Galway's traffic issues

Fitz*

Don't the Parkmore factories already have an agreement to stagger their shift times on production lines. It doesn't seem to be enough as there is still constant traffic across the whole city.

Public transport isn't good enough, and to a certain degree the mindset of people. Everyone wants to drive their own car and that is it - cycling, walking, public transport and carpooling is not an option.

I know a lad who once lived on the 402 bus route. And I mean literally the stop was on the front door. He worked in Eyre Square, right beside the bus stops. Could not be any easier. He refused to take the bus and instead wanted to drive the same route as the bus every day, and the pay for parking, instead of getting a return ticket in the bus for less. I have known of lots of groups of people before who were all renting / living together and worked in a pretty similar area of the city. But drove to work and home again every day in separate cars at the same time. about 80% of their routes were the same. There is probably a lot of similar examples across the city.

Maybe it's the Irish mentality of 'I have paid so much for my car / insurance / tax that I am going to make use of this car every day', possibly. But then again people in Dublin don't have the mentality problem when it comes to public transport or walking & cycling.

FitzShane

FitzShane wrote: »

I know a lad who once lived on the 402 bus route. And I mean literally the stop was on the front door. He worked in Eyre Square, right beside the bus stops. Could not be any easier. He refused to take the bus and instead wanted to drive the same route as the bus every day, and the pay for parking, instead of getting a return ticket in the bus for less. I have known of lots of groups of people before who were all renting / living together and worked in a pretty similar area of the city. But drove to work and home again every day in separate cars at the same time. about 80% of their routes were the same. There is probably a lot of similar examples across the city.

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Personally I don't blame them, I hate having people in the car with me especially people that you only know through work or a house share etc. I like to be able to relax on my commute, listen to what I want to, not have to be making small talk etc. Also even worse again you are tying yourself to someone else's schedule by getting a lift or giving them a lift which I hate. I like to be able to leave for work in the morning when I want and come home when I want (that or I might have to work on late if something comes up) or go somewhere else after work etc all of this is not compatible with giving or getting lifts.

xckjoo

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

I agree working until 8:30pm regularly is not the norm though in many jobs you will have to work late during busy times so its not unheard of by any means.

I was simply highlighting that people tend to go for later rather than earlier hours given a flexible work schedule. I know people in more menial jobs tend to lack flexibility but in highly skilled sectors which I work in and would know lots of other people in other companies also hours tend to be very flexible as the attitude is to get the work done not work a set of hours, this could mean working late or even a weekend at times if necessary but the trade off is you can tailor your hours to suit.

I've worked with countless people with kids who start work after 9 and finish after 6 by choice rather than start earlier and finish earlier. Contrary to what you said it makes more sense as someone starting late can do a school drop off much easier than an earlier starter.

Its is already common to have flexible working hours especially in international companies. Yes some roles are unsuitable if you are hands on in a factory, but even many hands on jobs are flexible also. Most highly skilled jobs are suited to flexible hours infact many require them due to having to work with international partners etc. Any desk job is suitable for flexible hours and more so for remote working.

Certainly in the highly skilled, cutting edge tech areas I have worked in and with many people I know working in similar areas with different companies flexibility in hours and for remote working is common place.

There is still a glut of people though working in 9-5 office jobs that could do their job no issue whatsoever on a 10-6 or 8-4 and also work remotely a day or two per week. Rigid work hours and having to be in the office to be considered are backward old fashioned ways of running a business.

Most people I work with with kids try to get in early so they can leave early and spend time with them. They definitely try to keep the weekend free so they can spend time with their loved ones.

