Galway's traffic issues

How many people would pay a toll to use a bypass?
I doubt I would regularly.
For reference the Waterford, Limerick and Dublin by passes are tolled so it isn't unusual.

McGiver

fergiesfolly wrote:

But they do pay for it. In taxation. VRT, tax on fuel, road tolls etc. Cars are not a luxury for the people who have no other mode of transport.

No they don't pay for it. VRT, tolls, fuel duty barely pay the provision and maintenence of the infrastructure. But don't pay for the massive issues personal wasteful (1 car 1 person) transport causes - carcinogenic pollution with huge health consequences eventually costing billions, noise pollution, congestion, overall lower quality of life.
And I say it as a mostly a car user.

fergiesfolly wrote:

Let government build the infrastructure, so people can ditch their cars. And then increase taxation if they don't.

Yes, I'd agree with that.

McGiver

gordongekko wrote:

WOuld you please decide what your argument actually is? First it was don't build it because its just connecting a wasteland, now its some waffle about it being a luxury. A road is not a luxury.

Car is indeed a luxury. In a city context. In rural, remote area it's probably a necessity.

Are we in Galway City Forum or in bog land forum here? I thought the former

McGiver

grbear wrote:

If the next government was truly serious about getting people on to public transport then they'd announce a five year plan to increase funding for Bus Éireann, Iaranroid Éireann and Dublin Bus by 20% each year while reducing ticket prices by 10% each year.

No way price will be reduced that's not realistic. But you're spot on with the funding. Why we don't see it happening? The problem is that the funding is there but goes mostly to Dublin, they'll get metro, light rail, electric buses, while other major cities will be stuck with crappy small stinking polluting diesel buses on rubbish routes with no bus lanes.

ArtyC

McGiver wrote: »

Car is indeed a luxury. In a city context. In rural, remote area it's probably a necessity.

Are we in Galway City Forum or in bog land forum here? I thought the former

I work shift work , live in rural Galway and work in Galway city, there
are no buses to accomadate my working shift.

You'll find plenty in this forum from rural Galway who
commute in - why it's part of the discussion

grbear

McGiver wrote: »

No way price will be reduced that's not realistic. But you're spot on with the funding. Why we don't see it happening? The problem is that the funding is there but goes mostly to Dublin, they'll get metro, light rail, electric buses, while other major cities will be stuck with crappy small stinking polluting diesel buses on rubbish routes with no bus lanes.

Relatively speaking we spend damn all on public transport. Those sort of funding increases should be easily attainable.


A return ticket from Tuam to Galway costs €10 on Bus Éireann.
A return ticket from Athenry to Galway costs €12.25 on Iaranroid Éireann.
That's based on their websites.
At those prices, combined with the timetables, it's no surprise people drive in from those towns instead of using public transport. It hurts Galway and the town's as why would you live in either town if you are just going to be driving in to work anyway. Go live in a one off build out the country instead.

gordongekko

McGiver wrote: »

Car is indeed a luxury. In a city context. In rural, remote area it's probably a necessity.

Are we in Galway City Forum or in bog land forum here? I thought the former

A few days ago you described the west part of the city as a wasteland and now anywhere outside the city boundary is a bogland!!!!

Did you ever think of moving far far away from Galway

gordongekko

Deleted User wrote: »

How many people would pay a toll to use a bypass?
I doubt I would regularly.
For reference the Waterford, Limerick and Dublin by passes are tolled so it isn't unusual.

That's a fair enough question. Id be happy to pay for it if the money was ringfenced to provide extra busses, bike lane etc in Galway.

While you mention that other cities have tolls it should also be noted that those cities have toll free access to Dublin while we already have 2 tolls. We also have to pay to use the limerick bypass to travel to cork. So we have to pay to travel to the first and second largest cities in the land already.

gordongekko

gordongekko wrote: »

That's a fair enough question. Id be happy to pay for it if the money was ringfenced to provide extra busses, bike lane etc in Galway.

While you mention that other cities have tolls it should also be noted that those cities have toll free access to Dublin while we already have 2 tolls. We also have to pay to use the limerick bypass to travel to cork. So we have to pay to travel to the first and second largest cities in the land already.

Waterford has toll free access to Dublin but there is one toll from Limerick and two from Cork.
(Portlaois and Fermoy)

gordongekko

Deleted User wrote: »

Waterford has toll free access to Dublin but there is one toll from Limerick and two from Cork.
(Portlaois and Fermoy)

You are going out of your way to hit some of them. The n25 has 1 to Cork, I'm not familiar with the toll in Portlaoise but i still havent had to travel that route anytime i headed to Waterford from either Limerick or Cork

McGiver

gordongekko wrote:

A few days ago you described the west part of the city as a wasteland and now anywhere outside the city boundary is a bogland!!!!

