Ballina's 1-way system

Captain Slow IRL

Who's the fupping gobsheen in charge of the 1-way system around the bridges? While it wasn't perfect, it worked a lot better with the yield signs - now it's "maintain lane discipline":rolleyes: WTF does that mean to the farmer/old person/inexperienced driver? - it means either drive straight on without looking at who's coming or just stop, look confused and hold up everyone behind you. Why does everything have to be made as complicated as possible?! With the yield signs, the circle around the bridge was like a big roundabout, and was starting to make sense just in time for them to change it.

What's gonna be the story if there's a crash now - 50/50 blame? It's only gonna be a matter of time, I've had to make 1 or 2 evasive maneuvres over the last week.

Who would you have to write/talk to to display your anger at their fcuking stupidity?

alex73

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Who's the fupping gobsheen in charge of the 1-way system around the bridges? While it wasn't perfect, it worked a lot better with the yield signs - now it's "maintain lane discipline":rolleyes: WTF does that mean to the farmer/old person/inexperienced driver? - it means either drive straight on without looking at who's coming or just stop, look confused and hold up everyone behind you. Why does everything have to be made as complicated as possible?! With the yield signs, the circle around the bridge was like a big roundabout, and was starting to make sense just in time for them to change it.

What's gonna be the story if there's a crash now - 50/50 blame? It's only gonna be a matter of time, I've had to make 1 or 2 evasive maneuvres over the last week.

Who would you have to write/talk to to display your anger at their fcuking stupidity?

both lanes can't enter the bridge, there is the right of way for 1 lane (the one cloestest to moy and the other has to stop for oncoming traffice. you will know you have the right of way as ther are no double white lines

steph1

Ballina Town Council would be the ones to contact I imagine.

Captain Slow IRL

alex73 wrote: »

both lanes can't enter the bridge, there is the right of way for 1 lane (the one cloestest to moy and the other has to stop for oncoming traffice. you will know you have the right of way as ther are no double white lines

That's contradictory to what the road signs are saying - they used to have yield signs up but have removed them along with the road markings.

Paul4As

My own take on the new signs are that the more agressive driver is going to be able to change lanes quite easily...while the more cautious one is just going to have to wait!
They should revert to the yield system they had if they want to avoid road rage and possible accidents!
I have to laugh at the small zebra crossing tracks they have marked on the roads for pedestrians...the ones I used on Saturday close to the Auld Shebeen...cars just drove on by me without stopping!

Captain Slow IRL

It's frustrating to come around the corner at Clare St. and at the bottom of Ardnaree to find traffic stopped for pedestrians - not that I'm having a go at the pedestrians but why put a crossing just around a corner?

You think they'd put up some traffic lights to allow pedestrians to cross safely - the flashing amber doesn't get much attention and the majority of people cross a good distance down from the crossings.

unit 1

steph1 wrote: »

Ballina Town Council would be the ones to contact I imagine.

Sorry don't you mean Ballina Clown Council.

steph1

unit 1 wrote: »

Sorry don't you mean Ballina Clown Council.

:D

Bob the Builder

Yeah, I'm in with ye guys on this. I think it was bad both ways, but at least the way it was - it worked.

finisklin

The unfortunate thing is that the changes are permanent......no matter how much gridlock is caused! Definitely agree that the removal of the yield signs hasn't helped. The right of way is now a free for all and is like a game of chicken......who ever backs down goes onto the bridges second!

The thing that bugs me is the new signs as you approach the lower bridge from Clare st (Sligo side)....it is one complicated sign that takes your attention away from the road and is so confusing and difficult to interpret that it should be on Podge and Rodge.

Who has responsibility for the signs - the Town council or the NRA?

If I can, I will get a picture of the sign and post it up for pig iron!

steph1

When the yield signs were there people payed no heed to them either. A few occasions where I had the right of way people just continued on through the yield signs I nearly got clattered one day :rolleyes:

Captain Slow IRL

Now people are acting as if the yield signs are there! I've been in a few near-misses myself, have to go around both bridges in the morning - it'll wake you up if you're half asleep!

