Commuting Blues :-(

eleMental

Is it just me or has the commute time from Charlesland to Sandyford/M50 increased to a ludicrous extent since the schools went back this year?

I remember last year "waiting" until about 08:45 to leave the house, and I'd normally be in Sandyford comfortably by 09:10 (apart from the odd wet morning where there would be tailbacks).

These days it seems like the minute I merge onto the N11 I'm sitting in a carpark until I get to the M50 and it takes me about 40 minutes - whats the story?!

I know that a portion of the issue is the selfish ****ers that cut in and out through all the side-roads and the subsequent fools that let them back in (sorry but it REALLY grates on me!!) But surely the population hasnt increased that much over the past 6 months to warrant such massive delays every single morning....

pixbyjohn

I have noticed the traffic has increased dramatically on the Greystones to Bray road in the mornings too. Also the N11 from Glen of the Downs to M50 is a crawl every morning til about 09.30 when it eases.

darter

We've noticed over the last year how much quieter the M50 has become, at almost all times, as there is just far less business going on in Ireland.

Is your phenomenon one of simply people starting later at work as there's less to do? Less pressure to be early/on time?

Funnily enough, the DART is now much busier earlier than it was. The 7:30 is full now, whereas it used to leave 1/3 empty. Lots of kids, so perhaps some schools have altered their start times?

audreyp

The mini flood at Kilmac definitely didn't help this morning!

jobless

yeah ive noticed a big difference in the traffic lately. I normally leave around nine and would have reached sandyford in 15-20 mins now its 30 mins..
there's nothing i can see why it would be longer but the traffic is definately larger these days getting out of greystones

jaffa20

It takes me over an hour to get to foxrock every morning. It shouldn't take more than 15 mins:mad: I have to leave at around 8 am.

If people managed to drive probably and stop constantly braking and driving up each others asses, the traffic would continiously flow. Also, an overtaking lane should not move slower than a driving lane.

I'm thinking of driving up windgates and joining the n11 later as glen of the downs always seems to be the worst.

cotton

jaffa20 wrote: »

I'm thinking of driving up windgates and joining the n11 later as glen of the downs always seems to be the worst.

Don't. I go from Lower Windgates to Dun Laoghaire every morning & I could be stuck in traffic for 40mins before I hit the roundabout...........traffic has definately gotten much worse this year.

d31b0y

I know it's not quite the same, but I get any of the 3 84X between 7.30 and 7.40 from Charlesland and can be pretty much guaranteed that I will be in Dublin (Leeson St.) by 8.45 at the latest. Normally it's closer to 8.30. The only time it's later is if there is very severe weather or a crash.

eigrod

darter wrote: »

Funnily enough, the DART is now much busier earlier than it was. The 7:30 is full now, whereas it used to leave 1/3 empty. Lots of kids, so perhaps some schools have altered their start times?

The DART service has been very very poor recently. It's consistently late (particularly in the evenings). Apparantly it's due to the Autumnal leaf fall causing traction problems on the line, but I never remember it being this bad in approx 15 years travelling on it.

jaffa20

cotton wrote: »

Don't. I go from Lower Windgates to Dun Laoghaire every morning & I could be stuck in traffic for 40mins before I hit the roundabout...........traffic has definately gotten much worse this year.

Do you go through bray town though? I'm talking about turning off for the n11 just before bray town. Glen of the downs is just becoming a pain from 8am+

I don't understand why because it's the same amount of lanes just when you hit the motorway and then it's fine.

Plenty

I have noticed this congestion at Glen of the Downs from 7.30am since the kids went back to school. Is it just sheer volume or are people driving more slowly? As soon as you pass the Fassaroe exit (northbound) it's free flowing travelling to wherever your destination could be; And that's without any problems of crashes or floods or breakdowns. I think for me it's just a case of getting from A to B safely without any incidents and accepting the tail backs.

cotton

jaffa20 wrote: »

Do you go through bray town though? I'm talking about turning off for the n11 just before bray town. Glen of the downs is just becoming a pain from 8am+

I don't understand why because it's the same amount of lanes just when you hit the motorway and then it's fine.

