promote a weekly active travel day in the councils. A day when the car park closes and if the staff wish to drive and pay for parking they are welcome to, but they should also be encouraged to engage in other means of transportation to see what the experience is like for the regular Joe and Joleen Soap

Thargor · 14-04-2021 4:01pm

Seeing this all over the place aswell, some kind of dirty protest by the Council hoping they'll be told to rip them all up? It looks brutal anyway, especially anywhere historic:

https://twitter.com/SilkeRichard/status/1382079613631860737

Mrs OBumble · 14-04-2021 4:06pm

Thargor wrote: »

Seeing this all over the place aswell, some kind of dirty protest by the Council hoping they'll be told to rip them all up? It looks brutal anyway, especially anywhere historic:

https://twitter.com/SilkeRichard/status/1382079613631860737

Not random at all.

Walk down Shop St during the delivery window and you'll appreciate them.

14-04-2021 4:33pm

This bit is very Galway

https://twitter.com/kieranryanphoto/status/1382281452969136128?s=19

what_traffic · 15-04-2021 9:10am

No standard at all followed for bollards, 3/4 different types within a stones throw of each other. They " need " for them on Shop Street - a pedestrianized street 21/24 hours of the day shows they have NOT addressed the root cause of the problem they are trying to address.

Private Joker · 16-04-2021 1:06pm

There's a webinar from the GLUAS commmittee on tuesday the 20th for anyone interested.

link https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/galway-very-light-rail-webinar-tickets-146997446319

serfboard · 17-04-2021 1:58pm

Private Joker wrote: »

There's a webinar from the GLUAS commmittee on tuesday the 20th for anyone interested.

link https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/galway-very-light-rail-webinar-tickets-146997446319

Thanks for posting this, but it’s a complete waste of time talking shop.

Bus Connects is the only public transport solution being offered to Galway, and God knows that’s taking long enough.

Nationally speaking, the only other city in Ireland that might be offered light rail is Cork, and that’s still not definite.

Light rail is even behind the bypass, and that’s a decade away, if ever.

It would be far better, for former Green Party TD, Niall O’Brolochain, to be campaigning for Bus Connects, instead of organising this kind of event, but this, of course, is typical of the Greens and their train fetish.

17-04-2021 2:48pm

Deleted User wrote: »

All that quote was generated from within your own mind SeaSlacker, the aggression and anger doesn't really help the discussion.

I’m just showing how you sound to drivers. As far as they’re concerned, You hate/pity/other them because they’re not of your mind. You think of them as carscum, muck to be cleaned out. And by the look of that upside-down pyramid, they are.

And I’m sorry, but aggression and anger are what you will meet, just as you give yourself when the council make “car friendly” decisions.

One more thing...

Deleted User wrote: »

Not necessarily?

Can you show me where the wheelchair is on this?

donvito99 · 17-04-2021 3:37pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Can you show me where the wheelchair is on this?

It's in the purple bit. Can't be seen because it's a purple wheelchair.

zell12 · 17-04-2021 4:31pm

donvito99 wrote: »

It's in the purple bit. Can't be seen because it's a purple wheelchair.

17-04-2021 5:54pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I’m just showing how you sound to drivers. As far as they’re concerned, You hate/pity/other them because they’re not of your mind. You think of them as carscum, muck to be cleaned out. And by the look of that upside-down pyramid, they are.

And I’m sorry, but aggression and anger are what you will meet, just as you give yourself when the council make “car friendly” decisions.

Get it all out...

You're way off the mark again. This has nothing to do with being anti-car, it's about thinking ahead so we don't end up in the same situation, only worse. Be careful what you wish for - you'll end up being bumper to bumper on the ring road with no space for new Corrib crossings and a city that spreads beyond Barna. Or is the hope that it'll patch the problem for long enough to he someone else's problem?

I am a driver. I even drive a dirty diesel and do around 30,000km per year (outside of Covid).

But I also think a car is not the correct tool or scalable choice for getting around in a modern growing city. Give us city resident a proper public transport system and segregated cycle ways and it'll free up the outer roads for through-traffic.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

One more thing...

Can you show me where the wheelchair is on this?

It's an infographic, it's not an exhaustive list of all modes. Wheelchairs are very obviously in the top tier. Here's an alternative visualisation if that helps;

17-04-2021 6:50pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Get it all out...

