Traffic in Rochestown in the mornings

Kazbah

Hi All,

Thinking of moving to the end of the Rochestown Road near the Harty's Quay development. Is the traffic bad here in the mornings? I start work at 9 in the city centre so can go through Douglas or the link. Any ideas ballpark how long it would take me to get there?

Also what is the number of the bus that goes by here, is it the Monkstown bus? Have a car but like to bus it from time to time.

Last question, how much roughly is a cab to the city centre?

Thanks!

up them Schteps

I think about 10 hours commute would be an average!

Owen

I moved out of Rochestown for a number of reasons. Traffic was one, the amount of pretentious twats was the other. If you're wondering what I mean about the latter, go for a pint in the Rochestown Inn on a Saturday.

Traffic in the morning is a complete nightmare, there's one lane which has to handle traffic from Monkstown, Passage and Rochestown, all crawling at 2mph in stop start traffic, and all trying to get on to the South Link road. To make matters worse, when you do join the South Link at the Bloomfield Interchange, the one lane backed up for miles you were on now joins another one lane backed up for miles coming from Carrigaline, and then once those two have mishmashed together, you then end up in another single lane trying to join the South Link. I was taking on average 35 minutes from my house, to get onto the Link, which at nighttime is about a 4 minute journey - and my petrol consumption was obscene. Because of the stop start traffic, I was going through about 80 Euro a week for nothing.

Avoid!

Johnnyjump

It'll get much worse in the coming weeks, now that schools and colleges will be back in full operation.

Kazbah

Ok thanks for that PaintDoctor, definately some food for thought. I had a suspicion the traffic was mayhem. Hmmm I really like the house so time to weigh up the pros and cons. I guess Mount Oval is the same story?

Owen

Mount Oval is pretty much the same. Avoid that part of Cork unless you cycle/drive a motorbike.

Kazbah

Yeah I have no reason to be out that far when I work/socialise in the city centre but the places nearer town are either much more expensive or shabbier.

Owen

Keep looking, I got a great house in Ballintemple, which had a whole new kitchen fitted before I signed the lease for 850 a month. I can be in town now in about 5 minutes, and have access to Douglas/Mahon Point too. Best location in Cork IMHO! Rent prices are coming down, and are negotiable too.

Kazbah

That's where I'm living at the moment Paint Doctor. Totally agree, great location. What do you think about Mahon, there is a new complex down there called Mariner's Hall. Is the traffic bad coming from Maryborough Hill as well? I'm looking for a one bed so there is not as much choice!

run_Forrest_run

as others have already said, the Rochestown road is chronic for traffic and I would know. I live in Passage and the little one has started school in Douglas so I have to hit the traffic at the worst time in the morning.

I now go along back roads just to travel 2 miles! What normally would take 5 minutes to get from Passage to the Esso station on a non-school morning it takes about 25 minutes at 8:30 on a school morning.

Bill-e

If possible can you change your start time to 9.15?
I live in rochestown also, I find that if you need to be in town for 9 then you must leave at 8.15. However, if you want to be in town for 9.15 you can literally leave at 9. The traffic is gone by 9.
also, if you go up coach hill and down clarkes hill it can often cut 5 or 6 mins off. They will eventually have to sort out this congestion issue, just imagine how horrid it will become once the kids of all these new families in the new estates each get a car for college etc!

The bus route is 223. Not the most timely, but I haven't used it in may years so it may have improved.
A cab to the city is €16 ish.
@PaintDoctor: I drink down the Inn! I'm not pretentious... but I know what you mean. New management now and there's a lot more riff raff coming down from Passage/Monkstown give it another try!

Kazbah

Bill-e wrote: »

They will eventually have to sort out this congestion issue

What do you think they can do long term?

Thanks for the info, 9:15 isn't an option (I wish)
LOL@the riffraff from Monkstown/Passage!

run_Forrest_run

I have written to our local councilor on this problem but he informed me that an IPO had been lodged for the land at the end of Clarke's hill (to accommodate the construction of traffic lights I presume). This was over a year ago and still no progress.
Mind you, I feel traffic lights will make it even worse, the sheer volume is the problem here (and lack of proper planning in the first place).

Outkast_IRE

I hope they dont put in traffic lights in my experience it makes it worse most of the time .
I live in togher they got rid of a perfectly good roundabout where at peak morning times it was backlogged a bit but always moving at a ok pace never really more then 10 min delay and put in traffic lights cue 20 odd min delays poorly thought out and caused mayhem , you know what they did turn off the lights and left them flashing amber and the traffic moves faster .......
So they got rid of a fine roundabout , turned off the traffic lights and now you have idiots who dont properly understand right of way ........ traffic planner should be brought out and shown it as an example of what not to do.

Kazbah

You should be able to get onto as well as off the link directly from Mount Oval.

Bill-e

Kazbah wrote: »

You should be able to get onto as well as off the link directly from Mount Oval.

