Important traffic problem - City of Limerick

Comhrá

Whoever designed the entrance/exit to Tesco (Coonagh) deserves an award for incompetence. Such a convoluted entrance... past the petrol pump, then a tiny roundabout, then a right turn onto the main parking area.

Exit is equally torturous... a tight turn then drive in the opposite direction to where you're eventually going, then watch out over your right shoulder as you approach a tight roundabout, 180 degree turn back towards the Ennis road....ffs, how did anyone dream it up?? This idiotic system has made me avoid Tesco as much as possible....

and the other exit onto the Ennis road (at the back of Tesco) has been closed off with cement bollards (to discourage the traveler community from parking?)

Cookiemunster

phill106 wrote: »

The speed limit on the condell road...should be 80.
How 4 lanes of toll barrier changes to 2 lanes without any set priority.
Roundabout at the radisson where people go in the wrong lane and seem shocked when i beep the hell out of them.
Actually make that most roundabouts in limerick!

Thats the same after all toll plazas so isn't unique to Limerick.

highlydebased

tippman1 wrote: »

Whoever designed the entrance/exit to Tesco (Coonagh) deserves an award for incompetence. Such a convoluted entrance... past the petrol pump, then a tiny roundabout, then a right turn onto the main parking area.

Exit is equally torturous... a tight turn then drive in the opposite direction to where you're eventually going, then watch out over your right shoulder as you approach a tight roundabout, 180 degree turn back towards the Ennis road....ffs, how did anyone dream it up?? This idiotic system has made me avoid Tesco as much as possible....

and the other exit onto the Ennis road (at the back of Tesco) has been closed off with cement bollards (to discourage the traveler community from parking?)

I suspect that will all change, they are starting the Coonagh-Knockalisheen road in the coming months

wotswattage

Here on Henry Street I've nearly been wiped out several times. I'm in the place of the grey car in the centre lane, going straight ahead into the centre lane after the lights and someone in the lane the camera car is in drifts across into my path and expects right of way!?!

https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.662627,-8.629979,3a,75y,39.1h,85.22t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sd5IpFjSADcpnhh5c-QPLPw!2e0?hl=en

Swiper the fox

wotswattage wrote: »

Here on Henry Street I've nearly been wiped out several times. I'm in the place of the grey car in the centre lane, going straight ahead into the centre lane after the lights and someone in the lane the camera car is in drifts across into my path and expects right of way!?!

https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.662627,-8.629979,3a,75y,39.1h,85.22t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sd5IpFjSADcpnhh5c-QPLPw!2e0?hl=en

I think somebody else mentioned that I this thread also, I find that very confusing, my understanding though is that the lane that the grey car is in is for people turning onto the Ennis road and the other lane users should merge to the middle after that point if they are going straight past O'Sullivans chemist towards Arthur's quay.

Jofspring

I think that is the problem. They should maybe mark Ennis Rd only on the middle lane and at least cars would then know the right hand lane is for the middle and right on the next section of road. As it stands it's just a race to get into the middle lane.

The same goes for sexton street. To avoid confusion just write Parnell street only in the left lane.

Wise Old Elf

^^
As per above, without road markings there's nothing wrong with choosing either left or right hand lane to go in to the middle lane after the lights (I think), and it just becomes a fight/race to get ahead of the other car.
Try cycling it for fun!

Itsdacraic

The double roundabout at the M7 / Dock Road. People don't have a clue how to use it (or else knowingly use it incorrectly to skip traffic).

Jofspring

Itsdacraic wrote: »

The double roundabout at the M7 / Dock Road. People don't have a clue how to use it (or else knowingly use it incorrectly to skip traffic).

Shockingly used. Especially the one nearer the cement factory.

People seem to get easily confused and think cause they are on the inside lane on one roundabout they should be on the inside lane on the very next one even though they might be taking a different exit. Like it's some kind of extended roundabout.

Another problem is people driving into the box marked for cyclists. Fair enough if you get caught at a light and end up in it, that can happen. Some people though just blatantly stop in the box for cyclists at the lights, as if they are getting some kind of a head start over everyone else. If the use of bikes in Limerick takes off then they are in for a rude awakening.

Catherine Street does not have right of way at any point either yet people seem to ignore the stop signs at each Junction along it and float straight through past on coming cars.

