Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Clontarf to City Centre Cycle & Bus Priority Project discussion (renamed)

Options
19899100102104

Comments

  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    This is really interesting compared to what's often said.



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    Go on out of that.

    Nobody tried to pull a fast one. Councillors, etc, were so focused on the impact on cars that they didn't bother looking at anything else.

    The sod turning was on March 28th, 2022. There were only minor exploratory and enabling works in 2021.

    "The project is scheduled for completion in Q1 2024” — Dublin City Council press release issued on March 28th 2022, when the project started. The June date was given to the community forum, which includes at least one councillor who was dead set against the project… it's funny how it was left to a cycling website to report that delay and the more recent one… it's nearly like some people want confusion and frustration.



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,662 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    I bet those people just drive through the area, but don't actually live in the area or use any of the business there!



  • Registered Users Posts: 11,447 ✭✭✭✭Frank Bullitt


    How is it not suitable? It has been there for over 20 years at this stage, it is used a lot and is clearly a viable business.

    I don't think the issue is Westwood here, it is perfectly suited where it is and I can remember what was there before that…nothing.

    You saying it is a nuisance doesn't make it so.



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,955 ✭✭✭✭JRant


    Well, they pulled the bus stop "temporarily", put parking spots there, and are now putting the bus stop back in. It was discussed to death in this very thread at the time.

    The project started in late 2021, they can dress it however they want but that when the disruption started with lane closures and all that good stuff. DCC claiming it started in March 2022 is patently not true, similar to them saying the inbound section was complete. Although knowing DCC the word complete probably means something completely different to them compared to what the general understanding of what the term means.

    Q1 2024 is long gone, Q2 2024 has passed, we are into Q3 now and still a fair bit left to do. A 2 year project overrunning by a minimum of 25% isn't great, especially when you consider the level of distribution it is causing to the local community (not businesses, the actual people who live in the area).

    "Well, yeah, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man"



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 17,688 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Q2 doesn’t finish for another month! You’re jumping a bit ahead of yourself.

    The traffic changes didn’t happen until the end of March 2022.

    It is frustrating as any major works are - remember the hooha over the LUAS works on Harcourt Street?

    No one likes them while they are ongoing but once they’re finished then people quickly forget them.

    If you look at Amiens Street between the Five Lamps and Connolly, which is nearing completion, it’s much nicer than what was there before.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,432 ✭✭✭Citizen  Six


    If it was never due to be finished last year, why did the council publish that it would be? One of the chief DCC engineers told me end of 2023. Next time I spoke to him he said end of June 2024, and that had always been the plan from day one. Then it was announced as September. And engineers for Clonmel have told me christmas 2024 they are expecting to finish.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,432 ✭✭✭Citizen  Six


    Talbot Street just announced for big funding to improve the street too.

    Although I think it'll be hard to improve it. It's a bit of rough part to travel through at the moment.



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,955 ✭✭✭✭JRant


    You're right about that, it will be a far nicer place to cycle and walk once the works are completed. I'm not going to lie though, it has been very frustrating looking at a build site in the area for over 2 years but particularly this past while where it feels like there are stop/goes everywhere, all the time now. Anyway, it'll be done sometime this year and hopefully the new route for the ESB underground cables being proposed doesn't start this nonsense all over again around Fairview and Clontarf.

    "Well, yeah, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man"



  • Registered Users Posts: 752 ✭✭✭Jayuu


    As a regular commuter on this route I will be glad when it is finally finished. It will be a huge improvement though for everybody once it's complete.

    Let's not also forget that the reason this project has taken so long is because it's a huge amalgamation of a number of infrastructure projects and not just the provision of a cycle lane.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 10,641 ✭✭✭✭MJohnston


    Just so we're clear on when construction actually started, here's February/March 2022:



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,641 ✭✭✭✭MJohnston


    Even by July 2022, large stretches of the route are yet to be touched. Basically only Connolly to Five Lamps and along the park at Fairview Strand



  • Registered Users Posts: 752 ✭✭✭Jayuu


    Looking back at the start of the thread it would seem the first restrictions started at the start of April 2022 and the inbound traffic diversion started on August 8 2022. It has been a lot slower because the notification put out at that time said the restriction would be in place for about a year and clearly we're closer to two years now.



  • Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 39,521 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Clearly evident in these photos is the mayhem which led to the closure of a thriving jewellery retailer in the following days



  • Registered Users Posts: 722 ✭✭✭Sir Galahad


    it’s not finished. The lane still had works ongoing inbound last week.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,432 ✭✭✭Citizen  Six


    The inbound section is open for segregated cycling, all the way to the over bridge at Amiens St. A small section was closed recently for a bus stop reinstatement. And the odd partial closure for day works.



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,889 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    I saw that in the paper - any info anywhere on what they're actually planning to do? The footpaths etc were redone a number of years ago and are already fairly wide. The main problem seems to be some of the people who congregate in the area.



  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,319 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    Lighting and seating are what I read in one of the articles. It's only 2.5 million, which doesn't get you much these days.



  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,319 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    Drove along it a bit more, so here's some quick impressions/updates on the route.

    Five Lamps is basically done, very small area outside the spar there that's tarmac will need to be done, but the junction on that side is complete. The far side over by the funeral directors has not really started yet, so I assume that's next there.

    The shops at Fairview (the spar, two pups, etc), the pavement works are complete, as are the car parking spaces. They are now working on the road itself there, currently laying down a wide sheet of some material. Once that's resurfaced that area will essentially be done.

