New Cycle lanes!

merlante

Daysha wrote: »

Are there even any signs erected saying that that stretch of road markings towards Newtown is in fact a bus lane? I was driving home for the first time in ages over the weekend so this was all new to me and I couldn't figure out for the life of me what that section was there for.

Good point. There are of course signs in the book to indicate such things. When you don't use the signs it's almost as if you're not sure whether you really want to go ahead with the whole thing or not...

Gadgie

There's a bus lane sign up just before the lane starts, and it's painted on the road within the bus lane.

Trotter

I was nearly mushed by a 4x4 today when I was heading towards town. Just on the corner after the Newtown roundabout, before the church.

The driver had the jeep at least 2 or 3 foot over the new white line in my lane, and was going at a hectic pace. I'd no choice but to swerve into the bus lane.

AGAIN.

19.5V

Today Wednesday 19th May at 11:00 am

jonnyfingers

19.5V wrote: »

Today Wednesday 19th May at 11:00 am

Parking on a bus lane, double yellow lines and up on the kerb!

dayshah

jonnyfingers wrote: »

Parking on a bus lane, double yellow lines and up on the kerb!

That photo gave me an idea.

Having a traffic warden walking around takes a lot of time to cover an area. Why not send them around in cars or bikes to nab such activity. Instead of filling out a slip they would just take a photo, and then you get your fine in the post similar to if you are speeding.

It wouldn't work in every street, but would be good for this sort of situation.

jonnyfingers

dayshah wrote: »

That photo gave me an idea.

Having a traffic warden walking around takes a lot of time to cover an area. Why not send them around in cars or bikes to nab such activity. Instead of filling out a slip they would just take a photo, and then you get your fine in the post similar to if you are speeding.

It wouldn't work in every street, but would be good for this sort of situation.

It would be a good idea but common sense has to prevail when it comes to installing bus lanes, cycle lanes, etc. For instance say there has been parking on the street outside your house for many years and suddenly a bus lane is put in there, there should be consideration for where people are going to park in future.

Also there are plenty of narrow roads that are set for two-way traffic where people park on the kerb purely to allow space for traffic to flow. Plenty of these roads have no double yellow lines so it is legal to park there. It would be unfair to punish this as obviously the road has not been planned properly. Indeed I know of a story where all residents on a similar street in Dublin were fined for parking on the kerb. So they all parked on the road, on both sides, and nobody could pass up or down the road. Needless to say they now park back on the kerb and receive no tickets!

Cabaal

jonnyfingers wrote: »

It would be a good idea but common sense has to prevail when it comes to installing bus lanes, cycle lanes, etc. For instance say there has been parking on the street outside your house for many years and suddenly a bus lane is put in there, there should be consideration for where people are going to park in future.

I see your point however times change,
You could use your argument for why should residents in the city have to pay a yearly charge given that they used to be able to park for free.

Times change so these things changed to, if you live in a city these are the things your going to have to deal with...paid parking.

The bus route itself is a good idea however the second idiots park in it its ****ed up for everyone.

galwaycyclist

Hi Folks

It may interest you to know, that Cyclist.ie the national umbrella body for cycle campaigns, has called for a moratorium on the construction of cycle lanes and tracks. As practised in Ireland, the construction of cycle facilities frequently makes cycling conditions worse not better. i.e. more dangerous and less convenient.

The Cyclist.ie policy document is here (the website itself is a bit threadbare at the mo)

http://www.cyclist.ie/documents/National_Cycling_Promotion_Policy.pdf

merlante

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Hi Folks

It may interest you to know, that Cyclist.ie the national umbrella body for cycle campaigns, has called for a moratorium on the construction of cycle lanes and tracks. As practised in Ireland, the construction of cycle facilities frequently makes cycling conditions worse not better. i.e. more dangerous and less convenient.

The Cyclist.ie policy document is here (the website itself is a bit threadbare at the mo)

http://www.cyclist.ie/documents/National_Cycling_Promotion_Policy.pdf

A lot of interesting stuff in there!

Very Dublin and Galway oriented by way of examples, but I guess the issues are the same.

dayshah

jonnyfingers wrote: »

It would be a good idea but common sense has to prevail when it comes to installing bus lanes, cycle lanes, etc. For instance say there has been parking on the street outside your house for many years and suddenly a bus lane is put in there, there should be consideration for where people are going to park in future.