No, I don't go through Bray, that's just to get to the turn off for the N11. The traffic is usually backed up just after the top of Windgates hill. If I get to the golf course without having to stop, it's a miracle. It's all traffic going to Bray,but as they can't get into the town, it all backs up.
I was actually thinking of starting to drive down to Charlesland & going out that way as it would be quicker.........I won't be now after reading this!

pljudge321

eigrod wrote: »

The DART service has been very very poor recently. It's consistently late (particularly in the evenings). Apparantly it's due to the Autumnal leaf fall causing traction problems on the line, but I never remember it being this bad in approx 15 years travelling on it.

Its because of the high winds we had a week or so ago causing a lot of leaf debris to be blown onto the tracks in a short period of time. Last Friday when I was on the dart heading in to town the entire dart skidded through Sandycove & Glasthule.

loyatemu

have to agree on the Dart - can't remember it being this bad in previous years.

I understand they have to go slower due to poor traction, but the most of the Greystones-Connolly line is desperately slow at the best of times - hard to see how they are losing 15-20 minutes per train.

The Bishop Basher

cotton wrote: »

No, I don't go through Bray, that's just to get to the turn off for the N11. The traffic is usually backed up just after the top of Windgates hill. If I get to the golf course without having to stop, it's a miracle. It's all traffic going to Bray,but as they can't get into the town, it all backs up.

Get up earlier. I leave Blacklion at 7:30 am and get to the roundabout at the far end of the SC by 7:40. Traffic is a little slow when you join the N11 but speeds up again by the Bray exit. In Cherrywood by 7:50.

darter

pljudge321 wrote: »

Its because of the high winds we had a week or so ago causing a lot of leaf debris to be blown onto the tracks in a short period of time. Last Friday when I was on the dart heading in to town the entire dart skidded through Sandycove & Glasthule.

I used to think that "leaves on the track" was a uniquely Irish problem... but last week in Germany I noticed signs saying the trains were running slower due to leaves - that meant that the express was only going 180 km/h instead of 200 km/h and arrived - gasp! - 5 minutes late going from southern to northern Germany. The conductors were apoplectic in their continual apologies for the delay of 5 minutes.

Why is it that things that are routinely dealt with in other countries become such huge problems that are farcically dealt with here in Ireland?

loyatemu

Irish rail have a engineering train that sands the tracks at night to improve traction - presumably they could run it up and down the line during the day in between Darts also, but I've never seen it.

anyway, that's probably a discussion for the Transport board

Blandpebbles

Can be a mixed bag... some mornings Blacklion to Sandyford in 20 minutes other times we have the Fassaroe Rear Enders Party, the big truck doing 5kph up windgates, the learner drivers stalling taking a lesson at 8am and the general idiocy of drivers going into work. Phones, newspapers, makeup, nose picking, anything but driving.

Not to mention the woeful reaction times and inability of people to push out into a junction instead of waiting for someone to let them in.

Classic one is the lack of use of the two lanes at the roundabout at Woodies Southern Cross! Thank You Mister BMW driver for blowing your horn, giving me the finger and flashing your lights as I legally merged today.

Yesterday I was in Sandyford in 30 mins leaving at 8am despite the talk of 13 mile tailbacks I didn't see a thing. Kilmac is the main cause of this with its 60kmh speed limits, seriously what are you going to hit doing 100 through there?

All part of the rich tapestry of commuting in Ireland.


FYI - I never come off at the Sandyford junction always the Carrickmines one and go through the racecourse, this knocks off a few mins.

Plenty

Swanner wrote: »

Get up earlier. I leave Blacklion at 7:30 am and get to the roundabout at the far end of the SC by 7:40. Traffic is a little slow when you join the N11 but speeds up again by the Bray exit. In Cherrywood by 7:50.

I can vouch for that

Blandpebbles

If everyone followed your advice and got up earlier the roads would be just as congested.

What does it between 8am-9am are the 4x4 soccer mums hitting the curbs, stalling and talking to the kids in the rear view mirror.

Bring back the school bus that would solve a lot of problems.