Seamus Quirke roadworks merge

Iwannahurl

what_traffic wrote: »

That does not mean anything though! It has to have a road sign (thats in legislation) for it to have any meaning.

I see where you're going with that one.

They painted the same directional arrows on those idiotic "cycle paths" over the Quince Bridge. I recall a Councillor making a big song and dance at the time about having them painted, though neglecting to mention how the directional arrows might tie in with the pedestrian/cyclist exit from Dun na Coiribe, the banned right turn at the junction with Newcastle Road, and of course the Magic Roundabout.

Painting is easier than proper policies and planning, y'see.

Iwannahurl

antoobrien wrote: »

Haven't I already done that here

No.

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

No.

Ah come I did a search on your posts with the word cyclist in them and I got 19 pages of you whinging about how hard a cyclists life is.

As a cyclist I'm offended.

galwaycyclist

Iwannahurl wrote: »

A very common sight, and one that irritates me big-time. As I have mentioned previously, I reckon this practice will continue on the new SQR set-up, as it does on the QB and Terryland "cycle paths" and other places I could mention. My belief is that cyclists do this because they have either come through a roundabout, are anticipating a roundabout or are dodging a junction which may or may not be signalised. They also do it because (a) they are invited to do so by the "design" of other cycle facilities

I agree. This SQR design invites wrong way cycling and it is one of the things that makes this road design, in my view, inherently negligent.

Iwannahurl

antoobrien wrote: »

Ah come I did a search on your posts with the word cyclist in them and I got 19 pages of you whinging about how hard a cyclists life is.

As a cyclist I'm offended.

Found what you were looking for then? Well done. Keep up the good work.

Iwannahurl

galwaycyclist wrote: »

I agree. This SQR design invites wrong way cycling and it is one of the things that makes this road design, in my view, inherently negligent.

Thing is, "wrong way" cyclists usually have entry points or exit strategies in these situations that set them up for cycling in the same fashion either along links or an entire route. I wonder what these various entries/exits might be on the completed SQR?

Roundabouts are frequent culprits in my view, since their features (and many cyclists' experience on them) often lead to unorthodox behaviour and plain bad driving. The SQR is book-ended by two roundabouts, the worst of these being the Browne at the back of UHG.

I'm not sure where the SQR wrong-way cyclists pictured earlier came in. It's possible they came all the way from the Deane Roundabout (Bishop O'Donnell Road/WDR junction) but they could also have come in at the traffic lights outside Aldi. In which case, there may be two or more possibilities: eg they just wanted to dodge the traffic lights, because of laziness or impatience, or else they were planning ahead to avoid the Browne roundabout by scooting off along the footpath to its right. If the latter, that's what the Council has been promoting for many years now, so no change there then.

No excuse for breaking a decent set of traffic lights though, IMO. I still see cyclists at Moneenageisha zooming down the footpaths on the "wrong side" and scuttling through the pedestrian crossings. Annoys the hell out of me every single time.

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Found what you were looking for then? Well done. Keep up the good work.

Nah, I said I don't have all year - but I will find a few more.

Of course then you'll just claim - but I didn't see it or you're twisting my words (amazing how many times you do that btw) or whatever it takes to make it seem like you're not wrong.

Anyhow that's enough ot.

How much room on the left turn bus lanes is made for the left turns. Your pictures failed to capture that. If it's anything like the ones in Dublin they're criminally short, practically useless and almost dangerous from a traffic safety pov.

Iwannahurl

galwaycyclist wrote: »

I agree. This SQR design invites wrong way cycling and it is one of the things that makes this road design, in my view, inherently negligent.

I cycled the nearly-complete SQR today, from the junction with Rahoon Road through the Browne Roundabout at the back of UHG.


On the first leg of my trip (destination Woodquay) I used the cycle path the whole way, only going on the road proper when I needed to take the third exit off the roundabout towards University Road.


It struck me that being in the cycle lane could set up inexperienced, careless or overly-trusting cyclists for close encounters with left-turning traffic. Also, staying on the cyclepath, as suggested by the design, invites cyclists to traverse the roundabout in a manner not compatible with good driving, IMO. I encountered a wrong-way/"salmon" cyclist, of course, heading west along the footpath.


On my return journey I used the bus/cycle lane, as apparently indicated by those blue signs (took a pic, but not available for posting here just now). Much more straightforward, I felt, with better opportunities for merging with traffic and avoiding conflict with left-turning vehicles. Also I was able to move over to the right-turn lane at Glen Oaks, since the hook-turn for bikes is not yet ready.

snubbleste

I witnessed a lone Garda in uniform cycling the full-length of the SQR earlier on a clapped out bicycle (not a garda marked bicycle).
I presume it's in connection with bike week/clever undercover transport/the pay packet being hit.
Either way it is nice to see

Iwannahurl

Here's the bus/cycle lane sign I mentioned previously.

