M50 upgrade - Phase II

MrDerp

pc123 wrote: »

Between 8.30 and 9 - I'm usually exiting the M50 NB at this time but have never seen it this bad.

Sounds like daft lane merging to me. People will get used to the layout. It's now as it was before (minus the roundabout) going from m50 roundabout Westbound: Left lane for blanchardstown, Middle and right to stay on N3.

When I passed at 8am the right lane was practically empty. The middle lane was full of people that didn't realise they could use the right lane. The left lane was laden with drivers trying to merge into the middle lane having realised too late that they couldn't go straight on from the left lane.

I went cautiously down the right lane, letting people in where necessary. The last piece of the problem from what I saw was unforgiving drivers zooming down the right lane, intimidating anyone in the middle from merging over.

I can't comment for the m50 NB off-ramp, but I came from m50 SB and the signage was quite late (after m50 roundabout) identifying the new lane setup. Otherwise more cars surely would have hit the right lane whilst still on the m50 roundabout. I was at the tail of the middle lane, just past the roundabout, and I struggled to shift over with aggressive driving on the right lane. Since you can't trust drivers in Ireland to indicate leaving a roundabout, or proceed cautiously past a stopped queue from which cars may attempt a merge, it was a dodgy manouvere for me.

But like I say, people will soon get used to it. Not everyone gets up to speed in advance on boards I used to take the m50 NB off ramp for the N3 in the mornings, and I recall it was left-lane for blanch, middle/right for n3. I'm sure people will get used to this again while they await completion of the new bridges.

pc123

Yes hopefully you're right. People are probably reluctant to use the right lane at first since it used to get blocked at the roundabout. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow as people get used to it

johnnyrotten

Is the M50 NB to M1 South freeflow now open?

micawber

MrDerp wrote: »

Sounds like daft lane merging to me. People will get used to the layout. It's now as it was before (minus the roundabout) going from m50 roundabout Westbound: Left lane for blanchardstown, Middle and right to stay on N3.


But like I say, people will soon get used to it. Not everyone gets up to speed in advance on boards I used to take the m50 NB off ramp for the N3 in the mornings, and I recall it was left-lane for blanch, middle/right for n3. I'm sure people will get used to this again while they await completion of the new bridges.

There used to be a problem using the right hand lane in that traffic coming on to the roundabout from Blanchardstown village would often block entry of cars using the right lane on to the roundabout . New system should speed thing up.

Wibbler

Hi,

The lane markings on the M50 Nth bound leading to the N3 slip, seem to be incorrect to me. The heavy dashed line is between lane 1 (the left most lane) and lane 2, even though both lanes lead exclusively to the N3.

Shouldn't the heavy dashed line be between lane 2 and lane 3, instead to separate the exit lanes from the through lanes?

Part of the crazy jams at this stretch of the M50 seem to me to be caused by drivers who:

a) are staying on the M50, but get caught out and then have to quickly merge into lane 3 from lane 2.

b) sneaky cnuts who use the confusing layout as justification for a bit of queue jumping. I've seen drivers ignore a kilometer or two of tailback on the through lanes and nearly take the front off another vehicle as they force their way into the queue at the last minute. I wonder does it ever occur to them why there is a queue in the first place. :-)

Heroditas

Wibbler wrote: »

b) sneaky cnuts who use the confusing layout as justification for a bit of queue jumping. I've seen drivers ignore a kilometer or two of tailback on the through lanes and nearly take the front off another vehicle as they force their way into the queue at the last minute. I wonder does it ever occur to them why there is a queue in the first place. :-)

They don't even use the layout as justification. The signage is very clear even back as far as the toll bridge so they know which lane they should be in. They just can't be bothered queuing like everyone else.
This was compounded by the mess going westbound on the N3 when the lanes were reduced from 3 to 2. As a result, fewer cars could get onto the N3 during each lighting sequence and the tailbacks extended south along the M50

Wibbler

Heroditas wrote: »

They don't even use the layout as justification. The signage is very clear even back as far as the toll bridge so they know which lane they should be in. They just can't be bothered queuing like everyone else.

