Porterstown road to roundabout connection under way

JoePie

Thank you, urban development planners.

spacetweek

Totally missed this development. Very good news.
As for cyclists, to continue to use the old road they would have to build a pedestrian bridge as I assume the level crossing will be removed. Could yis not use the flyover? It has cycle lanes and is a lot wider.

BostonB

The cycle lanes around there are just gibberish for cycle commuters. Just suited for kids or the odd meander to the shops for the paper. Anyone commuting would stay on the road.

Godge

BostonB wrote: »

The cycle lanes around there are just gibberish for cycle commuters. Just suited for kids or the odd meander to the shops for the paper. Anyone commuting would stay on the road.

Yes, but in this particular case, the new wide road with cycle lanes replaces an old narrow winding road with bad lighting and no cycle lanes - surely that is an improvement for cyclists?

Morag

It depend on the cyclelane, those which are part of paths are generally only suited to childern and not people cycling at 30 miles per hour. Some wander all over the place and have streetlamps and sign posts on them or suddenly curve arround bus stops.
Some which are a lane on the road are too narrow, or to slanted or end too abruptly.

BostonB

Godge wrote: »

Yes, but in this particular case, the new wide road with cycle lanes replaces an old narrow winding road with bad lighting and no cycle lanes - surely that is an improvement for cyclists?

I dunno why you introduced cyclists into the equation.

I makes no sense to stop cycling as you would for 40~50 mins of your journey to ride on the pavement for 5 mins on "cycle paths" which are wholly unsuitable for cycling on.

daymobrew

spacetweek wrote: »

As for cyclists, to continue to use the old road they would have to build a pedestrian bridge as I assume the level crossing will be removed.

I don't believe that it will be closed in the short term. Supposedly it would take some Government approval to close it, or something significant like that.

I have emailed FCC Roads and the person with the answer is out until March 12.

Pat Dunne

daymobrew wrote: »

I don't believe that it will be closed in the short term. Supposedly it would take some Government approval to close it, or something significant like that.

I have emailed FCC Roads and the person with the answer is out until March 12.

It is the local authority in this case Fingal County Council who issue "road closing" and "taking in charge

Pat Dunne

daymobrew wrote: »

I don't believe that it will be closed in the short term. Supposedly it would take some Government approval to close it, or something significant like that.

I have emailed FCC Roads and the person with the answer is out until March 12.

It is the local authority in this case Fingal County Council who issue "road closing" and "taking in charge" order's. These type of orders are issued on a very frequent basis and wouldn't involve national Government.

daymobrew

Pat Dunne wrote: »

It is the local authority in this case Fingal County Council who issue "road closing" and "taking in charge" order's. These type of orders are issued on a very frequent basis and wouldn't involve national Government.

True though it might be different with respect to the level crossing that is owned by Irish Rail.

I will clarify when the FCC Roads person is back next week.

Bunnyhopper

spacetweek wrote: »

Could yis not use the flyover? It has B]very poor quality[/B cycle lanes B]that are usually covered in grit and broken glass - and sometimes even pedestrians - and are poorly integrated at junctions,[/B and is a lot wider B]and steeper and more exposed to winds[/B.

The old Porterstown Road is a very pleasant cycle, and should be even nicer with less traffic. I hope the level crossing remains open for cyclists and pedestrians.

As BostonB suggested, the whole network of cycle lanes around the Diswellstown Road and through Riverwood is just not good enough for many cyclists. It might look perfectly good to someone glancing out a car window as they drive past but when I actually tried to use it on a bike I quickly realized how limited its usefulness is. Some cycle lanes are so bad that I go out of my way to avoid them, and the Porterstown Road is one such detour.

daymobrew

I got a reply from FCC about the level crossing and the new road opening date.

Q: Will the Porterstown Road level crossing remain open for pedestrians when the link road is completed?
A: The level crossing is due to close as part of Irish Rail proposals to upgrade the Maynooth line although the timing of this closure is not yet determined

Q: What is the estimated completion date for the link road?
A: The date for the completion of the road works is Mid April 2012

I assume the upgrade of the Maynooth line to mean electrification. That is a good way off.

Murt10

What's the betting that as soon as the road is closed that it doesn't become the latest place for every dumper and fly tipper in Dublin.

daymobrew

Murt10 wrote: »

What's the betting that as soon as the road is closed that it doesn't become the latest place for every dumper and fly tipper in Dublin.

