has cork city been ruined by bike lanes?

TheChizler

daveohdave wrote: »

Are you driving through the city at 3am? I've driven in Cork all my life, and in my estimation it's nearly as bad as it was before the tunnel again.

Rush hour mainly.

AugustusMinimus

TheChizler wrote: »

In fairness that's a little bit played up. I drive through these streets nearly every day and the changes haven't caused me any hassle. The construction down by UCC causes disruption but road works aren't permanent.

Having gone through the revised junction, its clear to me that the construction is not causing the extra traffic. It is the lack of a filter lane meaning traffic doing a U-turn onto Sheare Street is blocking traffic going west. The new setup is an absolute disaster and will have to be revised. I suspect it will be revised as only 2 cars queuing to do the U-turn will completely block the Western Road.

daveohdave wrote: »

Are you driving through the city at 3am? I've driven in Cork all my life, and in my estimation it's nearly as bad as it was before the tunnel again.

Lets have some balance here. Its not that bad, yet. However, there are hot spots where the traffic alternations are causing chaos. Washington Street is now essentially a no go area at any time of the day. The end of Sullivans Quay is also a complete mess due to the filter lane being removed. As I've said above, the junction outside of the UCC Main gates is also a disaster.

Essentially what they have done, is remove filter lanes from junctions everywhere to retrofit cycle lanes. This is now doubling or sometimes multiplying even more the traffic at various junctions.

Its clear to me that these cycle lanes were not fully thought out, especially in relation to what it would do to traffic. The Dean Rock roundabout fiasco just proves this. As I've said above, if the cycle lanes take half of all the cars off the streets, the junction outside UCC will still be clogged due to a lack of a filter lane.

TheChizler

You talking about making that u turn down woods street? You might have a point there but the filter lane was nearly always full of parked cars before so I'm not sure how much of a difference it will make.

AugustusMinimus

TheChizler wrote: »

You talking about making that u turn down woods street? You might have a point there but the filter lane was nearly always full of parked cars before so I'm not sure how much of a difference it will make.

I think you may be thinking of a different movement.



Talking about turn right here. The filter lane goes way back past the entrance to the old Erinville.

What happens here is if you are turning right, you must give way to traffic coming in the Western Road. In peak traffic, this obviously meant that traffic backed up on the filter lane.

Now, there will only be one lane there. It will only take 2 cars to completely block traffic travelling west.

TheChizler

Ah you meant the Mardyke, Sheare St doesn't start until the mercy hospital. Yeah I'll have to see works here completely finished before I'll pass judgement.

SpaceTime

There seems to be much more traffic through Summer Hill and St Luke's at peak times now too due to removal of lanes in the City Centre where you turn onto Merchant's Quay and down by the Clarion.

The traffic isn't flowing as well as it used to.

There's also on going issues with uncoordinated traffic lights around the quays coming up past the gate cinema and towards Patrick's Bridge. Various sequences around those junctions on the quays cause total chaos and could be fixed with a bit of programming and ensuring the various lights are coordinated

We actually have fully computerised, centrally controlled, intelligent lights with queue length sensors at every junction so this is just inexcusable inability to use the technology properly!

Dave147

What the **** are they after doing by the gates of UCC, it's like ****ing bumps central, they have the whole city bloody ruined.

ABajaninCork

SpaceTime wrote: »

There seems to be much more traffic through Summer Hill and St Luke's at peak times now too due to removal of lanes in the City Centre where you turn onto Merchant's Quay and down by the Clarion.

The traffic isn't flowing as well as it used to.

There's also on going issues with uncoordinated traffic lights around the quays coming up past the gate cinema and towards Patrick's Bridge. Various sequences around those junctions on the quays cause total chaos and could be fixed with a bit of programming and ensuring the various lights are coordinated

We actually have fully computerised, centrally controlled, intelligent lights with queue length sensors at every junction so this is just inexcusable inability to use the technology properly!