You make a good general point, but in that photo the cars were parked outside houses that do have driveways.

deisemum

It's not just some motorists that are idiots on the road. I was driving in towards the city just before 2.30pm and the road was busy as it's school run time and a cyclist was cycling in the bus lane.

There was a vehicle parked in the bus lane and the cyclist just pulled out straight over into the centre of the car lane to overtake the vehicle and he didn't even slow down or look to see if it was safe to do so. He put his life and that of others at risk. Not as much as a glance nor any hand signals to indicate that he was just going to overtake the vehicle.

dayshah

deisemum wrote: »

It's not just some motorists that are idiots on the road. I was driving in towards the city just before 2.30pm and the road was busy as it's school run time and a cyclist was cycling in the bus lane.

There was a vehicle parked in the bus lane and the cyclist just pulled out straight over into the centre of the car lane to overtake the vehicle and he didn't even slow down or look to see if it was safe to do so. He put his life and that of others at risk. Not as much as a glance nor any hand signals to indicate that he was just going to overtake the vehicle.

I agree it was stupid. However, if a cyclist makes a mistake he gets hurt. If a motorist makes a mistake it is still the cyclist that gets hurt.

deisemum

dayshah wrote: »

I agree it was stupid. However, if a cyclist makes a mistake he gets hurt. If a motorist makes a mistake it is still the cyclist that gets hurt.

If the cyclist makes a mistake or in this case is reckless then not only is it the cyclist that gets hurt but other innocent people may also be hurt.

Yes Boss

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Hi Folks

It may interest you to know, that Cyclist.ie the national umbrella body for cycle campaigns, has called for a moratorium on the construction of cycle lanes and tracks. As practised in Ireland, the construction of cycle facilities frequently makes cycling conditions worse not better. i.e. more dangerous and less convenient.

The Cyclist.ie policy document is here (the website itself is a bit threadbare at the mo)

http://www.cyclist.ie/documents/National_Cycling_Promotion_Policy.pdf

I know a Galway cyclist that peddles the Dunmore Road!!;)

Deisekickboxing

head on smash wont be far away well done to the idiotic retards who planned this mess and got paid for it.....:mad:

particularly dangerous past the church at newtown traffic lanes being pushed within a foot of each other somone will be killed...:eek:

deisemum

Yes Boss wrote: »

I know a Galway cyclist that peddles the Dunmore Road!!;)

:D:D:D:D

Know who you mean and even before the cycle lanes it was a struggle to steer away from him

jayboi

I actually saw two traffic wardens at the entrance to Newtown school the other day I think it was wednesday,
of course there needed to be two incase one got lonely but thats aside from the point at least they seem to be making an effort to enforce the changes.

Trotter

I'm trying the route on the bike every morning this week. Haven't managed to get from Newtown roundabout to De La Salle once without having to swing out to avoid cars, JCBs, and 4WD's parked in the cycle lane. Nearly got mushed when I stopped at the traffic lights at Newtown school. Signalled right (even though the main road just carries on around to the right anyway) but the car beside me in the car lane ignored me and went straight ahead down towards the John of God school. He/she cut straight across me and I nearly went in the back side window.

jonnyfingers

Trotter wrote: »

I'm trying the route on the bike every morning this week. Haven't managed to get from Newtown roundabout to De La Salle once without having to swing out to avoid cars, JCBs, and 4WD's parked in the cycle lane. Nearly got mushed when I stopped at the traffic lights at Newtown school. Signalled right (even though the main road just carries on around to the right anyway) but the car beside me in the car lane ignored me and went straight ahead down towards the John of God school. He/she cut straight across me and I nearly went in the back side window.

This is why I try to cycle as little as possible in the city. You really are taking your life in your hands.

Cabaal

jonnyfingers wrote: »

This is why I try to cycle as little as possible in the city. You really are taking your life in your hands.

Funny you say that, I cycled in and around Waterford for years and found it alright.

Since then I've moved to a small town and its scary how clueless people are in the small town when it comes to bikes, almost every time I go out on the bike some idiot cuts out infront of me or assumes I'm going slow so pulls out of a junction when I'm coming.

In comparison drivers in Waterford appear to have some cop on when it comes to cyclists...scary really

dayshah

Trotter wrote: »

I'm trying the route on the bike every morning this week. Haven't managed to get from Newtown roundabout to De La Salle once without having to swing out to avoid cars, JCBs, and 4WD's parked in the cycle lane. Nearly got mushed when I stopped at the traffic lights at Newtown school. Signalled right (even though the main road just carries on around to the right anyway) but the car beside me in the car lane ignored me and went straight ahead down towards the John of God school. He/she cut straight across me and I nearly went in the back side window.

