Getting around Galway

That's an interesting geographic perspective.

So crossing the Quincentenial Bridge, which is 1.2km from Eyre Square, means you are "pass(ing) through the city center", but if we get a new bridge, 500m upstream from the Quincentenial and 1.7km from Eyre Square, that one will be "far from the city center".

Where getting into 'These cow are small, but those cows are far away' territory here. For the record, we have three bridges that can reasonably be described as being in the 'city centre' and a 60km/h dual carriageway leading to a monster roundabout with no pedestrian crossings is not one of them.

It depends on your definition of 'wayaaay past' I guess but, if going through the University grounds is your new criteria for city centre, it's worth noting the Ring Road bridge (not a bypass, remember) is also planned to go through the University grounds.

It's been said before, and it's worth repeating, that if the ring road was part of a comprehensive plan that involved reallocating city road space to tram/light rail, bus lanes, cycle lanes and pedestrian priority, etc. simultaneously, then much of the current opposition would disappear. But no one who has seen recent developments (or lack thereof) in Galway in recent decades can honestly believe that will happen as a consequence of the ring road. A classic example is Salthill. We can't get a cycle lane there because a vocal cohort of Galway citizens view parking spaces right at the sea front as being more important than road safety. How is a ring road going to change that? Or look at the scandal that ensued when College Road was made one way temporarily, which is the classic method of providing more space for other modes of transport. Do you think that, once a Ring Road has been built, people are going to suddenly agree to making Kingston Road, Taylors Hill, Dr. Mannix Road, Monivea Road, etc. all one way?

This argument is used by cynical figures (Galway Chamber, I'm looking at you) to try to make the Ring Road sound like the key to unlocking a shift to other transport options in the centre. But we all know that as soon as actual proposals are put forward to restrict motor traffic they'll be objecting like hell.

in your best scenario of 15mins, that would be 15/25mins throughout the day no matter the time.....all it takes is one accident the city and then it is gridlocked. hell even wet weather it gets grid locked. when SHTF, you could be an hour and more getting from one side to another.... i could be half way to dublin in that same time if starting in oranmore.

have issue how they came to that 3% where those pneumatic vehicle counters are never on the rat runs. Plus that 3%, is what exactly the HGV's that serve Connemara? if it is then wouldn't it be wise to take HGV traffic out of the city? Wheres the traffic stats that goes west cause the only way there is through the city or up via clonbur.

Globally, more roads attract more cars. The issue is about moving people, not cars.

I have no idea how this particular survey was conducted but having it described as a survey doesn't mean there was a form to fill in and people were questioned about their travel patterns.

A much more accurate way of doing it would be to actually track number plates at the city boundaries, and at the four bridges, for a week. I think it has already been suggested earlier in this thread that this was the way it was done but that it would underestimate the frequency of some journeys if it was only done on the main roads and didn't capture traffic rat-running down Letteragh Road, or through Menlo, for example.

That trip information was not captured by surveying people. IIRC correctly its based on modelling, traffic counters, census demographics and national transport survey.

Unless you think its all made up?

If so why would Galway's city council make up traffic results that actually hurt the business case for their ring road?

Think they are referring to the Service Duct lanes built over 30yrs ago now along the N6 that Council rebranded as cycle lanes 10years ago when they were removing the MultiLane Roundabouts on the N6? Still one roundabout to go behind UHG. For some people out there throwing up a couple of signs and marking these service duct lanes is somehow big spending on cycling in the City. Ha ha ha. There is a beautiful delusional metaphor in there somewhere.

When I first started cycling that route to work I did wonder why all the manhole covers were installed in the 'bike lane'. It used to be dreadful heading eastbound, with a surface like a corrugated roof, but that's been improved since, thankfully. I think the point about them having been surface ducts is mentioned as a counterbalance to the ridiculous claims by some that Galway has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure, when that is plainly not true. The majority of it is rebadged existing infrastructure, like these service ducts, or just painted lines. The latter includes what is widely considered to be the worst 'cycling lane' in the whole country (Doughiska).

Quite clearly not even given the ups and downs for every entrance/exit, but you knew that.

It's not even just that. If I drive down that road I have to yield 3 times at pedestrian crossings with traffic lights. If I cycle on the bike lane I have to yield at those three traffic lights plus an additional 15 other minor entrances etc. Then the cycle lane disappears completely at 4 separate bus stops, with no dropped curb to get down onto the road, and instead some have markings indicating that remaining narrow strip of footpath has become a shared space for people on foot and and bikes to mix, which is absolute madness. And at the Castlegar GAA end the bike lane just ends suddenly at a high curb with no way provided to get down onto the road.

