Bothar na dTreabh (N6) - Multi-Modal Corridor Improvement Scheme

what_traffic

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Unless I am mistaken, motorists in the left lane here are supposed to turn left or go straight on, not right.

It is SIGNPOSTED that both lanes can turn right. Ciotog is correct here.
(The Google street view is out of date)

Iwannahurl

what_traffic wrote: »

It is SIGNPOSTED that both lanes can turn right. Ciotog is correct here.
(The Google street view is out of date)

I had tried to find the signposting on StreetView, but no luck.

I vaguely recall the Council changing the layout after the new junction had been in use for a while. Perhaps the changes included a right turn from left lane. Makes no sense to me. Perhaps it was done for capacity purposes -- I have no idea.

ei.sdraob

Sponge Bob wrote: »

It should be a left turn + bus lane+ cycle lane, not an exclusive bus lane.

:eek: Ooops for some reason I assumed you could go in the left lane when turning into wellpark/eye

oh well :P i need to stop applying logic when it comes to galway city junctions and pay more attention...

Sponge Bob

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I vaguely recall the Council changing the layout after the new junction had been in use for a while. Perhaps the changes included a right turn from left lane. Makes no sense to me. Perhaps it was done for capacity purposes -- I have no idea.

That was exactly what happened once the new design backed traffic west past the corrib in peak hours. The 'temporary' orange signs allowing it were installed in early summer 2009 ...and are still there . All discussed here at the time.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055671954

ciotog

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I had tried to find the signposting on StreetView, but no luck.

I vaguely recall the Council changing the layout after the new junction had been in use for a while. Perhaps the changes included a right turn from left lane. Makes no sense to me. Perhaps it was done for capacity purposes -- I have no idea.

You can just about see the arrows on the road on Streetview - I wouldn't be turning right from it on my bike if it wasn't as I don't want to give any fuel to the cyclists-don't-obey-the-law brigade.

tomombo

So basically they are trying to reduce accidents and don't give a toss about traffic because they want people to take the bus?

Iwannahurl

tomombo wrote: »

So basically they are trying to reduce accidents and don't give a toss about traffic because they want people to take the bus?

Traffic includes buses. Promoting public transport is national policy, and is a worthwhile objective. Promoting road safety is national policy, and is also very worthwhile.

Toon--soldier

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I'm all in favour of ripping out or otherwise radically altering Galway's roundabouts. They were badly-designed and dangerous from the very beginning. The Council's own public consultations have identified the city's roundabouts as chronically problematic, and it's imperative that something is done.

That said, I would have thought that the Circus of Horrors (aka Bodkin/Tesco/Magic Roundabout) would be the first for the chop. Perhaps that revamp is an entirely separate scheme.

BTW, Moneenageisha is much improved by the signalised junction. Looking at that upgrade from inside a car does not provide a broad enough perspective.

Likewise, any discussion of traffic flow/congestion that fails to take this key point into consideration is missing a fundamental part of the problem: "Although 24% of Galway City’s residents live less than 2km from their workplace, 64% travel to work each day by car".

Can you clarify this for me is it that 64% of people travel to work by car or is that 64% of the 24% drive to work? I know it makes this claim at the start of the thread but is the any hard evidence to support those figures as i find it hard to believe as 2km is 1.2miles

tomombo

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Traffic includes buses. Promoting public transport is national policy, and is a worthwhile objective. Promoting road safety is national policy, and is also very worthwhile.

Well are bus lanes part of the plan? Should have been more clear I meant "car" traffic.

Sure all we need is the Gluas and we're sorted

I suppose we need to prove we can get people on buses before anything like a Gluas cab be considered

KylieWyley

DanielI wrote: »

Work is currently under way to prepare designs for upgrades to the junctions. These are being costed and schemes are being prioritised in accordance with funding availability for 2011. The works will consist of upgrading the existing roundabouts to signalised junctions that will incorporate facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Improvements to facilitate future public transport upgrades will also be made. The first phase of the proposed improvements is being presented now as part of the statutory Part 8 process. Additional proposals will be presented through the Part 8 process in the coming months. The first phase will consist of upgrading the Lynch Roundabout at Briarhill. Commenting on the scheme, Jim Molloy of Galway Transportation Unit stated:
"The scheme is a very important in reducing congestion in Galway and making the City more accessible to pedestrians and cyclist. It will also benefit the city by Improving road safety for all road users on the N6 corridor, particularly pedestrians and cyclists,as well as reduced Public Transport journey times. We will also plan the works to avoid major events in Galway such as the Galway Races"

Anything with traffic lights, a la, the Moneen junction, will definitely be a DOWNgrade.