Edit: on a side note I'm not the most perfect driver in the world and everyone makes mistakes but some people just blatantly ignore the rules of the road and the use of lanes.

apc

One of the biggest problems is the lack of intelligent Traffic management within the Council. Obviously they dont either live or drive in the city.
The series sequencing of traffic lights is a joke, you get a green but the lane ahead is on a red and full of cars, sitting at a red light with no traffic on the road with green light.
They boasted some years back about new traffic lights they were to buy that read the traffic to give priority to the busiest, obviously they didnt purchase them.

What happened to the city traffic flow scheme that was suppose to have traffic move oneway around the city

Berty

People making mistakes in one thing but council imposing stupid changes on us is annoying because the RSA will tell us we must obey council signs and markings irrespective of if they make sense or not.

Coonagh roundabout to the condell road is one example. You must, by rights, exit the inner orbital lane in the right but they painted chevrons there meaning you are supposed to pull over into the outer oribital lane. That's just wrong so I just drive across the chevrons as that's the way the rules of the road say it should be.

Did you also know that both lanes on wickham street can turn right onto Parnell street? Nobody tries to turn right from the left but by god if they did theyd be blown out of it.

Also yeah condell road is stupid speed limit and I've seen a Garda biker out there checking speed. Fish in a barrel.

juneg

The fact that when driving at night you cant see the fading road markings let alone make out words on all these convoluted lanes and turns.

Wise Old Elf

Thought of another one, spotted it a while ago, not sure if it's been fixed:

Coming up Sarsfield street at the junction with O'Connell Street. Both lanes have straight ahead arrows (William Street) and right turn arrows (O'Connell Street), so in theory, someone in the left lane goes to turn right onto O'Connell Street, someone in the right lane goes straight on to William Street. Both are obeying the lane markings. A mad one!

Berty

It says bus ony on the left lane so only the bus can turn left.

Wise Old Elf

Beer Baron wrote: »

It says bus ony on the left lane so only the bus can turn left.

Ah, it was a good while ago when I saw that, and I don't think the bus only bit was there. At least that's something.

Iranoutofideas

Given the input here alone you'd wonder has the council ever sat down and had the same discussion. You'd be forgiven for thinking no given the amount of problems.

Then again, planning and Limerick have never been a strong point.

Maybe another thread could be - "Things the council planned well in Limerick."

adaminho

Iranoutofideas wrote: »

Maybe another thread post could be - "Things the council planned well in Limerick."

Fyp

thesimpsons

Also on roundabouts. Shannon bridge roundabout, heading over bridge and going round in the left lane but exiting onto Dock Road towards cement factory. Does my head in. Then again, we have so many rule variations on roundabouts, there is almost no norm.

wotswattage

Swiper the fox wrote: »

I think somebody else mentioned that I this thread also, I find that very confusing, my understanding though is that the lane that the grey car is in is for people turning onto the Ennis road and the other lane users should merge to the middle after that point if they are going straight past O'Sullivans chemist towards Arthur's quay.

Jofspring wrote: »

I think that is the problem. They should maybe mark Ennis Rd only on the middle lane and at least cars would then know the right hand lane is for the middle and right on the next section of road. As it stands it's just a race to get into the middle lane.

The same goes for sexton street. To avoid confusion just write Parnell street only in the left lane.

Wise Old Elf wrote: »

^^
As per above, without road markings there's nothing wrong with choosing either left or right hand lane to go in to the middle lane after the lights (I think), and it just becomes a fight/race to get ahead of the other car.
Try cycling it for fun!

I think its pretty obvious. 3 lanes into the lights, 3 lanes out of the lights. Centre and right lane say straight ahead ONLY so you'd stay in your lane and stay in the centre or right lanes respectively.

What they should do is mark the left lane straight ahead and left so you could use the left lane the whole way down Henry Street to cross Sarsfield Bridge.

Berty

You'd think but the left lane, currently turning left only, cannot go straight because the large footpath blocks the way. There isn't enough room for 3 vehicles to go straight so not all 3 Henry street lanes can go straight.

wotswattage

There are 3 full lanes at the pedestrian crossing after the junction, the footpath is only blocking the bus parking outside Dunnes.

wotswattage

And people do the exact same thing on O'Connell Street going straight on across William Street. People in the right lane moving into the left lane, I don't know where they think the person driving alongside them is going to fit?!?

