Bodkin / Headford Road roundabout replacement [Lights are on!]

Iwannahurl

An irresistible cue.

It works in Mayo, apparently, so why not here?

Perhaps an invocation of St Otto, the "patron saint of parking", could be a central part of such proceedings? Otto's motto: "may your walk be short".

Storm 10

I saw the City Council puttin up a sign as you come off the Quinn bridge saying "Traffic Controlled Roundabout Ahead" so its still a roundabout !!!!!!!

huggs2

Passed there today and its looking good. Just one thing though they seem to be making what looks to be a right hand turn out of the galway retail park next to the current exit. Does anyone know anymore about this?

joeKel73

Drove (for a change) through the junction this morning at 7.35am and lights still off and temporary roundabout still in place....

antoobrien

So still RAB until then

zarquon

It will take a while to fine tune the sequencing. Now we await the deluge of posts one hour after the lights go on declaring that this junction is the greatest failure ever without having the patience to wait for the sequencing to improve.

joeKel73

When's our next boards roundabout meet?

antoobrien

zarquon wrote: »

It will take a while to fine tune the sequencing. Now we await the deluge of posts one hour after the lights go on declaring that this junction is the greatest failure ever without having the patience to wait for the sequencing to improve.

They shouldn't need to, the split on the traffic counts were included in the part 8 document, so they should already have the modelling done.

intellectual dosser

Yeah, I'd agree that the grace period shouldn't be terribly long. Fair enough it may need tweaking early on but I'll be making my mind up within a week!

Iwannahurl

antoobrien wrote: »

They shouldn't need to, the split on the traffic counts were included in the part 8 document, so they should already have the modelling done.

Not nececelery.

Modelling is not perfect, and in any case humans tend to modify their behaviour in changed circumstances, often in an unpredictable fashion.

Some motorists may converge on the new junction purely for the novelty value, while others may avoid it for fear of traffic jams.

There may also be seasonal or other external factors at work.

Personally I'm more interested in the immediate effects on pedestrians and cyclists, which might be more predictable (though probably not worthy of modelling by engineers).

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Modelling is not perfect, and in any case humans tend to modify their behaviour in changed circumstances, often in an unpredictable fashion.

This isn't a junction that can be easily avoided, so there isn't as much scope for variation as some of the other works.

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Some motorists may converge on the new junction purely for the novelty value, while others may avoid it for fear of traffic jams.

What will happen is that most road users will revert to their normal patterns. So people that started using Tuam Rd & Sean Mulvoy instead of staying on the N6 will revert to that. Likewise the people that started going skipping over to Bohermore will come back to the headford Rd. You might start cycling on the bridge again, but since it's not going to be any safer (like Briarhill), you'll probably revert to not cycling across the bridge again.

These movements should be covered in the usage stats included in the Part 8 (especially as they were taken at least If they don't use these figures properly, or worse intentionally concentrate on one traffic stream to the detriment of the other streams (which they are doing at the Moneen & the other three downgraded junctions on the N6), then we'll see the kind of unpredictable traffic flows we saw with the other junctions - such as traffic headed for Ballybrit Business Park taking the Monvea Rd instead of staying on the N6 and waiting several minutes for a right turn.

Iwannahurl

I would expect traffic patterns to settle over time.

However, if all the relevant junctions were signalised and connected to the AUTC then I would expect to see real-time management of traffic, including interventions to ease acute congestion, where possible, in specific locations or at specific times.

Terms such as "upgrade" (or "downgrade") are not neutral and can be highly subjective. Galway City Council described this roads scheme as a "major upgrade", iirc.

In my view the City Council and other roads authorities should describe junction modifications in an objective way, with reference to the anticipated changes in Level of Service for various road users. I believe the LoS for pedestrians at Moneenageisha has been much increased, for example.

Stevo11

Just passed through, high-vis jacket on every lane, just about to stop the traffic for 15 mins to "open it", tv cameras at the ready, nation holds breath.

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Terms such as "upgrade" (or "downgrade") are not neutral and can be highly subjective.

Well if the changes make you change your regular route, then upgrade is hardly appropraite is it.

If the settling you anticipate includes a major shift in patterns away from the previous routes because the have been made unsustainable (e.g right turns at Briarhill & Ballybane) then use of the word upgrade is disingenuous at best and mocking at worst.

ballinadog

They are on

Iwannahurl

antoobrien wrote: »

Well if the changes make you change your regular route, then upgrade is hardly appropraite is it.

If the settling you anticipate includes a major shift in patterns away from the previous routes because the have been made unsustainable (e.g right turns at Briarhill & Ballybane) then use of the word upgrade is disingenuous at best and mocking at worst.

"Downgrade" is also subjective.

I'm looking forward to making my own (entirely non-expert) assessment of the Level of Service for pedestrians and cyclists on the new junction.

By the way, does anyone know whether the new junction will have a name? Is it still called the Bodkin?

intellectual dosser

Delighted and fair play to them. I remember months/years ago thinking that the work would upend the whole city, but it wasn't the worst afterall. Hopefully it doesn't take them long to get sequencing right and we can call it a success.

