New traffic lights planned on Skehard Road. Still time to object!

two wheels good

The Shehard Road Realignment project proposes to install traffic lights at the the junction of the Well Road and Skehard Road - in place of the existing roundabout. It's the one near the Silver Key Pub

Totally misguided I say. I drive\cycle that route daily and it's one of the few junctions in the area where traffic queues do not build up. There is a lot of traffic heading to Mahon for access to eastbound ring road.

Why spend the money (€60k I've read) on lights? A roundabout will generally handle traffic more efficiently than lights. There are cycle lanes and a bus lane proposed too which is great news. But the traffic lights, which have only one lane on the approach from the Well Road will be a disaster. There will be long queues to match those at the Douglas end of the Well Road

If you'd like to review or comment\object on this plan contact:
Roads Division
Room 322
City Hall
Cork

... before May 6th at 4pm

Padraig Mor

There's no problems at that r'bout AFAIK! Sounds like the junction of Togher Road and Tramore Road (by Abbeyville Vet hospital). There was a roundabout there for years with very few (if any) traffic problems. Some fool in the council thought it would be a great idea to stick in a bunch of traffic lights at no doubt exorbitant cost. Result: instant gridlock spreading to Clashduv Road at peak times. After a few weeks, the lights were put on flashing orange and have remained that way ever since (approx 3 years) and a 'close your eyes, go, and hope for the best' approach is required from some directions. No doubt the council idiot has picked up his yearly increments since then, despite demonstrated incompetence.....

Faith

I've lived in this area for my entire life, and I've yet to see a real problem with the way the system currently is. If it ain't broke...

Papa_Lazarou

As Padraig said above just seems like some engineer trying to find something to justify his job. Over 80k spent putting in the lights in togher and all they did(for the few weeks they were on) was cause huge traffic congestion.

Owen

Whoever's selling the lights must be giving some backhander to City Hall. Ballincollig got 17 sets of lights from one end to the other. It turned what was a free flowing town, into gridlocked mayhem.

Outkast_IRE

same story in togher, they got rid of a rounabout and replaced it with lights, after a week they had to turn off the lights and they have been on flashing amber or red since 18 months ago , thats ridiculous.

Gauge

I've lived on Skehard Road pretty much all my life until recently and I dont think I've EVER seen traffic issues at that particular roundabout, and I would have gone through it daily at rush hour.

The junction outside Super Valu however, frequently causes tailbacks that go all the way up the roads leading to it. This is totally unnecessary.

parsi

Scally's is a twilight zone in terms of driving. Everyone wants to park just inside the traffic lights and they're quite happy to block up traffic rather than heading around the back.

Faith

parsi wrote: »

Scally's is a twilight zone in terms of driving. Everyone wants to park just inside the traffic lights and they're quite happy to block up traffic rather than heading around the back.

Don't even get me started on that fúcking place :mad:. The parking spaces in the middle are so awkward, and there's a huge car park around the side and where does everyone go...? The focking awkward spaces that hold up traffic from every direction!

shnaek

Councillors all over the country have a major traffic light fetish. It's one of the traits required to run a town or city. Mmmmmm - traffic lights :P

charlemont

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Whoever's selling the lights must be giving some backhander to City Hall. Ballincollig got 17 sets of lights from one end to the other. It turned what was a free flowing town, into gridlocked mayhem.

Im glad to read this post as this is exactly what I think, Something seriously wrong with the sheer amount of traffic lights around the city.

Ludo

A few new sets of lights going up around the Rochestown Road/Clarkes Hill area also. Someone must be spending a budget just for the sake of it.

GavRedKing

Lived in the area all my life and that roundabout is very free flowing. Lights are going to really cause a problem coming from the douglas side.

Silly waste of money IMO.

charlemont

Hopefully someone smashes them after they are put up..

Hogzy

I was only discussing this a while ago with someone.
There seems to be a total influx of traffic lights now in most areas of Cork.

There were traffic lights installed on the South Link on the way into town that were never switched on.
I use that roundabout nearly everyday going to my girlfriends house and not once have i ever been there more than 30 seconds (bar GAA/Rugby Matches and the Marquee) IMO traffic lights add to traffic jams and do not alleviate them. Its a really stupid idea tbh.

They did the same on the back Douglas road where the slip road off the Link is. They removed a small roundabout and put traffic lights up instead. Just made the traffic so much worse as barely any cars come up the slip road and the only time the other road is busy is when Croist Ri are finishing school.

I heard a rumor a few years ago that Cork County Council ordered 300 traffic lights instead of 30 and have been trying to get rid of them ever since. Just a rumor. Probably not true

beer enigma

They are also proposing a third lane for buses heading past the Key in the direction of Mahon

kcb

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Whoever's selling the lights must be giving some backhander to City Hall. Ballincollig got 17 sets of lights from one end to the other. It turned what was a free flowing town, into gridlocked mayhem.