By "wasteland" I meant exactly that - underpopulated bogland

There are no major population centres West of Galway City, and the population density will be likely below Co Galway average of 45/sq km which itself is seriously low in European context. This is the reality.

McGiver

ArtyC wrote:

I work shift work , live in rural Galway and work in Galway city, there are no buses to accomadate my working shift.

Sound.

But Given the peak crisis times of traffic in the city, I'd say the peaks have nothing to do with shift workers. They seem to follow 9-5 job patterns.

So I'd say you would be in minority commuters which have negligible effect on the traffic issues. Or?

ArtyC

McGiver wrote: »

Sound.

But Given the peak crisis times of traffic in the city, I'd say the peaks have nothing to do with shift workers. They seem to follow 9-5 job patterns.

So I'd say you would be in minority commuters which have negligible effect on the traffic issues. Or?

I have little impact on the traffic , bar the odd day when I'm amongst
The school run crowd. But Connemara traffic is part of this on the regular
So I don't see why it shouldn't be discussed in this tread is all

ChewyLouie

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Do people on these threads realise how many people travel into this city at 6am in the morning. Or at 11pm at night. Where are the public transport links for these thousands of people?

If a reliable public transport system was available for the city residents, that should free up the existing infrastructure for those commuting from outside the city and travelling through.

gordongekko

McGiver wrote: »

By "wasteland" I meant exactly that - underpopulated bogland

There are no major population centres West of Galway City, and the population density will be likely below Co Galway average of 45/sq km which itself is seriously low in European context. This is the reality.

More nonsense. As a country we are one of the least populated countries is Europe. So our density is low everywhere in the country. You keep coming back to the density argument but once again this hasn't been used as a reason to build the road.

Mrs OBumble

gordongekko wrote: »

More nonsense. As a country we are one of the least populated countries is Europe. So our density is low everywhere in the country. You keep coming back to the density argument but once again this hasn't been used as a reason to build the road.

Low density is a reason not to build it. Especially since a likely consequence is even lower density.

We have plenty of roads already. We need to start being smart about how we use them.

Guffy

McGiver wrote: »

By "wasteland" I meant exactly that - underpopulated bogland

There are no major population centres West of Galway City, and the population density will be likely below Co Galway average of 45/sq km which itself is seriously low in European context. This is the reality.

Your ignoring the fact that all of these population centres, dense or not, filter through one junction.

gordongekko

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Low density is a reason not to build it. Especially since a likely consequence is even lower density.

We have plenty of roads already. We need to start being smart about how we use them.

It has been over 30 years since we have increased road capacity across the corrib. We have hardly been going mad building roads everywhere!!!

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

We have plenty of roads already. We need to start being smart about how we use them.

We have nowhere near enough roads capacity for an expanding city and growing county population who needs to get into and across the city, a blind man could see that.

cgcsb

Guffy wrote: »

Anyone who believes that Galway does not need a byepass is either deluded or doesn't drive. The traffic around the bridge is nuts at the best of times. If there is a crash or a light malfunctio, it can take 3 hours to get from parkmore to the Newcastle road.


The likes of Mike Geraghty are living on cloud coo coo if he thinks 'T3' or "bendy buses" are going to solve the problem for us.

You're basically saying, 'people who don't agree with me are stupid but I can't back up my point of view'

cgcsb

fergiesfolly wrote: »

But it can afford to accommodate you, who travelled half way round the planet to set up home here and then spend every waking moment pissing and moaning about the place.

I hope to set up home outside the city one day, but my place of work and hours I work, mean that public transport will not be an option that I can take, so I will drive into the city everyday. As will thousands of others in exactly the same situation.
Or are we all supposed to cram into the city so we can counteract the enormous carbon footprint you created, just by getting here.

'Cram into the City'. This is very funny. The entire population of the province could live comfortably within the existing N6 with lots of parks and still be only the 4th biggest city in Ireland.

fergiesfolly

cgcsb wrote: »

'Cram into the City'. This is very funny. The entire population of the province could live comfortably within the existing N6 with lots of parks and still be only the 4th biggest city in Ireland.

It doesn't feel like the city has the infrastructure to cope with it's current population, not to mind all of Connacht.
And I don't find anything about this topic remotely funny. I see frustrated commuters trying to go about their lives without spending hours each day stuck in traffic.

