Dublin - BusConnects

cgcsb

Qrt wrote: »

Is anybody else (pleasantly) surprised at just how mute the reaction has been to the Stoneybatter restrictions and the Santry Village thing? I'm amazed, and really I'm amazed at the mute reaction to it all. Even considering the only people to be negatively (theoretically) affected by this are the landowners, I was still expecting some of the less reputable politicians to express some sort of whacky statements.

Rathmines, Kimmage and Templeogue will probably be a whole different story but maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised there too.

Stoneybatter remains almost the same under the plans. there seems to be quite the negative impact on Manor st from the point of view of the pedestrian environment with 4 lanes of traffic at the top of the street. I expect there may be some backlash against that which hasn't materialised yet. There is already some backlash against one way Santry but it's quite small, local politicians are threatening to organise meetings but there's little interest.

The changes to the Arbour Hill/Brunswick st junction cannot come soon enough. At present I often have to turn right on my bike from Brunswick st to Stoneybatter, a maneuver not for the feint harted, there are just way too many potential movements and no signals. Double bike lane on Queen st is most welcome as is double bike lane on Old Cabra Rd. As a community a lot of people around here (Dublin 7) cycle and the population is quite young. Terenure is full of old dusty boomers who's idea of community extends to their hedge only, that'll be your battleground.

LeinsterDub

Qrt wrote: »

Is anybody else (pleasantly) surprised at just how mute the reaction has been to the Stoneybatter restrictions and the Santry Village thing?

The anti everything brigade are mobilizing in Santry

marno21

LeinsterDub wrote: »

The anti everything brigade are mobilizing in Santry

Hardly being driven by one particular party ?

https://twitter.com/PaulMcauliffe/status/1066440404931874816

blah

Got something in the door from Sen. Aodhan O’Riordan (Lab) about “Save the 14”

Podge_irl

blah wrote: »

Got something in the door from Sen. Aodhan O’Riordan (Lab) about “Save the 14”

For the love of god why? What possible logic is there to say this is better than the 3 more frequent routes that will replace it at various stages? The N4 runs every 10 minutes, it's better than the 14 for those near Collins Avenue - there is a decent swathe of Collins Ave where you are just better off walking down to Donnycarney church at the moment - if a more frequent bus can bring you there then all the better.

Qrt

marno21 wrote: »

Hardly being driven by one particular party ?

https://twitter.com/PaulMcauliffe/status/1066440404931874816

Christ it’s a one-way system for a small stretch not a gas pipeline

blah

Qrt wrote: »

Christ it’s a one-way system for a small stretch not a gas pipeline

One way system/open sewer combo.

CatInABox

I wonder what other options the NTA has for dealing with the bottleneck there.

They could send all of the buses down Coolock Lane, much like they're doing with the cycleway. That'd remove the bottleneck, but at the cost of removing Santry and Omniplex Shopping Centre from most of the buses. They could keep a low frequency bus going through, but not sure that'd be acceptable to most in the area either.

The other option, which I think is more likely, is to CPO the **** out of both sides of the Swords Rd bottleneck. Almost every garden along the route would be affected, along with the car parks outside the businesses.

Don't really see any other options, and I don't think that it'll be passed over in the project either, it's a terrible bottleneck

jd

CatInABox wrote: »

I wonder what other options the NTA has for dealing with the bottleneck there.

..

Don't really see any other options, and I don't think that it'll be passed over in the project either, it's a terrible bottleneck

I remember being at a meeting in 2015 organised by Noel "Santry One Way - No Way" Rock and a local suggested a tunnel for buses from the Omni to the Swords Road..


Locals are worried about rat running around the estates.
eg

Zebra3

If someone proposed building a tunnel for buses, the residents would probably go nuts.

CatInABox

Zebra3 wrote: »

If someone proposed building a tunnel for buses, the residents would probably go nuts.

I was under the impression from jd's post that it was a local resident that proposed it.

The resident seems to be under the impression that they could just build it under the road, when the reality will be more along the lines of the port tunnel, with dozens of houses demolished. Also, ridiculously expensive for it's purpose.

In other words, a non-runner.

CatInABox

I know that someone on here has already set up a pro-commuter pressure group, but there's another one in the offing.

https://twitter.com/yascaoimhin/status/1067752066871898112

This guy is the graphics designer that mocked up a couple of BusConnects spine routes maps, then got hired by the NTA to actually do them properly. He's also been pretty active on twitter, fighting the good fight for BusConnects, at least until he got sick of hitting his head off a brick wall.

Qrt

https://twitter.com/J_Keenan19/status/1068222616329052160

"kill employment" aw god it's a one way system like

dropzone

Qrt wrote: »

https://twitter.com/J_Keenan19/status/1068222616329052160

"kill employment" aw god it's a one way system like

Can always count on Noel Rock to hold up any major infrastructure project. First it was the metro at Na Fianna, now this in Santry. Leader of the nimby brigade.

Qrt

dropzone wrote: »

Can always count on Noel Rock to hold up any major infrastructure project. First it was the metro at Na Fianna, now this in Santry. Leader of the nimby brigade.

Definitely nothing to do about him getting the last seat in his constituency.

jd

dropzone wrote: »

Can always count on Noel Rock to hold up any major infrastructure project. First it was the metro at Na Fianna, now this in Santry. Leader of the nimby brigade.

But he hates nimbys


https://twitter.com/NoelRock/status/1067152031423565838

Dats me

In fairness that thread as an actual TD speaking sense about how a SW line would end with the project not happening.

Kermit.de.frog

Clientelism politics.

Ireland's great scourge.