    Edges corner over to Gaffneys, a lot of work still to be done, but work only started on all this recently enough.

    Javaholics and the shops there, past Josephs, work essentially done, looks like they' just waiting to resurface the road in places. No work being done here at the moment, so as mentioned previously (I can't find it now) no works until the exams are over.

    Lots of work required from the motor school, up past Marino College, all the way to the Malahide road junction. Crucially, this seems to be just surface work required, so won't take too long once it starts back up there.

    Malahide Road to Howth Road, basically done.

    I have been asking into a few shops around there, and it seems like most places don't like the work but are doing ok. The butchers are ok with it, albeit pissed off with the lack of comms(I think, it was a while since I was in with them), Grafton Barbers think they're exactly the same, and two pups (I did not ask them this, so only my opinion) seem incredibly busy, considering that people are sitting out next to a building site and main road. I just don't think that these works have changed the equation for most people down here. It was a hostile environment before the works, no one was crossing the road without a set of traffic lights, and if the parking was full, they'd park on one of the side streets. It's exactly the same as before in almost all ways.



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,662 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Excellent overview. Just to add:

    • There is an open pit and exposed pipes on the footpath/cycle path at the corner of Howth Road, in front of the Church there.
    • There are currently busy working on the area around Malahide Road/Marino Crescent, around the bus stops and cycle lane there.

    By this last one is sort of funny, they are building a nice segregated cycle lane here on the end of Malahide Road to connect into it. However under the bus connects plans, there is no such cycle lane on Malahide Road (the section from Griffith Avenue south) and the plans don't show the cycle lane infrastructure currently being installed!

    I wonder if they will dig it all up again in a year or two when they start building the BusConnects corridor on Malahide road! I really hope not, that they leave it in place, because the BusConencts plan for here are very stupid, no one cyclist coming down the Malahide Road is going to take the stupid detour over by Brian Road.

    The cycling plan for this part of the Malahide BusConnects corridor are really STUPID and badly designed.



  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,319 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    There is an open pit and exposed pipes on the footpath/cycle path at the corner of Howth Road, in front of the Church there.

    I believe that the water pipe works are done here, and what they're doing next/now is just the traffic light works. I may be wrong on that, but I've been past here fairly often, so I do think it's just the traffic light works left here. That'd tie in with the works on the island in the middle too. All sorted on the park side already.

    There are currently busy working on the area around Malahide Road/Marino Crescent, around the bus stops and cycle lane there.

    This is the weirdest part of the whole project, really. Such a let down for pedestrians over all, there's absolutely nothing there for people crossing from further up the Malahide Road on the bus stop side. There's no pedestrian lights, no raised pavement, nothing to stop cars from heading down this slip road at high speed. There's already damage to the pavement there, where a van went over the concrete while it was still wet. There's literally tire tracks set into the concrete.



  • Registered Users Posts: 541 ✭✭✭loco_scolo


    Haha that'll probably pay for 3 flower beds, one bench and maybe some new bins. Don't expect any of the new public drinking fountains they're talking about 😅



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,662 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Now that you mention it, when I was passing yesterday, there was a lot of traffic control people around the Malahide Road junction and it looked like they might have been moving barriers, so perhaps approaching completion.

    I agree 100% with you on that dreadful slip road on Malahide road. Absolutely deadly junction, one of the worst in Dublin and it will likely only be a matter of time until some one is killed crossing it, I've had a number of close calls myself and that is with me normally trying to avoid it!

    There is one small improvement with this junction, the crossing along Marino Crescent to the entrance of the park now has a raised pedestrian crossing, but if you are crossing to the bus stops and beyond, you are truly risking your life!

    BTW Just to add, I just checked the BusConnects plan and there is no planned improvement to this crossing under the plan. Clearly they cant be bothered creating a safe pedestrian environment!

    This is a perfect example of where cars are prioritised over pedestrian safety!



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,432 ✭✭✭Citizen  Six


    How is the slip at Malahide road going to be finished? Will it have a ramp up over the bike lane, so possibly yield to it?



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,432 ✭✭✭Citizen  Six


    Already plenty of public drinking on that street. 😂



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,992 ✭✭✭downtheroad


    Proof that if you've a good business that people want to support, they will still come.

    An ancient and grotty looking jewellery store clearly wasn't in demand, and he used these works as an excuse to justify the closure of his business.

    I mentioned a neighbour that was lamenting the closure of businesses as a result of "the cycle lane". I'd bet my house that he never once gave Duggans any business.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,395 ✭✭✭Shedite27


    Yeah walked down there today, looks like it, as with any left turn going througha bike lane drives will have to yield to bikes.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,432 ✭✭✭Citizen  Six


    People also blamed it for the closing of Edge's hardware. But while approaching 80, I think he was just ready to retire. New business opened up immediately, after some works. Funnily, they have had issues with illegally parked cars blocking their new customer carpark at the rear.

    People also blamed the works for the closure of a motorbike store at the Five Lamps. Which coincidentally had planning for a tall apartment block in it's place.



  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,319 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    Took a look down here while I was voting, it's all just services left. The red pipes are the pipes that they put cables in, and they were threading those pipes under the drainage pipe that's connected to the drain there.

    Despite the look of it, there's not much left to do here.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 2,432 ✭✭✭Citizen  Six


    About a month away from finishing that opening I'd say.



Advertisement