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Blackrock Roadworks
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That came at the price of a horrendous tailback for inbound traffic.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reports from a listener that the works have finished on Stradbrook Rd, but traffic is backed up to Deansgrange Rd.</p>— Live Drive (@LiveDrive) <a href=" 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
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That was at 8:15 a.m. today. Four hours later at 12:30 p.m. it was still blocked up to Deansgrange Road and there was no roadworks going on.
Well I cycled from Deansgrange Cross towards town at 8.30 this AM and there was no tailback whatsoever.. But I take your point.
I would imagine that common sense dictates that the traffic heading towards town during morning rush hour gets a longer sequence than at the evening rush hour when the sequence should favour the traffic coming from town but maybe DLR traffic dept has not got that far yet!!!0 -
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.
it'll settle down once people find alternative roads and correct their lane positioning.
Also most the cars in the traffic are full of single occupancy, by providing cycle lanes people will switch and thus this reduces the cars on the road and the congestion associated with them. Its a short cycle from blackrock to Deansgrange.0 -
Seaswimmer wrote: »I would imagine that common sense dictates that the traffic heading towards town during morning rush hour gets a longer sequence than at the evening rush hour when the sequence should favour the traffic coming from town but maybe DLR traffic dept has not got that far yet!!!
Common sense would dictate that there is outbound traffic turning right into Newtownpark Ave. all day and it needs a separate lane.0 -
ITs a death traps, the road is in poor condition, the cycle lanes disappears and there are plenty of pinch points.Seaswimmer wrote: »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.
The N11 cycle lane is elevated off the road. and in good condition. The only bad parts are on the way out from RTE to the UCD flyover and then from Foxrock church for about 200m.
with regards the narrow part by the DART, that's not to bad, you seldom meet people. if you do stay on the bike on lean against the railing or the wall , let them pass and then move on0 -
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?
Have to take this one back (at least in part) as now traffic coming from Seapoint (the old Meaney's direction) and turning up Temple Hill is not in conflict with traffic leaving St. Vincent's Park and going the same way. Not sure about traffic leaving St. Vincent's for Seapoint and the City.0 -
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Have to take this one back (at least in part) as now traffic coming from Seapoint (the old Meaney's direction) and turning up Temple Hill is not in conflict with traffic leaving St. Vincent's Park and going the same way. Not sure about traffic leaving St. Vincent's for Seapoint and the City.
They appear to be getting their own green light now so all good,
If only they could sort out the sequencing of the lights all the way along the bypass but maybe in time..
I raised a few points with the roads engineer but awaiting a response. item 2 was fixed..
1. There really needs to be some kind of markings on the footpaths on both sides of the road between Butler’s Pantry and Newton Park Avenue. It is becoming dangerous due to pedestrians taking over the entire width of the pavement and conflicting with fast moving cycle traffic.
2. There is a left turning arrow on the road just before Newton Park Avenue heading north. I assume this is left over from the old slip lane. This is causing confusion as motorists are now squeezing into the left lane to turn up Newton Park Avenue. This puts them in the cycle lane, entirely blocking it. There is no left lane here anymore so this arrow needs to be removed and possibly look at extending the cycle lane markings a few metres further south.
3. The phase for the cycle traffic light to go straight ahead on Temple Hill is far too short and the wait time on red is far too long. It is far quicker to continue to use the road to go up Temple Hill and onto Stradbrook Road.
4. There needs to be some sequencing of lights when heading south on the bypass. When the lights go green at Blackrock Park/Mount Merrion junction it is impossible on a bike to get through the lights at Carysfort Avenue before they go red. There is then a delay of about 1 minute 45 seconds while the lights go through a complete cycle. This means it is now much quicker to go through Blackrock village which defeats the purpose of the new cycle lanes on Frascati road. Possibly look at giving a bit more time between these 2 sets of lights.
5.The plastic markers/poles at the junction of Merrion Avenue/Frascati Road heading north are missing or damaged. There are now only 2. Can I suggest that the missing ones are replaced as it is only a matter of time before the remaining ones are gone and motorists will be able to turn at will across the cycle lane,0 -
It appears that the contractors have shut up shop and moved on but there's a 10 metre section of that "shared surface" area on the south bound side that has not been finished. It still has lumpy temporary tarmac on an incline joining the new kerb to the old concrete path instead of the new flat cobble lock.Seaswimmer wrote: »1. There really needs to be some kind of markings on the footpaths on both sides of the road between Butler’s Pantry and Newton Park Avenue. It is becoming dangerous due to pedestrians taking over the entire width of the pavement and conflicting with fast moving cycle traffic.