Flexible work hours might be common in your company but it's hardly the norm. It's certainly not the norm in all international companies. Medtronic don't allow all their employees show up whenever they want. The place would fall apart. I'm in a career that's about as high skilled and cutting edge as you'd find and generally have the luxury of setting my own hours, but I've 1) co-workers I need to interact with and 2) a family I like to see. I like my family so don't want to work all evening when they're at home, just so I can take my car everywhere. I'm also self-aware enough to realise that my work conditions aren't the case for the majority of people out there. A high skilled industry can by definition never employ the majority of people because they don't have the desire, inclination, education or ability to work in it. Nor should they have to. Bit condescending to think your chosen career should be what everyone should be striving to follow.

Fitz*

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

Personally I don't blame them, I hate having people in the car with me especially people that you only know through work or a house share etc. I like to be able to relax on my commute, listen to what I want to, not have to be making small talk etc. Also even worse again you are tying yourself to someone else's schedule which I also hate be it by getting a lift or giving them a lift. I like to be able to leave for work in the morning when I want and come home when I want (that or I might have to work on late if something comes up) all of this is not compatible with giving or getting lifts.

That is true too. Especially when one has to stay later etc, but I suppose the discretion would come down to the driver.

Maybe my thinking would really only apply to people who have set working hours and not flexi-time which of course would change things.

I have a friend who had their office move location recently. Not in Galway, but the office even moved county! Driving from Ennis -> Limerick. There is a group of 3 or 4 who carpool. One person drives every week and it is rotated. I think they all work the same set hours, so it works.

John_Rambo

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

I agree working until 8:30pm regularly is not the norm though in many jobs you will have to work late during busy times so its not unheard of by any means.

I was simply highlighting that people tend to go for later rather than earlier hours given a flexible work schedule. I know people in more menial jobs tend to lack flexibility but in highly skilled sectors which I work in and would know lots of other people in other companies also hours tend to be very flexible as the attitude is to get the work done not work a set of hours, this could mean working late or even a weekend at times if necessary but the trade off is you can tailor your hours to suit.

I've worked with countless people with kids who start work after 9 and finish after 6 by choice rather than start earlier and finish earlier. Contrary to what you said it makes more sense as someone starting late can do a school drop off much easier than an earlier starter.



Its is already common to have flexible working hours especially in international companies. Yes some roles are unsuitable if you are hands on in a factory, but even many hands on jobs are flexible also. Most highly skilled jobs are suited to flexible hours infact many require them due to having to work with international partners etc. Any desk job is suitable for flexible hours and more so for remote working.

Certainly in the highly skilled, cutting edge tech areas I have worked in and with many people I know working in similar areas with different companies flexibility in hours and for remote working is common place.

There is still a glut of people though working in 9-5 office jobs that could do their job no issue whatsoever on a 10-6 or 8-4 and also work remotely a day or two per week. Rigid work hours and having to be in the office to be considered are backward old fashioned ways of running a business.

Flexible hours and working from home are great, most people are familiar with the concept. I avail of them myself, the whole company does. Out of thirty only one works late! Everyone one else opts for the early hours, but we’re city people, the get up early type

Now Nox, flexible hours are entirely different to your hair brain idea of all major employers and schools to force stagger start/finish times!! That will never work as pointed out to you numerous times.

xckjoo

FitzShane wrote: »

Don't the Parkmore factories already have an agreement to stagger their shift times on production lines. It doesn't seem to be enough as there is still constant traffic across the whole city.

Public transport isn't good enough, and to a certain degree the mindset of people. Everyone wants to drive their own car and that is it - cycling, walking, public transport and carpooling is not an option.

I know a lad who once lived on the 402 bus route. And I mean literally the stop was on the front door. He worked in Eyre Square, right beside the bus stops. Could not be any easier. He refused to take the bus and instead wanted to drive the same route as the bus every day, and the pay for parking, instead of getting a return ticket in the bus for less. I have known of lots of groups of people before who were all renting / living together and worked in a pretty similar area of the city. But drove to work and home again every day in separate cars at the same time. about 80% of their routes were the same. There is probably a lot of similar examples across the city.

