Bóthar na dTreabh speed limit change to save commuters 54 seconds

ben.schlomo

Raelynn Happy Couch wrote: »

Ruhanna wrote: »

There are reasons other than safety to keep the speed limit on the N6 Bothar na dTreabh to a strictly controlled 50 kph.

Those reasons include, but are probably not limited to: junction capacity, CO2 emissions and the need for a bus service along the route.





A good argument for leaving the speed limit at 50 km/h then.






A more sustainable and equitable solution would be to leave the speed limit at 50 km/h on the entire length of the N6 ring road/Bothar na dTreabh and control it rigorously with average speed cameras (maybe 60 km/h if there was zero tolerance enforcement). One lane each way could be reallocated to public transport, also strictly controlled to stop encroachment by car drivers (as happens every minute of the day on Seamus Quirke Road). Additional measures such as removing all the roundabouts, configuring all the signalised junctions to prioritise buses, bikes and pedestrians, and providing a continuous segregated bike path the whole way to Ballybrit/Parkmore would all combine to make the road safer for everyone and would increase junction capacity.





The speeding is already dangerous. An increase in the speed limit will only have the effect of encouraging the lunatics.

There have been numerous crashes at different locations along the N6 ring road/Bothar na dTreabh over the years. Some have resulted in deaths, others in serious injury. The relatively minor ones, such as when a driver demolishes a guardrail or a traffic light, seem to go unreported in the local media.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=107772595&postcount=713

https://connachttribune.ie/two-killed-in-horror-car-smash-on-bridge/

https://connachttribune.ie/hit-and-run-driver-jailed-for-fleeing-accident/

https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1126/834580-galway-traffic-delays/

God help us if you had any power over roads in Galway, you would make some mess of them.

I’d say that you could count on your fingers how many people agreed with the 50kmh limit in this road, it was widely known as one of the most ridicolous speed limits every set in the country so the fact it agree with it doesn’t say much for your opinion (all of which I massively disagree with as would the vast vast majority of people)...

The sensible thing would be to increase the limit to 100kmh and while their are at they could tackle an other idiotic limit - the Q bridge which should be increased to 80kmh immediately, as 50kmh is a home and hence totally ignored. The blaming speed for crashes mantra really needs to stop too speed had nothing to do with any of them crashes you linked even so you aren’t even supporting your own argument.

Chinese would have been easier to get through than that post.

ben.schlomo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Chinese would have been easier to get through than that post.

If a few autocorrect errors throws you that much you must have a poor grasp of the English language.

Mr Man

Worn Out wrote: »

Mark my words there’s going to be a very SERIOUS accident on this road soon. The manner of the speeding and particularly the undertaking of vehicles is very dangerous. I see it every single day and it’s horrifing. It’s a very dangerous stretch of road. All to save a few seconds and get held up at the lights or roundabout. If the speed limit is increased to 80km cars will start doing 100/120 and that’s going to get messy.

Afaik, you can only undertake on a road with a designated overtaking lane.
BndT does not have one.

what_traffic

Worn Out wrote: »

All to save a few seconds and get held up at the lights or roundabout. If the speed limit is increased to 80km cars will start doing 100/120 and that’s going to get messy.

Will soon be two sets of traffic lights. The sequencing of both which will be round robin-esque.

what_traffic

J o e wrote: »

The problem with that road is the 50km/hr speed limit is rarely enforced and widely ignored. If you do stick to the limit, you'll currently have a steady flow of cars passing you over the 2km and you'll be much further back the queue at the next junction. The resulting total delay is much longer than 54 seconds.

Car traffic does not work like this, it is not linear. Heavily trafficked roads often use lower limits to increase throughput. See post #29 from xckjoo.

Worn Out

Mr Man wrote: »

Afaik, you can only undertake on a road with a designated overtaking lane.
BndT does not have one.

Even if that is the case the undertaking is at speeds well in excess of what is safe.

Worn Out

Worn Out wrote: »

Even if that is the case the undertaking is at speeds well in excess of what is safe.

Here are the official rules of the road:

You may overtake on the left when
You want to go straight ahead when the driver in front of you has moved out and signalled that they intend to turn right.
You have signalled that you intend to turn left.
Traffic in both lanes is moving slowly but traffic in the left-hand lane is moving more quickly than the right-hand lane – for example, in slow- moving stop-start traffic.

