Galway traffic

pure.conya

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

So is there ever any cars in the bus lane, or this some kind of Bermuda-triangle weird other realm where motorists actually obey traffic laws?

ya the odd taxi and even they're restricted by cyclists from travelling at the max speed

what_traffic

pure.conya wrote: »

ya the odd taxi and even they're restricted by cyclists from travelling at the max speed

They are restricted that they can only use the bus lane when they have a paying fare, but perhaps Mrs OBumble would want them banned as well. Individual vehicle you see. But she probably argue more than one person in the vehicle so the key to sorting out Mrs OBumble solution on the bike, carry somebody on your cross bar.

Mrs OBumble

what_traffic wrote: »

Same for the cars then!!!!

For the most part I agree: most car users should be using shared vehicles for at least the city section of their journey.

That's not the same as "ban cars", because some people need individual transport solutions.

And it won't be achieved by banning through traffic from the city centre, because the city centre isn't the destination for most, and because it would have major unintended consequences.

Discodog

John_Rambo wrote: »

I think the plan is to increase bus lanes to make it more difficult for drivers to drive in, out and around the city. There will be increased traffic jams, but less cars as the space will be given up to pedestrians, public transport users and cyclists.

In my own city (Dublin) there's routes now that I won't drive. It's quicker to get public transport. You'd be sitting in your car as buses, cyclists and the Luas drive by. Even pedestrians would be quicker. In Galway there's a touch of "build it and they will come" and it will happen over time hopefully.

The problem is the people living outside Galway in impossible to service public transport areas. The only realistic and future answer is park and ride for those that choose or are forced to live in dispersed housing or one off housing.

There's lots of evidence in Galway (and Dublin) where people can drive in and out of the cities quicker than they can get public transport. These routes will be targeted, theoretically, there'll be lots of space to cycle, walk or use public transport, but a tiny space allowed for cars or even a congestion charge.

Again, massive, massive improvements on public transport will be needed.

Your tradesman in the vans with tools (myself included) will be forced to drive in before or after peak rush hour times.

I charge for travelling time. So the customer ends up paying more.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

pure.conya wrote: »

its actually a very rare day that the weather is too bad to cycle

Absolutely. My main stint of cycling to work was in a statistically very bad weather year in one of the rainiest cities in the country. The only times I didn’t cycle were not weather-related (going out after work or travelling across the country or whatever). I literally not even once missed a day cycling to work because of the weather. People don’t get that you warm up so quickly that cold isn’t an issue and that light to heavy rain isn’t that big a deal either. The front of your trousers might get a bit damp but that dries quickly, the lowers legs tend not to and you’ll be wearing some kind of cover on top even in summer. I think anyone citing weather as reason for not cycling to work has simply never tried it. I’m somebody who loves being warm and who doesn’t like rain and yet cycling to work was something I loved doing in every season.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

serfboard wrote: »

No - the problem is that the rain we get in Galway is different to the rain ye get there above in Dublin.

Ye get proper rain. We get sh1tty, misty drizzle that descends for the day and makes the whole place grey and depressing, and which won't show up in the statistics as massive rain volumes, but will show up in days of rain.

So, since it doesn't bother to rain properly here, we're damned if we're going to wear rain gear, since we'll be only out for five minutes.

But... that’s exactly the kind of rain that is really easy to both cycle and walk in because it doesn’t soak you quickly like big droplet rain and certainly if you are cycling you won’t really get wet from it. I’m speaking from experience here. You don’t need rain gear for that sort of misty rain.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

But... that’s exactly the kind of rain that is really easy to both cycle and walk in because it doesn’t soak you quickly like big droplet rain and certainly if you are cycling you won’t really get wet from it. I’m speaking from experience here. You don’t need rain gear for that sort of misty rain.

Misty drizzle is what we call “wet rain” it absolutely soaks you.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Misty drizzle is what we call “wet rain” it absolutely soaks you.

No, it doesn’t. I’ve done plenty of walking and cycling in those conditions. You realise I live in this country too? Not only does it not soak you, it will barely get you wet on a short walk. Seriously, driving when there’s light rain or drizzle and it’s a five minute walk is extreme delicate doily territory. My god.

