Blackrock Roadworks

cormie

Guess it's a safety measure for cyclists, but really there should be no need if drivers pay attention. Maybe to dissuade people going through the village to skip queues on the bypass too, but queues have really only been prevalent since the roadworks.

They should at least sign post it properly.

LXFlyer

cormie wrote: »

Guess it's a safety measure for cyclists, but really there should be no need if drivers pay attention. Maybe to dissuade people going through the village to skip queues on the bypass too, but queues have really only been prevalent since the roadworks.

They should at least sign post it properly.

I assume they will signpost it whenever the roadworks are finally completed.

Today I counted 7 pedestrian crossings/sets of lights over the bypass between Blackrock park (at Mount Merrion Avenue) and Monkstown Road: about 1km. And nearly all of them were red so I had loads of time to count...

Of course cyclists will break them and of course pedestrians still cross between them through traffic, and never wait for the little green man. Crazy. Can't have been designed by anyone who has ever driven or cycled anywhere? New speed bumps there too.

Not much bypassing going on there anymore, needs a new name

Seaswimmer

Cali_girl wrote: »

Today I counted 7 pedestrian crossings/sets of lights over the bypass between Blackrock park (at Mount Merrion Avenue) and Monkstown Road: about 1km. And nearly all of them were red so I had loads of time to count...

Of course cyclists will break them and of course pedestrians still cross between them through traffic, and never wait for the little green man. Crazy. Can't have been designed by anyone who has ever driven or cycled anywhere? New speed bumps there too.

Not much bypassing going on there anymore, needs a new name

think there are 8 sets including the ones at Temple hill/Monkstown road!!!

I cycle it both ways every day. Sadly its now quicker when coming from town to go through Blackrock village. If you are waiting at the lights at Blackrock Park/Mount Merrion Avenue when they go green it is impossible to get to Carysfort Avenue before those lights turn red. Then there is a wait of almost 2 minutes for 2 cycles of lights and a pedestrian sequence. I dont know why the sequence is like that but maybe when the works are complete it will change.

Going into town is slightly better. I usually only have to stop once usually at Carysfort Avenue again.

marty_crane

If Norris McWhirter were still alive he'd be including this fiasco in the Guinness Book of Records it's taking so long to complete. I wouldn't mind if there were any obvious improvements other than the new surface.

Fratton Fred

One thing it does do, is highlight how atrocious Monkstown road is. Turning off a new road surface on to one that is in absolute rag order typifies DLR council. Not interested in simple maintenance, only headline projects.

coylemj

I recently walked up George's Ave. from Blackrock village to the Frascati Shopping Centre. I couldn't believe that on the Frascati side of the bypass (near McDonalds) the footpath is now more than 20 feet wide at a point where there is very little pedestrian traffic.

It would have been cheaper if they had left the footpath as it was and just embedded spikes in the road in the inbound left lane since the roadworks have done nothing for pedestrians and simply narrowed the road for motorists, exactly the same as they did several years ago at the bottom of Mt. Merrion Ave.

Larbre34

Fratton Fred wrote: »

One thing it does do, is highlight how atrocious Monkstown road is. Turning off a new road surface on to one that is in absolute rag order typifies DLR council. Not interested in simple maintenance, only headline projects.

I emailed the Council about the condition of that before, when I was transporting a relative to St Vincents regularly and it actually caused them discomfort.

They told me Irish Water blocked them from repairing the road because they wanted to come in there first and meter it and update the pipelines. That was 18 months ago.....

Local needs over incompetent quangos I say......

zagmund

I agree - Monkstown Road is absolutely terrible.

On the bypass side, I think you'll find that the previous pedestrian crossing situation along there was very much lacking. If I recall correctly there was no pedestrian crossing at Carysfort Avenue - walking from Temple Hill towards Frascatti you came to a junction where you couldn't cross towards Blackrock and you couldn't cross towards Frascati. You were supposed to go up towards UCD/the old college.

I think they have over done it with the number of crossings though and they have definitely messed up the timings of the lights at Carysfort Avenue.