None of these apply to this road.

Worn Out

Worn Out wrote: »

Even if that is the case the undertaking is at speeds well in excess of what is safe.

Never drive in America, undertaking is legal even at motorway speeds any random lane could be the fastest moving lane at any given time and it works pretty well. You just check your mirrors like you should anyway.

joeKel73

what_traffic wrote: »

J o e wrote: »

The problem with that road is the 50km/hr speed limit is rarely enforced and widely ignored. If you do stick to the limit, you'll currently have a steady flow of cars passing you over the 2km and you'll be much further back the queue at the next junction. The resulting total delay is much longer than 54 seconds.

Car traffic does not work like this, it is not linear. Heavily trafficked roads often use lower limits to increase throughput. See post #29 from xckjoo.

I think you've missed my point, xckjoo's point only contradicts this if all cars are travelling at the same speed.

I've noted this very often. I come off the RAB next to a van and start heading up BnT. If I stick to 50km/hr and the van does like most of the rest of the traffic and cruises up the road at 80km/hr, when I get to the top the road I can see the van sitting well up in the queue of cars at the junction. The van will very often be gone in an earlier sequence of lights. So the delay is several minutes, not 54 seconds.

J o e

J o e wrote: »

I think you've missed my point, xckjoo's point only contradicts this if all cars are travelling at the same speed.

I've noted this very often. I come off the RAB next to a van and start heading up BnT. If I stick to 50km/hr and the van does like most of the rest of the traffic and cruises up the road at 80km/hr, when I get to the top the road I can see the van sitting well up in the queue of cars at the junction. The van will very often be gone in an earlier sequence of lights. So the delay is several minutes, not 54 seconds.

"Yes your honour, I stand by my argument that when Johnny jumps off a cliff, I should jump too"

joeKel73

Deleted User wrote: »

"Yes your honour, I stand by my argument that when Johnny jumps off a cliff, I should jump too"

My point is the delay is not just 54 seconds... I'm happy with a 50km/hr limit but it needs to be enforced. I'd like to see average speed cameras rolled out in this country.

Mostly Harmless

As others have said, the 50 speed limit was ignored by the majority and enforced by nobody. I would generally obey the 50 speed limit but a situation where rules of the road are essentially meaningless is no good for anybody, so would be largely in favour of this change.

xckjoo

J o e wrote: »

I think you've missed my point, xckjoo's point only contradicts this if all cars are travelling at the same speed.

I've noted this very often. I come off the RAB next to a van and start heading up BnT. If I stick to 50km/hr and the van does like most of the rest of the traffic and cruises up the road at 80km/hr, when I get to the top the road I can see the van sitting well up in the queue of cars at the junction. The van will very often be gone in an earlier sequence of lights. So the delay is several minutes, not 54 seconds.

Ya exactly. It only works if everyone sticks to it. It's like leaving a building in a fire. We're taught to walk calmly because otherwise it bottlenecks and everyone is slowed/stuck.

Anyone know why we don't have more speed cameras and the like around the country? Is there a legal reason or is it political?

flazio

I think I've found the new "City just crazy" thread.

Mrs OBumble

xckjoo wrote: »

Ya exactly. It only works if everyone sticks to it. It's like leaving a building in a fire. We're taught to walk calmly because otherwise it bottlenecks and everyone is slowed/stuck.

Anyone know why we don't have more speed cameras and the like around the country? Is there a legal reason or is it political?

Calmly, but still quickly. Wardens are taught to hold the slower people back so that fast walkers can exit first.

Storm 10

Wonder if these new speed restrictions and penalty points will be passed.


https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1211/1016431-cabinet/

Storm 10

Storm 10 wrote: »

Wonder if these new speed restrictions and penalty points will be passed.


https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1211/1016431-cabinet/

Nox will soon be walking to work

what_traffic

J o e wrote: »

I think you've missed my point, xckjoo's point only contradicts this if all cars are travelling at the same speed.

I've noted this very often. I come off the RAB next to a van and start heading up BnT. If I stick to 50km/hr and the van does like most of the rest of the traffic and cruises up the road at 80km/hr, when I get to the top the road I can see the van sitting well up in the queue of cars at the junction. The van will very often be gone in an earlier sequence of lights. So the delay is several minutes, not 54 seconds.