I don't think a "Shared Surface" solution works on a narrow pathway like this case. The natural behaviour of pedestrians doesn't leave adequate room for cyclists. In hindsight , I think they would have been better putting a full cycle lane on one side (probably the northbound side) and making the opposite direction a shared cycle/car lane with protected merging from the ending cycle lane.0 -
Seaswimmer wrote: »They appear to be getting their own green light now so all good,
If only they could sort out the sequencing of the lights all the way along the bypass but maybe in time..
I raised a few points with the roads engineer but awaiting a response. item 2 was fixed..
1. There really needs to be some kind of markings on the footpaths on both sides of the road between Butler’s Pantry and Newton Park Avenue. It is becoming dangerous due to pedestrians taking over the entire width of the pavement and conflicting with fast moving cycle traffic.
2. There is a left turning arrow on the road just before Newton Park Avenue heading north. I assume this is left over from the old slip lane. This is causing confusion as motorists are now squeezing into the left lane to turn up Newton Park Avenue. This puts them in the cycle lane, entirely blocking it. There is no left lane here anymore so this arrow needs to be removed and possibly look at extending the cycle lane markings a few metres further south.
3. The phase for the cycle traffic light to go straight ahead on Temple Hill is far too short and the wait time on red is far too long. It is far quicker to continue to use the road to go up Temple Hill and onto Stradbrook Road.
4. There needs to be some sequencing of lights when heading south on the bypass. When the lights go green at Blackrock Park/Mount Merrion junction it is impossible on a bike to get through the lights at Carysfort Avenue before they go red. There is then a delay of about 1 minute 45 seconds while the lights go through a complete cycle. This means it is now much quicker to go through Blackrock village which defeats the purpose of the new cycle lanes on Frascati road. Possibly look at giving a bit more time between these 2 sets of lights.
5.The plastic markers/poles at the junction of Merrion Avenue/Frascati Road heading north are missing or damaged. There are now only 2. Can I suggest that the missing ones are replaced as it is only a matter of time before the remaining ones are gone and motorists will be able to turn at will across the cycle lane,
I refuse to cycle on that part of the road as there is no cycle lane markings on either side of the road I've had quiet a few drivers beeping at me for doing so. What on earth the council were thinking when they filled in the slip road to the left at Newtown Park ave all this has done is added more congestion to that part of the road. The new traffic lights sequence seems to take for ever when you are heading northbound.0 -
Lads im afraid the entire mess is due to a pox of a document called the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS).
Spoonfeeding for road users. All road users. IMHO.0 -
Lads im afraid the entire mess is due to a pox of a document called the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS).
Spoonfeeding for road users. All road users. IMHO.
Indeed, the DMURS does tend to be a wee bit on the dramatic side especially, when it comes to creating a sense of place/enclosure on main roads. This goes double for it's cousin, the National Cycle Manual (NCM). That doesn't mean I flat out disagree with everything in them as there are positives. Nevertheless, much of the content seen in these documents screams high maintenance.
Back to the topic. Admittedly and now that it's complete, the actual bypass section isn't as bad as I initially thought. Two or three slip lanes on the southbound were removed which, in hind sight didn't make that much sense to begin with.
The only qualm I would have with the bypass section is the tightening of the left turn at (and effectively, the removal of the slip lane on) Mount Merrion Avenue. This was not mentioned in the original plans that went online for public viewing. Originally, it was going to be a tiny bit of rationing of space between motorists and cyclists where the geometry would be retained.
Blocking the entrance to George's Avenue mightn't have been a popular move for the residents. But, there are workarounds via Carysfort Avenue and Frascati Park.
The left turn on to the Rock Road from Mount Merrion Avenue could do with a bit of localized widening (not necessarily a slip lane). I say that because I frequently notice buses and HGVs practically touching the median to avoid mounting the pavement with their hind axle.
Finally, the pinch point created in the removal of a filter lane and a slip lane where Newtownpark Avenue meets Stradbrook Road sounds like a complete shambles from reading some of the posts here.0 -
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patrickbrophy18 wrote: »Finally, the pinch point created in the removal of a filter lane and a slip lane where Newtownpark Avenue meets Stradbrook Road sounds like a complete shambles from reading some of the posts here.
I was heading out of Blackrock, waiting to turn right onto Newtownpark Avenue this afternoon and noticed a whole lot of something going on with the cars heading in towards town. It took me a while before I worked out what was going on - they were all doing a rapid jiggle to the right as they discovered that they were about to mount the (tiny, essentially not really there) concrete divider at the beginning of the cycle lane. I think they were all just blindly following each other.
It was all fun and games for a while until I realised that at some point some driver who's not really paying attention is going to over turn and drive into the side of the car on the other side. Or they will plough into a chimp that is cycling up the middle of the road as a short cut to the right turn.
The beginnings of these cycle lane partitions really need to be made more distinct.