EDIT: Here where the google car would drift into the black cars lane if both were going straight ahead. https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.663974,-8.6266,3a,75y,212.82h,56.18t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sKHtePCkm2gNlnI5nqZYNWw!2e0?hl=en

Alltherage

Beer Baron wrote: »

Did you also know that both lanes on wickham street can turn right onto Parnell street? Nobody tries to turn right from the left but by god if they did theyd be blown out of it.
.

I'm assuming you mean the right hand turn onto William St. I take the left hand lane for the turn onto the left hand lane on William. It's another one of those situations where you have two lanes that can turn right onto a two lane road.

I always assumed the folk going around the inside and cutting into the left lane were trying to avoid being stuck behind traffic going onto High St which can sometimes get held up.

Jofspring

Alltherage wrote: »

I'm assuming you mean the right hand turn onto William St. I take the left hand lane for the turn onto the left hand lane on William. It's another one of those situations where you have two lanes that can turn right onto a two lane road.

I always assumed the folk going around the inside and cutting into the left lane were trying to avoid being stuck behind traffic going onto High St which can sometimes get held up.

The left lane on Wickham Street used to be straight on only and its only in the last year that they added the arrow for right turn in the left lane. I drive it everyday for the last 10 years. Thats why a lot of people get pissed off. They don't realise that people can now turn right as well in the lane beside me.

pigtown

Beer Baron wrote: »

Shortsightedness of Limerick Council to place traffic lights(sur' they love em) at the junction of the Dublin road and Annacotty Ind Estate/Murroe meaning a large tailback every weekday on the Newport Roundabout.

All they needed was to build a roundabout set back from the road as the land is certainly there.

Well speaking as someone who uses these lights everyday they are brilliant. Before they were installed, trying to merge onto the main road was very difficult and sometimes dangerous. A roundabout wouldn't be as effective because most of the traffic is going in one direction.

Beer Baron wrote: »

Did you also know that both lanes on wickham street can turn right onto Parnell street? Nobody tries to turn right from the left but by god if they did theyd be blown out of it.

Realised this last year and it makes things so much easier. I always expect people to complain but amazingly they haven't (at least not loudly anyway).

It always annoys me when people park on one lane of Anne Street, but especially at the corner with Thomas Street. It means that you have to drive blind around the corner in the wrong lane. I wish we had more traffic wardens.

mgbgt1978

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

The two lanes at the end of sexton street do my head in as well. Left lane is ONLY for Parnell Street. Right lane for Roches and Wickham Street.

Not the case. The left lane is for Parnell St. and left-hand lane of Roche's St., the right lane is for right-hand lane of Roche's St and also straight ahead onto Wickham St.
That's the way it was designed....and almost the way it was intended to be marked .

Iranoutofideas

He's the traffic guard Limerick deserves, but not the one it needs right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Llde0i3rk

(No doubt the councilors will want an all expenses paid junket to the Philippines to do some research on this fella )

phog

Beer Baron wrote: »

Did you also know that both lanes on wickham street can turn right onto Parnell street? Nobody tries to turn right from the left but by god if they did theyd be blown out of it.
.

Do you mean William Street?

I use Wickham street at least once a day and regularly use the left lane to turn onto William St and have never been blown out of it. In fact, I'm often in a queue of 2 or 3 cars turning right from the left lane.

Vanquished

Jofspring wrote: »

The left lane on Wickham Street used to be straight on only and its only in the last year that they added the arrow for right turn in the left lane. I drive it everyday for the last 10 years. Thats why a lot of people get pissed off. They don't realise that people can now turn right as well in the lane beside me.

Both the width and condition of the footpaths on Wickham Street are an absolute joke and a disgrace. So much so that two people can barely pass each other! It's actually quite dangerous and all too easy to step off the footpath and on to the road.

The street has plenty of potential but is a bit of a shambles as things stand. Reconstruct much wider footpaths, reduce the road to one lane if needs be, underground the cabling and get rid of those prehistoric ESB poles! Wickham Street falls under the scope of the Parnell Street upgrade project so hopefully we'll see some action this year.

The gimps who park up and block the right hand lane on William Street infuriate me too! I just cannot understand how this situation is allowed to continue!

thesimpsons

pigtown wrote: »

I wish we had more traffic wardens.

or if the wardens we do have were more effective instead of patrolling way up places like Wolfe tone street, Edward Street, up top of Mulgrave Street (but leaving the cars parked outside Leonards Garage alone) and handing out tickets for people 10 minutes over time. its a joke that William Street isn't properly properly patrolled.