Storm 10

I walked into town last week in the so called misty drizzle and got absoulatey soaked, if it's rain or drizzle you get wet end of

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Storm 10 wrote: »

I walked into town last week in the so called misty drizzle and got absoulatey soaked, if it's rain or drizzle you get wet end of

How long of a walk is that? Big diff between five minutes and forty five minutes, for example. And do people not dress for the weather anymore? Meanwhile, if you cycled that distance, you wouldn’t have got wet at all hardly. I was a slow cyclist and that was fast enough moving to prevent getting wet beyond very mild surface dampness that would dry in minutes.

Like I said, I hate being cold, I hate being wet. And yet I cycled to and from work happily in a statistically bad weather year in a rainy Irish city. Anyone citing the weather as a deterrent in Ireland is, I suspect, speaking from a position of no experience.

Walking to and from work is more likely to lead to getting wet but I’ve also done a lot of walking to and from various work places and very rarely would I get soaked. Firstly, I’d dress for the weather. Secondly, whilst it rains a lot in Ireland, it’s rarely continuous rain. The rain isn’t going to just going to coincide with commute times every day and doesn’t.

jjpep

Never found it much of a hardship to pull on the waterproofs (on me and the kid) if it was wet. I mean we're talking a few seconds of very little effort here...

Currently live in a city where the average temperature this time of year is -10 to -15. Loads of people cycling and walking, they just dress up warm. I think I'd be a bit embarrassed to tell anyone here that the reason people don't want to cycle in Ireland is bad weather....

xckjoo

xckjoo wrote: »

Were ye happy enough that happened or annoyed? What if you didn't have so much land and it was through a chunk of your front garden or even through your house itself? (I believe this will be happening to some people if the ring road goes ahead but open to correction on that)

Genuinely curious by the way. I personally would be pretty annoyed but everyone is different.

Look at first you aren’t overly happy about it but at the same time we understand that progress is required and that the is very beneficial (we use it a lot ourselves). So we were happy to accept it in the end. You are fairly well compensated too. The only thing that did annoy us was that it came out later that people who did dig in and try to stop it got paid off by quite a bit more and did better out of it than those who accepted it and gave their blessing to go ahead.

Taking a house is a different thing but you can’t just look at it as if it’s your own home. I’m sure there are a number is discussed houses included, many would be happy to get heavily compensated and build a new house and so on etc etc.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

How long of a walk is that? Big diff between five minutes and forty five minutes, for example. And do people not dress for the weather anymore? Meanwhile, if you cycled that distance, you wouldn’t have got wet at all hardly. I was a slow cyclist and that was fast enough moving to prevent getting wet beyond very mild surface dampness that would dry in minutes..

You are taking rubbish, you get absolute soaked in no time in this weather especially if cycling your jeans and shoes are soaked through as you are hitting the rain much faster. Even 5 mins to the shop will have my feet wet for the afternoon with an umbrella and I ain’t doing that when I can hop in the car and drive to the door.

Also we have been getting a lot of crazily heavy rain this winter, so heavy that I can wait to have my garage built so I don’t have to be standing outside getting in and out of the car or putting things into and out of it as 10 seconds leaves you soaked.

jjpep wrote: »

Never found it much of a hardship to pull on the waterproofs (on me and the kid) if it was wet. I mean we're talking a few seconds of very little effort here...

Currently live in a city where the average temperature this time of year is -10 to -15. Loads of people cycling and walking, they just dress up warm. I think I'd be a bit embarrassed to tell anyone here that the reason people don't want to cycle in Ireland is bad weather....

If I’m going out working for the day outside I’ve no problem dressing up for the weather but I really hate having to pull on water proofs and trudge along in the rain, sweaty clammy things, dripping wet after and usually you get wet somewhere especially feet and I can’t stand having wet feet. Especially if it’s just popping down to the shop when I have the car no way I’m suiting up for the rain.

I find it so much easier in the mornings being able to just wear a t-shirt or fleece going to work even on a bad day when I can park so close to the office. It may sound stupid but not having to suit up really makes my mornings a lot easier and you are out the door faster (I’m an up, dressed instantly and fast and out the door faster. Last place I worked I had a 6 or 7 minute walk from car park to office and found that painful with multiple wet days per week, even with an umbrella etc it’s effort, you get wet and even if you wanted to suit up you would be so wet doing it beside the car it wouldn’t be worth it.

jjpep

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

If I’m going out working for the day outside I’ve no problem dressing up for the weather but I really hate having to pull on water proofs and trudge along in the rain, sweaty clammy things, dripping wet after and usually you get wet somewhere especially feet and I can’t stand having wet feet. Especially if it’s just popping down to the shop when I have the car no way I’m suiting up for the rain.

