Should there be a bike path on the prom?

fergiesfolly

Was in Spain recently and was on a lovely prom that had shared use for pedestrians and walkers. Everyone(nearly everyone) was mindful and courteous, but I had no comfort walking, thinking there might be some cyclist coming up behind us, when he could easily clip someone on the crowded pavement. I also couldn't see how the cyclists could enjoy it, as they had to twist and turn between the pedestrians. Even when the path was marked for one user or another, people would still use the wrong lanes.
The idea of a one way system on the road and using the other as a cycle/ skater lane sounds like a good idea though

Mrs OBumble

fergiesfolly wrote: »

The idea of a one way system on the road and using the other as a cycle/ skater lane sounds like a good idea though

Which way should it go, though - east to west or west to east?

bobbyss

Mrs OBumble wrote:

Which way should it go, though - east to west or west to east?

How about both? Clearly posted that incorporates rush hours in morning and evening.

Mr Starman

bobbyss wrote: »

The surface of the prom is conducive to speed. Imagine a loose child running after a ball or whatever and a speeding bike.

You sound like a bad road safety advertisement.

But I see your point, all it takes is one lycra wearing maniac pedaling like the clappers on one of those new carbon fibre framed road bikes to cause serious damage on the prom. And they rarely use brakes, do these guys even have them?

stampydmonkey

jjpep wrote: »

Making the road one way and introducing a 2 way contra flow cycle lane would be great.

Great idea! Together with a refurb of the prom, salthill and black rock would be wonderful. Use the Sunday parking money to fund it

nuac

In Salthll
1. Parking along the road should be banned - if necessary larger carparks should be provided

2 Only kids under 10 should be allowed cycle on footpaths. Rest on the road

fergiesfolly

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Which way should it go, though - east to west or west to east?

I wouldn't be familiar enough with the traffic patterns to give an opinion on which would work best.

fergiesfolly

nuac wrote: »

In Salthll
1. Parking along the road should be banned - if necessary larger carparks should be provided

2 Only kids under 10 should be allowed cycle on footpaths. Rest on the road

I'd agree with the first, but would wonder where larger carparks would be located.

On your second point, children can be even more unpredictable than adults and I wouldn't want them on a footpath. Purpose built, well designed cycle lane should be suitable for all.

lfc12345

I believe cycling on a path is illegal unless otherwise stated?

I never really got why cyclists cycled on the prom anyway, seems like way too much hassle avoiding all those people

beardybrewer

lfc12345 wrote: »

I believe cycling on a path is illegal unless otherwise stated?

I never really got why cyclists cycled on the prom anyway, seems like way too much hassle avoiding all those people

Cycling on the footpath is not illegal in Ireland. It's actually allowed for a lot of the way behind the golf course and again in South Park. There is 1 old decrepit sign along the prom but it's a grey zone as to if it's seriously not allowed. There maybe rules in some areas, but you aren't breaking the law. Galway is pretty terrible for bike lanes. Until they exist there are times for safety you need to mount the footpath.

In the case of the prom, not everyone is bombing it at 20mph many are just cruising along no faster than a kid of a skateboard. Typically I cycle early in the morning and there's nobody there. Only now when all the fair weather walkers does it occasionally get crowded and as you say I go so slow waiting to safely pass I'd rather take the road... but I'd be happier doing so if there were bike lanes.

Mrs OBumble

beardybrewer wrote: »

Cycling on the footpath is not illegal in Ireland.

Have you a link to back up that claim?

A Promenade is made for using for leisurely pursuits, walking, cycling, skating etc.

The best solution would be to remove parking along the prom from Seapoint to Blackrock and widen the path even further to add a 2 lane cycleway i.e. 1 outbound, 1 inbound.

The only issue is, what piece of crap Salthill architecture do you knock to build parking to accommodate for the 100 lost spaces. Alternatively, just remove the parking and don't bother replacing the spaces. Guaranteed to cause a heck of a lot more to change to bus, walk or cycle.

