Luas Cross City (Line BX/D) [now open]

BonnieSituation · 21-09-2017 1:21pm

Because it's pretty tight double turn. Crosses traffic lanes and is pretty "blind".

At a guess.

Dr Crayfish · 21-09-2017 1:23pm

I work in Dawson st area, it's going around frequently now and looks great. Dawson st is in tip top shape finally. A shame we didn't do this at the start though and we could be talking about a new extension to Finglas or something.

Chivito550 · 21-09-2017 1:29pm

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Because it's pretty tight double turn. Crosses traffic lanes and is pretty "blind".

At a guess.

At least it's good news that the turns will be faster on the cross city. I had feared 10km/h throughout.

I did see a tram being tested yesterday that after turning left at top of O'C street had to stop at lights TWICE before reaching the Dominick St stop. That's rather concerning.

BonnieSituation · 21-09-2017 1:31pm

Chivito550 wrote: »

I did see a tram being tested yesterday that after turning left at top of O'C street had to stop at lights TWICE before reaching the Dominick St stop. That's rather concerning.

Hopefully that's only during testing. I would guess it'll get as free a run as possible when active.

nordydan · 22-09-2017 9:38am

Chivito550 wrote: »

Any reason why the corner at Harcourt St has a 10km/h speed limit, while every turn on the cross city route is 15km/h?

The Luas drivers order Starbucks in advance (normally when they hit Ranelagh). They slow down and collect on the way past. "Have a great day buddy" is a common refrain afterwards

Jamie2k9 · 22-09-2017 12:22pm

Official opening will take place in 12 weeks so around 15 December.

optogirl · 22-09-2017 12:25pm

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Official opening will take place in 12 weeks so around 15 December.

cannot come quick enough - going to half my work commute. Great Christmas pressie for me this year

Dr Crayfish · 22-09-2017 1:41pm

They're flying around like it's a normal service today. Dublin looks good, starting to resemble a real European city!

MJohnston · 22-09-2017 1:55pm

I can occasionally hear the trams fly past my house here in Cabra, as well as occasional tannoy announcements coming from Cabra station, and it warms the heart!

L1011 · 22-09-2017 10:34pm

When are the new trams arriving?

That, and the Broombridge station not being close to done, seem to be the main delay factors now

As a new type they will need more extensive acceptance testing. Actually - have the old green line platform works finished?

Jamie2k9 · 22-09-2017 10:39pm

L1011 wrote: »

When are the new trams arriving?

That, and the Broombridge station not being close to done, seem to be the main delay factors now

As a new type they will need more extensive acceptance testing. Actually - have the old green line platform works finished?

Start to arrive next month, a few Red Line ones which are doing the training will stay there until all 10 arrive. March/April before they are all in service. They will enter into service pretty quickly as they arrive, the first will take a little longer but that is it.

D14Rugby · 22-09-2017 11:30pm

Ive seen a lot of trams on the new tracks for testing recently. I think it was mentioned earlier but ive noticed at the top of o'connell street the lights seem to be a problem sometimes but surely theyll adjust them at some point so they're not a problem? On a positive note ive also been on buses that have shared the line with the trams and it all seemed to go fairly smoothly which was good to see as how that would work was something i thought might not go too well

Jamie2k9 · 22-09-2017 11:33pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

Ive seen a lot of trams on the new tracks for testing recently. I think it was mentioned earlier but ive noticed at the top of o'connell street the lights seem to be a problem sometimes but surely theyll adjust them at some point so they're not a problem? On a positive note ive also been on buses that have shared the line with the trams and it all seemed to go fairly smoothly which was good to see as how that would work was something i thought might not go too well

The bus thing won't become an issue until there is a tram every 3 minutes or so. Lots of light adjustments will take pace as training progresses with lights.

Telchak · 23-09-2017 10:06am

I get the bus on Hawkins Street and have noticed a lot of blocking the line as it crosses Burgh Quay by both cars and buses.

Fair few buses and taxis doing an illegal right turn from the eastern lane on Rosie Hackett onto Burgh Quay to get into the left turning lane onto D'Olier, but getting stuck on the Luas line behind traffic already on Burgh quay. Also, if that lane on the bridge gets the green at the same time the Luas crosses, then one is going to end up hitting the other.

There's also lots of blocking the yellow box in front of the western bus lane, and buses are crossing the Luas line to get around them. Have seen a good few then get stuck blocking the tracks there. Feel like there's gonna be lots of trams stuck here for the first few weeks, until drivers learn to respect the yellow boxes.

lucernarian · 23-09-2017 10:17am

I guess that's all part and parcel of the inevitable issues of having the luas run through the busiest corridor for buses in Dublin, and congestion everywhere else will increase.

The level of support the Luas "BX" part gets is phenomenal - I would have been fine with it if it came after Metro North or the rail interconnector, but as things stand there's a whole lot of users of the 39, 27, 15 bus routes among many others who'll have to quietly suffer.

yabadabado · 23-09-2017 10:21am

I think it's gonna need plenty of help from AGS but not too hopeful that will happen.They really should be out already getting it in people heads now to cop on.

