traffic

Iwannahurl

Iwannahurl wrote: »

In the real world road space is finite, and cars (most especially single-occupant) take up a grossly disproportionate amount of that space compared to other modes of travel. Regardless of people's reasons -- or excuses -- for using their car, that fact is undeniable and inescapable.

But showing the picture and stating how much space a car takes up is totally irrelevant with the other forms of transport are of no use to a lot of people (not all people but a lot of people). You might as well be showing pictures of a non-existent underground rail system for all the good a bus or a bike are to a lot of people.

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Last year a Redemptorist apologised from the altar to people who had received Fixed Charge Notices for illegal parking during the Novena (including obstruction of footpaths, as per usual). Another cleric was reported in the media as condemning enforcement of parking regulations because people attending the Novena (2012 theme: the virtues of living a good Christian life) were spending their money in local pubs and restaurants. You couldn't make it up.

There should definitely be leniency shown towards people attending big events imo. Especially ones like the Novena where a lot of elderly people etc need to get as close as possible to the cathedral.

dastardly00

what_traffic wrote: »

I did Parkmore to Rahoon(11km) via the Docks in 35 minutes at 17h30 yesterday. Had no major holdups bar the odd traffic light. Alot of car traffic though.

How long would it take you on an average day?

what_traffic

Has any study been done in Galway on the economic cost of car traffic in Galway? i.e the air pollution, accidents, congestion, noise and wear and tear on infrastructure.

what_traffic

dastardly00 wrote: »

How long would it take you on an average day?

Usually 30 minutes. When car traffic is heavy it slows me down by about 5 mins. Can usually estimate journey time by +/- 5 minutes. Depending on the wind direction that can add +/- 5 minutes also.

Iwannahurl

Mohammed Muscular Beginner wrote: »

But showing the picture and stating how much space a car takes up is totally irrelevant with the other forms of transport are of no use to a lot of people (not all people but a lot of people). You might as well be showing pictures of a non-existent underground rail system for all the good a bus or a bike are to a lot of people.

There should definitely be leniency shown towards people attending big events imo. Especially ones like the Novena where a lot of elderly people etc need to get as close as possible to the cathedral.

A neat example of the disconnect between (some? many?) people's perceptions of the facilitation of car traffic versus walking, cycling and using the bus.

Many people attending the Novena get there on foot or by bus. They also "need to get as close as possible to the Cathedral".

Are they supposed to give up some or all of their space to let motorists drive as close as they can to the same venue? If so, why? Are pedestrians and bus users a lower caste or what?

There's a big match in Pearse Stadium on Sunday. Is the same "leniency" to be shown there, ie that motorists should be allowed to park up on footpaths, cycle lanes and bus stops in order to prioritise the convenience of people who travel to the same area by car?

zarquon

Mohammed Muscular Beginner wrote: »

There should definitely be leniency shown towards people attending big events imo. Especially ones like the Novena where a lot of elderly people etc need to get as close as possible to the cathedral.

Completely disagree! leniancy towards parking regulations and the rules of the road for big events means a disproportionate amount of cars coming to those events and creating parking and traffic mayhem everywhere. If parking is limited people will be forced to use other methods such as buses, taxis and "Park & Ride". The parking was crazy around the cathedral yesterday and all approach roads, partially blocking some of them which was further adding to the traffic problems for through traffic.

It is a bit hypocritical for a "Christian" event to be espousing that attendees should be allowed to break local parking and traffic laws. If you want to preach Christ from the alter then don't preach that attendees should be allowed to break the law at the same time! it's even more ridiculous when a minister apologises from the alter to attendees who were penalised for breaking the laws in question.

Iwannahurl

"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

As the Redemptorists might (or might not) say.

My 2 kilometer amble took the same time as usual yesterday.

snubbleste

Mohammed Muscular Beginner wrote: »

There should definitely be leniency shown towards people attending big events imo. Especially ones like the Novena where a lot of elderly people etc need to get as close as possible to the cathedral.

I assume you are joking right?

underfed

This outer bypass has to happen otherwise Galway will be lost, this crazy situation has to stop. The people of Ennis threatened not to vote in the general election unless they got a bypass, they did. We need to do the same.

gordongekko

Or they could just open the empty bus lanes since they don't have services on them that suit people

Iwannahurl

gordongekko wrote: »

Or they could just open the empty bus lanes since they don't have services on them that suit people

Let's use the footpaths for cars too. Sure they're wasted on pedestrians.

Oh wait, we're already doing that...

underfed wrote: »

This outer bypass has to happen otherwise Galway will be lost, this crazy situation has to stop. The people of Ennis threatened not to vote in the general election unless they got a bypass, they did. We need to do the same.

