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Cycling/Walking around the city

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    #1292
    galwaycyclist
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭galwaycyclist


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    So help me understand what is being suggested then.

    To help put it in very concrete terms, please think about a journey I currently make: I live near Merchants Rd. Once a month, I go to an even in Salthill with a friend from Renmore, which is attended by some people who live in town and some who live out in Connemara.

    Usually, I go there on the bus, and my friend gives me a lift home - about 1am in the morning.

    Now, under some scenarios I've heard here, Wolfe Tone Bridge would be a cul-de-sac - accessible by pedestrians, and those cyclists who chose to dismount their vehicles and wheel them across manually. I think that in this case, I would have to walk to the Claddagh, and could then catch a bus to Salthill from there. Or perhaps the bus would have to go via the Quin... bridge too.

    Under another scenario, the bridge would still be open, but only to taxis and other public transport vehicles (so hired bicycles ok, private ones not). In this scenario, I could still catch the bus from Eyre Square and it would go over the bridge.

    Either way, at 1am my friend would still have to drive from Salthill out to Newcastle, cross the bridge there and then come right back in to town to drop me home. Or (scenario 2), I would catch a taxi home and travel the direct route, while she goes out to Newcastle and then along the ring road until Bohermore.

    Am I getting this? What am I missing? Or should I just not be choosing to socialise with people who live so far away from me???


    Hmm you appear to be inventing all manner of things that were not suggested - rental bikes?.

    It works like this. You go to out to your event you go whatever way you always go.

    If someone wants to bring you home in a private car you have choices.

    1. They can bring you as far as the Claddagh and you can walk the 365m to Merchants road.

    2. If for some reason they want to drop you to your door - then they find their way to the Quincentenial Bridge - get to the east side of the city and drive to your door.

    You can also get the bus, get a taxi, walk from Salthill to Merchants Road, or use a bike.

    Edit: For completeness I should also point out that I believe in common law there is also a right to travel by horse on public roads.


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    #1293
    what_traffic
    Registered Users Posts: 4,884 ✭✭✭what_traffic


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    To help put it in very concrete terms, please think about a journey I currently make: I live near Merchants Rd. Once a month, I go to an even in Salthill with a friend from Renmore, which is attended by some people who live in town and some who live out in Connemara.
    Now I would say to you here - think about the quality of your life in the Merchants Rd area the other 30 days. You would not have all this through traffic. Could be the start of revitialising the Dock Rd and Merchants Rd area as a place to live.


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    #1294
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,731 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    what_traffic wrote: »
    Now I would say to you here - think about the quality of your life in the Merchants Rd area the other 30 days. You would not have all this through traffic. Could be the start of revitialising the Dock Rd and Merchants Rd area as a place to live.

    Are you having a laugh? Do you realise that there are already hundreds of apartments in the area, and that revitalisation happened years ago???

    IMHO of all the things we could complain about, traffic is pretty close to the last issue to be causing a problem. In fact, less frequent traffic would be faster moving - and I know from previous houses that a car going past every minute or two is harder to ignore than a steady hum of constant traffic.

    The biggest problem IMHO is random yelling and thuggery on the street - the passive surveillance provided by through traffic (far from all taxis late at night, btw) is one of the things keeping it at bay. I don't think I'd like to walk home from Shop St to my apartment at night without cars being around, in fact.

    Other problems would be litter/vomit (from all the charmers who are on foot in the streets at night), rubbish disposal (we can't have bins, many of us have nowhere to put them, but that leads to seagulls with their noise and ****), noise from the scrap metal heap being loaded (only happens occasionally), noise and the feeling of dread every time we hear the chopper over the bay/docks/river.

    Traffic? On the scale of things, not a bother.


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    #1295
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    what_traffic wrote: »
    Now I would say to you here - think about the quality of your life in the Merchants Rd area the other 30 days. You would not have all this through traffic. Could be the start of revitialising the Dock Rd and Merchants Rd area as a place to live.

    Its a city centre, if you want no traffic live in a rural area. The city should be open to everyone to drive through the city is there to benefit everyone not a select few who live in it.

    All these nonsense ideas of banning cars from the city, making parking rates extortionate etc (thus severely impacting on those of us who travel into the city and unfairly benefiting those who live in the city) need to be confined to the rubbish bin.

    In any case it doesn't matter as I reckon the few posters here suggesting these things are the only people in the whole city who would want it such would be the unpopularity of it.