I passed through last night, some northern clio with balls of steel nearly caused a pile up, it was like a Troll Rage Comic playing out in front of me. Anyway, I think what I'm getting at is that it's good the mini-roundabout situation is past us.

snubbleste

Iwannahurl wrote: »

By the way, does anyone know whether the new junction will have a name? Is it still called the Bodkin?

Conneely Cross..after the Mayor.

ronnie3585

So, has anyone been through it? What's it like?

finlma

intellectual dosser wrote: »

Delighted and fair play to them. I remember months/years ago thinking that the work would upend the whole city, but it wasn't the worst afterall. Hopefully it doesn't take them long to get sequencing right and we can call it a success.

Have you actually driven across the city in the last few months? I do it every day both ways and the last few weeks are the worst its ever been. Safety was non-existant at the junction, resulting in an accident. I would consider it to be a bit of a disaster.

The whole programme of converting roundabouts to lights across the city is adding at least 5-10 minutes to my journey every day.

zarquon

finlma wrote: »

Have you actually driven across the city in the last few months? I do it every day both ways and the last few weeks are the worst its ever been. Safety was non-existant at the junction, resulting in an accident. I would consider it to be a bit of a disaster.

The whole programme of converting roundabouts to lights across the city is adding at least 5-10 minutes to my journey every day.

I would say it's more to do with the competency of galway drivers which is shocking at the best of times! The new junctions are forcing people to obey the rules of the road more closely but there are still plenty of idiots who do stupid things at these junctions daily.

kellsum

I hope people take head of the correct lanes and not like Friday where it was a bottleneck at the slip road going towards Menlo as all the people took the left slip road which was correct but then you have these idiots that go up to the lights and take a left going towards dunnes and Menlo which causes huge traffic jams!

KevR

antoobrien wrote: »

They shouldn't need to, the split on the traffic counts were included in the part 8 document, so they should already have the modelling done.

Modelling is all well and good but it was a straightforward replacement of a roundabout with traffic lights.

It has changed from a 5-arm junction to a 4-arm junction.

3 out of the 4 approach roads have changed.

KevR

Spring Onion wrote: »

Be under no illusions, it will not work. It will be a disaster.

What are you basing this on exactly?

Throughput at the junctions that have already been upgraded is higher at peak times. The upgrades obviously haven't solved the traffic problems - nobody ever claimed they would. But they have made an improvement.

KevR

gordongekko wrote: »

it does not take until then. Let me be the first to say its a waste of money. And how long will it take a spokesperson from the council to tell us it won't work until the roundabout at the Menlo park hotel is done.

The council are correct if they state the above. Traffic from the Menlo Park backed up onto the Bodkin roundabout daily at peak times. I fully expect it to back up to the new lights at Bodkin. Throughput will be higher at Bodkin with the new lights. The Menlo Park roundabout couldn't cope with the previous level of traffic; it's not going to cope with more!

intellectual dosser

finlma wrote: »

Have you actually driven across the city in the last few months? I do it every day both ways and the last few weeks are the worst its ever been. Safety was non-existant at the junction, resulting in an accident. I would consider it to be a bit of a disaster.

The whole programme of converting roundabouts to lights across the city is adding at least 5-10 minutes to my journey every day.

I have driven across the city countless times in the last few months, and as I suggested in my post, the temporary setup was always going to have a negative effect, but I thought it could have been a lot worse. If you're saying there has been one accident as a result, I don;t think I'd kick up a fuss - you sure it was the layout of the temporary setup that caused it?

As for Traffic Lights vs Roundabouts, there's merits for both but I think traffic lights are a better option when considering all road users together (motorists, cyclists, pedestrians).

zarquon

kellsum wrote: »

I hope people take head of the correct lanes and not like Friday where it was a bottleneck at the slip road going towards Menlo as all the people took the left slip road which was correct but then you have these idiots that go up to the lights and take a left going towards dunnes and Menlo which causes huge traffic jams!

In fairness the junction was still operating as a roundabout on Friday so anyone was legally okay to take the left turn i.e first exist from the roundabout. Now though, left turns are illegal at this point and anyone who tries this maneuver now is just an incredibly cr&p driver and there are plenty of those knocking about Galway so i expect to see incompetent drivers try this.

Iwannahurl

KevR wrote: »

... Throughput will be higher at Bodkin with the new lights. The Menlo Park roundabout couldn't cope with the previous level of traffic; it's not going to cope with more!

Interesting observation.

Much of Galway City traffic consists of hurrying to the next jam. If indeed the throughput of the new 'Bodkin' junction is higher, then this will put increased pressure on the Kirwan roundabout. Perhaps this will in turn generate some political pressure to have the N6 Multi-Modal Scheme completed.

Of course increased LoS for pedestrians can occur almost entirely independently of any traffic-related changes.

Redhairedguy

Drove through it at about 1.30pm today. Sailed through, and gave a great big beep and cheer to all the little men in their high viz jackets and clipboards.

Iwannahurl

Redhairedguy wrote: »

little men in their high viz jackets and clipboards.

Preview of tomorrow's Sentinel: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVOL4nQa3Tw/UIfFlo8IrDI/AAAAAAAABKY/jTs8MZoILF4/s1600/scan0002.jpg