I find it so much easier in the mornings being able to just wear a t-shirt or fleece going to work even on a bad day when I can park so close to the office. It may sound stupid but not having to suit up really makes my mornings a lot easier and you are out the door faster (I’m an up, dressed instantly and fast and out the door faster. Last place I worked I had a 6 or 7 minute walk from car park to office and found that painful with multiple wet days per week, even with an umbrella etc it’s effort, you get wet and even if you wanted to suit up you would be so wet doing it beside the car it wouldn’t be worth it.

I guess we have very different ideas on what is easy vs hard then in terms of effort of putting/taking a layer of clothes. Kinda of annoying that we may have to fork out probably up to a billion euro to build a road (that won't actually fix any problems) because of this kind of mentality...

jjpep

jjpep wrote: »

I guess we have very different ideas on what is easy vs hard then in terms of effort of putting/taking a layer of clothes. Kinda of annoying that we may have to fork out probably up to a billion euro to build a road (that won't actually fix any problems) because of this kind of mentality...

The vast majority of tax payers are 100% behind the bypass so why shouldn't our taxes be spend as we would want?

xckjoo

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

The vast majority of tax payers are 100% behind the bypass so why shouldn't our taxes be spend as we would want?

I'd love to see some research into opinions on the ring road. But lets wait until after this election to see how good their sampling approach is
Not that the opinion of the people should be the be-all-and-end-all for these decisions. The Council should have the intelligence and back-bone to determine what will actually improve things for the majority and go ahead and implement it. People will come around once they see it working and in the mean-time will moan no matter what decision is made. Shop Street pedestrianisation was going to ruin the city, but you couldn't see it any other way now.

beans

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

The vast majority of tax payers are 100% behind the bypass so why shouldn't our taxes be spend as we would want?

That's hardly an argument for what would be best, though. It's possible that this majority are making their decisions based on bad information.

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

That's not the same as "ban cars", because some people need individual transport solutions.

Your argument is dead.
A bicycle is an individual transport solution.

cooperguy

jjpep wrote: »

I guess we have very different ideas on what is easy vs hard then in terms of effort of putting/taking a layer of clothes. Kinda of annoying that we may have to fork out probably up to a billion euro to build a road (that won't actually fix any problems) because of this kind of mentality...

It wont fix the problems in isolation but there ia an overall transport plan that hinges on the road being built so that a properly integrated transport network can be built in the city.

beans wrote: »

That's hardly an argument for what would be best, though. It's possible that this majority are making their decisions based on bad information.

While its true that people are probably not making up their minds with all the information when you actually look at the studies done and the public transport plans for the next many years its clear the road is needed in order to implement the public transport strategy successfully.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

You are taking rubbish, you get absolute soaked in no time in this weather especially if cycling your jeans and shoes are soaked through as you are hitting the rain much faster. Even 5 mins to the shop will have my feet wet for the afternoon with an umbrella and I ain’t doing that when I can hop in the car and drive to the door.

Also we have been getting a lot of crazily heavy rain this winter, so heavy that I can wait to have my garage built so I don’t have to be standing outside getting in and out of the car or putting things into and out of it as 10 seconds leaves you soaked.

What are you not understanding about the fact that I have literally done this? Cycling to work in rain all throughout the winter. Have you ever tried this? You don’t really get wet at all. I didn’t even have specialised rain gear apart from a raincoat that I rarely wore. You are really showing up your ignorance on the topic here. Especially saying that your shoes would be soaked if cycling in rain. No, they really wouldn’t. Like I said, the year that I cycled to work was one of the wettest on record. And seriously, what kind of shoes are you wearing that your feet get soaked on a short walk?

I couldn’t even stifle laughing at the idea of somebody driving a five minute walk because it’s raining. That is the softest thing I’ve ever heard of. You don’t know you’re born.

xckjoo

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

What are you not understanding about the fact that I have literally done this? Cycling to work in rain all throughout the winter. Have you ever tried this? You don’t really get wet at all. I didn’t even have specialised rain gear apart from a raincoat that I rarely wore. You are really showing up your ignorance on the topic here. Especially saying that your shoes would be soaked if cycling in rain. No, they really wouldn’t. Like I said, the year that I cycled to work was one of the wettest on record. And seriously, what kind of shoes are you wearing that your feet get soaked on a short walk?