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    #1296
    Unrealistic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,248 ✭✭✭Unrealistic


    Camilo Tight Shrew wrote: »
    Its a city centre, if you want no traffic live in a rural area. The city should be open to everyone to drive through the city is there to benefit everyone not a select few who live in it.
    Just to be clear here does that mean you are advocating the reversal of the pedestrianisation of William Street, Shop Street, Abbeygate Street, Mainguard Street, High Street, Quay Street etc.?
    Camilo Tight Shrew wrote: »
    All these nonsense ideas of banning cars from the city, making parking rates extortionate etc (thus severely impacting on those of us who travel into the city and unfairly benefiting those who live in the city) need to be confined to the rubbish bin.
    Do you really believe restrictions on car traffic in city centres only/mainly benefits those who live there? As someone who doesn't live in the city centre but who frequently parks on the edge of the city centre (Cathedral/Dyke Road) in order to get there I can't say I agree with you. I'm happy to park on the edge and have the benefit of a pedestrianised zone within ten minutes walk from where I've parked. I don't see why you need to live in the city centre in order to benefit from it. It's enough to just be a user of the city centre.

    Camilo Tight Shrew wrote: »
    In any case it doesn't matter as I reckon the few posters here suggesting these things are the only people in the whole city who would want it such would be the unpopularity of it.
    That mirrors the position the traders on Shop Street took when pedestrianisation was first proposed but I doubt there would be a strong support base for it now.


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    #1297
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,521 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Camilo Tight Shrew wrote: »
    Its a city centre, if you want no traffic live in a rural area. The city should be open to everyone to drive through the city is there to benefit everyone not a select few who live in it.
    It's counter intuitive but it would also greatly benefit users, tourists, workers etc.

    Less congested streets means lower local pollution, increased response times by ambulances, fire brigade and gardai. It will also force improved public transport, which will also benefit from increased funding due to higher volume users.


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    #1298
    what_traffic
    Registered Users Posts: 4,884 ✭✭✭what_traffic


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Are you having a laugh? Do you realise that there are already hundreds of apartments in the area, and that revitalisation happened years ago???
    I dont think Merchants Rd or Dock Rd are as attractive places to live or shop etc as they could be. The area could be improved on for sure. A bit of imagination is all that is required here. Making Both Roads two way would bring down traffic speeds for starters.


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    #1299
    what_traffic
    Registered Users Posts: 4,884 ✭✭✭what_traffic


    Trenton Rhythmic Remote wrote: »
    Its a city centre, if you want no traffic live in a rural area. The city should be open to everyone to drive through the city is there to benefit everyone not a select few who live in it.

    All these nonsense ideas of banning cars from the city, making parking rates extortionate etc (thus severely impacting on those of us who travel into the city and unfairly benefiting those who live in the city) need to be confined to the rubbish bin.

    In any case it doesn't matter as I reckon the few posters here suggesting these things are the only people in the whole city who would want it such would be the unpopularity of it.

    Your spinning again Trenton Rhythmic Remote. Nobody here is saying car's should be banned from the City Centre. Stopping private car's from passing through the City Centre who have no business there is the point. It is a pretty much a mainstream idea and is used by many City's all over Europe.


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    #1300
    gordongekko
    Registered Users Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭gordongekko


    what_traffic wrote: »
    I dont think Merchants Rd or Dock Rd are as attractive places to live or shop etc as they could be. The area could be improved on for sure. A bit of imagination is all that is required here. Making Both Roads two way would bring down traffic speeds for starters.

    i dont think shop street is an attractive place to live and there is no traffic there, so its no direct correlation between traffic and attractiveness of an area to live.


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    #1301
    galwaycyclist
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭galwaycyclist


    gordongekko wrote: »
    i dont think shop street is an attractive place to live and there is no traffic there, so its no direct correlation between traffic and attractiveness of an area to live.

    So why are many housing developments built as cul-de-sacs?


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    #1302
    what_traffic
    Registered Users Posts: 4,884 ✭✭✭what_traffic


    gordongekko wrote: »
    i dont think shop street is an attractive place to live and there is no traffic there, so its no direct correlation between traffic and attractiveness of an area to live.

    Weak. It is very attractive place to shop, drink and eat though! Merchants Rd and Dock Rd on the other hand do not have a defined place function.


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    #1303
    what_traffic
    Registered Users Posts: 4,884 ✭✭✭what_traffic


    Galway Transport Strategy is very weak from what I have seen of it.
    However it does have the following interesting proposal.
    http://connachttribune.ie/transport-strategy-includes-high-frequency-luas-on-rubber-055/
    "
    The plans include a new car-free ‘Cross City Link’ – a route from University Road, across the Salmon Weir Bridge, Eglinton Street, Eyre Square and on to College Road, which will only be used by public transport, cyclists and pedestrians.
    "


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    #1304
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,731 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    what_traffic wrote: »
    Weak. It is very attractive place to shop, drink and eat though! Merchants Rd and Dock Rd on the other hand do not have a defined place function.