Does that operation free flow craic happen again in December?If it does and it coincided with Luas starting that would help a lot.

donvito99 · 23-09-2017 10:37pm

lucernarian wrote: »

The level of support the Luas "BX" part gets is phenomenal - I would have been fine with it if it came after Metro North or the rail interconnector

We'd be laughing if a Government had said, no BXD - tunnel between Ranelagh and Broadstone as has been hypothesized for decades, sacrifice the surface running between charlemont and SSG.

But here we are, the two lines will be linked in a matter of weeks, it only took 13 years after opening. Roll on Metro North.

AngryLips · 23-09-2017 11:45pm

I wonder if they'll change the zoning of the Luas when it opens. And will we still need to tag off and on for interchanging around OCS given the short distances involved (how will it differentiate between tag off and tag on vs tag off and second attempt to tag off when both are occurring at such short intervals). Also, I'm disappointed with the signage on Luas. I feel like a lot of the visuals look dated (stop signs, network maps) and inconsistent with some of the newer branded images. Hopefully they'll adopt TfI maps, I felt they should have put the "under construction" line on system maps and images way earlier like they do in London.

LXFlyer · 24-09-2017 8:37am

AngryLips wrote: »

I wonder if they'll change the zoning of the Luas when it opens. And will we still need to tag off and on for interchanging around OCS given the short distances involved (how will it differentiate between tag off and tag on vs tag off and second attempt to tag off when both are occurring at such short intervals). Also, I'm disappointed with the signage on Luas. I feel like a lot of the visuals look dated (stop signs, network maps) and inconsistent with some of the newer branded images. Hopefully they'll adopt TfI maps, I felt they should have put the "under construction" line on system maps and images way earlier like they do in London.

I don't think the existing zoning will change per se - why would you expect that?

I'd imagine the central zone will extend north as far as Broadstone, and a new zone from there on to Broombridge.

LeinsterDub · 25-09-2017 1:53pm

Shocking traffic jam at Stephen's Green today

Dyr · 29-09-2017 7:55pm

Can't help but notice that the LUAS they're testing this with is plonking itself across the junction of Townsend street/Hawkins street and thus completely blocking multiple pedestrian crossings so it can sit at the traffic lights for pearse street.

You'd like to think this is just a testing thing rather than how it will operate but this is Dublin so...

Telchak · 30-09-2017 10:55am

Bambi wrote: »

Can't help but notice that the LUAS they're testing this with is plonking itself across the junction of Townsend street/Hawkins street and thus completely blocking multiple pedestrian crossings so it can sit at the traffic lights for pearse street.

You'd like to think this is just a testing thing rather than how it will operate but this is Dublin so...

I think there's an issue here (at least some of the time) that it's getting the green light to make that full crossing from Hawkins to College Street, but getting stuck behind a bus or taxi blocking the tracks where the Pearse Street traffic merges into the lane going to College Green.

Chivito550 · 06-10-2017 9:01am

We discussed this previously and many here couldn't seem to follow what we were referring to. This is a crazy poor design that allows this.

https://twitter.com/runningreview/status/916211183832707073

LXFlyer · 06-10-2017 9:12am

Chivito550 wrote: »

We discussed this previously and many here couldn't seem to follow what we were referring to. This is a crazy poor design that allows this.

https://twitter.com/runningreview/status/916211183832707073

There has to be a certain amount of seating - that's the only way they could fit in.

Having people standing in that section would mean no one seated would be able to get in or out.

loyatemu · 06-10-2017 9:22am

I assume they're a fairly standard off-the-shelf design.

Having people standing in that section would mean no one seated would be able to get in or out.

they still have to get through the people standing at the doors. The Dart has handles on every seat and overhead straps.

Chivito550 · 06-10-2017 9:24am

LXFlyer wrote: »

There has to be a certain amount of seating - that's the only way they could fit in.

Having people standing in that section would mean no one seated would be able to get in or out.

Letting them off the hook. Have you been on a Tube? People stand right through the aisle and there is something to hold onto the entire way through it.

MJohnston · 06-10-2017 9:40am

Chivito550 wrote: »

Letting them off the hook. Have you been on a Tube? People stand right through the aisle and there is something to hold onto the entire way through it.

That's hardly a positive comparison, the Tube is an absolutely miserable experience when it's busy.

Chivito550 · 06-10-2017 9:48am

MJohnston wrote: »

That's hardly a positive comparison, the Tube is an absolutely miserable experience when it's busy.

How about the the Melbourne trams so?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Z1-class_Melbourne_tram_interior%2C_2013.JPG

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5493/10677549023_5cb10866a2_z.jpg

http://www.vicsig.net/trams/photos/20110824-dng-etram-int-bm1-wheelchair.jpg

LXFlyer · 06-10-2017 11:28am

Chivito550 wrote: »

How about the the Melbourne trams so?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Z1-class_Melbourne_tram_interior%2C_2013.JPG

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5493/10677549023_5cb10866a2_z.jpg

http://www.vicsig.net/trams/photos/20110824-dng-etram-int-bm1-wheelchair.jpg

They are clearly wider than the LUAS is.

There is a balance to be struck.

LXFlyer · 06-10-2017 11:29am

Chivito550 wrote: »

Letting them off the hook. Have you been on a Tube? People stand right through the aisle and there is something to hold onto the entire way through it.

The tube has longitudinal seating all the way through and has much wider standing space than that area where the 2 x 2 seats on the LUAS is.

Luas Cross City (Line BX/D) [now open]

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