Would you use a quietway on your commute?

RayCun

Not to derail the Near Misses thread, which prompted the question

to explain the options - suppose your current route is through Harolds Cross, and going from A to B on that route currently takes about 10 minutes
Option 1 - you'd use the quietway to avoid Harolds Cross, you're not particularly concerned about time
2 - only if the quietway got you from A to B in 11 minutes or less
3 - only if the quietway got you from A to B in 12 minutes or less
4 - only if the quietway was the fastest way from A to B

Annie get your Run

There would need to be other factors too, for example someone pointed out in the NM thread about the narrow streets with cars parked on either side. Not all roads would make successful quiteways. They would either have to reduce the speed limit to 20KPH to ensure cars just stay behind a cyclist or ensure there's enough room for safe passing distance. But in theory I like the idea - as long as it's seen as a safe route for cyclists and not a 'get them off the main roads out of our way' solution!

RayCun

on my own commute - from the KCR I used to go around Wainsfort and Fortfield roads to Templeogue, then the bike lane and shared path along the Dodder, coming out at Milltown. Now I go through Terenure, Rathgar, Dartry to the same place. No bike lanes and some annoyingly narrow roads, but it doesn't feel dangerous - and is a few minutes faster. So I've basically switched from a quietway to a less quiet, more direct route.

ThisRegard

I've did it when I used to work in the city centre. I'd never take the direct route I'd take by car or that the bus would take. I'd take a longer, but much more pleasant route, to avoid traffic and pinch points. The worse bit of traffic I had to put up with was the junction at Kilmainham when crossing from out of the Phoenix Park and over Islandbridge to get to the grand canal.

Just checked there, it added just shy of 3k onto my journey, each way, so 6k per day, to my commute over if I was to go direct.

Annie get your Run

Similarly my direct route to work would involve the N3 from Clonee to Navan road, rather than get myself killed I take the longer (by 1 mile) route through Ongar/Clonsilla/Castleknock - it's not really a quiteway though but there are off road cycle tracks that I use (rather than the bus lanes which just gets you an earful of horn by the cars that also use them :rolleyes:) I do cut up through Roselawn though which is definitely a rat run, glad I don't live there!

seamus

What influences my choice of route is actually junctions. The route which involves the fewest stops is the one that I choose. At one point in my commute I take a section that's 400m longer than the alternative, but requires a single left-hand turn versus 3 right-hand turns and 2 left-hand turns.

So if the choice was a busy route but which mostly involved going straight through junctions, or a quieter route that required more stopping and waiting to turn, then the former will win out. Time is more important than distance, and stopping and starting a lot is the biggest timesink.

mr spuckler

i'd say i'd be more likely to use one if out for a spin with my kid than i would on my commute. i kinda like to push a little bit on the commute and tbf my commute (raheny into town) will have the first half covered by the coastal cycle path once it opens and from there in i don't think there'd be too many options anyway!

magicbastarder

i suppose it depends a lot (to remove it from the specific context above) - if your commute is only 15 minutes long, you're not going to sweat an option which adds 15% or 20% to the time taken. if it's considerably longer, you might reconsider a quiteway if it adds say ten minutes.

CramCycle

There is one junction on my commute that can be taken via roundabout or by coming off the road on the cycle path, crossing the road at a lights, crossing the major road further on with a bridge, turning back on yourself to get to the throughway. All in all it adds between 8 and 12 minutes. I always use the roundabout. I might use the other route if I was with a nervous person but adding 25% onto my commute is ridiculous.

robyntmorton

CramCycle wrote: »

There is one junction on my commute that can be taken via roundabout or by coming off the road on the cycle path, crossing the road at a lights, crossing the major road further on with a bridge, turning back on yourself to get to the throughway. All in all it adds between 8 and 12 minutes. I always use the roundabout. I might use the other route if I was with a nervous person but adding 25% onto my commute is ridiculous.

That's Colmcille's Hospital unless I'm much mistaken? That roundabout is not for the faint-hearted anyway, and I would have thought the route would have been to Wyattville flyover, across, and down, but it's a long sequence of crossings to wait for there to go that way.

If I was heading in that direction I'd come up via Commons Rd myself anyway, but that's just because it's easier from home.

Wishbone Ash

I can't see a 'No' option!

Danjamin1

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I can't see a 'No' option!

I think that's covered in the very last option - unless you wouldn't use a quietway even if it was the fastest route?