Ilovelucy

Up to now it I understood it to be that once you were on the loop of the bridges then you had right of way now it's every man for himself practically.

mickdw

Have they changed it again since the major changes a few months back?

The way that they are forcing all the traffic from sligo side up from the bridge to the junction restaurant doesnt seem to be a good idea to me. I havent been there at a very busy time though to see how its working

unit 1

steph1 wrote: »

:D

Remaned some years ago from Ballina Urban Disaster council.:D

steph1

unit 1 wrote: »

Remaned some years ago from Ballina Urban Disaster council.:D

:D

finisklin

Somebody got paid a lot of money to pull this sign together......keeping it simple wasn't in the brief! Fair enough if you are local and you have familiarity with going around the bridges and the one way system.

However, if you are a visitor and you are trying to process all the information on this sign, synthesise this with getting to your destination or even worse co-ordinating with your sat nav ( :mad: ) and AT THE SAME TIME KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD and stay between parked cars and on coming traffic is a challenge Michael Schumacher would be daunted by.

It's not clear how you get to Killala......exactly?

By the way what does it mean? :eek:

It's definitely one BUSY sign!

mickdw

Doesnt look like a bad sign imo.

First left - swiming
Second left bonniconlon

No access to first bridge
All other routes over second bridge.

I dont think there is alot wrong with that sign but sending all the traffic over the second bridge and up through one narrow street that comes to an uncontrolled junction is asking for trouble with backing up of the traffic very likely

unit 1

You people in Ballina dont know how lucky you are. None of the last 4 roundabouts built in Castlebar have any directional signs at all. I kid you not
1 at lidl
2 at breaffy road (the one with 10,000 euro tree RIP)
3 at entranct to old aldi
4 at mcdonalds
:mad:

finisklin

Looks like the council have been reading this thread.....they are now putting up sign posts to surrounding towns etc at the main junctions on the bridge (West's, Val Jackson's etc.). It's great to see some really good planning and organisation from the council.

I love the Beware sign when coming across the lower bridge to alert cars travelling up cathedral road of on coming traffic (that doesn't have to stop or give way). Apparently, when the council replaced the yield signs with the stay in lane signs, they inadvertently forgot to let the Gardai in Ballina know!

I think this contrast with the Magic Roundabout's in Castlebar (where there are no sign posts, pointed out by the previous poster) show's the extreme's that our council's go to to be either very very good or very very bad! Though in Ballina's case it is extreme.....

It's gonna be an interesting Summer.....if we get the tourists!

unit 1

They are obviously waiting for everyone to have a satnav before they start putting up the missing signs.

finisklin

I see Pearse street is closed off now.....apparently they have to redig the road after the original levels were wrong!

Needless to say all the traders are none too happy. Won't be opened up to traffic till mid June. The taxi rank is now split between the former bank of Ireland and a small rank on O'Rahilly Street.

steph1

The street is closed until 9th June - thats what I was told by the Town Clerk. There are talks of it being pedestrianised. Not sure on that one.
The traders are not happy and I suppose you cannot blame them either with the downturn in business in general. I was in the town there last week in the middle of the afternoon and it was like a ghost town apart from traffic.
In relation to the taxis the rank at O'Rahilly Street is a temporary one. And as a taxi driver I really wish the people would stop parking in those spaces - they are clearly marked out.
Its amazing at a time of recession that the Council felt the need to dig up the place again and of course not only did they do that but decided to do more works on the Sligo Road and the temporary traffic lights. I was heading to Sligo one evening recently and it took me nearly 20 minutes to get from Bohernasup to the turn for Bunree Road.

westtip

OP I think the new one system is much better it just needs the muppet drivers in Ballina to get used to merging lanes and drive accordingly - I cannot understand, why when driving from the (N59 sligo side) Quays traffic waits to give way to traffic coming out of town on the bridge - just keep moving in the left hand lane, indicate and change lanes somewhere between the bridges, ok approach with care - the same on the turn right across the bridge, approach with care and do an alternate car move from lane to lane on the bridge if you want to go that way or stay in lane if turning right back down the quay. Then when approaching the next bridge both lanes of traffic should keep moving slowly onto the bridge and make the change lanes movement on the bridge. Coming out of town we have terrified rabbits sitting waiting to see what traffic is coming onto the bridge; just drive slowly onto the bridge and use the bridge to change lanes if needs be.