It's just human nature, I suppose. You'll always get a few people who just say 'feck this for a lark' and go for it. Problem, is once one driver does it, the queue is slowed further and it becomes a self-sustaining free-for-all. There should be a special corner of hell reserved for queue jumpers. (I've had plenty of time to consider their punishment as I sit in the traffic queues they cause :-)

Ditto, for the unauthorised use of the works access lanes / coned off lanes between the Ballymun and M1 exits. I'd love to see the Garda traffic corp police those. But perhaps I lack the initiative of those who have discovered a traffic lane that no one else uses.

Davy

johnnyrotten wrote: »

Is the M50 NB to M1 South freeflow now open?

Didn't seem so passing it earlier, possible its opening tonight as it was planned for today iirc

Absurdum

Davy wrote: »

Didn't seem so passing it earlier, possible its opening tonight as it was planned for today iirc

I'll let you know tonight

It looked like it was ready yesterday evening (from the M50 - M1 NB side anyway) so hopefully it will be!

johnnyrotten

Thanks

AlekSmart

You'll always get a few people who just say 'feck this for a lark' and go for it. Problem, is once one driver does it, the queue is slowed further and it becomes a self-sustaining free-for-all. There should be a special corner of hell reserved for queue jumpers.

This type of typically Irish,anti-social,one-upmanship, thuggish behavious is easily addressed IF the Authorities were of a mind to.

Deploying just one Garda Gatso van with it`s equipment correctly focused on the location would provide a healthy positive cash flow for the exchequer (Us !)...and in addition it would scald the ass off the smug gits who would have TOTALLY forgotten all about the incident by the time the Fixed Penalty dropped on their mat !

The Garda Authorities really do need to get over their misplaced fixation on Speed as the be-all and end-all of accident causation,cos there`s plenty of other carry-on presently ignored by the Authorites which is now becoming REALLY problematic as the M50 begins to resume shape.

Ditto, for the unauthorised use of the works access lanes / coned off lanes between the Ballymun and M1 exits. I'd love to see the Garda traffic corp police those.

I watched in sheer jaw-dropping disbelief on Sunday evening as a female driving a 2000 Dublin reg Nissan Almera tore along that rapidly narrowing "Service Lane" before colliding forcefully with several large traffic cones.....Ms Almera eventually stopped,reversed,drove at them again before eventually entangling one beneath her undercarriage...then she has the befuddled gall to get out and stare in disbelief at the resultant mess....I did`nt stop to render her any assistance,with a bit of luck she`s still there scratching her empty head

mackerski

Wibbler wrote: »

The lane markings on the M50 Nth bound leading to the N3 slip, seem to be incorrect to me. The heavy dashed line is between lane 1 (the left most lane) and lane 2, even though both lanes lead exclusively to the N3.

Shouldn't the heavy dashed line be between lane 2 and lane 3, instead to separate the exit lanes from the through lanes?

I think the lines are drawn correctly for what will be the final layout of the junction. Ultimately, three lanes will continue through the junction, and the lines reflect that.

I'm not entirely happy with this explanation, though, since they have also drawn N3 in big letters on the pavement of the left two lanes - one of these will ultimately need to be scraped off, so why not do the same with the heavy dashed line?

mackerski

johnnyrotten wrote: »

Is the M50 NB to M1 South freeflow now open?

I think you mean M50N-M50N (towards city). It's not open - I drove that way in the hope of surveying it for OpenStreetMap about an hour ago. Still coned off, but it looks ready to go.

It wasn't a wasted trip, though, as I was able to survey the replacement for Blanchardstown Roundabout. Getting rid of it was obviously the only way to stop calling it after the long defunct Scott's Restaurant...

givyjoe81

Not sure if phase 2 applies to the other end, i.e. past ballymount and onwards (heading south), but :eek: the traffic was shocking this morning heading that direction this morning. Took ten full minutes to get from Ballymount to tallaght exit and just say fook this and got off. Havent worked out that direction in a year and half so wasnt expecting that. Is it always that bad for future reference?!

Heroditas

givyjoe81 wrote: »

Took ten full minutes to get from Ballymount to tallaght exit and just say fook this and got off. Havent worked out that direction in a year and half so wasnt expecting that. Is it always that bad for future reference?!

