Cycling/Walking around the city

joeKel73

Just came across this yesterday - they've put up bollards along the cycle lane on Threadneedle Road to prevent cars parking across the lane. They're only along the lower section yet but presumably they'll continue up the hill.

snubbleste

Are you sure that they are not just fencing off the area to turn it into a carpark? :cool:

galwaycyclist

J o e wrote: »

Just came across this yesterday - they've put up bollards along the cycle lane on Threadneedle Road to prevent cars parking across the lane. They're only along the lower section yet but presumably they'll continue up the hill.

Ok as a question, does it look like there is enough room for a car between each pair of bollards?

snubbleste

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Ok as a question, does it look like there is enough room for a car between each pair of bollards?

Had a gawk.
You cannot fit a car parallel between the flexible bendy bollards, but it's perfect for non-parallel parking; as in reversing the car between the bollards, up to the wall, blocking both the bike path and footpath.

what_traffic

J o e wrote: »

They're only along the lower section yet but presumably they'll continue up the hill.

Any additional bollards installed?

I presume a mini road sweeper will be able to clean it.

snubbleste

what_traffic wrote: »

Any additional bollards installed?

Yes, down at footpath edge (those above are at bikepath edge). Also new pedestrian lights at Dr Mannix Rd junction

what_traffic

snubbleste wrote: »

Yes, down at footpath edge (those above are at bikepath edge). Also new pedestrian lights at Dr Mannix Rd junction

A controlled pedestrian crossing I presume or is it a Zebra crossing?

what_traffic

Deleted User wrote: »

I presume a mini road sweeper will be able to clean it.

They should be, will be tight. However based on condition of footpaths, bike lanes/paths in the city it is not likely this will be done very often.

snubbleste

Like so (stolen pic)

ronnie3585

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2016/04/01/never-mind-the-bollards-3/

snubbleste

Y'see the blue van, have those bollards been knocked...?

Whereisgalway

snubbleste wrote: »

Y'see the blue van, have those bollards been knocked...?

That a turn into somewhere, entrance to a estate or school I think. the bollard where the blue arrow points to stops vehicles from going up

what_traffic

snubbleste wrote: »

Y'see the blue van, have those bollards been knocked...?

Whats the proability the Gardai will do anything about this?

biko

When you thought people couldn't get more douchebaggy they go and park like that.

inisboffin

We're still arguing about if Galway is still a wet place to cycle or not lads. They're talking about us on the wireless right now, and this was published a few days ago.

I have a 'shower dodging' friend. I am hoping to be an apprentice to his superpower this year

biko

Interesting article!

topcat77

Has anybody noticed how car friendly the pedestrian lights at Spanish arch are now? I think i noticed it a few weeks ago, it's almost dangerous as people are amusing the light are faulty.

Mrs OBumble

topcat77 wrote: »

Has anybody noticed how car friendly the pedestrian lights at Spanish arch are now? I think i noticed it a few weeks ago, it's almost dangerous as people are amusing the light are faulty.

I noticed new looking sensors on top of the lights - assume this is related.


What exactly do you mean by "car friendly"?

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

What exactly do you mean by "car friendly"?

Presume it means that cars (and other vechicles) are now given more priority than they had before?
How long does it take for the lights to change once somebody activates the pedestrian crossing button?

ben.schlomo

what_traffic wrote: »

Presume it means that cars (and other vechicles) are now given more priority than they had before?
How long does it take for the lights to change once somebody activates the pedestrian crossing button?

Used to be around 20 seconds if i remember right.

what_traffic

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Used to be around 20 seconds if i remember right.

Wonder what it is now? Alot of pedestrian traffic between Spanish Arch and Quay St.

galwaycyclist

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I noticed new looking sensors on top of the lights - assume this is related.

What exactly do you mean by "car friendly"?

I would suspect the purpose of these is detect if people are waiting or not. If someone presses the button and then walks across anyway then the sensor would cancel the "call" for the "green man" on the lights.

Arguably using this type of crossing at this type of location is simply a way of trying to manage and control pedestrians for the benefit of traffic.

Clearly if traffic speeds are supposed to be low, and there are lots of usable gaps in the traffic, then what should be used is a zebra crossing. The only counter argument would be if levels of pedestrian traffic were so high as to be constant stream of crossing people so that cars could never move - this is unlikely.