Traffic flow in this area isn't fine. It can get a little heavy at peak hours, but sure you'll have that anywhere. If its anything like the debacle down at Wellpark, then adding traffic lights will create traffic at ALL hours when there had previously only been congestion at peak hours.

Are the council trying to force us into public transport by making private transport completely unfeasible?!

Iwannahurl

tomombo wrote: »

Well are bus lanes part of the plan? Should have been more clear I meant "car" traffic.

Sure all we need is the Gluas and we're sorted

I suppose we need to prove we can get people on buses before anything like a Gluas cab be considered

I think there is a general tendency for people to think of traffic as just cars, and to think of cars as the natural priority.

Buses have already been shown to work, when the right conditions are established. Much more work needs to be done on push and pull factors to encourage modal shift from car to bus, cycling and walking. As it happens, Galway City is doing pretty well with the last three. IIRC, around half of all commuters use these modes. That's just off the top of my head so I am open to correction.


EDIT: "In 2006, 52.2% of the population of Galway City aged 5 years plus travelled to work or education either as the car driver (36.5%) or as a passenger (15.7%), broadly reflecting the national figures of 40% (car driver) and 16.4% (car passenger) respectively. However, use of car has increased by 2.9% since the 2002 figures for the Galway city area. The second most popular means of travel was on foot 26.7%, which is significantly higher than the national figure of 15.5% 7%, reflecting the proximity of home to work and education for a large percentage of the travelling population of Galway City." Travel Patterns report, Galway City Council.

Iwannahurl

Toon--soldier wrote: »

Can you clarify this for me is it that 64% of people travel to work by car or is that 64% of the 24% drive to work? I know it makes this claim at the start of the thread but is the any hard evidence to support those figures as i find it hard to believe as 2km is 1.2miles

Just now I can't go digging for the statistical facts.

For the moment, here's a quote from Census-derived stats compiled by the City Council. I hope that these figures at least partly answer your question.

In 2006, in Galway City, 50,028 people travelled to work or education compared to the 2002 figure of 46,598. The majority of people (51.6%) travel a distance of 4 kilometres or under and can be further split to 17.5% travelling less than 1km and 34.1% travelling 2-4 kilometres. This figure is more than 20 percentage points higher than corresponding figures for the country as a whole (31.2%) and the west region (31.6%), indicating that many people live in close proximity to their work/education, yet further analysis of the data reveals that the majority of the population (52.2%) travel by car.

Iwannahurl

KylieWyley wrote: »

Anything with traffic lights, a la, the Moneen junction, will definitely be a DOWNgrade.

Traffic flow in this area isn't fine. It can get a little heavy at peak hours, but sure you'll have that anywhere. If its anything like the debacle down at Wellpark, then adding traffic lights will create traffic at ALL hours when there had previously only been congestion at peak hours.

Are the council trying to force us into public transport by making private transport completely unfeasible?!

Terms such as "upgrade" and "downgrade" are value-laden and can be used in a biased manner, eg with reference only to the private car. What matters is Level of Service (LOS) for different sets of road users.

Public policy favours sustainability in transport, therefore optimising the LOS for bus users, cyclists and pedestrians is very much on the agenda.

Galway's (Ireland's) roundabouts are inherently hostile to vulnerable road users. In fact they are so bad even some motorists hate them, so replacing them with signalised junctions is no bad thing IMO. Personally I'd like to see each and every one of them ripped out, Tribes be damned.

what_traffic

from http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/260511_02.html
on the 26 May 2011

Notice is hereby given that Galway City Council will host a Public Meeting on the proposed changes to the N6 Lynch Roundabout (Briarhill) on Thursday, 2nd June, 2011 at 7.30 p.m. in the Menlo Park Hotel.

also checkout the link:
Bothar na dTreabh (N6) Multi Modal Corridor Improvement Scheme

http://www.galwaycity.ie/GTU/190511_01.html

DanielI

Could this thread be merged with this one, please?

Galway roundabouts set for upgrades

Thank you.