I see what your saying, but the delay is not specifically because of the speed limit, you can be "delayed" because of the other vehicles ahead of you.

I've have noted this very often. I come off the RAB at Kirwin next to another vehicle and start heading up BnT. If I stick to 50km/hr and the vehicle does like most of the rest of the traffic and cruises up the road at 80km/100km, when I get to the top the road I can see the other vehicle in the left hand lane in the queue of cars at the junction. I change into the right hand lane. I overtake in the right hand lane as less vehicles stacked in this lane to go straight ahead/turn right. I go through the next sequence of lights the other vehicle does not. So the delay is not caused by the speed limit- its caused by the other vehicles.

Webbs

what_traffic wrote: »

I see what your saying, but the delay is not specifically because of the speed limit, you can be "delayed" because of the other vehicles ahead of you.

I've have noted this very often. I come off the RAB at Kirwin next to another vehicle and start heading up BnT. If I stick to 50km/hr and the vehicle does like most of the rest of the traffic and cruises up the road at 80km/100km, when I get to the top the road I can see the other vehicle in the left hand lane in the queue of cars at the junction. I change into the right hand lane. I overtake in the right hand lane as less vehicles stacked in this lane to go straight ahead/turn right. I go through the next sequence of lights the other vehicle does not. So the delay is not caused by the speed limit- its caused by the other vehicles.

What about those times outside the 'rush hour'? Have gone up that road many times at 9 or 10 at night and seems very very slow to go at 50km/hr, and yes if go at 80 I may well get through the traffic lights before a car travelling at 50.

Its not always bumper to bumper

what_traffic

Webbs wrote: »

What about those times outside the 'rush hour'? Have gone up that road many times at 9 or 10 at night and seems very very slow to go at 50km/hr, and yes if go at 80 I may well get through the traffic lights before a car travelling at 50.

Its not always bumper to bumper

If we had the old roundabouts - speed limit change would make a difference outside rush hour.
When there will be traffic lights at either end then the chances of been stopped at a junction will even be higher again. I travel that road often at 23h30 City Bound. Often overtaken at speed - but meet the same vehicles stuck at the traffic lights on the Headford Road.

grbear

As a motorist I suppose I should be giving this news two thumbs up but I'm not convinced its a good idea at all. It looks like they've gone for the most politically popular option when it came to addressing the fact people were constantly speeding on that stretch of road. If they implement controls to enforce the 80km limit then I'd support this measure but as it stands I just think we'll see the most aggressive drivers on that road go from doing 100km/h to 120km/h.


Average speed cameras were mentioned by others in the thread. Are they in use anywhere in Ireland?

Honestly, I foresee a horrendous head on collision occurring given there's no separation

Mostly Harmless

Hopefully the 80 limit is now actively enforced

grbear

grbear wrote: »

Average speed cameras were mentioned by others in the thread. Are they in use anywhere in Ireland?

No because they are an abomination. We are a fair bit of a nanny state but not so bad yet that we enforce ridiculous measures like average speed cameras on people. I’d hope they are not allowed anyway as it’s effectively monitoring everyone’s movements.

Even the Uk who do use them only use them in roadworks so they obviously don’t think it’s a good idea to roll them out everywhere or more than likely they aren’t allowed to.

Deleted User wrote: »

Honestly, I foresee a horrendous head on collision occurring given there's no separation

Most roads aren’t separated and have a higher limit why would you think it’s an issue here. Scaremongering.

Raelynn Happy Couch

Raelynn Happy Couch wrote: »

No because they are an abomination. We are a fair bit of a nanny state but not so bad yet that we inforce ridiculous measures like average speed cameras on people.

Raelynn Happy Couch wrote: »

I think my record on the road is 180kmh very late one night :pac:

I usually ignore trolls but what the heck, its Christmas.......

There's something ridiculous in this thread alright, but I'm pretty sure it isn't the proposed measures to enforce speed limits

joeKel73

Raelynn Happy Couch wrote: »

Even the Uk who do use them only use them in roadworks so they obviously don’t think it’s a good idea to roll them out everywhere or more than likely they aren’t allowed to.

Well that's not true, the last time I was driving through Scotland they were quite common (not around roadworks) and seemed to work very well.

joeKel73

grbear wrote: »

Average speed cameras were mentioned by others in the thread. Are they in use anywhere in Ireland?

Yes they're in use now in the Dublin Port Tunnel.