I guess it means cycling is permitted in the bus lane? If so, I think that's where I might prefer to be.

antoobrien

The city council have said they're going to sync the lights today

Galway City Council has insisted that the traffic lights along the new stretch of the Seamus Quirke Road and Bishop O’Donnell Road will be ‘synced’ later today, avoiding the long tailbacks through Westside that prevailed over the weekend.

The local authority was again sharply criticised for the Seamus Quirke Road project because the new traffic lights installed along the mile stretch of the new carriageway were not yet synchronised, bringing traffic in the Westside to a ‘standstill’ on Saturday and Sunday.

City Councillor Pádraig Conneely (FG), said there was “traffic chaos” in Westside over the weekend and yesterday and he described the long tailbacks up to the Browne roundabout as “another cock-up” on the part of the City Council, the promoters of the project.

No time mentioned, so let us know how it's going throughout the day.

Also

There is just a small bit of resurfacing to do from Deane Roundabout at Fort Lorenzo, down the Bishop O’Donnell Road, which will be completed by lunchtime next Monday. It was delayed due to wet weather and also because of problems with fibre optic cables underneath.

So does that mean they're not done yet? Would John Mulholland have paid out if I took the odds on offer a couple of weeks ago?

Sponge Bob

Get out of it. The SQR won't be "completed" next monday.

If they finished (including antiskid application and marking and signposting ) the full roadway by friday week (the day before the Volvo) I'd be utterly amazed.

Then there are walls and misc surfaces and landscapes to complete too. Coffey will still be there in July!

what_traffic

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Here's the bus/cycle lane sign I mentioned previously.

I guess it means cycling is permitted in the bus lane? If so, I think that's where I might prefer to be.

Yup you can use both.

This statement is incorrect

snubbleste

Look at the second sign it outlines a line between pedestrians and cyclists.
It is a bit of a conflicted message.

Sponge Bob

I think the square ones refer to road users and the roundy one refers to offroad or footpath users.

The roundy one is about where the cycle lane goes offroad. However if that is meant to apply to all cyclists then there should be an end of road utilisation ( a BUS ONLY) square sign where the roundy one is too.

As there isn't an 'updated' square sign there are legally two parallel cycle lanes from that point, one on the path and one on the road.

My long expressed preference is for cyclists to stay in the buslane where I can see them of course.

galwaycyclist

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Here's the bus/cycle lane sign I mentioned previously.

I guess it means cycling is permitted in the bus lane? If so, I think that's where I might prefer to be.

Actually of the two signs in the picture, only the bus lane sign is legally compliant. Cyclists are listed in the traffic regulations as default users of "with flow" bus lanes. That is to say all with flow bus lanes are legally "bus and cycle" lanes.

The blue circular sign is not defined anywhere in the Irish traffic regulations so it may still arguably be illegal to cycle on the devices marked with these signs. That is to say that the footways or footpaths may still be "pedestrian only" like normal footpaths. From memory it is illegal to cycle on footways under article 13 of the traffic regulations.

what_traffic

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Actually of the two signs in the picture, only the bus lane sign is legally compliant. Cyclists are listed in the traffic regulations as default users of "with flow" bus lanes. That is to say all with flow bus lanes are legally "bus and cycle" lanes.

The blue circular sign is not defined anywhere in the Irish traffic regulations so it may still arguably be illegal to cycle on the devices marked with these signs. That is to say that the footways or footpaths may still be "pedestrian only" like normal footpaths. From memory it is illegal to cycle on footways under article 13 of the traffic regulations.

On further research - this is correct. Have corrected my last post. Will need to check the signs again when the scheme is finally finished on the 10/11/12....16/17 deadline that GTU decide on.

Sponge Bob

The roundy one is not legal as the text "Raon Rothar" is missing from it.

inisboffin

Saw a second one of those 'cycle path - look both ways' signs today a bit further up too. A mother and a young lad on a bike looking at it, confused!

Little My

Saw something interesting yesterday on the bus, fear it won't be the last time.

A little old lady got off the bus at the stop beside Aldi. Now I don't know if the bus stopped in a bad place, or if she was being little old lady weird, but as she went to go towards the footpath she was clinging on to the barrier which separates the bus stop area from the cycle path, like there wasn't enough space for her to get around with the bus there or something.

Then, she very nearly got mown down by two cyclists.

She seemed very doddery and confused by the whole setup.

Made me think for the first time how dodgy the whole thing is actually.

what_traffic

Little My wrote: »

Saw something interesting yesterday on the bus, fear it won't be the last time.

