Galway traffic

I was going to comment on the "What on earth are dribbling on" comment against you, but figured you would yourself. The abuse you put up with here is unreal and yes, it reflects on those dishing it out.

Interesting collection of photos. They're illustrative of the general attitude really. When I used to cycle regularly (years ago), you were expected to respect other roads user (pedestrians, drivers etc.) Nowadays, cyclists are all about their rights, and woe betide anyone who points out that spaces can be shared with courtesy and consideration for all. It's the main reason many have serious misgivings about those cycles buses - how do the "marshalls" have the right to obstruct and stop traffic at junctions. It's appallingly arrogant and surely illegal.

As someone who marshals a cycle bus I can tell you first-hand that the cycle bus I ride with doesn't assume any power to stop traffic. There is a written document governing the safe operation of cycle buses that makes it clear that the marshals don't have any right to stop traffic. Their instructions are to 'negotiate' with drivers. That doesn't mean stopping to have a chat and can be as simple as, through a mixture of facial expression and hand gesture, trying to convey "can you give us a moment to get the kids through here, please". Most of the time you'll get a friendly nod from the driver in response. But, if the driver insists on proceeding, the marshal's instructions are to stop the cycle bus and let the driver go ahead.

Now that might give rise to a situation where a driver at the front of the queue, who decides to be considerate, is making a decision that impacts drivers behind him, and those other drivers might feel they are being dictated to by a marshal. If that is happening then maybe the drivers should stop to consider why the marshals are there in the first place.

Nobody I know who marshals a cycle bus wants to marshal a cycle bus or even wants cycle buses to exist. They all view cycle buses as a short-term necessary evil with the longer-term aim that kids should be able to cycle safely to school by themselves without being bullied off the road by drivers.

In any case, if we're judging actions as "appallingly arrogant and surely illegal", would it not be more proportionate to focus on those drivers who think it's OK to endanger the lives of young kids, breaking multiple laws while doing so, on a daily basis. The reason cycle buses exist is because there are too many drivers who think saving a few seconds in their journey time (or even saving no time at all overall, but just getting to the back of the next queue a few seconds earlier) justifies putting children's lives at risk. This is the kind of behaviour I'm talking about and it happens all too often, even with cycle buses.

Yes. Are you familiar with the housing crisis?

The only reason those units are empty is because they are

a) no longer habitable, or

b) are in use by the businesses below, usually for storage

You have 0 evidence that pedestrianisation is the cause of this, while there is a plethora of evidence countrywide that this phenomenon occurs even when there is no pedestrianisation going on. Middle St, Augustine, Merchants road etc all have proper apartment blocks, shop and quay street do not for the most part.

Also the townhouses above eyre sq shopping centre have people living in them, no car parking or road access but they are very popular and rent out very quickly.

More bike parking is definitely needed, and when installed, a tougher line (i.e. removal) taken with bad parkers. If you want to see the gold standard in bicycle parking, have a look at what the city of Utrecht has done.

"Of course that raises the question of whether public space should be used for storing private property."

Very TRUE - and what takes up 95% of that public space right now in Galway City, it ain't scooters! it ain't bicycles! It ain't motorcycles ......its so bloody obvious that people just do NOT see it anymore; yet it is all around us.

Scooters bicycles & motorcycles and buses are all vastly more efficient in every way.

A road or a street is a public space. Let us use those most cost effectively and efficiently for the public good.

Rules on rental standards, bans on bedsits, there are massive amounts of rental legislation being passed year on year, all of which are discouraging small landlords from letting at all. There is currently an exodus of landlords from the market such is the risk associated with letting property in this country.

If as you say its all due to pedestrianisation, then why do we see the exact same thing above shopfronts all over the country? Above shopfront units are majority vacant nationwide, it has nothing to do with pedestrianisation.

Firstly most of the units above ground level in pedestrianised streets arent even apartments - down quay street its bars, hotels and hostels, for the rest its mostly offices. Of the vacant units left, there are minority of apartments, some are quite expensive airbnbs, others are vacant due to owners not putting in the effort to renovate and list. There are no apartments that are unoccupied because of a lack of demand - if there were, you could show me some apartment listings that cannot find any occupiers - but you cant, because these vacants are not available to be let.

In the middle of a housing crisis you think people would be so picky as to refuse apartments in the literal center of galway because they dont like pedestrianisation - its delusional, and there is no evidence to back this position up.

Of the apartment blocks in and around the city center, most have little to no car parking even if there is "car access" at street level, yet these developments have near 100% occupancy rates. I know many people living in various developments on Dominick Street, Augustine, Merchants Road & the docks and none of them have cars, they dont need to as they live so central.

This situation you've concocted about pedestrianisation scaring people away exists solely in your own head.

These council motions are so soft. Voting to evaluate the option of possibly considering doing something, maybe.