I just missed getting a photo of a car 80% in the cycle lane and 20% in the road, turning left towards Blackrock last night. It was so blatant, that either the driver thought they were in a car lane or else it was being driven by some form of chimp. They really need to put up those floppy bollards at that junction as well as at the junction with Mount Merrion Avenue.

z

marty_crane

zagmund wrote: »

I just missed getting a photo of a car 80% in the cycle lane and 20% in the road, turning left towards Blackrock last night. It was so blatant, that either the driver thought they were in a car lane or else it was being driven by some form of chimp. They really need to put up those floppy bollards at that junction as well as at the junction with Mount Merrion Avenue.

z

Unfortunately, this happens all day every day

cormie

They were tearing the road up again last night at the junctions leading to Seapoint and Monkstown

I think that's the 3rd time they've resurfaced that section of road since the works started, something very strange about that to me...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8b3963VRW4

coylemj

Will be great fun next week during evening rush hour when the effect of eliminating the separate lane for outbound traffic turning right onto Newtownpark Ave. will probably result in a significant tailback. There was speculation here that the right turn would be eliminated but I can see a box with a right turning arrow on the plans on the DLR co co website so it will still be possible to turn right but there will now be only one lane for all of the outbound traffic at that point.

LXFlyer

Dublin Bus have detours listed from yesterday till Wednesday:
http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/General-News/Diversion-on-Routes-4-7--84a/

dublinman1990

I watched one tree services truck with a yellow trailer attatched to it that stopped in between the traffic lights at the Yellow Box on Temple Hill which briefly blocked traffic leading into Monkstown Road & Stradbrook Road at around 5:20pm this evening.

And while it stopped at the lights it attempted to roll down slightly at that junction for about five times for reasons unknown to me. There were cars behind the trailer turning left into Monkstown Road as well but the manner in which the trailer went down it was nearly going to hit the top of the Bicycle lanes path at Temple Hill and the cars coming from behind it.

The question that should have been asked to him should have been why could you go slightly up the hill and apply the emergency brake to let cars go behind you safely without causing an accident? There were other cars in front of it and beside it but traffic eventually cleared off down the road including the truck itself.

The truck was barely brand new and it was a Mercedes badge on it. It only happened for up to thirty seconds but it had potential to cause an minor road accident.

Exclamation Marc

I think it's safe to say they've made an absolute haims of that entire road. Whilst I admit there was a need for a bit of improvement regarding cycle lanes, the entire thing has just become farcical and they've gone way overboard (reminds me of the roundabout works in Killiney)

As a previous poster said, that right turn up to Newtownpark Avenue is going to cause chaos.

xper

lxflyer wrote: »

cormie wrote: »

Will have to wait and see how they do it and sign post it before the slip for the garage considering it's only a bus lane past the garage itself, meaning vehicles will have to turn around as opposed to going through a 10m bus lane.

Looking at this again today it is clear that the slip lane is to be open for general traffic in either direction as far as the BMW garage. Beyond that will be buses only onto the bypass.

General traffic from Temple Road heading south onto the bypass will have to use the signal controlled junction instead of the slip lane.

Cars coming out of the garage would have to turn right towards Temple Road and do a double back onto the bypass if they want to head south.

Regarding the slip road, I see that instead of designating it as a bus lane, they've put up No Entry signs with a "Except Buses" plate below. Which is fine except doesn't that make it illegal to use the cycle lane?!

zagmund

I walked past that slip lane this evening and car after car flew right up it as they have done for years. The signage is terrible. There should be a big in-your-face sign at the start of the slip road saying something like "Local Access & Bus only". By the time you've got to the garage in your car and *then* see the sign telling you that you can't proceed . . . well, there's a choice doing a u-turn in a narrow lane (probably with a bus or other cars up your behind) and going back 15 metres to go to traffic lights to go forward 20 metres, or just keep driving 10 metres along a straight road.

I know which one I would choose.

The sign needs to be much further back and much more distinct.

z

cormie

It's a little silly not allowing normal traffic there in the first place, what exactly are they hoping to achieve with it the way it is now?