    Shop St is great for shopping and drinking - note that the city's planning rules actually don't allow any new eating establishments there, it's supposed to be a shopping zone, with eating in the side streets behind it.

    But it is a horrible place to live: Mr OBumble lived there for a while: Lack of cars makes space for drumming circles, which are regarded by many residents as the devil incarnate.

    Dock Rd has a very well defined role: it is the main access route to/from a working port. As long as their is a port in Galway, it will have this function, because there really are no other road options. This means that it has a volume of heavy-traffic vehicles - and these are part of the reason why it needs to be one-way. Merchants Rd supports this by going in the other direction. It does have a few shops, and many offices and apartments, but isn't really a shopping zone. It's more like the commercial zone (which most cities have separate to their tourist area), and I don't see traffic as an issue in this.


    A few things I'm wondering about in this discussion:

    What about the residents of The West / Newcastle: why should they have to have Salthill to city-east traffic going through their streets (which are far more restricted / suburban than the city centre)?

    Also, early statement were that private vehicles should be banned from Wolfe Tone Bridge. Bicycles are vehicles, so private ones would be included in this. But cyclists complain about one way streets where the alternative route adds only a few hundred metres to their journey - I cannot see them taking to travelling from Salthill to the city centre via the Quin bridge. Do you really see that as an working out?


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    #1305
    galwaycyclist
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭galwaycyclist


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Shop St is great for shopping and drinking - note that the city's planning rules actually don't allow any new eating establishments there, it's supposed to be a shopping zone, with eating in the side streets behind it.

    But it is a horrible place to live: Mr OBumble lived there for a while: Lack of cars makes space for drumming circles, which are regarded by many residents as the devil incarnate.

    Agreed but that is not a transport policy issue that is an issue of ineffective policing and a disregard by the police for the people who live in the city.
    Dock Rd has a very well defined role: it is the main access route to/from a working port. As long as their is a port in Galway, it will have this function, because there really are no other road options. This means that it has a volume of heavy-traffic vehicles - and these are part of the reason why it needs to be one-way. Merchants Rd supports this by going in the other direction. It does have a few shops, and many offices and apartments, but isn't really a shopping zone. It's more like the commercial zone (which most cities have separate to their tourist area), and I don't see traffic as an issue in this.

    Uh no. There is an active proposal before An Bord Pleanala at the moment to the effect that the harbour should have a separate road link parallel to the railway line. Port traffic should not be coming through any city centre.
    A few things I'm wondering about in this discussion:

    What about the residents of The West / Newcastle: why should they have to have Salthill to city-east traffic going through their streets (which are far more restricted / suburban than the city centre)?

    They already have this traffic I would say. At the moment I suspect some traffic for the east city centre - such as coming in the N59 - is already coming in Newcastle and working their way to Merchants Road etc from there.

    Ideally there would be more than one traffic cell on each side of the city and not just a simple split down the middle.
    Also, early statement were that private vehicles should be banned from Wolfe Tone Bridge. Bicycles are vehicles, so private ones would be included in this. But cyclists complain about one way streets where the alternative route adds only a few hundred metres to their journey - I cannot see them taking to travelling from Salthill to the city centre via the Quin bridge. Do you really see that as an working out?

    If that was what was stated then it should be corrected to read private "motor" vehicles.


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    #1306
    what_traffic
    Registered Users Posts: 4,884 ✭✭✭what_traffic


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Dock Rd has a very well defined role: it is the main access route to/from a working port. As long as their is a port in Galway, it will have this function, because there really are no other road options.
    This is incorrect. Lough Atalia is the main access route to the port and this is far from ideal. It is a actually a major weakness to the Galway Port's expansion proposal that they dont have better road access to the port. (See post from @GalwayCyclist)


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    #1307
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    On QB heading west at Newcastle junction, motorists are continuing to turn left onto Newcastle in front of cyclists - going straight ahead. There appears nothing that can be done about it as it's a slope heading west and traffic is fast when the light is green. I've had too many near misses.


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    #1308
    what_traffic
    Registered Users Posts: 4,884 ✭✭✭what_traffic


    snubbleste wrote: »
    On QB heading west at Newcastle junction, motorists are continuing to turn left onto Newcastle in front of cyclists - going straight ahead. There appears nothing that can be done about it as it's a slope heading west and traffic is fast when the light is green. I've had too many near misses.