Maybe it's the Irish mentality of 'I have paid so much for my car / insurance / tax that I am going to make use of this car every day', possibly. But then again people in Dublin don't have the mentality problem when it comes to public transport or walking & cycling.

Bet they also moaned constantly about the state of traffic . These kinds of people are literally too stupid to get out of their own way.

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

Personally I don't blame them, I hate having people in the car with me especially people that you only know through work or a house share etc. I like to be able to relax on my commute, listen to what I want to, not have to be making small talk etc. Also even worse again you are tying yourself to someone else's schedule by getting a lift or giving them a lift which I hate. I like to be able to leave for work in the morning when I want and come home when I want (that or I might have to work on late if something comes up) or go somewhere else after work etc all of this is not compatible with giving or getting lifts.

"I ..., I ..., I ..."
We hear you. The world should revolve around whatever you want.

Fitz*

xckjoo wrote: »

Bet they also moaned constantly about the state of traffic . These kinds of people are literally too stupid to get out of their own way.

I always laugh when I see people sitting in single occupancy cars, complaining about traffic, when they are the contributing factor the traffic! Especially when there is public transport alternatives.

I used to be a bus-user, so I was allowed to complain :pac:

what_traffic

FitzShane wrote: »

I always laugh when I see people sitting in single occupancy cars, complaining about traffic, when they are the contributing factor the traffic! Especially when there is public transport alternatives.

I am the traffic!!

John_Rambo

John_Rambo wrote: »

Flexible hours and working from home are great, most people are familiar with the concept. I avail of them myself, the whole company does. Out of thirty only one works late! Everyone one else opts for the early hours, but we’re city people, the get up early type

I'm a fully certified night person, never got the appeal of getting up early. There were a lot more than 30 people in my previous job, out of hundreds of people you would be doing well to find 30 people in before 9.

John_Rambo wrote: »

Now Nox, flexible hours are entirely different to your hair brain idea of all major employers and schools to force stagger start/finish times!! That will never work as pointed out to you numerous times.

Its is not hair brained at all, in fact is is already done but just not on a large enough scale. Some schools do start at different times, most start at 9 but I know one that start at 9:15 and another one that starts around 9:30. As another poster mentioned there is at least an attempt by some companies in parkmore to stagger start/finish times, are you calling these multinationals "hair brained"? It just needs to be done on a far wider scale.

Denying staggering start/finish times would make a difference is simply disagreeing with me for the sake of it, its fairly easy to see that having most people travelling to work at the same time creates bad traffic, if you spread out the commute times it would be impossible not to reduce traffic as there are less people on the road.

John_Rambo

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

I'm a fully certified night person, never got the appeal of getting up early. There were a lot more than 30 people in my previous job, out of hundreds of people you would be doing well to find 30 people in before 9.

Fascinating.

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

Its is not hair brained at all, in fact is is already done but just not on a large enough scale. Some schools do start at different times, most start at 9 but I know one that start at 9:15 and another one that starts around 9:30. As another poster mentioned there is at least an attempt by some companies in parkmore to stagger start/finish times, are you calling these multinationals "hair brained"? It just needs to be done on a far wider scale.

No. I'm calling your idea of trying to force stagger start and stop work times in a city!

Gwen Shallow Raccoon wrote: »

Denying staggering start/finish times would make a difference is simply disagreeing with me for the sake of it, its fairly easy to see that having most people travelling to work at the same time creates bad traffic, if you spread out the commute times it would be impossible not to reduce traffic as there are less people on the road.

I'm sorry Nox, but it's a ridiculous idea. Completely unworkable.

Mrs OBumble

Work hours are already effectively staggered through the city: people in Parkmore and surrounding estates are starting anything between 6am and 10am, and that's just the day shifts. With a significant number on a 7am start.

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Work hours are already effectively staggered through the city: people in Parkmore and surrounding estates are starting anything between 6am and 10am, and that's just the day shifts. With a significant number on a 7am start.