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the left turn onto Monkstown Road, looks like an accident waiting to happen for buses or any other larger vehicles.
first they have to veer slightly right to avoid the big new island between the road and the cycle lane, which houses the new (and unnecessary imo) overhanging traffic lights.
then they have to veer left to avoid the island at the start of Monkstown Road which is far too long and wide
and then veer right to avoid the footpath, which if they were putting in the new island, should have been narrowed.0 -
I was heading out of Blackrock, waiting to turn right onto Newtownpark Avenue this afternoon and noticed a whole lot of something going on with the cars heading in towards town. It took me a while before I worked out what was going on - they were all doing a rapid jiggle to the right as they discovered that they were about to mount the (tiny, essentially not really there) concrete divider at the beginning of the cycle lane. I think they were all just blindly following each other.
z
To be honest it's not that at all. If you take the normal course this appears in front of you-in your direct path. I do this journey daily and keep nearly getting caught out. Directly opposite that point (southbound) I noticed that the fancy schmancy cycle lane disappears completely with absolutely no warning whatsoever.
Also I've noticed that most cars on the northbound approach to that junction tend to hug the centre line, probably out of habit as they always did when there was a left filter lane there. I've daily seen cars use the cycle track as an extra lane but yesterday afternoon took the biscuit when I saw a car in my rear view mirror drive the length of the cycle lane with 2 wheels on the pavement as far as the traffic lights. It mightn't have been so bad had he turned left but he pushed his way in and continued straight ahead towards Blackrock
That junction is dangerous and a shambles. So much for "progress". Frankly I can see this driving custom away from Blackrock because it's just not worth the hassle.0 -
marty_crane wrote: »To be honest it's not that at all. If you take the normal course this appears in front of you-in your direct path. I do this journey daily and keep nearly getting caught out. Directly opposite that point (southbound) I noticed that the fancy schmancy cycle lane disappears completely with absolutely no warning whatsoever.
Also I've noticed that most cars on the northbound approach to that junction tend to hug the centre line, probably out of habit as they always did when there was a left filter lane there. I've daily seen cars use the cycle track as an extra lane but yesterday afternoon took the biscuit when I saw a car in my rear view mirror drive the length of the cycle lane with 2 wheels on the pavement as far as the traffic lights. It mightn't have been so bad had he turned left but he pushed his way in and continued straight ahead towards Blackrock
That junction is dangerous and a shambles. So much for "progress". Frankly I can see this driving custom away from Blackrock because it's just not worth the hassle.
Strangely my wife who used to drive to Blackrock every Saturday morning for a pilates class now cycles. (about 2 miles) She was a reluctant cyclist at best. However she is much more confident using the new infrastructure. Especially the section on Temple Hill (southbound) which was difficult for non-confident cyclists. As an added bonus she no longer has to watch the parking meter and as a result stays longer and goes for coffee/scone ect afterwards.
So I suppose for everyone put off going maybe somebody else may replace them0 -
I've been on the 7 bus taking this turn several times since the new layout was put in. Drivers who slow down sufficiently can perform the manoeuvre just fine in one smooth turn. Drivers who insist on taking the turn at the same speed they used to with the old layout end up having to break suddenly and/or change direction as you describe. Draw your own conclusions.the groutch wrote: »the left turn onto Monkstown Road, looks like an accident waiting to happen for buses or any other larger vehicles.
first they have to veer slightly right to avoid the big new island between the road and the cycle lane, which houses the new (and unnecessary imo) overhanging traffic lights.
then they have to veer left to avoid the island at the start of Monkstown Road which is far too long and wide
and then veer right to avoid the footpath, which if they were putting in the new island, should have been narrowed.
That said, I think the layout of the two islands is slightly off. The one seperating the driving lane from the cycle lane does seem much wider than it looked on the plans and I can't see why.
The other accident waiting to happen is the dozy driver who comes up the southbound left lane on Temple Hill, now a well marked left turn only lane, with a green light and just carries straight on onto Stradbrook Road at full speed to the surprise of the driver doing the same in the correct right hand lane. Cue lots of horn blaring and "Who? Me?" facial expressions. I've seen this twice now and it's not like I hang out there habitually. Since there is no right turn allowed from Stradbrook Road onto Monkstown Road I wonder why they didn't extend the centre traffic island out into the junction to force traffic in the left lane to turn left.0 -
Since there is no right turn allowed from Stradbrook Road onto Monkstown Road I wonder why they didn't extend the centre traffic island out into the junction to force traffic in the left lane to turn left.
Yes and the more serious failure mode at this location is straight ahead traffic stopped by the red light but someone in the left turn lane (green light) deciding to go stright ahead with traffic from Monkstown having priority. I think a build-out of the island with a dishing for the bike lane might be a better design.0
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