Kingston "Road"

Iwannahurl

The footpath on Kingston Road near the junction with Taylor's Hill and Threadneedle Road is well recognised as a handy parking spot on certain occasions.






However, in my experience a large number of motorists seem to like just driving on it, without stopping if at all possible. This has been going on in broad daylight for years, and personally I have never seen any law enforcers take an interest, though I know for certain they've been told about it.

Could this short stretch of footpath possibly be the busiest unofficial roadway in Galway?

What might explain this public footway's enduring popularity with the motoring fraternity/sorority?

dantbyhid

Iwannahurl wrote: »

:cool:
I think that is me in the car on the left there. Same car, colour, tax/nct holder and alloys. When did you take the pic?

Diabhal Beag

Spitting in the face of good driving here.

Little My

Out of interest, have you reported any of these cars to the Gards? You'd think they would follow up on it, Reg plates easily visable and all that.

Edit - reread your post & seen that you already mentioned it. Did they not follow up on the pics though?

ben.schlomo

Jesus you must have some amount of time on your hands to be out at that, get a hobby, its more fun.

Sponge Bob

The footpath, in those photos, is obviously too wide and needs the consaw taken to it in case it damages a car suspension.

OH! ....and....

snubbleste

dantbyhid wrote: »

:cool:
I think that is me in the car on the left there. Same car, colour, tax/nct holder and alloys. When did you take the pic?

When did you mount the footpath and propel forward?

swiftman

if your walking on the footpath and a car is coming towards you (at a slow speed) it wouldnt be a bad idea to walk into the car and knock your knee against the headlight and fall to the ground. call the gardai and they will learn not to drive on a footpath again. + maybe bit more money in your bank account if your limping.

sounds harsh and unfair but thats life. your not the won breaking the law

Acidflash

swiftman wrote: »

if your walking on the footpath and a car is coming towards you (at a slow speed) it wouldnt be a bad idea to walk into the car and knock your knee against the headlight and fall to the ground. call the gardai and they will learn not to drive on a footpath again. + maybe bit more money in your bank account if your limping.

sounds harsh and unfair but thats life. your not the won breaking the law

Yes, Doing that wouldn't be against the law at all. :rolleyes:

delthedriver

Report the matter to the Gardai.
You have the photographic evidence.
IAm sure they will be pleased to address the matter.

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The footpath, in those photos, is obviously too wide

For the blinkered mullahs, in their dotage: the width of the footpath is clearly not a factor. Self-evidently, what is occurring is that motorists drive up on the narrow end of the footpath first, then typically return to the roadway where the footpath widens.

08-G-6446 mounted the footway at the narrow end, but scuttled off sharpish when she saw the camera.




Same applies to this fine example of Galway motoring. reg number not legible unfortunately.




This bus, 91-MO-3606, also mounted the path at the narrower end.





Not all do that, of course. It may depend on the size of the vehicle they're taking for a walk driving, and how precious they are about ickle bumps to their bits and pieces. Some drive all the way up to the pedestrian crossing and exit there. Waste of good tactile kerbing if you can't use it to reduce wear and tear on your suspenders, one supposes.

This is a Prison Service van, reg 07-D-67365. Not sure why they would be 'driving' in this neck of the woods, but at least the occupants had the good grace to look a wee bit sheepish.

Iwannahurl

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Jesus you must have some amount of time on your hands to be out at that, get a hobby, its more fun.

Hmmmm.

Fish pedicures perhaps?

ben.schlomo wrote: »

pretty sure the fish dont have the digits necessary to complete a pedicure??

i hope the place is a success but i just think the novelty factor and relatively high cost may see a gradual decline. Hope im wrong though.

Or shopping around for sweets?

ben.schlomo wrote: »

found the prices for the likes of Snickers Almond and Reeses Peanut Butter bar ridiculous at €1.50, layout is a bit annoying too, way too narrow, totally cramped when you are trying to look at anything.

amiable

I've often been stuck in the traffic waiting to go down Taylors Hill and you hear people honk their horns at other drivers in front of them if they don't mount the footpath.

OP has a valid point here in my opinion and it's only a matter of time before somebody is seriously injured on the footpath.

biko

IWH agus schlomo, you're getting too personal now and bickering kills threads. This time it's an infraction, next time a ban.
I will leave thread open as that footpath riding is indeed common and could be quite dangerous. I've seen it myself many times and hopefully the attention here will make an impact on the road authority (although I doubt they scour the net for things to fix...)

jamesdiver

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Jesus you must have some amount of time on your hands to be out at that, get a hobby, its more fun.

