traffic lights, zebra/pelican/pedestrain crossings

Mint Sauce

is it just me or is there just to many of these in sligo town, there must be at least 5 sets of traffic lights between the brigde and the start of the duel carriage way and the bridge on the relief road, with the phasing been changed every few weeks, is there a need for all of these, i know there is a number of juctions on the relief road, but surly a couple of roundabouts, and or pedestian footbrige/underpasses would allow the traffic to flow easier,

now on castle street and john street a number of crossings have sprung up, a traffic light controlled perdestrian crossing out side the 4lights at the top of o'connell street, on an already congested stretch of road, and two zebra crossing within a couple hundred yards of each other on castle street,

now i understand people need a safe place to cross, especially partially sighted, old and young, but where has the thought been put to where these are located, also noticed that the two crossing that where in place near the catherdial behind wine street car park have also been painted over, on a much wider stretch of road with faster moving traffic, compared to that of the top of o'connell street and castle street, surly a safe place to cross would be required here,

ps, i'm not a road user, but a pedestrian

darealtulip

the lights aren't coordinated either, no such thing as a green wave! it's stop go stop go, drives me nuts!

Xiney

I think the less easy it is to drive around town, the easier it will be to convince people to park slightly out of it and walk around in it.

I'm all for it... we could all use some more physical activity and utilitarian exercise is where it's at.

Mint Sauce

Xiney wrote: »

I think the less easy it is to drive around town, the easier it will be to convince people to park slightly out of it and walk around in it.

I'm all for it... we could all use some more physical activity and utilitarian exercise is where it's at.

but its the positioning that confuses me, two zebra crossings right beside each other on castle street, and the ones removed from the back of wine steet car park and in front of the catherdial, where one is really need where two one way systems meet at the top of markaquich road, totally spealt wrong, close to just over the bridge neat the glass house, a crossing or traffic controlled, am very surprised there is not more acidents at that point

Xiney

Oh, don't get me wrong. The traffic system in Sligo is completely insane and unworkable.

But this town wasn't built for modern traffic - it's never going to be useable until they get those elevated tubes that people whoosh through.

darealtulip

I think that they should make Castle Street a pedestrian area as well. move the markets (organic+normal+french) to the main streets. Move Tesco out of the town centre. you dont really need a car in those streets and the parking is the same as we're all use now. If the just make a bridge from the hospital/school area over the river it will lead the traffic away from the bridge near toffs. And people can come more easy to the other side of town without going through castle street

Mint Sauce

darealtulip wrote: »

I think that they should make Castle Street a pedestrian area as well. move the markets (organic+normal+french) to the main streets. Move Tesco out of the town centre. you dont really need a car in those streets and the parking is the same as we're all use now.

tbh, the traffic is already a mess, rerouting it away from castle street would make that area easier for pedestians, and putting the traffic else where, but the only route i can imagine for it to go instead would be up the perse road and back down mail coach road, cant see the local traffic likeing that

darealtulip wrote: »

If the just make a bridge from the hospital/school area over the river it will lead the traffic away from the bridge near toffs. And people can come more easy to the other side of town without going through castle street

thisnk the council might already be in advance plans for something similar, wasn't there discusions for a bridge past the blue lagoon

magnumlady

Its a shame some drivers don't have a clue that they are meant to stop at pedestrian crossings.

sobriquet

irish-stew wrote: »

thisnk the council might already be in advance plans for something similar, wasn't there discusions for a bridge past the blue lagoon

Aye, the eastern bridge. Good few links to the weekender there.

Traffic just isn't ever going to be suited to Sligos' medieval streetplan. The more of it doesn't come into the town at all the better, which seems to be the overall aim of the traffic plans. As darealtulip says, making the town centre more pedestrian friendly is a good idea (towns are for people after all, not cars). Don't like the idea of Tescos (or an equivalent service) leaving though. Getting the shopping done on foot gets tricky when everything keeps getting pulled out to retail parks outside town, I don't want to see that situation getting worse.

As it is I think the one way system has improved throughput, traffic seems to move more and spend less time at lights than it used to. There's always a bottleneck though, and the junction at John St and Adelaide St etc is pretty bad. I've thought about that and I've no idea how it'd be solved.

Big_Mac

Ok, I've figured this conundrum out.

Remember when the Johnsons court was being developed? They closed off one footpath completely and as a result had to put in pedestrian crossings to allow safe passage across the road if they are closing it off. Thats why they got rid when the building was finished. Same goes here. There are redeveloping two shops in Castle St. (I think it ties in with the development in high st.) They have closed off one section of the footpath and have to provide safe passage to and from the other side of the road, hence the padestrian crossings.

Not much point in doing this though, as most road users don't know how to use them, or they just don't stop regardless:mad:

Mint Sauce

Big_Mac wrote: »

Ok, I've figured this conundrum out.

Remember when the Johnsons court was being developed? They closed off one footpath completely and as a result had to put in pedestrian crossings to allow safe passage across the road if they are closing it off. Thats why they got rid when the building was finished. Same goes here. There are redeveloping two shops in Castle St. (I think it ties in with the development in high st.) They have closed off one section of the footpath and have to provide safe passage to and from the other side of the road, hence the padestrian crossings.

Not much point in doing this though, as most road users don't know how to use them, or they just don't stop regardless:mad:

or, its bumper to bumper and you just weave your way through on foot

although the ones on castle street seem more perminate, what with them coming out from the pavement leaving a layby between the two, and brail paving for pariatly sighted

Xiney

sobriquet wrote: »

Don't like the idea of Tescos (or an equivalent service) leaving though. Getting the shopping done on foot gets tricky when everything keeps getting pulled out to retail parks outside town, I don't want to see that situation getting worse.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: They should open up the rest of the arcade (with conway's, oheir's, travel agents etc) and make the whole thing a big Tesco. It's the only way that'll ever be a nice grocery store.

And they should build a multi storey parking garage in the wine street car park - where people can park and then walk around the town.

il gatto

magnumlady wrote: »

Its a shame some drivers don't have a clue that they are meant to stop at pedestrian crossings.

A more interesting phenomenon is the placing of some crossings on top of speed ramps. Many less observant pedestrians seem to have taken this to mean every ramp is a crossing. I've nearly killed people who've strolled out in front of me without even looking, and then glare at me like I've done something wrong At the bottom of Lake Isle road and then at the corner of the Embassy are prime examples.
And by the way Xiney, not everyone needs of wants "utilitarian exercise" forced on them. Not the reasons I would cite for pedestrianising the town center.

darealtulip

sobriquet wrote: »

Don't like the idea of Tescos (or an equivalent service) leaving though. Getting the shopping done on foot gets tricky when everything keeps getting pulled out to retail parks outside town, I don't want to see that situation getting worse.

I do agree with you but a lot of people like me are not from sligo town and do our weekly shop at Tesco. We ddrive now to Enniskillen or Carrick because of the parking problems at Sligo's Tesco. Maybe have 2 Tesco's but i dont think Sligo is big enough for that.

The parking is a real problem when you do you weekly shop, if we just go for anything else you can park any where and then there is lots of it.

it will free up the carpark aswell.