EagererBeaver

FireballPitcher wrote: »

I think it's safe to say they've made an absolute haims of that entire road. Whilst I admit there was a need for a bit of improvement regarding cycle lanes, the entire thing has just become farcical and they've gone way overboard (reminds me of the roundabout works in Killiney)

As a previous poster said, that right turn up to Newtownpark Avenue is going to cause chaos.

It's been causing chaos for weeks. Dreadful temporary markings, cones all over the junction and no work on it for weeks (I haven't been up in a week or so so they may have done something with it). The no right turn is flagrantly ignored, not just by chancers, but by people in reasonable levels of traffic. About ten days ago while waiting to turn left at the bottom of Newtownpark, I counted four cars in a row line up to turn right. While waiting, a woman looking to turn left up N'park drove past the turn because it's so difficult to see with all the cones and then turned up my lane and was sat there facing me almost bumper to bumper before she realised what was happening.

An utter disaster.

zagmund

cormie wrote: »

It's a little silly not allowing normal traffic there in the first place, what exactly are they hoping to achieve with it the way it is now?

Stopping cyclists from being flattened, mostly. By the same drivers who are currently driving right past the "no access" signs right in front of them (if a little too subtle). These drivers are crap at noticing the yield sign and also at noticing the cyclists coming along the bypass to their right.

z

zagmund

Oh, and another thing. There was a 'lane closed ahead' sign plonked right in the middle of the new cycle lane this evening, warning motorists that one of their lanes was closed ahead. It was in the cycle lane because cyclists don't count I guess.

z

cormie

zagmund wrote: »

Stopping cyclists from being flattened, mostly. By the same drivers who are currently driving right past the "no access" signs right in front of them (if a little too subtle). These drivers are crap at noticing the yield sign and also at noticing the cyclists coming along the bypass to their right.

z

This is what I was thinking, but really, I think incompetent drivers should be dealt with in better ways than simply making the roads more fool proof for them.

Exclamation Marc

cormie wrote: »

This is what I was thinking, but really, I think incompetent drivers should be dealt with in better ways than simply making the roads more fool proof for them.

Agreed. I think drivers need to be careful with cyclists and the current infrastructure needed improving but they've gone way overboard. And anyway, I've seen so many roads with fantastic cycle lanes built in and cyclists still trundling along in the middle of the road. So it's not going to solve everything.

I really wouldn't be shocked if this is another of those projects that is revisited after completion.

ted1

cormie wrote: »

It's a little silly not allowing normal traffic there in the first place, what exactly are they hoping to achieve with it the way it is now?

Cars filtering cause congestion. More controlled flowing traffic would be what they are hoping to achieve

ted1

FireballPitcher wrote: »

Agreed. I think drivers need to be careful with cyclists and the current infrastructure needed improving but they've gone way overboard. And anyway, I've seen so many roads with fantastic cycle lanes built in and cyclists still trundling along in the middle of the road. So it's not going to solve everything.

I really wouldn't be shocked if this is another of those projects that is revisited after completion.

I cummute from killiney to ballsbridge every day on my bike. Most days I take the N11, however once or twice a week I'll take the coast road home( going in ny the coast road is a death trap between black rock and the Merion centre)

The new cycle lane is useless, there's to many lights. I find it quicker and more pleasant to go through the park , passed the Dart Station and use the contra flow bike lane by Idrone terrace.

Awaaf

I think the bypass needed cycle lanes and would be generally supportive but a few negative comments:

1. The contractors have been the sloppiest crew I have seen in a long time. Lots of temp signage left up beyond its period of applicability or just plain wrong temp signage. Really crap temp lane lining. They were not very helpful when approached in my experience also.

2. RH Turn at Newtownpark Ave has been mentioned. I can't see that ending well. Maybe it's the councils way of forcing the NTP Ave access to be via the link road. i.e. they don't want to propose it and have a backlash which derails the changes outside Butler's pantry (which are necessary - those paths and house accesses were very sub-standard). Instead they build something they know will cause chaos allowing them to force the change after a few days. I won't go into details of some other areas that I am familiar with but they are into this sort of manouvering in my experience.

3. Why did they tinker with every junction on the whole bypass and do nothing with the most problematic one i.e. St Vincent's Park?