In this situation I cycle in the middle of the car lane. That way I'm in clear view of whoever is behind me. If they are turning left then they can't cut across me and kill me. Vehicles turning left at this sort of situation is the main cause of cycle deaths.

In Brussels a space just in front of the traffic lights is reserved for bikes. This way the bikes are in front of the cars so they can't cut across you.

I know it inconveniences the cars behind me, but I value my life more than 10 or 20 seconds of inconvenience for them. (and hey, if they want an altercation I have my D-Lock handy )

Joey leBlanc

Thumbs up to the City Council for another great job eh? :mad:
Over the past few days the traffic is regularly backed up past Newtown School goin down towards town @ times when before you could just sail down to about The Kings pub without the slightest bit of bother. Now you have to negotiate two sets of traffic lights!! Absolute madness! Who came up with this idiotic idea??
Still it's great to see the mums'n'dads dropping the kids off outside Waterpark are still oblivious to the rules of the road & do what they want. They were only problem on this section of the road & the WCC have accomodated them even further!

deisemum

I was driving in towards town around 2.30pm today, it was like the dodgems, quite a number of cars coming out of town were over on the inward lane and I was forced into the cycle lane a couple of times. Some even overtook the bus at the bus stop out into the inward lane and I had to stop or they'd have ploughed into me.

My son told me there was a crash outside either Waterpark or De La Salle, a male driver crashed into a woman who was in the right then proceeded to shout abuse at her but another man got out of another car and came to her defence.

I think that road is a lot more dangerous since they introduced the new lanes. I've seen a lot more close shaves.

Bards

deisemum wrote: »

I was driving in towards town around 2.30pm today, it was like the dodgems, quite a number of cars coming out of town were over on the inward lane and I was forced into the cycle lane a couple of times. Some even overtook the bus at the bus stop out into the inward lane and I had to stop or they'd have ploughed into me.

My son told me there was a crash outside either Waterpark or De La Salle, a male driver crashed into a woman who was in the right then proceeded to shout abuse at her but another man got out of another car and came to her defence.

I think that road is a lot more dangerous since they introduced the new lanes. I've seen a lot more close shaves.

....and the very same Clueless Councillors are afraid of increasing the speed limit on the ORR for fear of accidents and being sued - This really is an upside-down country

Joe Gt

its also not possible to take off from one set of lights and get through the next before it goes red ,

Council have rightly fudged up on this attempt to make it all safer

Cabaal

deisemum wrote: »

I think that road is a lot more dangerous since they introduced the new lanes. I've seen a lot more close shaves.

Perhaps, however if people paid due care and attention when driving we wouldn't have problems.

These close calls and crashes come from people failing to understand what the lines on the road stand for and ensuring that they have placed themselves on the road correctly.....basically if you don't know what a yellow box is etc you shouldn't be driving.

Joe Gt wrote: »

its also not possible to take off from one set of lights and get through the next before it goes red ,

I disagree, I've managed it a good few times in the mornings and in the evenings...course yesterday I was held up for ages but this was due to idiots parking so far out onto the road they blocked one lane ASWELL as the cycle lane...get rid of these idiots and things improve

Deisekickboxing

Cabaal wrote: »

Perhaps, however if people paid due care and attention when driving we wouldn't have problems.

These close calls and crashes come from people failing to understand what the lines on the road stand for and ensuring that they have placed themselves on the road correctly.....basically if you don't know what a yellow box is etc you shouldn't be driving.

na way theres way too many stupid lines on that road , even the doublepainted one between the two roundabouts along the buslane will throw your car about in wet conditions- or knock ya off yer bike......
the chicane top of park road is particiluarly hilarious:P

dayshah

Can anyone tell me of the advantage of the terracotta surface for cycling?

Is it softer if you fall, or give better traction or something?

Trotter

dayshah wrote: »

Can anyone tell me of the advantage of the terracotta surface for cycling?

Is it softer if you fall, or give better traction or something?

I'm not sure about the advantage of that stuff but the one they put down from Earlscourt to Riverview is so badly maintained that it's impossible and unsafe to cycle on now. The drains set below the ground level mean you have a choice to swerve the bike out in a hurry or put the front wheel into the drain and get hit by Aer Arann.

It's seems to be a big show by the city council because if they'd cycled this route just once then it'd be done differently. I'm back in the car on Monday anyway. I'm not risking it anymore.