It's crazy isin't it. Something very fishy sounding about it all alright.

Lando Griffin

Padraig Mor wrote: »

There's no problems at that r'bout AFAIK! Sounds like the junction of Togher Road and Tramore Road (by Abbeyville Vet hospital). There was a roundabout there for years with very few (if any) traffic problems. Some fool in the council thought it would be a great idea to stick in a bunch of traffic lights at no doubt exorbitant cost. Result: instant gridlock spreading to Clashduv Road at peak times. After a few weeks, the lights were put on flashing orange and have remained that way ever since (approx 3 years) and a 'close your eyes, go, and hope for the best' approach is required from some directions. No doubt the council idiot has picked up his yearly increments since then, despite demonstrated incompetence.....

And did you notice in all their wisdom they took away the Zebra crossing, now the pedestrians have no indication when to cross, many eldely people in that area going from the post office to the pharmacy.
There was a bollard there for weeks when the were doing the works a much more effective traffic managing system than the traffic lights.
Everyone agrees "Idiots involved".

Owen

Andip wrote: »

They are also proposing a third lane for buses heading past the Key in the direction of Mahon

See, I'd have no problem with that if Cork had a proper reliable and regular public transport system. Bank Holiday Monday last week, I'd to drive a friend with no car into town, because the No. 10 bus wouldn't be along for 3 hours due to it operating Sunday hours. On a Bank Holiday - the one day people might want to wander into town, grab an ice cream and stroll around.

Kazbah

They recentlt put in new traffic lights in Blackrock by the Topaz station. Just for pedestrians - seems like a total waste of money. It's hardly a busy road!

dooksgolf

Thanks for the heads up Two Wheels Good
Unbelievable,there is never traffic at this r'about.
Can anybody suggest to me how to stop this idiocy? I will contact the address lsted by 2 wheels good,but does an ordinary Joe Soap have any power to stop this lunacy?
I'd like to get up off my ass & be proactive in stopping lunacy.
It's Ireland,there must be a vested interest somewhere.

bladebrew

it is a lot more than just traffic lights at the well road roundabout,
they are planning on moving the entire road across a bit and make extra lanes, it is focused on making the area including the roundabout safer for pedestrians,
it looks like a good plan on paper but at peak times it will cause mayhem,

it is dependant on budget though so that may stop the whole plan, and afaik this has been talked about for 2-3 years,

pa990

Kazbah wrote: »

They recentlt put in new traffic lights in Blackrock by the Topaz station. Just for pedestrians - seems like a total waste of money. It's hardly a busy road!

they also fúckéd up the road markings.. took them a month or so to make some half arsed effort to rectify it

Funsterdelux

Can these plans be viewed online, I searched but came up with nothing?

Traffic lights would be a farce, the roundabout works very well there, can see how the start of Skehard Rd could be widened alright.

dewdrop

Has anyone contacted the local councillors in the matter and aired their objections.

Babette

Micheal Martin lives across the road so he'd be the man to approach. This is a ridiculous idea. Traffic lights were put in by the credit union on the Ballinlough road where a pedestrian crossing would have been more than enough. And a lollipop lady operates there every morning as well!

rachos89

Where are they proposing to put the 3rd lane exactly? I think the set up the way it is is just fine, I've never had any problems or delays there and I've been living in Ballinlough all my life!! Disgusted to hear about this, will try and lodge a complaint asap!

bladebrew

Funsterdelux wrote: »

Can these plans be viewed online, I searched but came up with nothing?

Traffic lights would be a farce, the roundabout works very well there, can see how the start of Skehard Rd could be widened alright.

i had an a3 sheet of the plans dropped into my door with a letter from cllr terry shannon, they were on view in the council offices,
if i figure it out i will open the printer/,scanner i got for christmas and scan them in,
there will be traffic lights where the roundabout was and at the bottom of the hill by the montessori

two wheels good

Thanks for the support. It,s reassuring to know that I,m not the only one to consider traffic lights to be folly at that junction.

But wait, it gets worse. A staff member in the Roads Dept. told me that the council has a program to "reduce the number of roundabouts in the city".
And he couldn,t explain why when I pressed him.

My good intentions to spread the word locally came to nothing ,cos of preparing for a trip last weekend but my sister did some local canvassing. Let,s hope it makes a difference.

charlemont

Traffic lights have popped up like mushrooms around the place, Iv a nasty feeling lights will eventually be put in by Well Rd/Woodview roundabout and also Victoria Rd/Centre Park Road..Maybe even Wilton roundabout.

Owen

They need to fix the Well Road first. I've already buckled 2 alloys this year over it.