Galway traffic: the solution

beardybrewer

Start from 1:20. This guy knows what to do.

Mrs OBumble

Eh?



I guess it's no worse than anything the road-designers have come up with lately:

ben.schlomo

Worked fine for me.

beardybrewer

Was my fault. I tried to edit the url to start a minute in and it didn't work for a minute. She's so damned quick I didn't have a chance to fix it before she already posted. German level efficiency if you ask me. Suspicious.

Panthro

We build a massive skytrain that runs right round the city, with stops at major points along the route. We have the trains pulling up typically every 3mins, with more pick ups at peak times. these stops we also have bus depots with regular buses which bring you into the city centre and oit again.
All will have a combined ticket system which will allow you to hop on and off as much as you like. you can buy one daily, weekly or monthly pending on your needs.

snubbleste

Panthro wrote: »

We build a massive skytrain that runs right round the city, with stops at major points along the route. We have the trains pulling up typically every 3mins, with more pick ups at peak times. these stops we also have bus depots with regular buses which bring you into the city centre and oit again.
All will have a combined ticket system which will allow you to hop on and off as much as you like. you can buy one daily, weekly or monthly pending on your needs.

aka Monorail

Panthro

snubbleste wrote: »

aka Monorail

Or skytrain

ben.schlomo

Does every Galway thread now need a Monorail mention.

Mervyn Skidmore

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Does every Galway thread now need a Monorail mention.

Yep, most Galway threads seem to derail.

Panthro

In my defense, i suggested a sky train...!

flazio

What about us brain dead slobs?

ben.schlomo

The cosmic ballet goes on.

UsBus

well this was a great thread to click into..........:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

ronnie3585

flazio wrote: »

What about us brain dead slobs?

You'll be given cushy jobs.

SkyTrain, you say?

Panthro

Ara yeah

BrokenArrows

The solution to the traffic problem of galway will never happen by just changing rules, traffic directions, roundabouts/lights.

The core problem is the location and number of physical roads.

Pretty much regardless of where you want to go in the city you need to take the same roads, even if you dont want to go into the city but from East to West you still need to come almost right into the city using the same roads as everyone else.

One thing which would help would be a south side link from East to West, say from Ballybane Roundabout, down to the new docks and out onto the Salthill road/back into the city.

This allows people to travel East/West without having to deal with the traffic of people coming into the city from Tuam direction, allows people living in the east working on the West side of the city to access it without having to travel through the city centre and people living in the west to travel east to places like parkmore without adding to traffic in the centre.

There would obviously need to be a tunnel to continue to allow harbor access and there are plenty of houses in the way.

The reality of the situation is that its not going to be cheap to fix and hard decisions need to be made.

Mrs OBumble

BrokenArrows wrote: »

The reality of the situation is that its not going to be cheap to fix and hard decisions need to be made.

We've seen this idea before ... http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=94591635&postcount=562

Except that I think you may possibly be serious!


You're right that hard decisions need to be made. Decisions that will cut fossil fuel use and car dependence. Decisions to provide viable public transport, and to use land in ways that make public transport feasible. Decisions to encourage people to make a living in their own communities - and to encourage employers to hire locally.

Whereisgalway

You're right that hard decisions need to be made. Decisions that will cut fossil fuel use and car dependence. Decisions to provide viable public transport, and to use land in ways that make public transport feasible. Decisions to encourage people to make a living in their own communities - and to encourage employers to hire locally.[/quote]

So many faults in this

Redhairedguy

Whereisgalway wrote: »

So many faults in this

Not really much can be down with a statement like this, to be honest. Please give us your opinion that we might understand your position and why you believe there are faults in Mrs. OB's post.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You're right that hard decisions need to be made. Decisions that will cut fossil fuel use and car dependence. Decisions to provide viable public transport, and to use land in ways that make public transport feasible. Decisions to encourage people to make a living in their own communities - and to encourage employers to hire locally.

I think is all well and good when you're focusing just on a city centre, and not taking into consideration the hinterland of Galway, and the necessary commuting patterns of people who work in the city but live more rurally. For example, my friend's parents own a house out near Loughrea, yet one works in Parkmore, the other in Furbo. Neither of these people particularly want to make this commute every morning, but that's where the work is.

If they lived in the city and could avail of the (limited) public transport service to get where they need to go, then that would be grand and your point would have legs; as it stands however, there is absolutely no way for them to get to work without reliance on their individual cars. Nor are they going to relocate with two younger children in schools in the area they live.

These people are not in any way unique. In fact, I think you'll find that the majority of people fit into a similar situation; a guy I work with commutes from Ennis every day; again because this is the direction his career has taken him.

I have to interject and remind you all that traffic in Galway is *not* exclusively a Galway city problem. Lough Corrib and Galway bay throttle all Connemara-East traffic through the city. Non motor vehicle options are not open to them.

On top of that, we have to think how Galway will grow in the next 20, 50, 100 years, and what land, which is now green fields, will become the new suburb communities?

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

We've seen this idea before ... http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=94591635&postcount=562

Except that I think you may possibly be serious!


You're right that hard decisions need to be made. Decisions that will cut fossil fuel use and car dependence. follow MY anti car agenda. Decisions to provide viable public transport, and to use land in ways that make public transport feasible. Decisions to encourage people to make a living in their own communities - and to encourage employers to hire locally. f*ck off back to boggerland & give the jobs to us city folk who don't need filthy, scumbag cars.

Showing the sub-text I'm reading from that. I'm sure it didn't sound anything like that in your head, but it's what people hear when they read this political language.