Chuchote

A quietway is, by definition, car-free. Of course I'd use it under every circumstance. I do the nearest thing to this already for my normal functional cycling. Much more pleasant and calmer, you can sail along without being constantly on the lookout for mechanised dangers.

RayCun

Danjamin1 wrote: »

I think that's covered in the very last option - unless you wouldn't use a quietway even if it was the fastest route?

Yes, that was the intention.

I suppose the other factor to consider is how unsafe the direct route is, but there's no way to quantify that.

It was prompted by the discussion about Harolds Cross bridge, a terrible layout and not safe, but also the fastest route for many.

Chuchote

RayCun wrote: »

Yes, that was the intention.

I suppose the other factor to consider is how unsafe the direct route is, but there's no way to quantify that.

It was prompted by the discussion about Harolds Cross bridge, a terrible layout and not safe, but also the fastest route for many.

The hoped-for plan there is to run the cyclists in by Greenmount, across a new bridge behind Griffith College and on through the Tenters, as I understand it.

Wishbone Ash

Danjamin1 wrote: »

I think that's covered in the very last option - unless you wouldn't use a quietway even if it was the fastest route?

I don't really care if it is faster. I don't wish to be segregated like some second class citizen. I want to cycle on the same surface as other vehicles to promote an acceptance that cycling is normal, not something to be kept out of other road users way.

Now where's my 'No' option?

Chuchote

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I don't really care if it is faster. I don't wish to be segregated like some second class citizen. I want to cycle on the same surface as other vehicles to promote an acceptance that cycling is normal, not something to be kept out of other road users way.

Now where's my 'No' option?

Your 'No' option is under your hands, in your handlebar grips. Quietways are optional, not compulsory.

Danjamin1

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I don't really care if it is faster. I don't wish to be segregated like some second class citizen. I want to cycle on the same surface as other vehicles to promote an acceptance that cycling is normal, not something to be kept out of other road users way.

Now where's my 'No' option?

That's all we'll & good but if someone wants to build me a quietway that's well designed, maintained & fit for purpose and also decreases my commute time I'm all for it!

ED E

I try to avoid right turns where I have to queue, being hit at such has given me a wee complex, so that'd be the main determining factor.

magicbastarder

someone tell me if this is a silly thought - a cycling route planner using some google maps API (i'm down with this technical jargon) where the route is based on feedback from cyclists on particular roads.
e.g. you could rate particular roads, so for example, if enough cyclists rate the N11 poorly, the planner would suggest alternative A to B routes?

i suspect one of the main issues would be how to define what constitutes a stretch of road, as the N11 could be considered as one stretch of road, or dozens of stretches.

Chuchote

magicbastarder wrote: »

someone tell me if this is a silly thought - a cycling route planner using some google maps API (i'm down with this technical jargon) where the route is based on feedback from cyclists on particular roads.
e.g. you could rate particular roads, so for example, if enough cyclists rate the N11 poorly, the planner would suggest alternative A to B routes?

i suspect one of the main issues would be how to define what constitutes a stretch of road, as the N11 could be considered as one stretch of road, or dozens of stretches.

Great idea! Red thumbs for dangerous crossings and turns too.

beauf

ThisRegard wrote: »

I've did it when I used to work in the city centre. I'd never take the direct route I'd take by car or that the bus would take. I'd take a longer, but much more pleasant route, to avoid traffic and pinch points. The worse bit of traffic I had to put up with was the junction at Kilmainham when crossing from out of the Phoenix Park and over Islandbridge to get to the grand canal.

Just checked there, it added just shy of 3k onto my journey, each way, so 6k per day, to my commute over if I was to go direct.

I did the same possibly from your advice. Much nicer route.

Danbo!

seamus wrote: »

What influences my choice of route is actually junctions. The route which involves the fewest stops is the one that I choose. At one point in my commute I take a section that's 400m longer than the alternative, but requires a single left-hand turn versus 3 right-hand turns and 2 left-hand turns.

So if the choice was a busy route but which mostly involved going straight through junctions, or a quieter route that required more stopping and waiting to turn, then the former will win out. Time is more important than distance, and stopping and starting a lot is the biggest timesink.

Same here. I like that my route varies to avoid monotony, but the route taken is all down to traffic lights. Some mornings via kcr, some via terenure, depending on when I hit templeogue bridge. Same in the evenings at harolds cross park, I'll generally go via terenure which I think is a greater distance (and mentally seems counterintuitive as it's slightly heading away from home) but is almost always quicker.