Anyone noticing knock on effect of new Luas line?

A few weeks ago DCC said it was closing Bachelor's walk to through car traffic, all cars would have to turn right from Bachelors walk onto O'Connell St. However they chickened out when confronted by car park owners and that's why we have the present delays. There are new longer trams entering service in February that are too long to fit on O'Connell street so the light sequence will have to be changed to allow them get from Westmoreland street to the GPO in one go. That means more red time for Bachelors walk so basically at that point a car ban will more/less have to be brought in to allow buses a reasonable amount of road space.

Erm random question but does anyone remember what buses used to leave from the corner of O'Connell St and Eden Quay? Where yellow and red flag is in pic ... it's for a history project.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3476191,-6.259088,3a,75y,101h,86.14t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1suXngy8hmmg8uaRvxKZUkKQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DuXngy8hmmg8uaRvxKZUkKQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D13.633722%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Dr Brown wrote:

If they had any common sense they would of put the Luas underground from day one.

Common sense ain't that common.

kingtut wrote: »

Erm random question but does anyone remember what buses used to leave from the corner of O'Connell St and Eden Quay? Where yellow and red flag is in pic ... it's for a history project.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3476191,-6.259088,3a,75y,101h,86.14t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1suXngy8hmmg8uaRvxKZUkKQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DuXngy8hmmg8uaRvxKZUkKQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D13.633722%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

There were quite a few along that bus lane,which used to run the opposite direction including the 65/a/b and the 77/a/b

kingtut wrote: »

Erm random question but does anyone remember what buses used to leave from the corner of O'Connell St and Eden Quay? Where yellow and red flag is in pic ... it's for a history project.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3476191,-6.259088,3a,75y,101h,86.14t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1suXngy8hmmg8uaRvxKZUkKQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DuXngy8hmmg8uaRvxKZUkKQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D13.633722%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

5, 6, 6A, 7, 7A, 8 (and maybe 45) in the 1970s ...

Even before I changed job 18 months ago the trains to Docklands in the morning were uncomfortably full - how on earth are they busier??

cgcsb wrote: »

A few weeks ago DCC said it was closing Bachelor's walk to through car traffic, all cars would have to turn right from Bachelors walk onto O'Connell St. However they chickened out when confronted by car park owners and that's why we have the present delays. There are new longer trams entering service in February that are too long to fit on O'Connell street so the light sequence will have to be changed to allow them get from Westmoreland street to the GPO in one go. That means more red time for Bachelors walk so basically at that point a car ban will more/less have to be brought in to allow buses a reasonable amount of road space.

I always thought one had to turn left from Bachelor's Walk to enter O'Connell Street?

This entire project wasn't thought out clearly. You are right saying they are supposedly extending the trams, but surely You mean O'Connell BRIDGE, not O'Connell Street? Also while talkingof extending the trams, I hear they also have to extend the platforms....where is the foresight in this?

What pisses me off most is the amount of money spent sorting out the allocation of lanes to Busses & taxis on Bachelor's Walk. Every day I see private vehicles driving up bus lanes AND turning right towards D'Olier Street. Also who planned a bus having to turn right onto Parliament Street? Do they honestly expect private vehicles after facing queues to just let a bus cross from the inside bus lane to get onto Capel Bridge?

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

So you're suggesting that an action should have been taken then with nothing to gain for for years and only downsides. That would have gone down well then.

No, the benefits of better bus capacity and less congestion would have been immediate.

wiz569 wrote: »

There were quite a few along that bus lane,which used to run the opposite direction including the 65/a/b and the 77/a/b

Thanks

Zaph wrote: »

Well I get an early one that gets to Docklands around 7.45am, and it used to be that I'd always get a seat on it getting on at Coolmine. Then a couple of months ago getting a seat became a thing of the past, but at least the number of people standing wasn't too bad so you could stand quite comfortably. But that has definitely changed quite a bit since last weekend.

You're lucky most mornings to even get a seat now at Hansfield on the train that arrives in Dockland at 8:50am. This means train is standing room only after just two stops, M3Parkway and Dunboyne. This has been an issue this year only coinciding with increased employment/improving economy.

Dr Brown wrote: »

RasTa wrote: »

This just increases the need to bring in a car ban

I'd sooner ban the Luas.

yawn (comment on the sheep-like comment). No offence but almost every new system in every country has teething problems. I live in a country known to be on a par with Japan in relation to rail travel yet there have still been issues when projects have been delivered and or new services introduced. 
How about we stop moaning about the introduction of new services and actually will them to overcome these issues. Its Christmas and the weather took a toll last week. Road users are getting used to the operational lines as are commuters. Things will work out, and we will have more choice / connectivity in the end. Do you want to go back to the 70's / 80's scenario in the likes of Tallaght (where i'm from) where there were no amenities, and very few services for a large population? 

I will add though that the extended trams should have already been in place (not sure if this is the fault of Transdev or Alstom).

no.8 wrote: »

How about we stop moaning about the introduction of new services and actually will them to overcome these issues.