Good, constructive input there, well done.


OP, good thread, well done for bringing it up and reporting to gardai. Lots of school kids use the pedestrian lights and footpaths here.

Sponge Bob

I've often driven on that footpath, never when there was a pedestrian ( or cyclist ) on it already and certainly not when a cameraman was present. I'd say the whole of west Galway has on occasion.

Three points.

1. Nearly everyone drops back on the road first chance they get and not everyone goes up on the low bit either.
2. Nobody goes all the way to the filter light while half mounted on the footpath.
3. They would be tailed right back to Barna in the morning if people did not do so.

Solution.

Narrow footpath a tad on a taper to make the left turn less acute/faster and move the carriageway south by approx 2m...this is quite doable really. Nobody has ever been hit by a car at that location that I know of either.

amiable

Saying lots of people do it is absolutely no excuse.
And saying nobody drives right to the lights on the footpath doesn't seem to be true judging by the Ford Focus in the OP

Seaneh

i'd be all for putting nice new barriers like we have on the bridge down beside Spanish Arch now, would keep the morons on the road.

irisheddie85

I have on occasion mounted the footpath there when turning left and ihave seen garda cars do it.

The solution is very easy. The council should take a few feet off the path on the opposite side of the road and widen the lanes so there is actually a proper left filter lane.

The path across from this one could easily be narrowed without affecting its use and then put in barriers to stop mounting the path

biko

Ok this is much worse and kinda off topic but:

"Pavement driver ordered to wear 'Idiot' sign in Cleveland"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20252212

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

1. I've often driven on that footpath,

2. I'd say the whole of west Galway has on occasion.

3. Three points.

a. Nearly everyone drops back on the road first chance they get and not everyone goes up on the low bit either.
b. Nobody goes all the way to the filter light while half mounted on the footpath.
c. They would be tailed right back to Barna in the morning if people did not do so.

4. Solution.

Narrow footpath a tad on a taper to make the left turn less acute/faster and move the carriageway south by approx 2m...this is quite doable really.

5. Nobody has ever been hit by a car at that location that I know of either.

1. "I've often driven on that footpath". Well well well.

2. No they haven't. I have certainly never done so, and I regularly see motorists there who resist the temptation and don't feel the "need". Of course some people believe nobody ever drives up on footpaths, but that's a whole other delusion.

3a. The narrow section is the most usual entry point, in my experience. The reason is obvious: they don't want to wait to access the left-turn lane, which is adjacent to the wider section of footpath ("the first chance they get").

3b. Some footpath-cruising motorists do drive on the path all the way to the end, though they're not in a majority. Truck drivers are particularly prone to it, IIRC.

3c. Traffic is tailed back on that road because there are a large number of single-occupant vehicles taking up most of the finite road space available. Motorists coming from that direction and wishing to access Bishop O'Donnell Road also have the option of taking the Western Distributor Road. There's also the option (I think) of Park & Ride on the Cappagh Road. There's a sign there to that effect anyway, but I'm not sure how functional the set-up is.

4. I doubt it. You will still get motorists driving over the path. There are non-engineering solutions available to the footpath-driving problem, some of them immediately achievable depending on circumstances:

• Obey the law.
• Respect pedestrian space.
• Practise being patient.
• Leave home earlier.
• Use a different mode of transport.
• Try a different route.
• Avoid unnecessary car journeys.

5. Let's not wait until some is struck by a car.


.

Iwannahurl

Seaneh wrote: »

i'd be all for putting nice new barriers like we have on the bridge down beside Spanish Arch now, would keep the morons on the road.

Can be very dangerous for cyclists.

irisheddie85 wrote: »

I have on occasion mounted the footpath there when turning left and ihave seen garda cars do it.

The solution is very easy. The council should take a few feet off the path on the opposite side of the road and widen the lanes so there is actually a proper left filter lane.

The path across from this one could easily be narrowed without affecting its use and then put in barriers to stop mounting the path

What, and spoil a beautiful parking spot?





I have no idea what engineering solutions the City Council may have considered.

There is a bus bay on that side also, which may be a factor.

There is no necessity to drive on the footpath there in normal circumstances, only personal choice.