    Photo of the spot is here
    http://www.independent.ie/life/city-cycling/cylists-have-their-say-the-worst-junctions-in-dublin-limerick-cork-and-galway-31385186.html
    "
    3) On the N6/N59/Newcastle Road junction, the red paint underneath the path of the truck is the cycle lane.
    Galway City Council says: "The markings on the road are there to reinforce the message to left turning motorists in particular, that there may be cyclists going straight through this junction and that they must exercise extreme caution when making a left turn."
    "


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    #1309
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    snubbleste wrote: »
    On QB heading west at Newcastle junction, motorists are continuing to turn left onto Newcastle in front of cyclists - going straight ahead. There appears nothing that can be done about it as it's a slope heading west and traffic is fast when the light is green. I've had too many near misses.

    Honestly I don't think this is a road layout issue, this is a driver behaviour issue.


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    #1310
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    Some more red plastic bollards erected on footpath edge at Upper Salthill opposite Blackrock.
    I assume these will be more common around the place?


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    #1311
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    Big signs blocking the bike path for weeks on BnaT from TuamRd heading west. It's downhill, and a cyclist has to mount the footpath to avoid them
    What do these bike path blocks say? Roadworks ahead (for motorists)


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    #1312
    gordongekko
    Registered Users Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭gordongekko


    snubbleste wrote: »
    Big signs blocking the bike path for weeks on BnaT from TuamRd heading west. It's downhill, and a cyclist has to mount the footpath to avoid them
    What do these bike path blocks say? Roadworks ahead (for motorists)

    Surely roadworks affect both motorists and cyclists?


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    #1313
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    gordongekko wrote: »
    Surely roadworks affect both motorists and cyclists?
    Well you'd think so, but no. The works are on the road only, not the bike path.
    The point is you wouldn't see the road blocked off by signs warning of works on the bike path only.


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    #1314
    gordongekko
    Registered Users Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭gordongekko


    snubbleste wrote: »
    Well you'd think so, but no. The works are on the road only, not the bike path.
    The point is you wouldn't see the road blocked off by signs warning of works on the bike path only.

    So would you want it on the road blocking traffic altogether?


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    #1315
    galwaycyclist
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭galwaycyclist


    gordongekko wrote: »
    So would you want it on the road blocking traffic altogether?

    Cyclists are traffic


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    #1316
    randomname2005
    Registered Users Posts: 1,932 ✭✭✭randomname2005


    gordongekko wrote: »
    So would you want it on the road blocking traffic altogether?

    That is one option. Another is to have horizontal arms attached to some of the existing infrastructure, 3 or 4 meters high, with this information.


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    #1317
    J.pilkington
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 1,331 ✭✭✭J.pilkington


    galwaycyclist wrote: »
    Cyclists are traffic

    And cyclists are selective, plenty of them refuse to use a cycle lane but if a sign is put put up to improve the road they cycle on you have uproar from the cyclists who don't even use them (and some other random people who don't even cycle but like giving out about things)


    I'm really disillusioned by this forum lately. The amount of negativity is shocking. Whinging, giving out, complaining about everything and anything even if it doesn't affect them in any way. So much of the posts are bad news, seems like they trive in it. It really looks like a lot of positive contributors have moved on. This needs to be tackled before all positivity is sucked out of the place so I'm going to start a thread


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    #1318
    endagibson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 382 ✭✭endagibson


    J.pilkington wrote: »
    if a sign is put put up to improve the road they cycle on you have uproar from the cyclists who don't even use them
    Don't use the road or don't use the sign? :confused:


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    #1319
    tenacious-me
    Registered Users Posts: 152 ✭✭tenacious-me


    J.pilkington wrote: »
    And cyclists are selective, plenty of them refuse to use a cycle lane but if a sign is put put up to improve the road they cycle on you have uproar from the cyclists who don't even use them (and some other random people who don't even cycle but like giving out about things)


    I'm really disillusioned by this forum lately. The amount of negativity is shocking. Whinging, giving out, complaining about everything and anything even if it doesn't affect them in any way. So much of the posts are bad news, seems like they trive in it. It really looks like a lot of positive contributors have moved on. This needs to be tackled before all positivity is sucked out of the place so I'm going to start a thread

    It's still a perfectly valid complaint about the sign blocking the cycle lane regardless of whether some cyclists do or do not use said cycle lane


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    #1320
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    A bus heading west got stuck in LowerSalthill again yesterday.
    This was caused by a car parked on double yellows at the central reservation, narrowing the road. I've seen it happen three times in the eight months! There was nobody in the car and it caused a long tailback. I really don't know how the bus drivers manage.
    https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2612673,-9.074623,3a,55.4y,203.54h,70.75t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJwSfCZtUwaSRHVtpAdMjqg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


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    #1321
    beardybrewer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,918 ✭✭✭beardybrewer


    Saw this article in the paper today making a point that cycling would be prohibited in all city parks. Seems a pity as they are a great place for kids to learn and build confidence.

    http://www.galwayindependent.com/news/topics/articles/2016/09/07/4126189-restrictive-park-byelaws-planned/


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