S2S Cycleway - northside

Type 17

I was using the new Baldoyle -> Portmarnock section and noticed that there are no (as far as I could see) bike sensors in the surface approaching the lights at the Moyne Road junction (and, I presume, at the Portmarnock end of the cycleway). This means you have stop and press the begging button and wait for the next cycle of the lights (because motor traffic comes first, of course).
Surely it wouldn't have been much extra cost to add loop sensors for bikes and motion sensors for pedestrians to have the lights change when bikes/pedestrians are approaching the junction(s)? One for the upgrade?

mrcheez

Type 17 wrote: »

I was using the new Baldoyle -> Portmarnock section and noticed that there are no (as far as I could see) bike sensors in the surface approaching the lights at the Moyne Road junction (and, I presume, at the Portmarnock end of the cycleway). This means you have stop and press the begging button and wait for the next cycle of the lights (because motor traffic comes first, of course).
Surely it wouldn't have been much extra cost to add loop sensors for bikes and motion sensors for pedestrians to have the lights change when bikes/pedestrians are approaching the junction(s)? One for the upgrade?

I don't think I've seen lights that change for bikes or pedestrians automatically anywhere before? On the planet I mean

Type 17

mrcheez wrote: »

I don't think I've seen lights that change for bikes or pedestrians automatically anywhere before? On the planet I mean

There are a good few bike-loop sensors in bike lanes in Dublin. Here's an example in Blackrock - see the double loop in black just before the stop line of the bike lane (partially-obscured by the traffic light pole). There's another at the Clonskeagh exit from UCD, but the Google street view image is from 2018 and doesn't show it.

They may not change the light instantly, but they let the light controller know that there's a bike/pedestrian waiting, and so the bike and/or pedestrian sequence is included in the sequence, rather than being skipped.
Other pedestrian crossings have motion sensors to detect if pedestrians are actually standing waiting for a green man, or the button was pressed, but the person kept walking. Here's an article about them, but I'm not sure if there are any in Ireland.

buffalo

mrcheez wrote: »

I don't think I've seen lights that change for bikes or pedestrians automatically anywhere before? On the planet I mean

There's loads for bikes along the Grand Canal cycle track.

I've never seen a pedestrian version though.

magicbastarder

Type 17 wrote: »

There are a good few bike-loop sensors in bike lanes in Dublin. Here's an example in Blackrock - see the double loop in black just before the stop line of the bike lane (partially-obscured by the traffic light pole).

i've not spotted them before - i assume used there specifically because it's a contra flow cycle lane on a one way road, so no other traffic coming the direction a cyclist would be.

Type 17

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've not spotted them before - i assume used there specifically because it's a contra flow cycle lane on a one way road, so no other traffic coming the direction a cyclist would be.

The UCD bike sensor is beside the bigger, car ones (regular road, not contra-flow bike lane), and I've seen others like that (but can't think where right now).

mrcheez

Weird maybe it's a southside thing...

In which case geroff this thread!!

Type 17

Type 17 wrote: »

...Other pedestrian crossings have motion sensors to detect if pedestrians are actually standing waiting for a green man, or the button was pressed, but the person kept walking. Here's an article about them, but I'm not sure if there are any in Ireland.

Actually, I noticed that the very lights I passed the other day (see above) has the sensor shown in the CNN article - looks like Dun Laoghaire Rathdown traffic lights are ahead of the game at detecting bikes.

Stark

And here was me thinking those were the Five Gee.

Type 17

Stark wrote: »

And here was me thinking those were the Five Gee.

Can't be, I stood there a minute or two, and I haven't contracted Covid :pac:

Rogue-Trooper

Looks like they have installed one of those bike counter thingies on the cycle path at the turn off for Baldoyle.

mrcheez

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

Looks like they have installed one of those bike counter thingies on the cycle path at the turn off for Baldoyle.

Bike counter?

Type 17

mrcheez wrote: »

Bike counter?

Like this

Rogue-Trooper

It's not operational yet but that's what it looks like. It's a grey pillar with a bike symbol on it and there are lines on the ground for what looks like sensors which I'm guessing will register how many bikes have passed over it. Could be wrong as I only noticed it as I flew by! Will stop and take a better look next time.

Type 17

No, you're right, it is a counter, and there are diamond-shaped loops in the surface to detect bikes.

