New traffic lights at hospital

martin1

These new lights are already causing problems even before the new one way system gets started.

Cars heading into town were backed up as far as the fire station this morning.

Why the obsession with traffic lights?

A proper roundabout was all that was needed to keep traffic moving at this junction

BoB_BoT

One way will be enacted on the 15th of this month, possibly the the lights will change sequences when it's active?

Also, a roundabout is all well and good, but if you need to get out at the hospital exit and there's a constant flow of traffic coming from the right, you could be sitting there for a very long time.

I think that the traffic planners in Athlone have shares in a traffic light company, tights seem to be their answer to every single junction in town.
Look at the fiasco that is the junction between the railway station and the town centre, that will be even worse when the oneway system is implemented.

Sunny Dayz

martin1 wrote: »

A proper roundabout was all that was needed to keep traffic moving at this junction

I agree in this regard but at the same time many Irish people don't know how to drive at a roundabout correctly.

L.Jenkins

Planners, to implement a good traffic flow, would really need to sit down and start modelling traffic flow. Something tells me that the lights by the Hospital are more of a stab in the dark type set up.

demanufactured

There is also plans to put on traffic lights at the top of the roscommon road... ****ing joke.

L.Jenkins

I wouldn't mind a set at the top of Roscommon road. I'm surprised there isn't regular accidents at that junction and trying to get across the road to head to Monksland from there is a nightmare.

Mearings

Looking forward to Church Street/Dublingate Street/ Northgate Street with safe wide footpaths.

veryangryman

It's a shame that the one way was not reversed so that the circular traffic would be constantly turning left to flow better/ But i guess the strand area's 1 way setup wouldn't work (and it would encourage more traffic on that road which isn't built for it.
Town centre needs more apartments so that people are more encouraged to walk/cycle around. I'd hope that there will be more improvements to the system. The new cycle bridge will help too.

demanufactured

L.Jenkins wrote: »

I wouldn't mind a set at the top of Roscommon road. I'm surprised there isn't regular accidents at that junction and trying to get across the road to head to Monksland from there is a nightmare.

There's a footpath on the other side of the road...

Zubeneschamali

demanufactured wrote: »

There's a footpath on the other side of the road...

I think he means cars trying to turn right from the Roscommon Road onto the old Galway Road. That turn is bad enough that I would be inclined to use the byass and exit up at the Tuam road.

demanufactured

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

I think he means cars trying to turn right from the Roscommon Road onto the old Galway Road. That turn is bad enough that I would be inclined to use the byass and exit up at the Tuam road.

Exactly what you should do.

It seems to be the traffic planner's policy to dissuade as many motorists as possible of ever attempting to go through the town centre or use any of the "internal" routes!
Bypass will get busier.

L.Jenkins

Deleted User wrote: »

It seems to be the traffic planner's policy to dissuade as many motorists as possible of ever attempting to go through the town centre or use any of the "internal" routes!
Bypass will get busier.

I think that was the dual carriageways original intention. Take the traffic out of town.

veryangryman

L.Jenkins wrote: »

I think that was the dual carriageways original intention. Take the traffic out of town.

I'd disagree slightly. The bypass is for longer distance traffic that doesn't have any business in town. Those going northwest to southeast or in between or vice versa.

Athlone itself does become increasingly more difficult to get around in cars. The only semi- acceptable way into the shopping area is the Ballymahon Road via the bypass.

This would be fine if that road did not have 8 sets of traffic lights between Dunnes and Supervalu. Not to mention 2 roundabouts and an at-grade cycle track.

If living in town became an option again (e.g rezone the Texas Centre area and others for residential use), this wouldn't be a problem as of course people need to get off their fat asses and walk/cycle a bit where it's possible.

L.Jenkins

Mearings wrote: »

Looking forward to Church Street/Dublingate Street/ Northgate Street with safe wide footpaths.

I like the idea that the town centre itself will get a face lift after all these years. In all honesty, some of the buildings themselves could do with being knocked and rebuild for the sake of a facelift and making better use of space along the main street.

demanufactured wrote: »

There's a footpath on the other side of the road...

I wasn't talking about paedestrians trying to cross the road. Cars trying to cross the road in order to head towards Monksland from the Roscommon junction can be dodgey at best. It's difficult to see over the rise in the road beyond Stella Maris for any cars coming.

L.Jenkins

veryangryman wrote: »

I'd disagree slightly. The bypass is for longer distance traffic that doesn't have any business in town. Those going northwest to southeast or in between or vice versa.

Athlone itself does become increasingly more difficult to get around in cars. The only semi- acceptable way into the shopping area is the Ballymahon Road via the bypass.

This would be fine if that road did not have 8 sets of traffic lights between Dunnes and Supervalu. Not to mention 2 roundabouts and an at-grade cycle track.

If living in town became an option again (e.g rezone the Texas Centre area and others for residential use), this wouldn't be a problem as of course people need to get off their fat asses and walk/cycle a bit where it's possible.

I would agree that the number of lights on the Ballymahon road is beyond ridiculous at this stage. As for the Texas Centre, I thought I saw a headline in the Westmeath Independent, that something will be done with it or there is planning in the pipeline to actually do something with it. It's been dorment or derelict for how long now?