Gardai driving on the footpath in non-emergency situations? No surprise there, despite valiant attempts by the Garda Inspectorate to curb that kind of behaviour in terms of police presence on the roads.

Sponge Bob

A barrier won't keep the cyclists on the road though.

At that location...EVEN IF all the cars are fully compliant....there is no room for eastbound cyclists to safely cycle alongside on the road.

Consequently the area shown by Hurl in his photos is full of mounted cyclists mixing in with the pedestrians. I'd never dream of reporting one given the circumstances.

Much to my astonishment Hurl seemingly never managed to photograph one in flagrante. I even remember seeing yer man who regularly tows the yellow trailer behind his bicycle on the R336 up on it, trailer and all.

My solution still stands of course, it would be nice were there 2 usable lanes eastbound and room for cyclists...and all on the road. Cut back that footpath!

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

At that location...EVEN IF all the cars are fully compliant....there is no room for eastbound cyclists to safely cycle alongside on the road.

Consequently the area shown by Hurl in his photos is full of mounted cyclists mixing in with the pedestrians. I'd never dream of reporting one given the circumstances.

Much to my astonishment Hurl seemingly never managed to photograph one in flagrante. I even remember seeing yer man who regularly tows the yellow trailer behind his bicycle on the R336 up on it, trailer and all.

My solution still stands of course, it would be nice were there 2 usable lanes eastbound and room for cyclists...and all on the road. Cut back that footpath!

There is indeed no room for cyclists there, especially the trailer-towing ones I'd imagine.

They run the gauntlet of speeding traffic on the Kingston Road, then approach the junction to find that they, despite their congestion-busting credentials, are squeezed out.

Hence their footpath-mounting escapades no doubt. Not a practice I engage in, but the City Council has been robustly defending such behaviour recently.

Cheaper than actually doing something smart and sustainable for the congestion relievers of course.

Perhaps that's the reason the Council has done nothing with the junction so far: they'd be forced to accommodate cyclists, and that tends to make their brains boil, usually to ugly effect.



EDIT: We haven't had a pic in a while. Here's another part of the "whole of West Galway". (I think I may have actually met this gent -- he looks familiar.)

antoobrien

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Solution.

Narrow footpath a tad on a taper to make the left turn less acute/faster and move the carriageway south by approx 2m...this is quite doable really. Nobody has ever been hit by a car at that location that I know of either.

Can't do that Sponge Bob, it's using common sense.

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

This is a Prison Service van, reg 07-D-67365. Not sure why they would be 'driving' in this neck of the woods

There are courts sittings west of the Corrib, Clifden, Derrynea & Spiddal.

flynnlives

so on a match day at pearse stadium you walked all over salthill taking photos of cars parked on footpaths?!

yer man!

I think the lanes are just too narrow, there really shouldn't have been an extra lane added to the road if the entire road wasn't made wider. It's the same with loads of roads around the city, they aren't built properly if it was, cars would have no need to mount the path, that's water under the bridge now though. Cheap solution to the crap road would be to put up those bendy barriers that emergency vehicles can drive over but unless someone has died there or if there's some "footpath grant" the council will not do a thing.

galwaycyclist

irisheddie85 wrote: »

I have on occasion mounted the footpath there when turning left and ihave seen garda cars do it.

The solution is very easy. The council should take a few feet off the path on the opposite side of the road and widen the lanes so there is actually a proper left filter lane.

Actually the solution is probably easier than that. Simply remove the left turn lane and the left-turn filter arrow on the lights.

What is "driving" this behaviour is the fact that the people in cars can see a green left-arrow that they can only reach by driving on the footpath.

Remove the left arrow signal head and you remove much of the incentive to drive on the footpath. This would also provide space for cyclists to filter forward to the lights without having to hop on the footpath themselves.

antoobrien

flynnlives wrote: »

so on a match day at pearse stadium you walked all over salthill taking photos of cars parked on footpaths?!

One wonders what would happen if one took a stroll on a Wednesday afternoon, would one see residents cars parked in the same fashion.

flynnlives

Iwannahurl wrote: »

This is a Prison Service van, reg 07-D-67365. Not sure why they would be 'driving' in this neck of the woods, but at least the occupants had the good grace to look a wee bit sheepish.

god forbid!! a prison service van driving in SALTHILL!

imagine if the prisoners broke free and proceeded to steal cars and park them with reckless abondonment all over salthill!