Traffic Island at Aldi Westside

Storm 10

For the 2nd time in two days I have been totally held up while trying to head to Newcastle at the traffic lights at Aldi, the problem is that heading from Shantalla road and wanting to turn right you are met with a traffic Island in the middle of the pedestrian crossing, this results in traffic which wants to go right at the lights or into Aldi are all in the same lane as traffic turning left towards Dunnes Stores, if there was no Island in the middle of the crossing you would have two lanes, I have never seen an Island in the middle of such a small crossing I have seen one on very wide roads, surely this could be taken away as there is a zepra crossing with flashings lights on both sides so no reason for the pole in the middle. Very frustrating to see such a long queue there this morning all caused by the pole in the middle of the road .

Thoughts anyone

snubbleste

It's a much needed pedestrian crossing, even though the zebra crossing is routinely ignored by motorists.
There has always been delays on OldSQR as motorists use it as a rat run to avoid SQR. The delay this morning was not caused by a pole, it was due to the volume of cars on the road.

There is also two islands on Headford Rd between the retail park and tesco - I'm sure you have seen them.
Articulate your thoughts to roads at galwaycity.ie

serfboard

IMO the island is less of a problem then the fact that Aldi is there.

El_Drago

serfboard wrote: »

IMO the island is less of a problem then the fact that Aldi is there.

Eeden

I have often seen drivers get so riled about this island that they "overtake" it in order to get to Aldi or to turn right onto SQR. :eek:

Saw one do it about an hour ago, in fact.

Fey!

Isn't that pedestrian crossing a 2 part crossing?

The light sequence coming from Old SQR turning right onto New SQR is stupidly short; if you're lucky 4 cars will get through it (normally fewer) without anyone running the red. This leads to tailbacks down Old SQR as far as Shantalla/Rahoon Road, and down Ashe Road (made worse by traffic not making space for traoffic coming down from theat junction to proceed).

EDIT; I was thinking of the second pedestrian crossing actually on New SQR, not the one at the Ashe Road junction. IMO the island is needed there to avoid accidents; I have seen cars overtake that on the right to get to Aldi, which could cause carnage. The biggest problem is the lack of space between the 2 junctions combined with the position of the Aldi entrance in relation to the junction.

Iwannahurl

Galway City Council, at a recent Bord Pleanala hearing, defended its decision to grant "planning" permission for another large retail development in Westside, partly on the grounds that the Seamus Quirke Road can take more traffic.

http://www.connachttribune.ie/galway-news/item/1470-15m-project-could-blitz-shops-out-of-existence

Yet the same local authority is arguing that a bypass is urgently needed (and has been urgently needed for over a decade) because the city's road network is at or over capacity.

This is the same local authority that wanted to make the SQR a dual carriageway with several roundabouts, before Bord Pleanala made them do otherwise, and is now removing several roundabouts along the N6 because they could not cope with peak traffic volumes.

In my experience, traffic turning right out of the retail park (Aldi etc) has always been a cause of hold-ups. There are HSE offices in that building, currently being relocated. Lots of HSE staff continue to use their cars, despite the supposedly intolerable traffic congestion, even if living within 3-4 km of their workplace.

beardybrewer

Thanks for highlighting this issue. Cars wanting to turn right in to Aldi not having a turn lane is a hold up. It is frustrating to be held up in traffic due to bad road planning. Especially when you want to park to go to the post office which is one less car stuck in traffic!

Turning right out of Aldi is also an issue. .

snubbleste

OP, did you ever complain to the Council about this, what did they say?

Paddyfield

Exiting Aldi to SQR is a disaster even on a quiet day.

The exit should be directly onto SQR adjacent to the Arch Motors garage.

joeKel73

Fey! wrote: »

The light sequence coming from Old SQR turning right onto New SQR is stupidly short; if you're lucky 4 cars will get through it (normally fewer) without anyone running the red. This leads to tailbacks down Old SQR as far as Shantalla/Rahoon Road, and down Ashe Road (made worse by traffic not making space for traoffic coming down from theat junction to proceed).

I hit this any morning I'm driving and running in any way late - it really starts to block up from 8.15am. Once the traffic backs up past the box junction on Old SQR you can be stuck on the Old SQR for ages as traffic from Ashe Road keeps cutting up into the box junction and only 4 cars or so get through every few minutes on the lights.... then the next set of cars are waiting to jump into the box junction from Ashe Road.

GerardKeating

Paddyfield wrote: »

Exiting Aldi to SQR is a disaster even on a quiet day.

The exit should be directly onto SQR adjacent to the Arch Motors garage.

That might be a problem, the ground it lower in ALDI, one would need a ramp up, plus there would be no right turn.

antoobrien

GerardKeating wrote: »

That might be a problem, the ground it lower in ALDI, one would need a ramp up, plus there would be no right turn.

That would be consistent with city council policy though.