You're way off the mark again. This has nothing to do with being anti-car, it's about thinking ahead so we don't end up in the same situation, only worse. Be careful what you wish for - you'll end up being bumper to bumper on the ring road with no space for new Corrib crossings and a city that spreads beyond Barna. Or is the hope that it'll patch the problem for long enough to he someone else's problem?

I am a driver. I even drive a dirty diesel and do around 30,000km per year (outside of Covid).

But I also think a car is not the correct tool or scalable choice for getting around in a modern growing city. Give us city resident a proper public transport system and segregated cycle ways and it'll free up the outer roads for through-traffic.

It's an infographic, it's not an exhaustive list of all modes. Wheelchairs are very obviously in the top tier. Here's an alternative visualisation if that helps;

Lost me at get it all out mate. Tldr

Putting disability in the top tier means designing it from the outset, not as an adjunct. Where’s the blind person? The deaf one? the walk frame? Crutches? Electric trike/chair? That top tier needs to be replaced by disabled with a token ablebodied person, not the other way around.

17-04-2021 7:13pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Putting disability in the top tier means designing it from the outset, not as an adjunct. Where’s the blind person? The deaf one? the walk frame? Crutches? Electric trike/chair? That top tier needs to be replaced by disabled with a token ablebodied person, not the other way around.

Whataboutism. As explained, it's an infographic and not an exhaustive list. It shows why a private bike may sometimes still be accommodated in urban design where a private car isn't.

McGiver · 17-04-2021 7:23pm

serfboard wrote: »

Thanks for posting this, but it’s a complete waste of time talking shop.

Bus Connects is the only public transport solution being offered to Galway, and God knows that’s taking long enough.

Nationally speaking, the only other city in Ireland that might be offered light rail is Cork, and that’s still not definite.

Light rail is even behind the bypass, and that’s a decade away, if ever.

It would be far better, for former Green Party TD, Niall O’Brolochain, to be campaigning for Bus Connects, instead of organising this kind of event, but this, of course, is typical of the Greens and their train fetish.

Whilst I may agree this is the reality, I would ask why is this country run in a way that light rail totally common in European cities of 80-100k people all across the continent is only an option in 1 city other than Dublin in Ireland...

McGiver · 17-04-2021 7:29pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This bit is very Galway

https://twitter.com/kieranryanphoto/status/1382281452969136128?s=19

It's embarrassing, they can't build a straight flat pavement and nice, or put bollards in a straight line. A concrete pavement done this way man... I feel sorry for the locals.

And I tottaly ignore the shocking condition this street pavements were in before... that was even more embarrassing, it was like being thrown into the Middle Ages, this is what these narrow broken pavements reminded me of. Just horse turd missing really...

cgcsb · 17-04-2021 7:47pm

McGiver wrote: »

Whilst I may agree this is the reality, I would ask why is this country run in a way that light rail totally common in European cities of 80-100k people all across the continent is only an option in 1 city other than Dublin in Ireland...

It's the way public transport projects are apprased in this country, the English way basically. The process is overly focused on capital cost.

what_traffic · 18-04-2021 8:39am

McGiver wrote: »

Whilst I may agree this is the reality, I would ask why is this country run in a way that light rail totally common in European cities of 80-100k people all across the continent is only an option in 1 city other than Dublin in Ireland...

But how much land do those City's take up? Thats the problem with majority of Irish Citys - they don't have the density any more.
Unless City densifies on its current area footprint then light rail wont be a runner for another generation. I think its a mid-to long term goal, a proper Bus spine network from East/West will need to be developed first that would in time be suitable to be converted over to a tram network.

18-04-2021 10:00am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Whataboutism. As explained, it's an infographic and not an exhaustive list. It shows why a private bike may sometimes still be accommodated in urban design where a private car isn't.

Dude, beyond the infograph.

Whataboutism is for things that don’t exist. Everyone needs to use what’s designed, or they’re forced into workarounds. My point on designing for disability instead of pedestrian is that pedestrians can make their way around obstacles easily, but disability requires design around lack of senses & mobility. You can throw down some gravel & call it a pedestrian way, but if you want it accessible, you’ll need to design a clear, smooth surface free of obstacles. It requires thought, as all tiers do, wherever the political activist morons (car drivers too BTW) slot the priorities

Galway traffic

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