So glad I'm not the only one who noticed this. Coming down from Summerhill North it can take about 15 mins to clear the junction through Brian Boru St, and over the bridge if your timing is off. Drives me absolutely potty! :mad:

And those bloody bike lanes are a menace! Why they have to be raised is beyond me. It's downright dangerous. I'm just waiting for all the lawsuits alleging injury tripping over the kerbs.

Knasher

ABajaninCork wrote: »

And those bloody bike lanes are a menace! Why they have to be raised is beyond me. It's downright dangerous. I'm just waiting for all the lawsuits alleging injury tripping over the kerbs.

It's to try and stop cars from using the lane as a parking space.

AugustusMinimus

Traffic beyond belief today. Backed up from UCC, down Washington Street, onto The South Mall, Georges Quay and South Terrace. I presume as Washington Street is backed up, Patrick Street must also be terrible.

daveohdave

Ah but sure it's not that bad, you said so yourself just a few posts back.

who_me

ABajaninCork wrote: »

And those bloody bike lanes are a menace! Why they have to be raised is beyond me. It's downright dangerous. I'm just waiting for all the lawsuits alleging injury tripping over the kerbs.

Yeah, I've already seen one girl trip over one and fall face-first onto the road on Sullivan's Quay, heard it's happened several times on Washington St. While people will always be tripping/slipping/falling no matter what, falling in the middle of a street is particularly dangerous.

Malari

Is that one on Sullivan's quay a two-way one? If you are on a bike headed up Barrack St, you are not going to be in the bike lane on the right side of the road. And if you are going straight on, onto Proby's quay, you don't want to be stuck on the right of traffic also going straight on. I can't see why anyone would use it.

evilivor

who_me wrote: »

Yeah, I've already seen one girl trip over one and fall face-first onto the road on Sullivan's Quay, heard it's happened several times on Washington St. While people will always be tripping/slipping/falling no matter what, falling in the middle of a street is particularly dangerous.

If only there were safe, designated crossing places on those streets.

54kroc

evilivor wrote: »

If only there were safe, designated crossing places on those streets.

Crazy talk!!

I had the pleasure of driving Sullivan's quay, Washington street and the lovely bit up by UCC the other day.
It's madness what they've done imo.

who_me

evilivor wrote: »

If only there were safe, designated crossing places on those streets.

If they didn't notice the kerb itself, what are the odds they'd see the gap in the kerb that they didn't see?

It's a terrible idea designing paths/road based on how you hope people should behave, rather than how they actually will.

AugustusMinimus

Malari wrote: »

Is that one on Sullivan's quay a two-way one? If you are on a bike headed up Barrack St, you are not going to be in the bike lane on the right side of the road. And if you are going straight on, onto Proby's quay, you don't want to be stuck on the right of traffic also going straight on. I can't see why anyone would use it.

If you were on a bike going up Barrack Street you would be breaking the law. One way for over a year at this stage.

ABajaninCork

I still don't think the cycle lanes should be raised. OK - I understand it's to discourage parking. But what I would do is get traffic wardens patrolling those areas much more tightly. Book each and every car that's parked in the lane with a E90 -E100 fine. That would soon concentrate minds...

Malari

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

If you were on a bike going up Barrack Street you would be breaking the law. One way for over a year at this stage.

What? You can still go up the first part, which is two way. Y'know, at the junction we are discussing?

daveohdave

I wonder how many people open their doors outside Square Deal smack bang into cyclists. That's assuming the cyclists actually use the lanes of course...

TheChizler

Malari wrote: »

Is that one on Sullivan's quay a two-way one? If you are on a bike headed up Barrack St, you are not going to be in the bike lane on the right side of the road. And if you are going straight on, onto Proby's quay, you don't want to be stuck on the right of traffic also going straight on. I can't see why anyone would use it.

The point of these new lanes is that they're contra-flow on already one-way streets. If you're going East to West along Sullivan's quay you would cycle with the flow of traffic.

Knasher

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I still don't think the cycle lanes should be raised. OK - I understand it's to discourage parking. But what I would do is get traffic wardens patrolling those areas much more tightly. Book each and every car that's parked in the lane with a E90 -E100 fine. That would soon concentrate minds...

