Greenways [greenway map of Ireland in post 1]

Muckyboots · 29-11-2017 8:37pm

RHJ wrote: »

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Perhaps you are right, I could see this automated train/bus working quite well on some of the disused sections of line.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a26782/china-built-a-self-driving-something/

[/quote]
That just messes with the heads of the nostalgics. I think they call them "bendy buses" and they'll tell you the didn't work in Belfast but I'd be happy to get off my bike and let one of those pass.

trellheim · 01-12-2017 12:20pm

ROYAL CANAL GREENWAY – PROGRESS REPORT

Since my last update on the dedicated cycle and pedestrian route along the Royal Canal, Dublin City Council has made some changes to the planned programme of works, which has delayed the start of construction work. With regards the stretch between Sheriff Street Upper and the North Strand, the Transportation Department has added the upgrade of the Seville Place/Sheriff Street junction to the scheme. The detailing and agreement of additional elements of work with relevant parties, receipt of supplementary ground investigations information, the development of a rodent eradication specification and further work for addressing invasive species which had spread significantly since the previous survey undertaken by the City Council contributed to the delay. The initial phase of the tendering process has now been completed with Council officials expecting the second stage to start in November. In terms of Phase III of the project, between the North Strand Road and the Phibsborough Road, the Council has had to review the documentation surrounding the cost of the project, meaning that tender documents should now be issued in December 2017. Therefore, no construction work will begin on the site until mid-Spring 2018, which is disappointing.

https://raymcadam.com/

loyatemu · 01-12-2017 2:09pm

I think I said this earlier in the thread but if you reopen a rail line to Youghal and build loads of houses there (and in the intervening villages) as a result, 75% of those new residents will drive into Cork. Same goes for Gorey, Navan, Tuam, and all the other long-distance commuter towns. We should be concentrating development and mass transit investment in metro areas.

Coming back to greenways - how well used is the Athlone-Mullingar path? The more scenic greenways such as Achill and Dungarvan seem to be popular but many of the former rail lines being suggested run through fairly dull countryside - my recollection of the Youghal line is that it is largely dead straight and goes through flat fields; I had a look at the Kingscourt line on Google and it's also pretty dull looking.

serfboard · 01-12-2017 2:34pm

loyatemu wrote: »

The more scenic greenways such as Achill and Dungarvan seem to be popular but many of the former rail lines being suggested run through fairly dull countryside - my recollection of the Youghal line is that it is largely dead straight and goes through flat fields; I had a look at the Kingscourt line on Google and it's also pretty dull looking.

It all depends on what you think Greenways should be used for. For me, the primary benefit is for people in the local area to have a way which is completely segregated and free from vehicles, which enables local walking, running and cycling individuals and groups to exercise in comfort and safety while enjoying the fresh air.

If the route happens to be scenic, so much the better.

If tourists happen to use it - better again.

But these lines are never going to be re-used for railways, so the alternatives are either to leave them to be overgrown or squatted on, or to actually make use of them for public benefit.

When you see all the money being given out in sports grants, particularly to the GAA, which benefits nobody over the age of 35 in terms of activity, then converting unused rail lines to Greenways is small change.

Muckyboots · 01-12-2017 2:36pm

loyatemu wrote: »

Coming back to greenways - how well used is the Athlone-Mullingar path? The more scenic greenways such as Achill and Dungarvan seem to be popular but many of the former rail lines being suggested run through fairly dull countryside - my recollection of the Youghal line is that it is largely dead straight and goes through flat fields; I had a look at the Kingscourt line on Google and it's also pretty dull looking.

Friends of mine were on Mullingar-Athlone on a wet & windy Tuesday recently. High embankments and dead straight, but very busy with walkers and joggers. What impressed them most though was the number of cycling commuters ( they are easily identifiable) heading into work in Athlone. If you don't have so-called scenery you identify features. They enjoyed the day out btw and spent a few quid locally.

Muckyboots · 01-12-2017 2:58pm

loyatemu wrote: »

The more scenic greenways such as Achill and Dungarvan seem to be popular but many of the former rail lines being suggested run through fairly dull countryside - my recollection of the Youghal line is that it is largely dead straight and goes through flat fields; I had a look at the Kingscourt line on Google and it's also pretty dull looking.