I couldn’t even stifle laughing at the idea of somebody driving a five minute walk because it’s raining. That is the softest thing I’ve ever heard of. You don’t know you’re born.

I do find it funny when people come out with all these hypotheticals and ignore the feedback of people that actually successfully live this way. I've done all the options (drove, cycled and got the bus) to work for years and the only one I've ditched is the driving. It's a waste of life and happiness if you have other options. It sucks that people are forced to do it because they've no other choice.

xckjoo

cooperguy wrote: »

It wont fix the problems in isolation but there ia an overall transport plan that hinges on the road being built so that a properly integrated transport network can be built in the city.


While its true that people are probably not making up their minds with all the information when you actually look at the studies done and the public transport plans for the next many years its clear the road is needed in order to implement the public transport strategy successfully.

But if you have read the report you'll see that there's very little justification for building the road and a high likelihood of it being counter-productive. The plans only hinge on it because that's what they built the plans around.

If the road was actually justifiable I wouldn't be objecting. The only thing it'll do is allow us to push the problem back a few years. When the roads become clogged with traffic again you'll have everyone back moaning about the lack of roads and too much space being given to buses and bicycles. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Thelonious Monk

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

The vast majority of tax payers are 100% behind the bypass so why shouldn't our taxes be spend as we would want?

In fairness he's right on this. Drive around Co Galway, the whole place is built purely around the motorcar, houses on every road going on for eternity. It's never going to be a place for public transport and cycling etc in our lifetimes, it's a lost cause for that kind of thing. Judging by how people choose to live their lives there, bypasses and ring roads and motorways are what need to be built. People want to drive in and out of Galway and back to their one offs, it's already a mess planning wise I can't see how it can be turned around at this stage.

AndrewJRenko

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

The vast majority of tax payers are 100% behind the bypass so why shouldn't our taxes be spend as we would want?

Because the vast majority of tax payers don't understand that 'induced demand' will ensure that it won't achieve the objective they are aiming for.

what_traffic

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Because the vast majority of tax payers don't understand that 'induced demand' will ensure that it won't achieve the objective they are aiming for.

Be careful about using that NOX term. Vast majority? 3 Candidates who are all potential Dail TDS in the next Dail are running on a "Bypass not the solution" tickets. Well known locally by Galway citizens.

machaseh

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

In fairness he's right on this. Drive around Co Galway, the whole place is built purely around the motorcar, houses on every road going on for eternity. It's never going to be a place for public transport and cycling etc in our lifetimes, it's a lost cause for that kind of thing. Judging by how people choose to live their lives there, bypasses and ring roads and motorways are what need to be built. People want to drive in and out of Galway and back to their one offs, it's already a mess planning wise I can't see how it can be turned around at this stage.

I am fine with people driving in rural areas, but inside cities such as galway there should be a Luas line and other proper public transportation so at least people can use Park and Rides.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

What are you not understanding about the fact that I have literally done this? Cycling to work in rain all throughout the winter. Have you ever tried this? You don’t really get wet at all. I didn’t even have specialised rain gear apart from a raincoat that I rarely wore. You are really showing up your ignorance on the topic here. Especially saying that your shoes would be soaked if cycling in rain. No, they really wouldn’t. Like I said, the year that I cycled to work was one of the wettest on record. And seriously, what kind of shoes are you wearing that your feet get soaked on a short walk?

.

In a previous job (not in Galway but in a very similarly wet part of the country) I lived close to work and walked or cycled in. I am speaking from my own experience when I say I got soaked on the bike when cycling in rain, particularly lower legs and feet. When I was making any sort of meaningful rain the bike stayed at home and I walked with an umbrella. So my own personal experience contradicts yours. That or your tolerance for being wet is a lot higher than mine and what I would call soaked you would not.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I couldn’t even stifle laughing at the idea of somebody driving a five minute walk because it’s raining. That is the softest thing I’ve ever heard of. You don’t know you’re born.

Driving 5 minute walks is a common thing in rural areas, we do it all the time would drive to the family next door (2 minute walk) or to neighbors a lot of the time especially if it was wet. Same for doing stuff on the farm would normally drive around in the tractor or 4x4 in the fields etc even if going short distance and not needing to carry stuff. So its not something that would stand out as unusual to me.

what_traffic wrote: »

Be careful about using that NOX term. Vast majority? 3 Candidates who are all potential Dail TDS in the next Dail are running on a "Bypass not the solution" tickets. Well known locally by Galway citizens.

