Galway traffic

Laviski

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117944330#Comment_117944330

well for one they owned a property for years and years, long before galways grown to what it is now and always had the option to park (which would be before pay and display) to then have it taken away...

get real,

galway would have being all the better if infra wasn't removed to start with and indeed Ireland if a certain party with corrupt members who been in power for most of the time with decades of mis management short sighted handling.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945436#Comment_117945436

Its not private property, its public streets we are talking here. What I am suggesting would allow for a return of space to the public for more sustainable options that would benefit a lot more people. What you are talking about is akin to the public subsidizing a parking space for someone on public grounds.

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117944330#Comment_117944330

For residents who own a car and whose property doesn't allow for on-property parking, where do you suggest they park their cars?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945436#Comment_117945436

And my father used to walk cattle into Eyre Square. Times change.

If they don't own the parking spaces, it is fair to question whether it is the best use of public space or whether it is inline with public policy.

Even if they did own the spaces we can question whether it could be better used and elsewhere front gardens and parking is being taken for bus connects or whatever.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945748#Comment_117945748

Like what exactly?

If you mean bicycle lanes on all streets then where would the bicycles be parked?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945901#Comment_117945901

Thats for them to figure out, not for me to do. This has been figured by others before when parking was removed or when more car owners moved into an area than there were car spaces.

My suggestion is that public space is not for their personal use to park their cars.

Owning a car in the city does not entitle you to anything except owning that car

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945920#Comment_117945920

Bus lanes, bike lanes, widening footpaths, parklets, market spaces, green spaces, trees etc etc etc

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945961#Comment_117945961

So, loads of suggestions as to where bicycles should be parked, but when asked where residents' cars should be parked your answer was: "Thats for them to figure out, not for me to do".

Sounds less like thinking about solutions and more like imposing cycling zealotry on everyone else. Totally unrealistic.

xckjoo

The on-street parking for residents is an interesting one but I don't think it's worth tackling right now. It'll take a while to move away from the level of car dependence we've fostered over the last handful of decades. If it was only residents parking in these areas the space required would already be drastically reduced.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117946008#Comment_117946008

Sigh, I said the space would allow for a return of space to the public for more sustainable options that would benefit a lot more people. She asked what options, I outlined them.

I ignored her quip about bike parking because I've learned to ignore anything MrsB posts in relation to cycling. Such is her hatred of the activity, that logic and reason fly out the window when trying to discuss it with her so there is little point engaging with her on the topic.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117944330#Comment_117944330

We are a generation away from this, but it is happening in many European Citys.

Having residents only though means less car traffic on these streets by vehicles searching for parking.

I think its a step in the right direction but it is a small step.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117946217#Comment_117946217

Well some of the on street parking is definitely for the chop, per the GTS, but likely not all, mores the pity.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117946204#Comment_117946204

A quip does not have a question mark at the end of it.

Since your proposal does include bike lanes, please explain where you think the bicycles should be parked. Remembering that under the model you envisage, there would be a LOT more of them.

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945436#Comment_117945436

They didn't 'always' have the option to park. I'm not that old but when I was growing up many living in city centre houses would not have owned a car. Cars lined up all along city centre streets is a relatively recent development in Galway.

We bought our first home in another country before we moved back to Ireland. We didn't own a parking space and were very conscious of the fact that our ability to park our two cars on the street was something that could disappear at any time. We had paid nothing for it and therefore had no entitlement to it. Neither did our neighbours who had lived and parked there for decades. We sold that place more than a decade ago, and some of the parking spaces we used there are still available, but now you pay by the hour and it is far from cheap. The only exceptions are families with three or more children, fully electric cars, or car sharing cars (like Go Car). They can get an annual permit, although that still costs money.

At least 20% of households in Galway don't have a car. Households that decide they do need a car should choose somewhere to live that has storage for their private property rather than expecting to leave it cluttering public space. If you live in the city centre, and you don't have a private off street parking space, then sooner or later you're going to have to make a choice between city centre living and car ownership. Yes, exceptions should be made for some blue badge spaces, but everyone else will have to make that choice. And I think it's much closer than a generation away. Things are moving fast in neighbouring countries and there is likely to be a snowball effect.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117946551#Comment_117946551

In designated bicycle parking locations

I'm guessing this is leading up to some absurdity, lets see if I'm right

Laviski

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945959#Comment_117945959

owning a bicycle doesn't entitle you anything either,

and for the the remark of thats for them to figure out, is a big middle figure and ramming down your view on everyone else. what ever happen to consultation and mutual agreements, guess not the cyclist way.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947809#Comment_117947809

And if I said they should sell the car and walk, or buy a parking space in a multi-story, or rent a space from someone or move to where they have off street parking etc etc etc, you'd whine that I was trying to tell people how to live

Also, who said anything about owning a bike entitling you to anything?

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947851#Comment_117947851

You expect that there will be allocated bicycle parking, but you want allocated car parking removed.

Really, this is just four-wheels-bad-two-wheels-good. 1984, anyone?

Failing to plan for bicycle parking is as silly as failing to plan for a charging infrastructure for electric cars.