So faced with a choice of a slow, uncomfortable and dangerous obstacle course of a bike lane, or just staying on the road when travelling by bike here, you can guess which I choose.

Galway City Council in the 2016 Galway Transportation Study gave themselves a "D" rating for the Doughiska Road - which was only built in 2008/2009 That photo was taken the year in September 2009 if memory serves me correct.

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Building the ring road will free up the city in so many different ways for pedestrians, for cyclists, being able to use road space much more efficiently for these people.

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Taoiseach promising lots of free space today in Moycullen for the bypass opening there once the Ring Road is been built? Do I believe him? Maybe Galway City Council did not get the memo. Weirdly Taoiseach made no mention of what is to be done with the freed up space in Moycullen now that bypass is open.

cyle lane shouldn't be on the prom

top of the hill on bishop O'Donnell rd down onto threadneedle road, on dr manix rd and headed out to sea road. covers the schools which should be a priority and this i could stand over.

Yeah but when the ring road is built then there'll be space for both, right?

Reliable public transportation works for commutes. If you live in Galway and need to be in work at a specified time, for example if you’re someone who’s paid by the hour, you can’t use public transport to get to work. I tried it several times years ago and it just wasn’t reliable enough so I drove every day instead and sat in traffic for 45 minutes.

Most of people using busses in Galway were people who clearly had no jobs. I can only imagine the situation is worse now.

I'm confused. You're describing a situation where all parking within walking distance of them Prom is removed but I'm pretty sure no one has ever proposed doing that or anything even remotely close. Even the cycle lane plan that was torpedoed last year retained three quarters of the parking. You're hardly saying that if people now have to cross from Rockbarton Road instead of parking on the sea side, or have to walk from Salthill Carpark to Ladies' Beach, they are being prevented from visiting the Prom?

Also, if we're concerned about people who don't live in the vicinity not having access does that also apply to the 20% of Galway households that don't have access to a car? And does it apply to the even greater number who live in a household with a car but don't themselves drive? (I'm reminded of my own teenagers who rely on buses to get them to Salthill on sunny days during the summer.) This is a significant percentage of the population of Galway which is already restricted from accessing the Prom today, never mind some hypothetical restriction from a relatively small reduction in parking places at some undetermined point in the future.

Any point west of the river within Galway city limits is less than a 20 minute bike ride from the Prom. Even Roscam is only max 30 minutes away. If you try to travel to Salthill on a sunny day you know you are going to be lucky to get a parking place, and may end up having to walk quite a distance, or doing multiple loops between the two roundabouts hoping a space will free up. Then, when it's time to leave, you're likely to be stuck in a long tailback, or you need to cut your day short to try to avoid that. Imagine instead knowing that 20 minutes after leaving home you were going to be sitting on the sand and, no matter what time you decide to leave, you would be in your door 20 minutes later. If you look at the bike parking on the Prom on a nice day you will see many people are already taking that option, but it's only a fraction of the potential because so many people are too concerned about their safety if they take to Galway's roads on a bike. If we provided safe routes for them to cycle we could be giving another transport option to all those Galway residents who don't have the option of getting there by car.

How did you arrive at the conclusion that the only viable alternative to driving is a tram? Are buses and cycling just not suitable options for people who own cars? I get that buses and bike facilities in Galway leave a lot to be desired currently but surely improving them to a level, where they are useable for many more people than they are now, is much more easily achievable than building a tram system?

I can think of a number of families I know personally who already do this journey by bus and/or bike.

The 410 gets you from Cappagh Road to the Prom in less than 15 minutes on a good day. On the downside it's only every 60 minutes and finishes early in the evening, and will take longer in traffic, but then so would a car.

A cargo bike would be perfect for this, and there are four families I know in the Knocknacarra area who have gone from 2 cars to 1 car + 1 cargo bike for their daily transport needs, but there are even more accessible options. You could have the 2 younger kids travelling on child seats (€50 approx. each) on their parents' bikes. Or you could have the 6 year old on a tag along bike (from €80 for a connector for their own bike or from €130 for a complete unit) behind one of the parents. An 8 year old can cycle between the parents (front and back) for 15 minutes. Some people are already doing this but many more are deterred by safety concerns. Think how many more could do it if safe infrastructure was provided. Think how many parking space could be freed up if people didn't feel compelled to drive when they only live a short distance away.

I'm sitting on a bus right now.

Almost everyone on it looks like they have a job that they're heading home from.

Transit is a great app for public transport.

This one? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thetransitapp.droid

Thanks for that. Hadn't heard of it before but looks great. TFI app is a bit of a pain to use

BE are expanding a number of their regional services next week, goodness only knows where they're getting the drivers from!