Ashleigh1986

Regarding roads / streets in galway city ...
What's obvious is
Galways roads around the city aren't wide enough to accomadate on street parking / 2 way traffic / bus lanes / cycle lanes ..
The on street parking is a money maker for the city council .
What needs to be done is turn Lough atalia / college road / bohermore / headford road from courthouse to tesco lights / hidden valley / mill street / sea road / Henry street /.... All one way .
No on street parking along a lot of those roads including foster street and eglinton street and put in bus lanes along those roads .
cheaper parking rates would help in multi storey but doubt that will happen.

cgcsb

fergiesfolly wrote: »

It doesn't feel like the city has the infrastructure to cope with it's current population, not to mind all of Connacht.
And I don't find anything about this topic remotely funny. I see frustrated commuters trying to go about their lives without spending hours each day stuck in traffic.

I mean if the City were organised, it'd be a very comfortable, specious, small City, even with all of Connacht living there.

cgcsb

cgcsb wrote: »

I mean if the City were organised, it'd be a very comfortable, specious, small City, even with all of Connacht living there.

A great autocorrect error there.

cgcsb

cgcsb wrote: »

'Cram into the City'. This is very funny. The entire population of the province could live comfortably within the existing N6 with lots of parks and still be only the 4th biggest city in Ireland.

Not sure how you are working that out, the population of Connacht all in Galway would make it 3 times larger than cork cities population so Galway would be the 2nd largest city by a considerable distance and no way would it be comfortable in anyway. I commute in from 30km outside the city far faster than people can get from knocknacara to park more or similar so I would certainly not want to be commuting across the city with all Connacht packed in.

I think the posters point though was many people do not want to be stuck living in a city or even a town, they like their house to be big, have private space outside, not stuck on top of their neighbour etc.

Ashleigh1986

Houses should be built with easy slip road access to motorways .
After that you have to get the access to parkmore right .
As for the city ....
With galways narrow city streets .... THEY HAVE TO BE MADE ONE WAY .
No on street parking would facilitate a bus lane .
Stonger zero tolerance approach by gardai and traffic wardens and proper signage in place .
Have a look at eglinton street at weekends .
Total abandonment of vecihcles because.....
They know galway operates mon to fri regarding parking enforcement .
It's time this city started acting like one ,and not a country village ,that's afraid to upset a few shoppers etc , that think we are still in the days of parking up outside mccambridges for the day .

bobbyss

Ashleigh1986 wrote:

Regarding roads / streets in galway city ... What's obvious is Galways roads around the city aren't wide enough to accomadate on street parking / 2 way traffic / bus lanes / cycle lanes .. The on street parking is a money maker for the city council . What needs to be done is turn Lough atalia / college road / bohermore / headford road from courthouse to tesco lights / hidden valley / mill street / sea road / Henry street /.... All one way . No on street parking along a lot of those roads including foster street and eglinton street and put in bus lanes along those roads . cheaper parking rates would help in multi storey but doubt that will happen.

I agree with a lot of this. A parked car on College Road can hold up traffic for a few minutes when oncoming traffic is choc a bloc. And all these minutes add up and wear you away. Lower salthill is another tight spot. Traffic lights at Courthouse coming from Francis St are like grease lightening. I just wish we could try something. Why not just make Eglinton St for example one way with bus lane. Just to see its effect. I wish SOMETHING would happen. Does the council have ANY short-term measures as you have outlined? Surely it's worth a try.

Ashleigh1986

A one way sytem as I've outlined along with a CCTV traffic light program is the way to sort the city traffic out .
The CCTV operated cameras must be manned 7.30 am to 9.30 pm and 4 pm to 7pm by properly trained personnel .

One way in lought atalia
One way out college road
One way in bohermore
One way out headford road
One way all along eglinton street to traffic lights at courthouse .
it would be a big change but it would at least mean the traffic would be moving .
It would also mean at the start that people would have to plan their route into city center .
Major changes are needed .
We can't wait 8 to 10 years for a ring road .

Johnny_BravoIII

We need to figure out a vision for the region in the next 10, 20, 50 years. Drive through Irish countryside and note houses built post 1980. In the last 40 years we have urbanised the countryside. Small country boureens are now catering for rush time commuter traffic. What will Ireland look like in 2060 if this trend continues? Is it possible to continue populating the countryside with bungalows? Will there be any countryside left? Does it make sense to organise society in this fashion?
More roads, means more cars. Its known as "induced demand". We will always have issues delivering services to a dispersed rural population.

We need to step back and figure out how we protect Ireland for future generations. Its likely the population will continue to grow. The answer to the above is to make our cities "liveable". This means designing the cities in a manner where people decide they are better off living within the city region. This means high quality transport, green spaces, rent control, etc
We also need to discourage people building in the countryside through planning restrictions etc
If you decide to live +10k from the city centre then the price you pay for countryside living is poor access and poor services. You dont get it both ways. We need to priortise investing in making our cities great as opposed to chasing sprawling population.

Building this bypass is a massive step in the wrong direction and will have a negative impact for future generations. We are selling future generations into a commuter hell and permanently destroying countryside in the process.