Last time I was in Ennis (post-bypass) the narrow streets of the town centre were full of cars. I recall a pleasant little square ruined by car parking.

I think the people of Galway should threaten not to use their cars again until the bypass is built. That'll hit those politicians where it hurts.

WallyGUFC

Left Claregalway (the town side) at 4.45 yesterday for graduation dinner at 6 in Park House. Sat down to dinner at 6.30. Madness.

fishy fishy

i think st. anthony's cheeks were on display in the cathedral yesterday and people came from far and wide to have a gape - hence the traffic tailback - anyone know which cheeks were on display?

Iwannahurl

Iwannahurl wrote: »

There's a big match in Pearse Stadium on Sunday. Is the same "leniency" to be shown there, ie that motorists should be allowed to park up on footpaths, cycle lanes and bus stops in order to prioritise the convenience of people who travel to the same area by car?

Once driveways aren't blocked then yes, but we already know there will be leniency shown as I have never had a problem from the guards when parking around Pearse stadium in various different places often with two wheels on the footpath.

snubbleste wrote: »

I assume you are joking right?

I'm being totally serious. Its time drivers stood up from themselves a bit more. The traffic problem in Galway would not be as it is today if we were left our roundabouts instead of putting in loads of traffic lights to appease people whining on about roundabouts being bad for pedestrians and bus users. The traffic lights in place of roundabouts are the cause of all these problems in Galway not drivers.

I was commuting into Galway in the height of the boom when there were many many more cars on the road than now and things worked so much better.

what_traffic

This is not going to help in getting more people to use public transport in Galway City/Metro area.

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/news/public-transport-fares-increase-to-protect-service-delivery/

City Bus Service Single Fare is going up from €1.80 to €1.90 from the 1st of November 2013

what_traffic

Mohammed Muscular Beginner wrote: »

The traffic lights in place of roundabouts are the cause of all these problems in Galway not drivers.
.
..
I was commuting into Galway in the height of the boom when there were many many more cars on the road than now and things worked so much better.

That is just not true. The vast amount of cars on Galway citys road network create's car traffic not metal poles sticking in the ground directing them.

swiftman

what_traffic wrote: »

This is not going to help in getting more people to use public transport in Galway City/Metro area.

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/news/public-transport-fares-increase-to-protect-service-delivery/

City Bus Service Single Fare is going up from €1.80 to €1.90 from the 1st of November 2013

what a joke!
id take the bus once a week max due to its price, only other times i use it, if its lashing and i need to be somewhere.

they should be cutting the ticket cost rather then increasing it

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

That is just not true. The vast amount of cars on Galway citys road network create's car traffic not metal poles sticking in the ground directing them.

A certain level of traffic is acceptable, this acceptable level is being exceeded due to the uselessness of traffic lights compared to roundabouts for keeping traffic flowing.

At the end of the day, drivers pay a lot more to use the roads than bus users and cyclists who pay nothing and therefore should be accommodated most.

zarquon

Mohammed Muscular Beginner wrote: »

Once driveways aren't blocked then yes, but we already know there will be leniency shown as I have never had a problem from the guards when parking around Pearse stadium in various different places often with two wheels on the footpath.



I'm being totally serious. Its time drivers stood up from themselves a bit more. The traffic problem in Galway would not be as it is today if we were left our roundabouts instead of putting in loads of traffic lights to appease people whining on about roundabouts being bad for pedestrians and bus users. The traffic lights in place of roundabouts are the cause of all these problems in Galway not drivers.

I was commuting into Galway in the height of the boom when there were many many more cars on the road than now and things worked so much better.

Actually car use seems to have increased in Galway over the last few years despite the recession. Maybe people are just becoming lazier! I'm sure there are probably statistics to verify this but i don't have them to hand but i'm sure one of the other eager posters here will have them.

It's also nonsense to suggest that roundabouts where fine. Bodkin and Kirwin are now the main bottlenecks in the city during rush hour as these junctions are not controllable. Why do you think the traffic was backed all the way up bothar na dtreabh to the Tuam road yesterday? In fact the block at the tuam road junction was caused by the tailbacks from the bodkin and kirwin roundabout. No one was giving right of way at the rounds and both roundabouts were constantly block by cars that could not exit because their exits were backed up but rather than wait at entrances cars were quite happy to enter the roundabout and sit there like it was a car park.

Assuming also that all roundabouts where still in place yesterday the traffic situation would have been no better and probably worse due to the favourite Galway pastime of driving onto a roundabout when your exit is blocked thus blocking cars from other entrances getting onto the roundabout. We could start painting yellow junction boxes on roundabouts but they would be ignored also! Let's not forget about the ultra passive drivers who will sit forever at a roundabout unable to make reasonable progress onto until their are no cars within a 20m radius as they are too nervous to enter the roundabout otherwise. At least the junctions now force people to make progress!