Those of use who actually live in the city centre provide eyes-and-ears 24 hours a day: a city-centre without residents has some dead times while are great for criminals, and lacks people who are deeply invested in what the environment is like. Many of us do live car-free lives for a lot of the time. But we go sometimes on holiday or move house and need to transport a lot of stuff. Sometimes we get sick or injured, and need motorised help to get around - or we need homecare staff, public health nurses and even doctors to visit us frequently. Sometimes we get lifts home late at night from suburban friends who freak at the idea of us walking alone at 3am. Our neighbourhood needs to facilitate our needs, the same way your neighbourhood facilitates yours.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947943#Comment_117947943

You didn't disappoint

I assumed that residents would have an easement to park on the street. Also with houses built pre '63 I would expect that a strong legal argument could be made that the planning encompased on street parking.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948101#Comment_117948101

Not a hope. If there was a chance of that paid on street parking, permits or double yellow lines would have been challenged long ago. The houses don't own parking or the right to parking on public roads.

Laviski

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947851#Comment_117947851

and i would, your comments come across as adversarial driving the cyclist agenda whichever way possible so long as you get it. Where as suggesting to get residents involved on having public meetings/consolations on the best approach where mediation occurs for parties affected. You may be a blow in but these people live here.

to remind you of your previous post

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945959#Comment_117945959

I was making the point that owning a bicycle doesn't entitle you to anything either, giving you made the point of the car entitlement.

If people are serious of solving the traffic problems, adequate mass transit solutions need to be implemented. Catering for the weekend cyclist isn't going to change much, as the weather will deteriorate coming into the winter months the traffic just snowballs.

what_traffic

Residents Only Parking

Discussed today on Newstalk this afternoon. Thought Cllr McNelis was pretty good in explaining what its about

https://www.newstalk.com/shows/lunchtime-live-234859

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947943#Comment_117947943

Not 1984 no, I think you're paraphrasing a quote from Animal Farm.

Anyway there's no such thing as illegal bike parking, so you can put your bike wherever you want.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948852#Comment_117948852

Some folks have a real chip on their shoulders about bikes, lighten up dude.

Also, blow in? Galway City man, born, bread n buttered, thank you for asking though

As I stated earlier, the space that is regained could be better utilised for "Bus lanes, bike lanes, widening footpaths, parklets, market spaces, green spaces, trees etc etc etc".

At no point did I push a cycling agenda yet some folks here are so blinkered in their hatred of folks who cycle, they make claims which are easily disproven by simply reading a few posts up.

9320

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936149#Comment_117936149

Struggling to find the legislation that prohibits the Council from making bye-laws for resident only parking - and that would require Department of Transport legislation rather than Department of Local Government. Anyone any details?

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947943#Comment_117947943

How did you get from limiting car parking to discussing removing residents from the city centre? Are you really suggesting that, without car parking as an option, no one would want to live in the city centre? It's outrageously blinkered to dismiss the existence of 20% of the households in Galway who already get by without owning a car.

And how does restricting carparking prevent you from going on holiday, moving house or transporting a lot of stuff? Nobody has suggested getting rid of loading bays.

Similarly, if you're sick or injured and need motorised help, nobody has suggested that stopping to let someone out of or into a car be made illegal.

Home helps, public health nurses, doctors etc. can all do as they would if you lived on Shop Street and park a short distance away and walk to your home. Or they could even cycle there....

Being given a lift home at 3AM is another one that I really don't get. Again, nobody has suggested making stopping to let someone get out of a car illegal.

What is the point of posting an argument against something if your argument is completely devoid of any credible points?

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950889#Comment_117950889

You're unfamiliar with MrsoB it seems?

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948852#Comment_117948852

Who is catering to the weekend cyclist? The number of people using bicycles for day to day transport has increased exponentially in Galway over the last 18 months. The Jes primary school got the road on which it is situated made a little bit safer and went from having only a handful of bike outside each day to now having over 70 on many days. Schools in parts of the west of the city, where the cycle bus has normalised cycling to school, have seen similar increases in numbers. And it's not just on dry days. There is a decrease on wet mornings, but it is only a partial one, and it doesn't drop anywhere near to zero. It also really only happens when there is heavy rain between 7:30 and 8:00AM, when people are making the decision about how to get to school. It might be forecast to rain during the day, but if it's only drizzling when it's time to leave in the morning people, will still go on their bikes.

A year ago there was one organised school cycle bus in Galway. Now there are four and more in the pipeline. We've all seen the difference in traffic in Galway when the schools go on mid-term break. If you could get the move to bicycles repeated across all Galway schools just think what effect that could have on traffic? But it requires cycling to school to be safe. The Salthill cycleway will pass within 1km of 20 different schools and would be a big step towards providing a safe route to school for many Galway kids on bikes.

Yes, we need better public transport, but it's not either/or. Right now more people cycle into Dublin every morning than get there on the Luas. Both are equally important in relieving congestion.

Laviski

its rains significantly less in Dublin than it does in galway,

traffic on a wet day during schools holiday is still as bad as a dry day when schools are on. Your comments on The Salthill cycleway is laughable, you think people are going to out of their way to get down to the salthill prom instead of taking a direct route. For those living beside it, yes they will avail of it but numbers would be really small. A lot of the estates in proximity have families grown up, perhaps those where properties were passed down it would be of use.

Mass transit/public transport should be prioritised first whenever there is funding available. Covid has played its part in keeping people home with their cars, that probably was the biggest benefit than any action said here or done elsewhere which allowed to fudge numbers on cyclists.