Mirror signal manouevre or have we all forgotten or never knew how to drive in these situations.

Captain Slow IRL

westtip wrote: »

OP I think the new one system is much better it just needs the muppet drivers in Ballina to get used to merging lanes and drive accordingly - I cannot understand, why when driving from the (N59 sligo side) Quays traffic waits to give way to traffic coming out of town on the bridge - just keep moving in the left hand lane, indicate and change lanes somewhere between the bridges, ok approach with care - the same on the turn right across the bridge, approach with care and do an alternate car move from lane to lane on the bridge if you want to go that way or stay in lane if turning right back down the quay. Then when approaching the next bridge both lanes of traffic should keep moving slowly onto the bridge and make the change lanes movement on the bridge. Coming out of town we have terrified rabbits sitting waiting to see what traffic is coming onto the bridge; just drive slowly onto the bridge and use the bridge to change lanes if needs be.


Mirror signal manouevre or have we all forgotten or never knew how to drive in these situations.

I see you used "slowly" a few times:rolleyes:
The current set up is stupid - the 2 bridges should be treated as a roundabout; if you're in the loop, you have right-of-way. What about anyone turning up to the swimming pool? If they have to wait for people coming in the sligo road to give way, they could be waiting a long time and in the process hold up traffic from dillon tce and from the funeral home.

There is no consistency to how people are using it and with the current signs, it's no wonder

Ilovelucy

I agree about the swimming pool turn quandry. I was on the lower bridge yesterday and wanted to go up Cathedral Road but was behind a car who wanted to use the swimming pool turn and whom waited until the road was clear - lots of horn blowing from behind me ensued. With Pearse Street closed it is easy for the traffic to back up very quickly.

Ilovelucy

Accident at Katies Corner today and it caused such disruption because of the one way system. All cars had to go round the bridges some twice as there was no one directing cars at the lower bridge to say Abbey Street was closed eventhough there were loads of gaurds around as it was a Garda that was involved in the accident. Took me 45 mins to do what should have been less than a 5 min spin home.

am i bovvered

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

What about anyone turning up to the swimming pool? If they have to wait for people coming in the sligo road to give way, they could be waiting a long time and in the process hold up traffic from dillon tce and from the funeral home.

I agree it could be set up better, but to me it seems clear that traffic coming from sligo should not stop, the whole point is to try to keep traffic moving. The amount of cars that might turn up the the swimming pool is minimal compared to the traffic coming in from Sligo. Maybe a solution would be to use the cathedral entrance to enter the swimming pool or school and the current entrance as an exit ?? just a thought.

Another thing is why do drivers feel they need to get in lane within the first 10 metres of entering Cathedral road, it is quite long enough to give everyone enough time to move into the correct lane without anyone needing to stop.

finisklin

Ilovelucy wrote: »

Accident at Katies Corner today and it caused such disruption because of the one way system. All cars had to go round the bridges some twice as there was no one directing cars at the lower bridge to say Abbey Street was closed eventhough there were loads of gaurds around as it was a Garda that was involved in the accident. Took me 45 mins to do what should have been less than a 5 min spin home.

Apparently it was a ban garda on a bicycle and she was on the phone at the time...she hit a pot hole and then got knocked down! I think she broke her arm.....was lucky though.

Brian Cowen's presence had the town and all public officials on high alert.....not sure why?

finisklin

It now looks like Pearse St. won't be ready till after June 9th...apparently problems on the AIB end of the street were underestimated.

steph1

Well lets hope it is all finished and sorted before the Festival in July.
The Council should really go and pay the workers the overtime and let them do these works at night. There is hardly anyone out at night now during the week and it would have been the right time to do it. Plus it would have helped the traders and businesses in the town too. The whole place is a mess.