Also back in the gold old days of the roundabouts you would be sitting forever trying to get out of the ballybrit industrial estate with traffic like yesterdays.

As a catholic proponent on this thread you should be reminded of the israelites that were freed from captivity but then complained in the wilderness that things were better when they were enslaved in Egypt. You seem to be forgetting the pain of Egypt with only found memories of the roundabouts retained. I for one am glad that Galway is not enslaved to the roundabouts anymore. (I say this as a driver who has been driving a 16K commute across the city for over a decade!)

snubbleste

Mohammed Muscular Beginner wrote: »

At the end of the day, drivers pay a lot more to use the roads than bus users and cyclists who pay nothing and therefore should be accommodated most.

:rolleyes:

gordongekko

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Let's use the footpaths for cars too. Sure they're wasted on pedestrians.

Oh wait, we're already doing that....

this has no relevance to my post

zarquon

Mohammed Muscular Beginner wrote: »

At the end of the day, drivers pay a lot more to use the roads than bus users and cyclists who pay nothing and therefore should be accommodated most.

By that rational should drivers who are currently in PAYE employment be given right of way over those on the dole? After all us PAYE worker contribute a lot more to the infrastructure than those on social welfare?

What about people driving big fuel guzzling SUVs? They are paying a lot more to drive their 3.5 litres machines than the guys in their pokey little 1 litre corsas and micras therefore the boy racers and learner drivers should not have priority as they pay less by your logic.

By your logic we should have special "upper class" lanes for people who pay the highest road tax and fuel excise duties in their bugatti's and hummers or at least in Ireland, Q7's or X6's

What about a special traffic light tax? Anyone paying this can have an RFID tag installed to their car that causes red light to turn green on their approach irrespective of where the traffic flow priority should be? If you pay less tax, you deserve to be stuck at the red light!

You're also assuming that road tax and excise duties actually go towards towards road infrasture which is also nonsense.

what_traffic

There is no such thing as ROAD Tax. Does not exist.
People in Rep. of Ireland pay Motor tax if they have a vechicle that has a motor.
A bicycle is a vechicle which does not have a motor - hence it does not pay motor tax.

The only time one pays DIRECTLY to use the road in Ireland is on Tolled Motorways and Bridges.

Stereomaniac

Thank God you pointed that out what_traffic. It is something that bugs me when I read these.

Stereomaniac

Stereomaniac wrote: »

Thank God you pointed that out what_traffic. It is something that bugs me when I read these.

Well it bugs me no end people claiming it isn't road tax because it is. Yes it may not go directly to pay for roads, but it does so indirectly and it should go directly but thats beside the point. The smart arses love going on about motor tax not being road tax though.

Anyway its a tax on using a vehicle with a motor on the ROAD. I can have 20 vehicles with motors and use them all I want on my private land but it is only when I want to use the road that I have to pay tax. Hence it is a charge for using the road.

fishy fishy

the last time I saw traffic like yesterday was when they were going around Ireland with the bag o'bones - at least yesterday it was only two cheeks :P:P

Interceptor

Hello. I am one of the people on motorbikes who passed you yesterday.

I left NUIG at 5.30 and filtered through gridlock to Tuam, my commute took the normal 35 minutes. I would like to thank all of the cars stuck in the mayhem yesterday for leaving space for me and my fellow bikers to filter past you. Every bike is one less car in your way - we can co-exist nicely so long as you keep that in mind.

Travel safe!

'cptr

Acidflash

zarquon wrote: »

No one was giving right of way at the rounds and both roundabouts were constantly block by cars that could not exit because their exits were backed up but rather than wait at entrances cars were quite happy to enter the roundabout and sit there like it was a car park.

Assuming also that all roundabouts where still in place yesterday the traffic situation would have been no better and probably worse due to the favourite Galway pastime of driving onto a roundabout when your exit is blocked thus blocking cars from other entrances getting onto the roundabout. We could start painting yellow junction boxes on roundabouts but they would be ignored also! Let's not forget about the ultra passive drivers who will sit forever at a roundabout unable to make reasonable progress onto until their are no cars within a 20m radius as they are too nervous to enter the roundabout otherwise. At least the junctions now force people to make progress!

All that and people using the wrong lane is the exact reason I'm delighted to see roundabouts being replaced with lights in Galway.

WallyGUFC

If people in Galway knew how to use roundabouts I'd be perfectly happy with them remaining. But driver attitudes in Galway are terrible, with a general lack of spacial awareness, intentional or not. I'm therefore happy to see the junctions. The lights didn't cause the issues yesterday. Horrendous planning did. Bringing a relic to the cathedral during grads week. Now that was smart.