Amirani

jd wrote: »

But he hates nimbys


https://twitter.com/NoelRock/status/1067152031423565838

What about his Northside squabble on Na Fianna?

Jeez, he is awful. By far the worst sitting Fine Gael TD in my view.

LeinsterDub

Amirani wrote: »

What about his Northside squabble on Na Fianna?

Jeez, he is awful. By far the worst sitting Fine Gael TD in my view.

Wow hold off on awarding that prestigious title the candidates haven't all made their submissions.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/busconnects-not-the-upgrade-dubliners-need-says-fine-gael-td-1.3715109?mode=amp

The Dublin Bay South TD said a redesign and upgrade of the bus system was “overdue” and should be welcomed “to a degree”, but that “the current proposal is not the upgrade the residents of Dublin city need”.

In other news the Dublin Bay South TD was seen ordering an omelette . 'Ham and cheese and no broken eggs please'

Bray Head

A lot of the design issues relate to the legal prohibition on cyclists turning left on red, and stopping them from interacting with pedestrian crossings.

This is very obvious in the Collins Avenue/Swords Road junction, where cyclists are expected to move at the same time as cars and buses.

It would be much simpler if there was a 30-second or so period every two minutes where cyclists and pedestrians have full control over the junction, before reverting back to vehicular traffic. This is how it works in lots of Europe.

Cyclists are generally able to avoid pedestrians and, when they do interact, injuries are generally minor.

RayCun

Why not have cyclist lights and pedestrian lights? I see a fair amount of near misses in the city centre from cyclists going through pedestrian crossings, and I don't think "sure even if someone gets hit they probably won't die" is a brilliant traffic policy.

Qrt

RayCun wrote: »

Why not have cyclist lights and pedestrian lights? I see a fair amount of near misses in the city centre from cyclists going through pedestrian crossings, and I don't think "sure even if someone gets hit they probably won't die" is a brilliant traffic policy.

I feel we ought to push for cycling lights at every junction with a ten second head start if cyclists are detected.

Bray Head

RayCun wrote: »

Why not have cyclist lights and pedestrian lights? I see a fair amount of near misses in the city centre from cyclists going through pedestrian crossings, and I don't think "sure even if someone gets hit they probably won't die" is a brilliant traffic policy.

You cannot eliminate risk completely. You have to think about the outcomes. If it's a choice between:

1) reduce risk of conflict between bikes and HGVs; or
2) reduce risk of conflict between bikes and pedestrians


I will take 1) every time. Cyclists hitting pedestrians at 10kmh (whoever is at fault) is not likely to result in lasting damage. On the other hand, any cyclist-truck interaction has the potential to be lethal.

RayCun

So why not separate cyclist lights?

Bray Head

I had a look at the proposed Blanchardstown route. It's far too timid when it comes to land aquisition, especially along the Navan road.


See attachment. It provides for continued conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists at bus stops.

A much better option would have been to run the cycle tracks next to the gardens, away from the road. And to CPO garden space around the bus stops so that cyclists don't have to interact with people alighting buses.

The cycle track moves from the north side of the road to the south side at the Old Cabra Road/Navan Road junction. This would have been a great opportunity to put in a cyclist only overpass.


Overall it's not hugely ambitious - although this is probably tactical to make sure it doesn't get too much local opposition. But a shame nonetheless.

Qrt

Bray Head wrote: »

I had a look at the proposed Blanchardstown route. It's far too timid when it comes to land aquisition, especially along the Navan road.


See attachment. It provides for continued conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists at bus stops.

A much better option would have been to run the cycle tracks next to the gardens, away from the road. And to CPO garden space around the bus stops so that cyclists don't have to interact with people alighting buses.

The cycle track moves from the north side of the road to the south side at the Old Cabra Road/Navan Road junction. This would have been a great opportunity to put in a cyclist only overpass.


Overall it's not hugely ambitious - although this is probably tactical to make sure it doesn't get too much local opposition. But a shame nonetheless.

When is the consultation finished? Gonna do mine once I get my life deadlines done and dusted

sameoldname

Bray Head wrote: »

A lot of the design issues relate to the legal prohibition on cyclists turning left on red, and stopping them from interacting with pedestrian crossings.

This is very obvious in the Collins Avenue/Swords Road junction, where cyclists are expected to move at the same time as cars and buses.

It would be much simpler if there was a 30-second or so period every two minutes where cyclists and pedestrians have full control over the junction, before reverting back to vehicular traffic. This is how it works in lots of Europe.

Cyclists are generally able to avoid pedestrians and, when they do interact, injuries are generally minor.

For the love of god, please no! It's stressful enough as a pedestrian keeping an eye out for them coming across you as it is. If a cyclist wants to cross the road on a pedestrian green they can dismount and walk across with the bike. I've seen plenty do it and no one has a problem with it.

CatInABox

https://twitter.com/BusConnects/status/1069906896793100288

January is a long time away, hopefully they don't regret giving cranks time and space before getting their own message out there.

Then again, December is a pretty poor month to be holding a public consultation, it's cold and windy out. Then again.... again.... January is also a pretty poor month to be holding a public consultation.

cgcsb

CatInABox wrote: »

https://twitter.com/BusConnects/status/1069906896793100288

January is a long time away, hopefully they don't regret giving cranks time and space before getting their own message out there.

Then again, December is a pretty poor month to be holding a public consultation, it's cold and windy out. Then again.... again.... January is also a pretty poor month to be holding a public consultation.

Or is it the best time of year for keeping all the incels at home? The first cbc consultation finishes in mid Feb, so it's probably a tad late.