Traffic!

bombidol

Does anyone know what the government are doing about the traffic problem? should we knock down the city and start again?;)

DMC

5 years ago, just after leaving college in Dundalk, I started working in my first job in Dublin. I was commuting the whole way from North Co. Meath for the first few months, and I was always the last person off the bus (as I worked close to Busárus) Anyway, me and the bus driver were talking, and I was saying that I didn't realise how bad the traffic can be in Dublin, laughing at the traffic reports etc etc. He said, and I'll never forget this..... "We should've been in the (2nd World) war with the British. Why? Because Hitler would've bombed the **** outta the place, and we would've had to rebuild from scratch. New town, fully planned for the car, perfect."

An extreme view, but I can see where he is coming from.

Harmo

Best thing to do is get a bike but theres always a higher risk of injury

Lenny

How about wearing the approate gear to reduce the ammount of injuries?

Dustaz

Could always listen to those Reclaim the Streets radicals

As a non driver, Im looking forward to the luas, not sure if it will actually help.

The Cigarette Smoking Man

We need a subway system and we need buses that go to somewhere other than the city centre.

I was on a subway in NY the other day and it had over 14 carriages. You get 4 or 6 on the DART. Plus they come every 5 mins. There are some gaps in the DART timetable at peak times of up to 25 mins. They should also introduce a system like the metrocard where you can buy the ticket at a vending machine and then top it up later.

Also I'd like to meet the MUPPET in Dublin Bus that got rid of the 10 journey ticket. What kind of fools do they have working in there. The idea is to have a public transport system that encourages people to use it... As for the monthy ticket, I don't know who came up with a ticket that costs more than the price of all the individual fares added up (€86 for the monthly, €1.45 * 22 working days * 2 journeys = €63.80)

seamus

Just like a lot of other things, this is one area where people give out too much, and do too little. The traffic is bad because there are so many cars, no other reason. I live just of the N4 beside where it meets the M50 and every morning and evening it's jammed with cars, where the cars outnumber trucks and busses, at least 50:1. Granted, there is plenty the corpo can do to help, such as improve the bus system, but at the end of the day, there is no traffic system invunerable to traffic, especially when people start buying cars at 17/18/19 to drive 2 miles to school/college.

The roads we have are what we've got so we have to make do. Saying 'we should just rebuild it' is a bit silly, because 1. It wouldn't happen and 2. People would complain even more while it was being done.

IMO, cars are useless for the everyday driver. You don't need a car to go to work. The only things cars are useful for are carrying stuff and doing long journeys. For everything else, they're a waste of resources.

Get a motorbike. They're at least 50% cheaper to run, and traffic isn't even a concern. The only people who should realistically be driving cars are those who need to - taxi drivers, people with kids, people who carry more than will fit in bag everyday.

Solution - if you travel <4 miles to work every day, walk or cycle. If you travel to work on your own, and have to carry nothing more than a few pens or a briefcase, get a motorbike.

Note that the corpo is far from blameless, but people in Dublin are far too slow to get off their arses.

Saruman

The problem with getting bikes instead of cars is the danger.. trust me, i know. Bikes are absolutly lethal! If people could drive safely then they would be a much better alternative but you can drive a car and never have an accident.. you cant drive a bike and not have an accident.. i dont know anyone who can claim as such.

Harmo

Originally posted by OJ
How about wearing the approate gear to reduce the ammount of injuries?

I do wear the gear but there i still a high risk of injury cars dont always see you.

Beruthiel

I have to agree with Seamus, don't know what I would do without me bike!
As for it being dangerous because of car owners, yes it can be, which means that you just have to be more aware of everything around you and drive carefully (say's she who's been knocked of her bike 3 times 'cos of idiot car drivers!)

Borzoi

Originally posted by seamus

Get a motorbike. They're at least 50% cheaper to run, and traffic isn't even a concern. The only people who should realistically be driving cars are those who need to - taxi drivers, people with kids, people who carry more than will fit in bag everyday.

Solution - if you travel <4 miles to work every day, walk or cycle. If you travel to work on your own, and have to carry nothing more than a few pens or a briefcase, get a motorbike.
.

While bikes are cheaper to run Seamus, the reason traffic doesn't concern them is that bike drivers (including the Gardai on bikes) don't obey the basic rules of the road - like driving on the left. Furthermore if we all had bikes how will you be able to by-pass the queue of cars?

Funnily enough the people you mention as need cars isn't exhastive. I don't fit any of those categories, yet I need a car. WHy? because I sometimes have to travel for work, and the car is the only practical method. Belive me, I'd like to only take the car 3 days a week, the other two i'd get a bus in and take a long walk home, but the reality of my job won't allow it.