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

A Promenade is made for using for leisurely pursuits, walking, cycling, skating etc.

Promenade comes from the French verb promener - to walk.

topcat77

Deleted User wrote: »

Promenade comes from the French verb promener - to walk.

Wrong

you can use promener for various forms of transport.

une promenade a velo "a bicycle ride, a bike ride"

une promenade en voiture "a drive"

faire une promenade a velo "to go for a bike ride"

marcher - to walk

Fair enough.

joeKel73

beardybrewer wrote: »

Look, I bike to mutton island every day for exercise. I go from the golf course along the prom to mutton island and back.

beardybrewer wrote: »

Cycling on the footpath is not illegal in Ireland.

It is illegal in Ireland.

You can only cycle across a footpath if entering or exiting a property.

topcat77

Was cycling down to the streets of Galway race on Saturday (On the road) and i thought of a solution.

1. Move the parking to the other side of the road.

2. create a 2 way cycle lane on the road next to the prom with a barrier to stop cars parking on it.

It could be tight on space but i'm sure something could be engineered to make it work.

joeKel73

Moving the car parking to the other side of the road will use up one of the traffic lanes. You'll be down to 1 lane and a one-way system.

topcat77

J o e wrote: »

Moving the car parking to the other side of the road will use up one of the traffic lanes. You'll be down to 1 lane and a one-way system.

But there is already parking on one side and a two way system is in currently in use. Just change the side of the road.

joeKel73

topcat77 wrote: »

But there is already parking on one side and a two way system is in currently in use. Just change the side of the road.

Yes but aren't you proposing to put a 2-way cycle lane in the space where the parking currently is?

topcat77

you could use the footpath next to the road which isn't part of the prom and you'd have to re engineer sections of the road to make it work (leasure land - Salthill park section).

joeKel73

Here's a draft solution that I think could work...

This is roughly the current layout;




I'd propose removing the footpath from the other side of the road. This may require improved pedestrian crossings where roads perpendicular to the prom join in, but there are only a few.

With the footpath removed, move the traffic lanes and parking over to the wall to make space for a two-way cycle lane. Keep the cycle lane at road-level but seperated from the main road with a small kerb.

joeKel73

Actually in hindsight that could be problematic with car passengers opening doors and getting in/out of the cars along the cycle path.

If anything it might be better to move the cycle lanes over to the wall side, but then it's no longer an enjoyable cycle along the sea.

Redhairedguy

J o e wrote: »

If anything it might be better to move the cycle lanes over to the wall side, but then it's no longer an enjoyable cycle along the sea.

Hop off the bike, and walk along the prom wheeling the bike beside you, if people want to enjoy the sea. Cycle lane across the road for if you want to travel.

Unrealistic

Redhairedguy wrote: »

Hop off the bike, and walk along the prom wheeling the bike beside you, if people want to enjoy the sea. Cycle lane across the road for if you want to travel.

Cycling should be either functional or pleasant but it's greedy to wish for it to be both?

Redhairedguy

Not at all. Just a possible weigh in on Joe's proposition.

Mrs OBumble

J o e wrote: »

I'd propose removing the footpath from the other side of the road. This may require improved pedestrian crossings where roads perpendicular to the prom join in, but there are only a few.

I cannot see that going down well with the businesses and residents of the other side of the road. It might work on the stretch from Dalysfort to Threadneedle Rds, but on the rest ... hard to imagine.

bobbyss

I think there are a few houses on that side who would have huge difficulty coming out of the driveway directly onto a traffic lane without a path as a buffer. Dangerous too.

joeKel73

Yeah fair enough. Back to the drawing board!

joeKel73

There are potentially a few places that parking from the prom could be moved to...

• Convert some of the lower part of Salthill Park beside Leisureland to parking. The lower section of the park seems to get quite little use.
• Use some of the amusement site for parking. The last I heard the council was getting very little for the rental of that space.

Anyone know is the green area near blackrock under public or private ownership?