More road 'improvements'??

Red Nissan

Days 298 wrote: »

Why!? What's wrong with the roundabout?

Roundabouts are inefficient at traffic management so they are being replaced.

The question was, "What system disrupts traffic the most?"

They forget why roundabout came in, in the first place. SAFETY.

It is recognized that most accidents happen at right turns, the introduction of roundabout was to eliminate right turns and allow free flowing traffic, they do that perfectly.

For the system to work fully, one needs a series of roundabout, as the Skehard Road was, and one could drive to one roundabout go completely around it and stop at your destination using a left stop or turn and not block any traffic.

Once one started to look at any one individual roundabout, ie the Scally's one, and removed it, the whole Skehard Road system was destroyed and could no longer function.

Roundabouts need to be returned, however, if they want lights, then cross road junctions are the only way to go, signalised roundabouts are disaster zones and totally defeat the mechanics of roundabouts.

rovoagho

While I have a problem with previous overuse of roundabouts in Ireland - Dungarvan is an absolute disgrace - it seems like Irish policymakers only believe in extremes, there's no space in their minds for moderation.

Both ends of the Skehard Road were absolutely fine with roundabouts, for example, yet they felt they needed to create an absolute monster of a junction at one end that made things worse in every way; and they spent an absolute ridiculous amount of money at the other end adding a bus lane that wasn't needed, and cycle lanes that won't be used. Brilliant.

AugustusMinimus

Days 298 wrote: »

Why!? What's wrong with the roundabout?

Who knows. Cork City Council now a penchant for removing them.

They've declared that the redevelopment of Wilton Shopping Centre can not go ahead until the roundabout is removing and turned into a signalised junction.

Faith

THere's a city in the USA that is systematically replacing junctions with roundabouts, and they're significantly lowering crashes. I must try to find the site again.

/edit: It's not just one. Carmel, Indiana has been replacing all signaled intersections with roundabouts. Benefits include gas savings of 24k gallons/year per roundabout; construction costs $125,000 less per intersection; injury accidents dropped by 80 percent and total accidents dropped by 40 percent. Halifax, Canada, are also aiming to replace signalised junctions with roundabouts wherever possible.

Oafley Jones

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

IMO, Dennehys Cross could easily be improved by turning it into a roundabout.

This will never happen though due to government policy. The plan soon is to dig up the Wilton Roundabout and replace it with more traffic lights. A crazy decision which will do nothing but cause traffic chaos in both Wilton and Bishopstown.

Dennehy's Cross wouldn't be so bad if we had less idiots that don't understand right of way.

opus

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Who knows. Cork City Council now a penchant for removing them.

They've declared that the redevelopment of Wilton Shopping Centre can not go ahead until the roundabout is removing and turned into a signalised junction.

The roundabout is being turned into some system of traffic lights, didn't know that and definitely don't understand it Glad there's the handy bypass to avoid the undoubted ugliness that will cause.

evilivor

Faith wrote: »

THere's a city in the USA that is systematically replacing junctions with roundabouts, and they're significantly lowering crashes. I must try to find the site again.

/edit: It's not just one. Carmel, Indiana has been replacing all signaled intersections with roundabouts. Benefits include gas savings of 24k gallons/year per roundabout; construction costs $125,000 less per intersection; injury accidents dropped by 80 percent and total accidents dropped by 40 percent. Halifax, Canada, are also aiming to replace signalised junctions with roundabouts wherever possible.

The UK is testing so-called Dutch roundabouts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22350776

Harry Angstrom

Washington Street has now been completely resurfaced with great cycle lanes on each side of the street. Another gold star for the City Council

delos

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Washington Street has now been completely resurfaced with great cycle lanes on each side of the street. Another gold star for the City Council

While it will be handy enough if you are going into town, I usually turn right onto Grand parade on my way to work so I'll be using the road lanes as I don't fancy trying to push my way across one lane of traffic and into anther to make that turn. I suspect I'll just have to ignore the car drivers shouting at me to use the cycle lane...

evilivor

the beer revolu wrote: »

They're at it at the start of Popes's quay as well.
I think there is a by law that the layout of this junction by Christy Ring bridge must be completely revamped every 2 years.
My guess is that they're doing it to stop people pulling over at the start of Popes's Quay to wait for/pick people up. No doubt people will continue to stop there causing more traffic disruption!

Some councilor in the Echo today complaining that the new Pope's Quay lay out is going to stop people pulling over at the start of the Quay. "Big drop off point... Northside tradition etc. it's a disgrace Neil..."

Harry Angstrom

delos wrote: »

While it will be handy enough if you are going into town, I usually turn right onto Grand parade on my way to work so I'll be using the road lanes as I don't fancy trying to push my way across one lane of traffic and into anther to make that turn. I suspect I'll just have to ignore the car drivers shouting at me to use the cycle lane...

I take that turn plenty of times as well. Best thing to do is get into the middle lane at the traffic lights just before St Augustine's. Go into the middle of the lane so the motorists won't be able to overtake you.

delos

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I take that turn plenty of times as well. Best thing to do is get into the middle lane at the traffic lights just before St Augustine's. Go into the middle of the lane so the motorists won't be able to overtake you.