Seaswimmer

ted1 wrote: »

I cummute from killiney to ballsbridge every day on my bike. Most days I take the N11, however once or twice a week I'll take the coast road home( going in ny the coast road is a death trap between black rock and the Merion centre)

The new cycle lane is useless, there's to many lights. I find it quicker and more pleasant to go through the park , passed the Dart Station and use the contra flow bike lane by Idrone terrace.

While I agree that there are too many lights I think useless is a bit harsh. I have used the bypass twice a day for last 10 years and what they have built is a big improvement. There are too many lights but hopefully they will adjust the sequencing when the works are completed.

I never use the park because of the narrow piece at the Dart station otherwise I would consider it on the way out from town.

The coast road is far from a death trap. The piece you mention has a generally good road surface and a quiet bus lane for most of the route except for a short piece at Tara towers. The N11 with its sub standard cycle lanes and high bus volumes is to my mind much more dangerous.

Seaswimmer

Awaaf wrote: »

2. RH Turn at Newtownpark Ave has been mentioned. I can't see that ending well. Maybe it's the councils way of forcing the NTP Ave access to be via the link road. i.e. they don't want to propose it and have a backlash which derails the changes outside Butler's pantry (which are necessary - those paths and house accesses were very sub-standard). Instead they build something they know will cause chaos allowing them to force the change after a few days. I won't go into details of some other areas that I am familiar with but they are into this sort of manouvering in my experience.

3. Why did they tinker with every junction on the whole bypass and do nothing with the most problematic one i.e. St Vincent's Park?

The lights now appear to be operating but I don't think its going to be too bad. There is a long sequence of green with the filter when coming from town. Then lights go orange and red. There dosent appear to be a green for straight without the filter being on so I don't think cars will be stuck behind cars trying to turn right up Newton Park Avenue.

zagmund

Seaswimmer wrote: »

I never use the park because of the narrow piece at the Dart station otherwise I would consider it on the way out from town.

The narrow part at the DART station is no problem. In many years of using it, I have only encountered problems once or twice, compared to many, many problems on the road.

It operates pretty well, with most people taking a common sense approach of standing aside and allowing oncoming traffic to keep moving if they are most of the way along the path. Where two bikes both start off at opposite ends at the same time and meet in the middle, there's always room to pass once one moves hard in to the side. The only obstacle that causes a complete stop is when a buggy (or wheelchair, but I've never met one there) is coming down. Common sense and good manners dictate that you let buggies, etc . . . pass anyway.

z

coylemj

Seaswimmer wrote: »

The lights now appear to be operating but I don't think its going to be too bad. There is a long sequence of green with the filter when coming from town. Then lights go orange and red. There dosent appear to be a green for straight without the filter being on so I don't think cars will be stuck behind cars trying to turn right up Newton Park Avenue.

That came at the price of a horrendous tailback today for inbound traffic at 8:15 a.m. as reported by@Livedrive on Twitter and again at 12:30 p.m. .....

I drove from Deansgrange to Blackrock today about 12:30 p.m. - it was a complete nightmare getting through the junction at the bottom of Newtownpark Ave. because the traffic was backed up to south of the lights at the bottom of hill which leads up to Blackrock RFC. The resurfacing works appear to have finished because the No. 4 and 84 buses are now back using Stradbrook Road after the diversions.

For no apparent reason they still have cones blocking off the slip lane used by inbound traffic turning left to go up Newtownpark Ave. The turn itself wasn't closed off, they simply had the left lane blocked up to the lights which meant that there was only one lane for traffic turning left and going straight ahead. The real killer however and the cause of the tailback for inbound traffic was that outbound traffic was getting significantly more time in the traffic lights cycle, probably because there is now no dedicated lane for outbound traffic turning right into Newtownpark Ave.

So my earlier prediction that outbound traffic would get screwed because of the elimination of the right turning lane for outbound traffic at the bottom of Newtownpark Ave. was wrong, it's the inbound traffic that will have to suffer the consequences. Good luck anyone driving from Deansgrange to Blackrock next week when the schools are back.