So when roads engineers use this type of crossing at this type of location they are arguably penalizing people on foot by removing time from them and trying to encourage car traffic by giving motorists more time.

We have several generations of Irish road engineers who have been training several generations of Irish people to ignore pedestrian crossings.

galwaycyclist

As a quick observation on the above. It can seem an obvious solution to call for the construction of more cycle facilities in the city.

But we need to bear in mind that the roads engineers who will be building them are the same people who spent their professional lives, and our taxes, trying to find more sophisticated ways to remove time (access) from people on foot and give that time to car traffic.

Just pointing that out.

Mrs OBumble

galwaycyclist wrote: »

The only counter argument would be if levels of pedestrian traffic were so high as to be constant stream of crossing people so that cars could never move - this is unlikely.

Ahh, at this location I would say there are many times when this is highly likely.

On fine days, there are the sparching-crew. Tourists most of the year. Kids from those local schools which do not adequately control their pupils at lunchtime (yes, I know there's a proposal to move the worst offender out of the central city, but it's still to get planning AFAIK).

Most able-bodied people don't wait for the lights here, so I actually think that the sensors are a good idea. No point holding up motorized vehicles and cyclists (who do also have to stop for red lights!) for pedestrians who have already crossed.

galwaycyclist

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ahh, at this location I would say there are many times when this is highly likely.

On fine days, there are the sparching-crew. Tourists most of the year. Kids from those local schools which do not adequately control their pupils at lunchtime (yes, I know there's a proposal to move the worst offender out of the central city, but it's still to get planning AFAIK).

Most able-bodied people don't wait for the lights here, so I actually think that the sensors are a good idea. No point holding up motorized vehicles and cyclists (who do also have to stop for red lights!) for pedestrians who have already crossed.

Sure and maybe the "all or nothing" nature of Irish pedestrian crossing designs is part of the problem.

On the other hand, I would argue the big picture is that if this was a small mediaeval city centre location in Germany or the Netherlands there would be little or no private motor traffic allowed over that bridge.

It would be used for foot, cycle, taxi and public transport and the private cars would be required to park outside the city centre or - if crossing the city - to go around the city centre via the Quincentenial bridge.

So arguably at Spanish Arch we have people on foot being managed and controlled to benefit car traffic that should not be there in the first place.

what_traffic

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Sure and maybe the "all or nothing" nature of Irish pedestrian crossing designs is part of the problem.

On the other hand, I would argue the big picture is that if this was a small mediaeval city centre location in Germany or the Netherlands there would be little or no private motor traffic allowed over that bridge.

It would be used for foot, cycle, taxi and public transport and the private cars would be required to park outside the city centre or - if crossing the city - to go around the city centre via the Quincentenial bridge.

So arguably at Spanish Arch we have people on foot being managed and controlled to benefit car traffic that should not be there in the first place.

Excellent point! The same should apply to O Briens bridge as well.

Mrs OBumble

what_traffic wrote: »

Excellent point! The same should apply to O Briens bridge as well.

As someone who live ls pretty close to that bridge, I don't think that it's reasonable to have no vehicle access to my home. Nor do I think that Claddagh residents want my rental car parked in their streets.

galwaycyclist

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

As someone who live ls pretty close to that bridge, I don't think that it's reasonable to have no vehicle access to my home. Nor do I think that Claddagh residents want my rental car parked in their streets.

Hmmm straw man arguments? Nobody said anything about "no vehicle access" only that certain types of vehicle would be restricted to using certain routes.

The same places would remain accessible.

I agree re Claddagh but was it not also somewhat silly of the city council to allow the car parking to be concentrated right in the city centre? Could parking not have been distributed outside the city centre on likely routes for cars approaching the city?

Why push most cars onto three old bridges? It didnt have to be done that way somebody sat down and planned it like that.

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

As someone who live ls pretty close to that bridge, I don't think that it's reasonable to have no vehicle access to my home. Nor do I think that Claddagh residents want my rental car parked in their streets.

Another thing. Make it "Residents Only Parking" rather than "Pay and Display" this would help many of the residents in the City Centre.
You would still have vehicle access to your home.