As both sides of the road would be dead ends, a hidden camera should easily catch the culprits. I remember seeing such a camera in action on a programme on RTE a year or two back (in an episode featuring litter wardens).

daymobrew

FCC emailed me again with additional info about the Porterstown Road level crossing:

When the link road is opened the Porterstown level cross will remain open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Irish Rail are examining the possibility of closing a number of level crossing within the Fingal area however this is at a very early stage and will have to go through a full public consultation process before any decisions are made.

MrJoeSoap

Seems to have been completed and opened today, can anyone confirm?!

wxyz

Yes, went through junction this evening going home.
Traffic lights working and all feeder roads open.

MrJoeSoap

wxyz wrote: »

Yes, went through junction this evening going home.
Traffic lights working and all feeder roads open.

Is the old road now closed off, do you know?

daymobrew

wxyz wrote: »

Yes, went through junction this evening going home.
Traffic lights working and all feeder roads open.

The lights timing seems to be causing delays - they may need to be tweaked.

wxyz

Is the old road now closed off, do you know?

From what I seen coming from Clonsilla Rd and going thru railway crossing, after Scoil Choilm old rd is blocked and you come out instead at one arm of the new junction lights

Zaph

daymobrew wrote: »

The lights timing seems to be causing delays - they may need to be tweaked.

Yeah, it was very slow coming from Carpenterstown direction and turning right to go over the bridge on Diswellstown Road. When I came through at about 5.20 initially the traffic was backed up on the roundabout at Riverwood Road, and then when I got to the lights I was sitting there for ages before they turned green again.

BostonB

I kinda wondered why they put lights on it considering every other junction around is a roundabout with no lights and a pedestrian crossing located slightly away from the junction.

When there is no school on, or its the summer, and off-peak, and there isn't much pedestrian traffic, this junction will still delay everyone, unlike the roundabouts feeding into this junction.

Zaph

Yeah, I couldn't figure that out myself. I thought they might just expand the roundabout that was already there, it would seem to make more sense.

BostonB

From what I've seen, the only consistent thing about road design, layout (and cycle lanes) and bus lanes across Dublin 15, is they are dramatically inconsistent with each other.

annfield1978

i thought the part 8 planning had a roundabout at the junction with the bridge

Are there induction loops so that the traffic lights are intelligent enough not to cause delays?

3 sets of lights for a 500m section of road

annfield1978

hmm, part 8 application has a roundabout where the lights now are

http://www.kierandennison.com/2008/08/porterstown-link-road.html

clubcrown

This is utterly crazy.

For anyone coming from Clonsilla - going to carpenterstown, the park, town, castleknock - this is the quickest route, across the flyover, round the roundabout and on you go. Practically everyone around Clonsilla village comes this way rather than going down the clonsilla road and in through Blanch village which is a real blockage at times.

This morning my usual 10 minute journey to the creche in Laurel Lodge took 40 mins; traffic was backed up over the flyover back towards Clonsilla, blocking the main roundabout by St Mochtas; it was backed up the other side all the way up river road, also blocking that roundabout.

I ended up coming back through the level crossing at coolmine to get home. 40 mins as opposed to 10.

What problem is this solving? Why remove the roundabout? Why aren't the light sequences longer? I can see the logic of opening the road, but wtf did they signal control it and remove the roundabout? This is now major major pain at rush hour.

daymobrew

BostonB wrote: »

I kinda wondered why they put lights on it considering every other junction around is a roundabout with no lights and a pedestrian crossing located slightly away from the junction.

The roundabout was removed to make way for Metro West. It would not have to change much when Metro West was being built. Obviously things have changed since early 2011 when the junction was designed.

annfield1978 wrote: »

hmm, part 8 application has a roundabout where the lights now are

http://www.kierandennison.com/2008/08/porterstown-link-road.html

I have a PDF from May 2011 of the junction - it shows a signalised junction.

annfield1978 wrote: »

Are there induction loops so that the traffic lights are intelligent enough not to cause delays?

The lights still have to be programmed appropriately.

daymobrew

I logged a call with FCC (I rang 890 5596 and mentioned the new lights and was transferred). They said that a number of people have rung already and that a Traffic Engineer will be looking into it today or tomorrow.

So, call them!!

BostonB

Well if the aim was to move the congestion from elsewhere to here. Its achieved its aim. It will be interesting if changing the sequence has a major impact on it.