Don't think the knock-on effects on buses can be overcome. Its a great thing for the city overall but if you're coming from the west side of the city via bus route down the quays its tough shít. Buses into the city will be slower now (would imagine north quays would be completely gridlocked almost all the time without the traffic changes made a few months ago)
Many buses were also diverted to take longer routes a few years back when construction started. But omelettes involve breaking eggs, the bus passengers are a captive audience already using public transport so who gives a crap, and metro west will be coming any day now I'm sure! :pac:

1.45 p.m yesterday and it took 7 light changes to get from Kings Inns Street on to Parnell Street. I was the 4th vehicle in the queue.

Very annoying just watching green light after green light change and not moving an inch.

Peregrine wrote: »

Another thing that would help is if they got rid of all cars in the city centre.

How would that work for people like me who live near the city centre ?

MartyMcFly84 wrote: »

There is definitely an inching pace to buses moving down the quay. It was adding another 20/30mins to my trip so have been getting off at Hueston and getting the Luas or even walking would be generally faster.

There has always been an issue of delivery trucks and tour buses pulling up and dropping off in the Bus Lane for years now. This is still happening and with the single lane for buses, they are forced to move out into the already congested car lane.

Combined with the Luas, it is a bit of a mess right now. DCC needs to enforce the traffic restrictions/rules on these routes.

But is it up to DCC or the Gardaí to enforce the law?

I drive down the North Quays practically every day & have seen some shockers.

1) Cars, vans blatantly ignoring the law by driving up the bus lanes
2) Already witnessed a collission at that new set of traffic lights - bus driving along the bus lane when some bloke ( I assume ) got impatient and crossed the solid white line and bouncing off the bus.
3) Saw it all 2 days ago. Driving from the new lights in the middle lane towards O'Connell Bridge, I saw a taxi driving up the inside lane and at the last minute indicating that he/she wanted to turn right while at the same time a taxi in the outside lane wanting to turn left up O'Connell Street. FFS what do these taxi 'drivers' want?

Also, whoever planned a bus to stop on Ormonde Quay, and then expect it to be able to turn right onto Capel Street Bridge needs their head examined - Seen plenty of horns blaring & fist shaking as the bus tries to get right across into the RH lane.

Whatever about the cross city Luas, Bachelors Quay is a complete disaster & needs constant patrolling by Gardaí.

WishUWereHere wrote: »

But is it up to DCC or the Gardaí to enforce the law?

I drive down the North Quays practically every day & have seen some shockers.

1) Cars, vans blatantly ignoring the law by driving up the bus lanes
2) Already witnessed a collission at that new set of traffic lights - bus driving along the bus lane when some bloke ( I assume ) got impatient and crossed the solid white line and bouncing off the bus.
3) Saw it all 2 days ago. Driving from the new lights in the middle lane towards O'Connell Bridge, I saw a taxi driving up the inside lane and at the last minute indicating that he/she wanted to turn right while at the same time a taxi in the outside lane wanting to turn left up O'Connell Street. FFS what do these taxi 'drivers' want?

Also, whoever planned a bus to stop on Ormonde Quay, and then expect it to be able to turn right onto Capel Street Bridge needs their head examined - Seen plenty of horns blaring & fist shaking as the bus tries to get right across into the RH lane.

Whatever about the cross city Luas, Bachelors Quay is a complete disaster & needs constant patrolling by Gardaí.

There is little doubt that the entire Bus Stop allocation and location procedure has been long neglected,a situation which looks like continuing for as long as we maintain our current Civic Management structure.

Virtually all of our Bus Stop Bays were provided in the 1940/50's,around the then newly lengthened,Bus dimensions of 30 Feet in length.
Additionally,in those times,passengers boarded at he rear of the bus,a situation still reflected in the placement of Bus Stop Poles at many Bus Stop Bays.

Although universally described as Bus Stops,there remains a total lack of appreciation of just how much roadspace a large passenger carrying vehicle actually requires to SAFELY cater for it's work requirements.

Currently,the relevant agencies such as Bus Operators,Local Authorities,An Garda Siochana and of late,the NTA appear unconcerned as to the requirement to operate SAFELY.

This reluctance to endorse and support SAFE Public Transport operation is perhaps best illustrated at Westmoreland Street,where after the spending of c.€400 MILLION the Public Transport Bus Driver and their Customer is now forced to operate in an environment of substantially greater risk than before.

The Planner/s who signed off on a designed situation,which feeds Cyclists,on an enhanced width Cycle Corridor on the Nearside,directly into the path of laden Buses and Coaches attempting to access a totally inappropriately located Bus Stop should at the very least have been disciplined,if not dismissed and publicly required to explain their actions.

It is,however,highly unlikely,that any of the current crop of Professional Planners will ever face any questioning as to what fed their thinking on the BXD project.

Until somebody can factor in some accountability,then we will continue to see the futility of attempting to superimpose Developed World transport solutions on an essentially Undeveloped World administrative process.......sorry,but that's about the truth of it ...:(

We can only ban cars when we have 10 tram lines at a minimum covering the whole of Dublin.
We have a dreadful public transport network and it will only cause major disruption and danger to the existing transport and economy if it was brought in.

The luas network in its two line "network" is a very low capacity system and badly needs investment of billions to make these lines if we want a car free city.


http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/d/tram/duesseldorf-tram.htm