Most of the office workers in the big multinationals also have an early finish on Fridays and core hours of 9-4 Mon-Thu which gives them flexibility in terms of start finish times every day of the work week

thecretinhop

utter disaster today 3pm briarhill
7pm tuam road
7 30 trying to get back.

why are there so many traffic lights there is no logic to them at all does anyone or thing control them in city hall.

senior managers in traffic do they do normal hours??? (10am to 3pm i suspect)

considering galway is so small even as compared to even dublin it is madness.
we have a woeful public transport network.

here is my view

no point in public transport they are so useless it will end up costing 600m for a bus.

cynic no 1: create as much havoc as possible to ensure bypass goes through

cynic no 2: push bike and bus lanes by creating havoc

3: utterly useless incompetence

4: lack of future planning for 40 years and all of above

John_Rambo

Do you believe bike lanes & bus lanes cause havoc? What it bike lanes that had Briarhill a disaster at 3pm or was it lots of cars?

thecretinhop

John_Rambo wrote: »

Do you believe bike lanes & bus lanes cause havoc? What it bike lanes that had Briarhill a disaster at 3pm or was it lots of cars?

what clown would be on a bike today? im this weather

3 kids try getting from claregalway to town

why so many traffic lights are they sequenced riddle me dat

John_Rambo

thecretinhop wrote: »

what clown would be on a bike today?

The clever ones that didn't sit in a car for two hours? The clowns are the ones in their clown cars giving out about the other clowns in clown cars causing tailbacks and delays.

I appreciate you have three kids in the car, but the single occupant healthy car drivers cycling would alleviate the traffic problem letting you get to where you want to go with the kids.

And that traffic problem is caused by cars, not buses, not bikes.

Mrs OBumble

thecretinhop wrote: »

what clown would be on a bike today? im this weather

3 kids try getting from claregalway to town

why so many traffic lights are they sequenced riddle me dat

There are schools in Claregalway. No need to be bringing kids into the city.

McGiver

Doctors room ghost wrote:

How is it dangerous?a couple of thousand cars down through narrow housing estate roads in a race against the clock where kids could be out playing.it also brings you past schools and a restaurant where people might stand out on the road by accident

And removing the lights will remove the cars? Are you high?

McGiver

FitzShane wrote:

Maybe it's the Irish mentality of 'I have paid so much for my car / insurance / tax that I am going to make use of this car every day', possibly. But then again people in Dublin don't have the mentality problem when it comes to public transport or walking & cycling.

It is an Irish thing but my observation is that it generally increases in the less urban (more rural) areas, in westward direction generally. And it's a sociocultural issue with deep historical causes...

In the news today.....

Minister confirms transport strategy delays

https://connachttribune.ie/minister-confirms-transport-strategy-delays/

Transport Minister Shane Ross has admitted there will be delays in implementing the Galway Transport Strategy – which includes new cross-city bus routes, Park & Ride facilities, cycle and walking routes.

A work programme for the implementation of the €250 million strategy was due to be published in April – the Minister has confirmed that this will not now be published until “later in the year”.

It will take around five years to bring in proposed infrastructural developments required under the strategy and the Minister confirmed that specific locations for Park & Ride have still not been identified.

The Minister was responding to Deputy Catherine Connolly in the Dáil last week, who asked when the Galway Transport Strategy (GTS) will be implemented and when Park & Ride will be rolled out to address climate change and the city’s “parking chaos”.

The Minister said he was anxious that the implementation process begins, but there are delays.

“A work programme to guide the implementation of the GTS is currently under development by the local authority. I am informed by the National Transport Authority that it had been hoped to publish this programme last month; however, the programme is still under development and will now be published later in the year.

“I am as anxious as the Deputy that implementation of the GTS begins in earnest, but I recognise the need to ensure that implementation is conducted in a planned and co-ordinated manner. I am advised by the NTA that the implementation of the proposed infrastructure development required by the strategy will be approximately five years,” said the Minister.