Here is a little Christmas treat from the East Galway Greenway/ Railway Preservation People's Brigade. You can judge the scenic value for yourself, but there is no doubting the feature value of the old railway- https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2Fstationhousemedia%2FGreenwayBlues&h=ATO7iLlgSQUMfRq55cK8oK9bD2s9sl3-PxxLYHULfXoAF1QXo5ZSp2fhksXZAjmK3TEEIYUBlFs86nCcBc5SZXWd4lE9SZKOISUW8BhGdIPQuSGooSHK84-5yqWKVjhgpkb28rWF5VQ

RHJ · 01-12-2017 4:45pm

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loyatemu · 01-12-2017 5:13pm

RHJ wrote: »

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well that is the plan - you'll be able to cycle from Dublin to Athlone fairly soon along the Royal Canal and then the Mullingar-Athlone line. The next section from Athlone to Galway is being planned, but suffers from not having a canal, river or old railway to use.

RHJ · 01-12-2017 6:35pm

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riddlinrussell · 04-12-2017 12:55pm

Which line is that? Up from Athenry towards Sligo? I have that one on my map but if it isn't let me know where it is and I will get it added in.

Muckyboots · 04-12-2017 1:19pm

riddlinrussell wrote: »

Which line is that? Up from Athenry towards Sligo? I have that one on my map but if it isn't let me know where it is and I will get it added in.

It's Athenry-Claremorris and it's on the map. It's good to see the potential laid out on a national scale.

MichealD · 06-12-2017 8:14am

New Ross Greenway can be regional hub.

http://www.munster-express.ie/local-news/new-ross-greenway-can-be-regional-hub/

Surprised at some of the reservations by residents/farmers given the well publicised success of the nearby Deise Greenway.

Zubeneschamali · 06-12-2017 10:31am

MichealD wrote: »

Surprised at some of the reservations by residents/farmers given the well publicised success of the nearby Deise Greenway.

There are loads of hand-made amateur signs up all around Oughterard saying "No Greenway" on the old Galway-Moycullen-Oughterard-Clifden railway alignment.

Not sure what their beef is, although locals do seem to be anti-development generally, perhaps being afraid of being swallowed up as a Galway suburb as Moycullen has been.

Ste.phen · 06-12-2017 1:55pm

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

There are loads of hand-made amateur signs up all around Oughterard saying "No Greenway" on the old Galway-Moycullen-Oughterard-Clifden railway alignment.

Not sure what their beef is, although locals do seem to be anti-development generally, perhaps being afraid of being swallowed up as a Galway suburb as Moycullen has been.

I cycled out that way on a cross-country cycling trip in April and saw the same signs, it was baffling considering how little of anything else there is out there, but I guess some people out there object to everything

Relatedly, the Achill greenway is lovely, and the Mullingar-Athlone one is an excellent piece of infrastructure for a long cycle trip, but isn't lovely in and of itself.
I'd love to do it again once the canal greenway(s) are in place, as cycling on-road for lots of that journey wasn't super pleasant

riddlinrussell · 08-12-2017 6:01pm

I have mostly completed the Greenway Map

Probably a few too many routes there, a lot of them highly aspirational. But please tell me what you think and let me know if you've got news of any others!

Corca Baiscinn · 08-12-2017 8:54pm

Hi OP, Thank you and Well done! It's sad to see so few in the completed section but it really shows the potential for a greenway network and the all island dimension adds to it. You are missing a few completed sections, the ones I pointed out to you soon after you posted originally with your idea. The absences I noticed are the completed section of the Shannon Blueway, ie Acres Lake Drumshanbo to Battlebridge and Cloondara to Longford. Also I understood that the Carlingford to Omeath section of a planned cross border greenway is open.

lamaq · 09-12-2017 12:51am

riddlinrussell wrote: »

I have mostly completed the Greenway Map

Probably a few too many routes there, a lot of them highly aspirational. But please tell me what you think and let me know if you've got news of any others!

Good work with the map. The Royal Canal greenway is still mostly under construction in Longford right now though.

BowSideChamp · 10-12-2017 9:38am

riddlinrussell wrote: »

I have mostly completed the Greenway Map

Probably a few too many routes there, a lot of them highly aspirational. But please tell me what you think and let me know if you've got news of any others!

Brilliant map.

Imagine the health, community & tourism benefits if this plan was fully implemented

riddlinrussell · 11-12-2017 10:39am

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Hi OP, Thank you and Well done! It's sad to see so few in the completed section but it really shows the potential for a greenway network and the all island dimension adds to it. You are missing a few completed sections, the ones I pointed out to you soon after you posted originally with your idea. The absences I noticed are the completed section of the Shannon Blueway, ie Acres Lake Drumshanbo to Battlebridge and Cloondara to Longford. Also I understood that the Carlingford to Omeath section of a planned cross border greenway is open.

Cheers, I was so busy getting the lines down I forgot to update those! Now that the tracks for the majority are down its much easier to just move them between categories.

Iamaq, where on the Longford section isn't complete? I thought that it was essentially completed from the Meath border to the Shannon?

lamaq · 11-12-2017 11:29am

riddlinrussell wrote: »

Iamaq, where on the Longford section isn't complete? I thought that it was essentially completed from the Meath border to the Shannon?