Rogue-Trooper

Type 17 wrote: »

Like this

Kinda like that but not as tall I don't think. Wasn't on so didn't notice the display.

magicbastarder

if they had their act together, those things should also display wind direction and speed. that's of more concern to most cyclists.

Rogue-Trooper

magicbastarder wrote: »

if they had their act together, those things should also display wind direction and speed. that's of more concern to most cyclists.

Yep, a message that says : "Headwind - take the Howth Road":p

Atlantic Dawn

A couple of low tech drinking water fountains along the route to replenish water would be a good idea, there's at least 1 in Howth.

mrcheez

A toilet stop would be handy too

I usually have to hold it until I get to Malahide!

feelings

Hard to have 'nice' things, like water fountains, in this country.

The three along the coast between Portmarnock and Malahide are regularly vandalised. I've lost count how many times I have rang Fingal to fix them.

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

A couple of low tech drinking water fountains along the route to replenish water would be a good idea, there's at least 1 in Howth.

Rogue-Trooper

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

Looks like they have installed one of those bike counter thingies on the cycle path at the turn off for Baldoyle.

Stopped and took a pic this morning. It's a bit neater than some of the other ones Ive seen.

Wonder do the sensors 'see' carbon bikes as the traffic light ones certainly don't!

Mercian Pro

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

Wonder do the sensors 'see' carbon bikes as the traffic light ones certainly don't!

As long as you're not on carbon wheels you should trigger the induction loop.

mrcheez

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

Stopped and took a pic this morning. It's a bit neater than some of the other ones Ive seen.

Wonder do the sensors 'see' carbon bikes as the traffic light ones certainly don't!

It's unfortunate that they positioned the Howth-ward direction one of these at a yellow cross section dip where most cyclists would be moving out to avoid it (not to mention avoiding the small potholes), so I reckon the counter is probably only showing 50-60% of the actual cyclists (counting the ones going towards town) as that sensor is probably hit more than the other one.


On another subject, I'm frankly confused by the planting done at this section:

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3585586,-6.1904537,3a,75y,131.46h,83.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJSU40GA2jIEWx98EWyeo1A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The only purpose I can see from that is to make it as difficult as possible for cars to see what's coming on the adjoining lane?

It doesn't serve to obscure anything from the road (given that there are vast unplanted sections in the middle), so can't really see the purpose?

Type 17

mrcheez wrote: »

On another subject, I'm frankly confused by the planting done at this section:

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3585586,-6.1904537,3a,75y,131.46h,83.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJSU40GA2jIEWx98EWyeo1A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The only purpose I can see from that is to make it as difficult as possible for cars to see what's coming on the adjoining lane?

It doesn't serve to obscure anything from the road (given that there are vast unplanted sections in the middle), so can't really see the purpose?

You should have seen it before the planting was trimmed back... :rolleyes:

The potholes across the entrance to the Dublin Bus car park have become a serious issue recently.

Pigeon Reaper

mrcheez wrote: »

On another subject, I'm frankly confused by the planting done at this section:

The plants where there before the cycle lane to try reduce the impact of the car park that became a bus park.

mrcheez

Pigeon Reaper wrote: »

The plants where there before the cycle lane to try reduce the impact of the car park that became a bus park.

What I mean is that I'm confused why they left plants at the 2 entrances, but cleared away all plants in between.

Surely if you're going to leave plants to obscure the buses you leave the section in the middle?

But the plants left either side of the entrances serve no purpose other than to make it harder to see oncoming cyclists. They don't obscure the view of the car park from the road.

Rogue-Trooper

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

I reported the pot holes at the entrance to the car park across from the bus depot last week. Hard to avoid them when heading towards town.

Type 17 wrote: »

The potholes across the entrance to the Dublin Bus car park have become a serious issue recently.

I noticed this morning they threw a bit of tarmac into the holes. Rough as a badgers arse but as least you wouldn't lose a small child (or a rim) in them anymore.

brocbrocach

Really poor attempt at flattening tarmac done at the Vernon Ave. junction recently too. It's not rocket science.

mrcheez

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

I noticed this morning they threw a bit of tarmac into the holes. Rough as a badgers arse but as least you wouldn't lose a small child (or a rim) in them anymore.

I keep having images of rough badgers arses whenever I pass over this now :eek:

Traumatised