In fact it really pisses me off that I have to drive every day, which is a huge wear and tear on my private resource so that work can take the occasional benefit.

seamus

Originally posted by Borzoi
While bikes are cheaper to run Seamus, the reason traffic doesn't concern them is that bike drivers (including the Gardai on bikes) don't obey the basic rules of the road - like driving on the left. Furthermore if we all had bikes how will you be able to by-pass the queue of cars?

When bikes cut through the traffic, it's called 'overtaking'. Bikes can overtake pretty much anywhere due to their small size. If all bikers drove on the right, there wouldn't be many of us left. Having been a car driver myself, I can tell you that most bikers (not including mopeds/couriers) are far better drivers than most car drivers. If we all had bikes, there wouldn't be any queues of cars No, I know what you mean, but if a massively bigger proportion of people used bikes, there would be road modifications to accomodate us, such as motorbike lanes (And being allowed us the bus lanes) and a section of road at lights for bikes to wait in (like the boxes for push cyclists).

Funnily enough the people you mention as need cars isn't exhastive. I don't fit any of those categories, yet I need a car.

Sorry, yeah I know, I should have specified that. I accept the need for cars, especially for work-related purposes, but sometimes people are fooling themselves in the need for a car. When I had a car, it was full of crap, with the consequence that I had everything I might need 'in the car'. Now on the bike, I have to plan ahead, to bring with me what I need for the day. If I forget something, bugger, I have to go home, but the outcome is that I'm now generally more organised, and less lazy. Which is why I say, most people will never need to bring more then a few files or a few pens to the office, so by using a car, they're wasting resources......

It pisses me off when people say stuff like 'but what about when I go shopping, or have to carry furniture?'. I find that akin driving a minivan because you give your kid's friends a lift sometimes.....

NeRb666

Originally posted by seamus
IMO, cars are useless for the everyday driver. You don't need a car to go to work.

I could get a bike, and it would be enjoyable for maybe one month of the year, due to weather, risk death because of the condition of the roads...

I could get the bus...get one into town (30 minutes if I am very lucky), then another to work (60 minutes at least) that's 3 hours of my day gone. With the added bonus of sitting beside junkies, flu-riddled arseholes, etc. etc.


But I drive...30 minutes, maybe a few more if it's raining or whatever. I pay a lot of money for this privelige. Quit playing the blame game.

Dustaz

I just get taxis everywhere. I worked it out and its about the same as owning a car.

sceptre

Originally posted by Dustaz
I just get taxis everywhere. I worked it out and its about the same as owning a car.

Plus someone else does the driving for you. Not too shabby.

Pigman

Public transport is getting so bad in Dublin that it seems they are actively encouraging people not to use it? I don't care about the bus fares I'd pay even more on a bus ride if it meant that I'd actually manage to get where I'm going in the morning at an average speed of more than 6mph (not much faster than walking speed).

Personally I think all cars (other than taxi's) should be banned from entering a 1 mile radius of O'Connell street between the hours of 7am-10am and 5pm-7pm during weekdays. More people would use public transport if it meant could actually get to work in a reasonable time and clearing the way for the buses would facilitate this. Also more people would be willing to use bikes if it meant they weren't at risk of getting smacked by a car door every time they reached a set of traffic lights.

The government for years have been taxing cars highly in order to stop people buying them and it clearly hasn't worked. Dublin just doesn't have the infrastructure to deal with so many cars and I think (irrespective of peoples moans) they should be banned from enterting trouble spots at peak times.

DadaKopf

Originally posted by bombidol
Does anyone know what the government are doing about the traffic problem? should we knock down the city and start again?;)

Dublin city has set forward an integrated development plan which includes tackling the traffic/transport problem. Their target is 2012 but we'll just have to see how much of this strategy gets implemented.

The government, of course, is building the Luas and plans to extend it are already being considered, but amidst the expected disputes and objections.

Overall, however, the transport system in Dublin is being overhauled by the Nadional Development Plan. However, while new DARTs and buses have come on stream in recent years, this has not translated to more DARTs and buses on the roads. The government has also failed to adequately deliver on 'park and ride schemes' and to expand the Quality Bus Corridor and cycle lanes system throughout the city.

Hopefully, with the money earmarked for future proposals and plans, Dublin might be adequately supplied with a functioning transport infrastructure within 25 years :rolleyes:. And that's assuming that the issues of housing (attitudes to it, also) are remedied, too.

pika

I am a car owner at because of where I live I would have to get 3 busses to where I work, now teleworking is not an option and when it is not raining I will have to drive cos the 3 hours it will take me to go by bus to and from work could be used doing the shopping or somthing constructive. 3 hours = bus 45 mins max in car, eh I think I will take the car plus the not getting pissed rained on in the winter is a BIG plus