Once you get past Longford Bridge (near Ballymahon), going towards Cloondara. Some sections are being worked on, others not.

Attached is one of the sections being worked on.

Green Party: Ossian Smyth · 11-12-2017 12:48pm

well done for making the map!

The Cherrywood-Cornelscourt is a planned 2km route through Cabinteely Park

http://ecouncil.dlrcoco.ie:9071/documents/s32311/Cherrywood%20Cornelscourt%20Greenway.pdf

Passage West to Carrigaline is also planned:
http://www.southernstar.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/04/11/4138049-passage-west-in-new-greenways-plan-but-kinsale-is-shelved-for-now/

riddlinrussell wrote: »

I have mostly completed the Greenway Map

Probably a few too many routes there, a lot of them highly aspirational. But please tell me what you think and let me know if you've got news of any others!

riddlinrussell · 11-12-2017 1:52pm

lamaq wrote: »

Once you get past Longford Bridge (near Ballymahon), going towards Cloondara. Some sections are being worked on, others not.

Attached is one of the sections being worked on.

Thanks for that, are both the Longford 'Branch' and the Shannon 'Branch' incomplete?

Green Party: Ossian Smyth wrote: »

well done for making the map!

The Cherrywood-Cornelscourt is a planned 2km route through Cabinteely Park

http://ecouncil.dlrcoco.ie:9071/documents/s32311/Cherrywood%20Cornelscourt%20Greenway.pdf

Passage West to Carrigaline is also planned:
http://www.southernstar.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/04/11/4138049-passage-west-in-new-greenways-plan-but-kinsale-is-shelved-for-now/

Thanks very much! I've added the changes you suggested, please feel free to distribute the map to the Green party if you like, although its definitely not up to any standard, more just an aspirational map.

Muckyboots · 11-12-2017 3:34pm

riddlinrussell wrote: »

Cheers, I was so busy getting the lines down I forgot to update those! Now that the tracks for the majority are down its much easier to just move them between categories.

Iamaq, where on the Longford section isn't complete? I thought that it was essentially completed from the Meath border to the Shannon?

From the Tuam Greenway FB page -Westport to Louisburg? http://www.mayonews.ie/news/31106-louisburgh-greenway-to-start-in-earnest-in-2018

Brilliant job BTW- I see one of our supporting TD's has shared the map.

riddlinrussell · 11-12-2017 3:40pm

Muckyboots wrote: »

From the Tuam Greenway FB page -Westport to Louisburg? http://www.mayonews.ie/news/31106-louisburgh-greenway-to-start-in-earnest-in-2018

Interesting, I'll try and find out the route for it and get it added.

Zubeneschamali · 11-12-2017 4:15pm

The Athlone to Ballinasloe route you show on that map is not the preferred one, I think, which runs SW from Athlone to Shannonbridge and up the old canal to Ballinasloe.

In this 2014 report, the preferred route is Option 3 (see map on page 29).

riddlinrussell · 11-12-2017 4:33pm

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

The Athlone to Ballinasloe route you show on that map is not the preferred one, I think, which runs SW from Athlone to Shannonbridge and up the old canal to Ballinasloe.

In this 2014 report, the preferred route is Option 3 (see map on page 29).

Thanks for that, the route shown would actually be a potential trail running directly alongside the main Dublin-Galway rail line. I still need to draw in the completion of the actual planned Athlone to Galway trail. Thanks for reminding me!

lamaq · 11-12-2017 6:34pm

riddlinrussell wrote: »

Thanks for that, are both the Longford 'Branch' and the Shannon 'Branch' incomplete?

The Longford branch is passable for a greenway and I don't think there are any plans to upgrade it further.

I only went as far as the turnoff for the Longford branch but I would say the rest of the main branch is still under construction.

Muckyboots · 15-12-2017 12:08pm

In the interest of factual debate here are the official stats for commuters travelling into Galway.
http://connachttribune.ie/19000-galway-workers-travel-around-county-city-work-587/

schemingbohemia · 15-12-2017 3:04pm

Of course the takeaway quote is:
"But it’s the numbers making that daily commute from so-called feeder towns that underline the need for a vastly improved city roads network" rather than, you know, public transport or cycling, quelle surprise Rodney.

Zubeneschamali · 15-12-2017 3:16pm

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Of course the takeaway quote is:
"But it’s the numbers making that daily commute from so-called feeder towns that underline the need for a vastly improved city roads network" rather than, you know, public transport or cycling, quelle surprise Rodney.

Well, when people are travelling 50-100K to work, cycling is not really an option.

Greenways [greenway map of Ireland in post 1]

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