10mins doesn't sound too bad! It took me 20 the other morning. :mad:

It'll be like that for another few weeks until the merge lanes at Ballymount aand Tallaght are fully finished

Redsoxfan

givyjoe81 wrote: »

Not sure if phase 2 applies to the other end, i.e. past ballymount and onwards (heading south), but :eek: the traffic was shocking this morning heading that direction this morning. Took ten full minutes to get from Ballymount to tallaght exit and just say fook this and got off. Havent worked out that direction in a year and half so wasnt expecting that. Is it always that bad for future reference?!

This morning actually seemed better than it has been for the past few weeks. We've been told by M50TrafficMgt that all lanes from Ballymount will be open before xmas. Works do look well advanced.

Absurdum

Absurdum wrote: »

I'll let you know tonight

It looked like it was ready yesterday evening (from the M50 - M1 NB side anyway) so hopefully it will be!

It wasn't open at midnight....looked like some line-painting trucks were on it though.

sk8board

Absurdum wrote: »

It wasn't open at midnight....looked like some line-painting trucks were on it though.

no sign of it open this morning either.

btw, can the public sector go on strike one day each week? was very easy get to work today, 26miles of half-empty roads.

M50 Traffic MGT

sk8board wrote: »

no sign of it open this morning either.

btw, can the public sector go on strike one day each week? was very easy get to work today, 26miles of half-empty roads.

M50 NB Freeflow to M1 SB to open Thursday morning at 6am

Praetorian

sk8board wrote: »

no sign of it open this morning either.

btw, can the public sector go on strike one day each week? was very easy get to work today, 26miles of half-empty roads.

Yes, civil servants can take a day off any time they want. 20 minutes to get to work this morning instead of 40-50 minutes. I thought the government had decentralised lots of departments / jobs ?

Jip

sk8board wrote: »

no sign of it open this morning either.

btw, can the public sector go on strike one day each week? was very easy get to work today, 26miles of half-empty roads.

Wasn't it just fantastic, maybe we, the private sector, should try force decentralisation (I know some of it is also due to kids off) as the city was bliss today. Plus it shows you how many bloody public servants we have, they were on every street corner making the place look tatty.

Cionád

Gardaí not issuing penalty points either, license to go as fast as you want in the buslane while on the phone :pac:

Stark

Jip wrote: »

Wasn't it just fantastic, maybe we, the private sector, should try force decentralisation (I know some of it is also due to kids off) as the city was bliss today. Plus it shows you how many bloody public servants we have, they were on every street corner making the place look tatty.

It was just the kids being off. The public servants would still have been travelling in order to to attend pickets.

Jip

Maybe, maybe not, not all public servants are picketing or supporting the strike, plus those who are don't all attend at the same time, they'd be doing 'shifts' if you like.

whosedaddy?

Cionád wrote: »

Gardaí not issuing penalty points either, license to go as fast as you want in the buslane while on the phone :pac:

What about traffic wardens? are they issuing parking tickets today? :rolleyes:

Cionád

whosedaddy? wrote: »

What about traffic wardens? are they issuing parking tickets today? :rolleyes:

LiveDrive said traffic wardens are striking but clampers are contracted so they will be out in force.

Stark

Cion&#225 wrote: »

LiveDrive said traffic wardens are striking but clampers are contracted so they will be out in force.

I figured as much. You don't need to be paid to be a **** anyway. That's just the gravy.

celticbest

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

M50 NB Freeflow to M1 SB to open Thursday morning at 6am

Hi M50 Traffic MGT,

Can you please answer the query on attachment below with regard to the opening of lanes on Thursday.

sk8board

Jip wrote: »

Maybe, maybe not, not all public servants are picketing or supporting the strike, plus those who are don't all attend at the same time, they'd be doing 'shifts' if you like.

I know we're heading way OT, but the ASTI strike ended at 10 this morning

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1119/1224259108318.html

a 90min strike. How much rostering and shifts does that require!

Davy

Cionád wrote: »

LiveDrive said traffic wardens are striking but clampers are contracted so they will be out in force.

I seen a traffic warden working today