Colinoh

Galway with a skytrain would be like a mule with a spinning wheel.

talking_walnut

Deleted User wrote: »

I have to interject and remind you all that traffic in Galway is *not* exclusively a Galway city problem. Lough Corrib and Galway bay throttle all Connemara-East traffic through the city. Non motor vehicle options are not open to them.

On top of that, we have to think how Galway will grow in the next 20, 50, 100 years, and what land, which is now green fields, will become the new suburb communities?

If I was still living in the country, I'd be shouting even louder for better transport systems in the city. Rural dwellers are always going to be more dependant on cars due to the dispersed dwelling patterns, but mass transport systems make sense in more densely populated areas. There's no need for everybody in Knocknacarra to drive their own car to the East of the city for work every day. If most of them took the bus (or whatever), it would free up space on the roads for people that actually need to drive to work.

Mrs OBumble

[Deleted User] wrote: »

On top of that, we have to think how Galway will grow in the next 20, 50, 100 years, and what land, which is now green fields, will become the new suburb communities?

Ardaun is planned already, on the east of the city ie where the jobs are, and with public-transport an integral part of the design.

GekkePrutser

BrokenArrows wrote: »

The solution to the traffic problem of galway will never happen by just changing rules, traffic directions, roundabouts/lights.

The core problem is the location and number of physical roads.

Pretty much regardless of where you want to go in the city you need to take the same roads, even if you dont want to go into the city but from East to West you still need to come almost right into the city using the same roads as everyone else.

One thing which would help would be a south side link from East to West, say from Ballybane Roundabout, down to the new docks and out onto the Salthill road/back into the city.

This allows people to travel East/West without having to deal with the traffic of people coming into the city from Tuam direction, allows people living in the east working on the West side of the city to access it without having to travel through the city centre and people living in the west to travel east to places like parkmore without adding to traffic in the centre.

There would obviously need to be a tunnel to continue to allow harbor access and there are plenty of houses in the way.

The reality of the situation is that its not going to be cheap to fix and hard decisions need to be made.

Sounds like a good option actually. It'd only be a small tunnel, I don't really see the problem with it. In the Netherlands we have had this problem of overcrowding and road congestion much longer and there's tunnels everywhere. Even little ones just for pedestrians/cyclists. They're not even that expensive, they just sink some prefab tunnel blocks. They even tunneled a long freight railway because it was seen as an eyesore. I like it. It should be a serious option on the table.

Regarding the reliance on fossil fuels, I don't really expect the number of cars to ever lower really. We'll become less reliant on fossil fuels but the alternatives such as electric cars are becoming mature. The capacity of the electrical grid and production of green power is more of a problem but it'll get solved over time. It'll have to as fossil fuels are running out anyway.

I'd never get rid of my car anyway though I would take public transport to work if it was viable. I actually live near the terminus of the 405 and work near the terminus at the other side. Theoretically an ideal setup.

But Bus Eireann's insistence to slowly meander through the city center (and wait there like 10 minutes) makes this service completely unviable. It takes way too long and the service is too unreliable. I use it sometimes when my car is in the shop and it's seriously more than twice as slow as driving home in the evening. In the morning more like 5 times as slow.

IMO Bus Eireann really need to retire all their 50+ 'stuck in their ways' management and hire some young people who are able to think outside of the box. Everything that's coming out of them has this 'old guard' thing about it. And it's not as if they're doing a good job right now after all.

But it doesn't mean that nothing should be done with the roads. We're going to need them in the future even more than we do now. The M6 will bring more people to galway once the economy picks up again.

talking_walnut

GekkePrutser wrote: »

But Bus Eireann's insistence to slowly meander through the city center (and wait there like 10 minutes) makes this service completely unviable. It takes way too long and the service is too unreliable. I use it sometimes when my car is in the shop and it's seriously more than twice as slow as driving home in the evening. In the morning more like 5 times as slow.

A big issue is the buses are on the exact same roads as the cars most of the time. They're stuck in the same traffic and have to take indirect routes to cater for pick-ups and drop-offs. Took the bus one day and it took 2hrs instead of 30mins (strangely the morning only took about 40mins though so location in the city must play a factor).

At the moment the bus is basically for people that "can't afford" a car, instead of a viable alternative to driving to work. Nobody is going to voluntarily spend four times as long commuting for no obvious benefit.

beardybrewer

I took the bus once in Galway and it took longer than just walking. Haven't bothered again since.


I've a sneaking suspicion I'm part of the silent majority that sees public transportation in Galway as entirely useless.

talking_walnut

beardybrewer wrote: »

I took the bus once in Galway and it took longer than just walking. Haven't bothered again since.


I've a sneaking suspicion I'm part of the silent majority that sees public transportation in Galway as entirely useless.

I think most people with a car see it as useless. But they also freak out when it's suggested that some of the existing roads be reclassified as bus lanes.

If it took 45-60 mins to get to work by car, or a guaranteed 30 mins by bus, which would you take then?

ben.schlomo

I get the bus every day, I know what time to be at the stop,use the app and I'm never really put out by it. Five minutes late here or there but never really anything severely bad, if your commuting by any means in rush hour then you're going to be delayed.

talking_walnut

ben.schlomo wrote: »

I get the bus every day, I know what time to be at the stop,use the app and I'm never really put out by it. Five minutes late here or there but never really anything severely bad, if your commuting by any means in rush hour then you're going to be delayed.

I would take it for commuting if it wasn't going to take x4 times as long .

I currently cycle as much as I can. It's faster than driving or taking the bus, but not doable all year round.