Which ones if you don't mind me asking (Im not in the city constituency so haven't been following the candidates in detail).

what_traffic

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Which ones if you don't mind me asking (Im not in the city constituency so haven't been following the candidates in detail).

Might be time to move out into the Galway County Forum

here it is

Catherine Connolly (sitting TD) Pauline O'Reilly Niall O'Tuathail

FYI
if you had said "Majority" - would not disagree.

O'Tuathail position; if all other options have actually been tried(bus, cycling and walking) and exhausted then the Ring Road should be considered.
Position would hold myself.
Other candidates in favor of Tram system.

AndrewJRenko

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

You are taking rubbish, you get absolute soaked in no time in this weather especially if cycling your jeans and shoes are soaked through as you are hitting the rain much faster. Even 5 mins to the shop will have my feet wet for the afternoon with an umbrella and I ain’t doing that when I can hop in the car and drive to the door.

Also we have been getting a lot of crazily heavy rain this winter, so heavy that I can wait to have my garage built so I don’t have to be standing outside getting in and out of the car or putting things into and out of it as 10 seconds leaves you soaked.



If I’m going out working for the day outside I’ve no problem dressing up for the weather but I really hate having to pull on water proofs and trudge along in the rain, sweaty clammy things, dripping wet after and usually you get wet somewhere especially feet and I can’t stand having wet feet. Especially if it’s just popping down to the shop when I have the car no way I’m suiting up for the rain.

I find it so much easier in the mornings being able to just wear a t-shirt or fleece going to work even on a bad day when I can park so close to the office. It may sound stupid but not having to suit up really makes my mornings a lot easier and you are out the door faster (I’m an up, dressed instantly and fast and out the door faster. Last place I worked I had a 6 or 7 minute walk from car park to office and found that painful with multiple wet days per week, even with an umbrella etc it’s effort, you get wet and even if you wanted to suit up you would be so wet doing it beside the car it wouldn’t be worth it.

Did you ever think of getting waterproof shoes?

https://www.clarks.co.uk/Mens/Gore-Tex/c/m185

cooperguy

xckjoo wrote: »

But if you have read the report you'll see that there's very little justification for building the road and a high likelihood of it being counter-productive. The plans only hinge on it because that's what they built the plans around.

If the road was actually justifiable I wouldn't be objecting. The only thing it'll do is allow us to push the problem back a few years. When the roads become clogged with traffic again you'll have everyone back moaning about the lack of roads and too much space being given to buses and bicycles. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Thats not really true though. They give a number of fairly logical justifications. As iv said many times on here now there isn't the space on the roads to dedicate to public transport unless another river crossing is built and some of the cars are taken out of the city.

If after building the road and putting in a public transport network there are new issues then they will have to be addressed. But at least with infrastructure in place you could add more public transport to take more people if thats whats needed. At the moment there is nowhere for it to go

what_traffic

cooperguy wrote: »

Thats not really true though. They give a number of fairly logical justifications. As iv said many times on here now there isn't the space on the roads to dedicate to public transport unless another river crossing is built and some of the cars are taken out of the city.

If after building the road and putting in a public transport network there are new issues then they will have to be addressed. But at least with infrastructure in place you could add more public transport to take more people if thats whats needed. At the moment there is nowhere for it to go

This is just plain wrong. There are plenty of places in Galway City's where there is space for major public transport improvements.

Have heard the same arguments before.
Its a bit like happened in previous "bypass" back in the noughties ( which was a real bypass.)
Council had ABP approval to build SQR/BOD bus lane way back in 2002,(the executive actually wanted to build a dual carraigeway) took them 9 years to get going on it (only after the bypass process hit the courts and failed)
Its very cynical. The powers that be do not want the public transport solution/cycling to work as it diminish case for the RING ROAD.

How many meters of bus lane have been built in GALWAY CITY in the last 5 years?

It is also a fallacy to say public transport takeup will increase - ARUP and City Council own figures show this as well to be the case.
Post ring road been built public transport uptake is aimed in the single digits.
I know for example off the top of my head they have a modal share of cycling for a University City in 2037 is aimed at 2.8%.