Well the raised part is only done where there is a contra flow cycle lane involved. I guess they are worried that cars parking in there would encourage cyclists to move onto the road in the wrong direction to get around them, which could lead to a pretty serious accidents. Simply ticketing people probably wouldn't be good enough, especially when you get outside of work hours and parking regulations seem to go out the window anyway. So if they are going to do contra flow lanes, I do think they are going to be needed.

Personally I just wouldn't have put in any contraflow cycle lanes in the first place. So far they all seem either completely pointless, given the distance they save cyclists (Western Rd and Popes Quay), or implemented in a pretty dangerous way(South Main St.).

Corkblowin

I work down near the cathedral and walk across to Patrick St. most days. Without fail I see at least one or two cyclists on Sullivans quay / Probys quay merrily ignoring the cycle lane and holding up the cars which now can't get past.

Having said that, I can't see what the cyclist is supposed to do when the cycle lane on the left side of Georges Quay / Sullivans Quay magically reappears on the right hand side after the pedestrian crossing. If they can't get across before the lights they can't get into it after because of the kerb.

Knasher

Corkblowin wrote: »

I work down near the cathedral and walk across to Patrick St. most days. Without fail I see at least one or two cyclists on Sullivans quay / Probys quay merrily ignoring the cycle lane and holding up the cars which now can't get past.

The one on Probys Quay is meant to be contra flow only, so they are in the correct position if they are heading in the same direction as the traffic. It's all a bit of the mess at the moment, but hopefully it will sort itself out a little when they put down the road markings and signs.

evilivor

Corkblowin wrote: »

I work down near the cathedral and walk across to Patrick St. most days. Without fail I see at least one or two cyclists on Sullivans quay / Probys quay merrily ignoring the cycle lane and holding up the cars which now can't get past.

Cyclists are road users in law - they are are not second class road users - they are as entitled to use the streets cars, buses, trucks etc so if they are perceived to be "holding up cars" then sorry - they are traffic - no different to any other road users.

daveohdave

It's a pity they amended the law that required them to use cycle lanes where available. They wanted them, they should use them.

Corkblowin

evilivor wrote: »

Cyclists are road users in law - they are are not second class road users - they are as entitled to use the streets cars, buses, trucks etc so if they are perceived to be "holding up cars" then sorry - they are traffic - no different to any other road users.

But they are different to other road users - they are more vulnerable in an accident & (many) cannot travel at the designated speed limit for the roads they're travelling.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be there - just that where there's a cycle lane they should use it

Malari

TheChizler wrote: »

The point of these new lanes is that they're contra-flow on already one-way streets. If you're going East to West along Sullivan's quay you would cycle with the flow of traffic.

I see. I'm not sure how you would arrive at that point and need to use the lane though.

They claim with signs all over the place that it's a 'network' but it's totally disjointed. I can understand motorists wondering why cyclists don't use them, but if you are going at any speed the raised or separated ones are not practical, can put you directly into the path of traffic at junctions and often you realise you are cycling along on a road beside a raised/separated cycle lane wondering how the hell do they expect me to get into that without stopping and lifting the bike on. I am not, sadly, skilled in the art of the bunny hop, as I suspect few are.

evilivor

Corkblowin wrote: »

But they are different to other road users - they are more vulnerable in an accident & (many) cannot travel at the designated speed limit for the roads they're travelling.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be there - just that where there's a cycle lane they should use it

It's a speed limit - not a target.

Harry Angstrom

Corkblowin wrote: »

I work down near the cathedral and walk across to Patrick St. most days. Without fail I see at least one or two cyclists on Sullivans quay / Probys quay merrily ignoring the cycle lane and holding up the cars which now can't get past.

Some cycle lanes are downright impractical, such as the one on Anglesea Street. The cyle lane is shared with the footpath, but most pedestrians are oblivious to this and they use the cycle lane to walk on. I wouldn't use it in a million years.