Thanks I usually grab the lane as I turn into Washington St at the Courthouse and sit in the middle as it is easy enough to keep up with the traffic in the mornings.

Hopefully with more cycle lanes we will see an improvement in attitudes towards cycling and better attitudes from some cyclists so I'm actually happy with the new lanes, despite how my original post looks

Fabio

Not sure about those Dutch-style roundabouts...stopping on roundabouts is never a great idea, they're meant to allow traffic to flow!

Red Nissan

Fabio wrote: »

Not sure about those Dutch-style roundabouts...stopping on roundabouts is never a great idea, they're meant to allow traffic to flow!

Even France are slowly adopting that idea too. But I see it as a reasonable idea in low speed traffic.

evilivor

Fabio wrote: »

Not sure about those Dutch-style roundabouts...stopping on roundabouts is never a great idea, they're meant to allow traffic to flow!

They also give protection to vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists - the priority should be safety.

Missyelliot2

Try driving from Donnybrook Hill to Mahon (and back!)

NO yellow traffic box on the entrance to Shamrock Lawn...it's worn away.
Huge pothole under the bridge for people turning right onto the Well Road.
End of Well road...perfectly operating roundabout removed to make way for traffic lights and one the widest, unused footpaths outside Reeves Wood.
On turning left into Mahon....you will find the other.


On the way back....potholes on well road before roundabout.
And two beauties of potholes if you are going straight ahead and not going into Tesco.

WTF are our road taxes being used for???

the beer revolu

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

WTF are our road taxes being used for???

No such thing as Road tax.
We pay motor tax.

Missyelliot2

the beer revolu wrote: »

No such thing as Road tax.
We pay motor tax.

But surely that should pay for the upkeep of roads?

the beer revolu

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

But surely that should pay for the upkeep of roads?

Arguably it should but it's just another tax that goes into the pot. I drive but I would rather see my taxes pay for health, education and public order before roads.

AugustusMinimus

the beer revolu wrote: »

Arguably it should but it's just another tax that goes into the pot. I drive but I would rather see my taxes pay for health, education and public order before roads.

I'd also like to see public money being spent on maintaining road surfaces instead of being spent on unneeded vanity projects.

Palo Alto

Should just remove all the roads and replace them with trams.

It worked for me in Sim City!!!

the beer revolu

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

I'd also like to see public money being spent on maintaining road surfaces instead of being spent on unneeded vanity projects.

And what's that got to do with what I said?
Unneeded vanity projects like education and health?

We could argue all day about where our tax money is spent ( I drive an old 2 litre car so my motor tax is high) and everybody will have different views on the matter but personally, if given a choice, I'd prefer to see less people on trolleys in hospitals, less crime and better education for all than less potholes.

I agree that it is daft to be needlessly "upgrading" certain roads and junctions at the expense of others. I'd also like to see the politicians, top earning civil servants, consultants and doctors earn a lot less and see corrupt developers and bankers in jail.

I'd also love to decide where my tax money goes but so would everybody else and we'd all have different views on the matter, so that's not going to happen.

What I was trying to say is that (especially in a country that is broke) it really is a bit simplistic to say "I pay my motor tax, so all roads should be perfect" .

rovoagho

You're the one that brought up education and health. This thread is about spending on roads, most of it ill-advised and misdirected. The clue is in the title.

Fabio

evilivor wrote: »

They also give protection to vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists - the priority should be safety.

I understand that but traffic lights do that. Better still would be to allow traffic to just flow and have underpasses for pedestrians. I know I would rather that then to have to wait at a set of traffic lights for my turn to cross the road.

Granted this would be much more expensive but...

By the way can you imagine the confusion with Dutch-style roundabouts? A lot of people on the roads can barely understand a standard one.

Red Nissan

Fabio wrote: »

and have underpasses for pedestrians. I know I would rather that then to have to wait at a set of traffic lights for my turn to cross the road. .

Now, you do have a point, but underpasses are sources of rape, drug dealing and arson, sadly, worse than the school gates, we only ever move a problem.

Rodger that, no pedestrian crossing unless pushed a million times.

Eod100

Anyone know what they're at on Washington St and how long more it's due to go on for?Seem to be widening the footpaths like they've done by the Londis but seems fairly unnecessary..

Missyelliot2

Eod100 wrote: »

Seem to be widening the footpaths like they've done by the Londis but seems fairly unnecessary..

Yep....there's a lot of widening footpaths going on at the moment....the roads are in an awful state - but we've brand new, disproportionately wide paths!:(

rovoagho

I vote for driving on the lovely new footpaths. Pedestrians and cyclists can have the roads.

Missyelliot2

rovoagho wrote: »

I vote for driving on the lovely new footpaths. Pedestrians and cyclists can have the roads.

Good Plan! My ole jalopy will easily fit on the path....actually could overtake even!!

Days 298

rovoagho wrote: »

I vote for driving on the lovely new footpaths. Pedestrians and cyclists can have the roads.

Let's turn Patrick street into a dual carriage way

North Main Street could have 3 lanes.

Let's just ban pedestrians before 9 o clock and from 4-5.