Agreed, If they made a T junction going out of there it would help a lot with the Mount O Hell issue.
I reckon they they need to double up the lanes from clarkes hill to the round about, into one lane for town and another for douglas.
Or they could make the schools in the areas begin at different times like 8, 8.30 etc...

run_Forrest_run

Kazbah wrote: »

You should be able to get onto as well as off the link directly from Mount Oval.

yep, that's what any right thinking planner would have done but as it stands you can only come off the south ring onto Mount Oval. I was told that the developers (of Mount Oval) offered to build an entrance onto the south ring from Mount Oval but the planning authorities said no!
Now I'm not sure how true this is but it sounds like something a little upstart civil servant in the planning offices on a power trip would do.

Kazbah

The exit from the South Link into Mount Oval is so dangerous as well. No exit signs, no lights, it's like driving into the black hole of Calcutta!

Aglomerado

I used to live in Passage, and found this whole area a nightmare! I wouldn't recommend living there unless you have the patience of a saint, OP.

While I was there, I found a way around it...

This is a bit of a convoluted journey but far preferable to sitting in traffic. I worked in Mahon and used to come down to the Rochestown Road from the R/Town College direction, leave my car in the car park at Harty's Quay (opposite the Rochestown inn, two years since I've been there but it was always safe and free!) I used to walk down the old railway line up as far as Mahon (takes 20 minutes or less), come up onto the main road opposite the CSO. It meant I had to get up a bit earlier in the mornings but I was glad of the exercise. I've seen people cycling from there too.

There are plenty of bus stops in the area around Mahon servicing the city centre. (2, 19 and 10 if I remember correctly).

Just a thought, I realise not everyone has the time or energy to spare in the mornings!

run_Forrest_run

Aglomerado wrote: »

I used to live in Passage, and found this whole area a nightmare! I wouldn't recommend living there unless you have the patience of a saint, OP.

While I was there, I found a way around it...

This is a bit of a convoluted journey but far preferable to sitting in traffic. I worked in Mahon and used to come down to the Rochestown Road from the R/Town College direction, leave my car in the car park at Harty's Quay (opposite the Rochestown inn, two years since I've been there but it was always safe and free!) I used to walk down the old railway line up as far as Mahon (takes 20 minutes or less), come up onto the main road opposite the CSO. It meant I had to get up a bit earlier in the mornings but I was glad of the exercise. I've seen people cycling from there too.

There are plenty of bus stops in the area around Mahon servicing the city centre. (2, 19 and 10 if I remember correctly).

Just a thought, I realise not everyone has the time or energy to spare in the mornings!

why didn't you just cycle from Passage, along the river up to Harty's Quay and leave the car at home altogether? It's only a 5 or 10 minute cycle from the village along the river up to Harty's Quay. It's a nice relaxing commute compared to the grief I'm going through these days:mad:
Once I'm done with dropping off the little one to school in Douglas I have to make my way over to the Model Farm road! Now that's a bi*ch of a commute.

Aglomerado

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

why didn't you just cycle from Passage, along the river up to Harty's Quay and leave the car at home altogether? It's only a 5 or 10 minute cycle from the village along the river up to Harty's Quay.

I was often tempted to do this, a lovely idea certainly, especially in the mornings, but struggling with a bike back up to the top of Church Hill every evening put me off!

run_Forrest_run

Aglomerado wrote: »

I was often tempted to do this, a lovely idea certainly, especially in the mornings, but struggling with a bike back up to the top of Church Hill every evening put me off!

ah! That's some hill alright.

Kazbah

You'd think the sheer volume of people who might complain to the council in Mount Oval and the price they paid for those houses that something would get done!

run_Forrest_run

Kazbah wrote: »

You'd think the sheer volume of people who might complain to the council in Mount Oval and the price they paid for those houses that something would get done!

never mind the people in Mount Oval, they have hardly any delay, sure the 2 mile backlog leading up to where the traffic from Mount Oval joins (the end of Clarke's hill) is one of the major reasons for the backlog! People letting cars out constantly. The Mount Oval traffic may only be delayed by 5 minutes whereas the traffic from further down Rochestown and from Passage & Monkstown could be delayed by about 25 minutes.

Ludo

But no-one gives a **** about people from Passage mainly coz most of them are only heading to the dole office anyway

bladebrew

Ludo wrote: »

But no-one gives a **** about people from Passage mainly coz most of them are only heading to the dole office anyway

:eek:

bladebrew

thank christ i read this thread,i was considering moving to hartys quay,i kept showing the g/f pics of the apartments etc etc trying to convince her,just aswell we didnt i would have torn all my hair out by now:D

damn i hate traffic!

run_Forrest_run

bladebrew wrote: »

thank christ i read this thread,i was considering moving to hartys quay,i kept showing the g/f pics of the apartments etc etc trying to convince her,just aswell we didnt i would have torn all my hair out by now:D

damn i hate traffic!

good call!

run_Forrest_run

Ludo wrote: »

But no-one gives a **** about people from Passage mainly coz most of them are only heading to the dole office anyway

or just heading up the road to Upper Rochestown to relieve the residents of some of their possessions;)

michdinn

Hi, would anyone have an update on traffic in the mornings? Has it improved or is it still a nightmare?

evilivor

michdinn wrote: »

Hi, would anyone have an update on traffic in the mornings? Has it improved or is it still a nightmare?

Wow. 5 year old zombie thread.