A little old lady got off the bus at the stop beside Aldi. Now I don't know if the bus stopped in a bad place, or if she was being little old lady weird, but as she went to go towards the footpath she was clinging on to the barrier which separates the bus stop area from the cycle path, like there wasn't enough space for her to get around with the bus there or something.

Then, she very nearly got mown down by two cyclists.

She seemed very doddery and confused by the whole setup.

Made me think for the first time how dodgy the whole thing is actually.

Its the bad design - not the fact the lady was old, little, weird, doddery or confused(or whatever other adjective you want to throw in there). The same incident could happen to anybody getting on/off at these bus stops, thats why the cycle paths should have been part of the bus lane and would not have these conflicts.
The City Council have known about this before the scheme was built as shown here on the Galway Cycling Campaigns website. Look at the dates the articles where posted
See:
http://www.galwaycycling.org/city-council-to-spend-e6-million-to-slow-down-city-buses/
and
http://www.galwaycycling.org/seamus-quirke-road-cyclists-issue-safety-warning-over-cycle-paths/
and
http://www.galwaycycling.org/seamus-quirke-road-loan-was-a-chance-to-force-a-needed-redesign/

bloo

Just out of interest, are taxis allowed to use the bus lane?
According to the signage, its only for buses and cyclists, usually it would state on the signs if it can be used to taxis as well.

galwaycyclist

bloo wrote: »

Just out of interest, are taxis allowed to use the bus lane?
According to the signage, its only for buses and cyclists, usually it would state on the signs if it can be used to taxis as well.

Yes they are but I think theoretically they have to have a fare on board or be anwering a call to a fare. They don't have an automatic right to be in a bus lane.

Sponge Bob

The taxis are exclusively using the buslanes and good luck to them.

I believe this is permitted where a bus lane is indicated and that no explicit taxi signage is required in addition to the Bus symbol.

I think the taxi is SUPPOSED to have passengers in it and that EG an off duty taximan with no passengers is not allowed to use a bus lane.

prometheus2012

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The taxis are exclusively using the buslanes and good luck to them.

I believe this is permitted where a bus lane is indicated and that no explicit taxi signage is required in addition to the Bus symbol.

I think the taxi is SUPPOSED to have passengers in it and that EG an off duty taximan with no passengers is not allowed to use a bus lane.

Correct, and it can only be used by Gardaí in an emergency.

Iwannahurl

prometheus2012 wrote: »

Correct, and it can only be used by Gardaí in an emergency.

Good luck with that one.

Iwannahurl

what_traffic wrote: »

Its the bad design - not the fact the lady was old, little, weird, doddery or confused(or whatever other adjective you want to throw in there). The same incident could happen to anybody getting on/off at these bus stops, thats why the cycle paths should have been part of the bus lane and would not have these conflicts.
The City Council have known about this before the scheme was built as shown here on the Galway Cycling Campaigns website. Look at the dates the articles where posted
See:
http://www.galwaycycling.org/city-council-to-spend-e6-million-to-slow-down-city-buses/
and
http://www.galwaycycling.org/seamus-quirke-road-cyclists-issue-safety-warning-over-cycle-paths/
and
http://www.galwaycycling.org/seamus-quirke-road-loan-was-a-chance-to-force-a-needed-redesign/[/QUOTE]




Fair enough, let's not blame hard-pressed pensioners who rely on Galway's public transport services. Epithets such as weird, doddery and confused may possibly be applicable elsewhere though. :rolleyes:

You were way off the mark about this, however: http://www.galwaycycling.org/city-council-to-spend-e6-million-to-slow-down-city-buses/






















Isn't it more like €16 million? Or even €20 million, according to Don Conneelione.

But you were (mostly) right about this:

The ramped cycle paths will not provide cyclists with access to the road on the approach to the Deane (Fort Lorenzo) and Browne (Corrib Park) roundabouts; as a result, cyclists will be forced to become pedestrians at either end of the corridor.

I would disagree with the word forced, but otherwise that was exactly my experience: if you stay on the "cycle" path you end up snookered at the roundabouts. I still maintain my assertion that this is a common reason for cyclists going the "wrong" way on "cycle" paths.

Sponge Bob

But do you not condemn these cyclists going the "Wrong Way" when there is a right way for them...one that cost 'up to' €20m ???

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

But do you not condemn these cyclists going the "Wrong Way" when there is a right way for them...one that cost 'up to' €20m ???

Still awaiting a response:

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Would those who are claiming that wrong-way cycling on such a "cycle path" is outright illegal please point to the relevant legislation? I'm not saying that legislation doesn't exist, nor am I claiming that such cyclist behaviour is legal, just that I don't know of the relevant legislation.

Sponge Bob

Being unaware of the legislation never held you back before did it.?

Does common courtesy ever come into the frame once one gets 2 wheels down on the tarmac.?