Deputy Connolly pointed out that the introduction of Park & Ride for Galway City was included in the 2005 City Development Plan, when she was Mayor of Galway.

McTigs

McGiver wrote: »

it's a sociocultural issue with deep historical causes...

I agree with this.... there's a very dated notion still lingering that if you are cycling a bike or taking public transport it could only be because you can't afford a car.... people will make up every reason under the sun why they can't/won't use other methods than the car, they'd sooner sit in traffic and complain about it because the alternative is looking unsuccessful.

Doctors room ghost

McGiver wrote: »

And removing the lights will remove the cars? Are you high?

Removing the lights would allow the main Galway to Dublin Road to flow instead of having lights backed up onto each other.
The 3 sets of lights between the crystal factory and doughiska are farcical at best.
It’s a jokeshop of a town and the fact that it’s faster to travel to Athlone if you are east Galway says it all.

zell12

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Removing the lights would allow the main Galway to Dublin Road to flow instead of having lights backed up onto each other.
The 3 sets of lights between the crystal factory and doughiska are farcical at best.
It’s a jokeshop of a town and the fact that it’s faster to travel to Athlone if you are east Galway says it all.

How would you allow cars to emerge from those three traffic light junctions?
Those three you mention are mostly aimed at car traffic

Doctors room ghost

zell12 wrote: »

How would you allow cars to emerge from those three traffic light junctions?
Those three you mention are mostly aimed at car traffic

There used to be a slip road on one of them. The others should also have either slip roads or roundabouts.let it flow.
Rush hours now Oranmore is backed up to the city.

zell12

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

There used to be a slip road on one of them. The others should also have either slip roads or roundabouts.let it flow.
Rush hours now Oranmore is backed up to the city.

Traffic increased, hence they needed a junction

McTigs

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

There used to be a slip road on one of them. The others should also have either slip roads or roundabouts.let it flow.
Rush hours now Oranmore is backed up to the city.

and you think that is because of traffic lights?

Doctors room ghost

McTigs wrote: »

and you think that is because of traffic lights?

Yes.
The traffic lights bunch the cars and bring everything to a halt. The objective in the evening should be to get the cars outbound prioritized and the opposite in the morning.

Storm 10

The lights at the headford road junction are also holding up traffic, twice this morning waiting to go left for the bridge the traffic coming off the bridge and going straight left and right were flowing through while the green to go left should be on at this time as there is nothing stopping you to go left, there were no pedestrian greens on so I cant understand why the left light is not on when traffic is going different directions. Also that left lane is just silly you can only get two or three cars into it and the rest must wait in the straight ahead lane causing an unnecessary build up in the that lane when most probably want to go left.

jjpep

There's load of suggestions through out this thread on how to improve the car traffic situation (varying from good to bad to indifferent). Ultimately though the cause of car traffic problems will always be the volume of cars on the roads. Too inefficient for moving large amounts of people quickly and easily when large amounts of people all want to move at approximately the same time and at too high a cost in terms of needed infrastructure and the environment.

Some people will never look at an alternative to driving, others will. Its in everyone's interest to make these alternatives better and get more people on them (cycling, buses etc) and this is the only thing that will reduce car volume. Anything else is treating symptoms and not the cause.

bobbyss

Storm 10 wrote:

The lights at the headford road junction are also holding up traffic, twice this morning waiting to go left for the bridge the traffic coming off the bridge and going straight left and right were flowing through while the green to go left should be on at this time as there is nothing stopping you to go left, there were no pedestrian greens on so I cant understand why the left light is not on when traffic is going different directions. Also that left lane is just silly you can only get two or three cars into it and the rest must wait in the straight ahead lane causing an unnecessary build up in the that lane when most probably want to go left.

Yeah. Very frustrating. Surely thry could hsve done slip road to the bridge at thst point. There seems to be something off that sort already. I know pedestrians cross there but it should be looked at again.