Where would you be going? The Machine Nation Roads thread.

cactus flower wrote:

I'm pro rail and anti roads, generally, but I am really enjoying being able to drive to Dublin in an hour when it used to take two and a half hours.

I'm quite a fan of that motorway too.

But, the Galway City Outer Bypass is not needed.
Better traffic management is needed. Moving schools closer to where people live, is needed. More cycling facilities are needed. More cyclists are needed! Better public transport is needed.
But spending a billion on that bypass when the country is verging on bankrupt is insane.

cactus flower wrote:

I'm pro rail and anti roads, generally, but I am really enjoying being able to drive to Dublin in an hour when it used to take two and a half hours. One of those roads to be finished this year in the list Auditor posted will take another twenty minutes off. Less petrol will be used per trip, but will I be tempted to drive it more often?

It's the Governments fault regardless.

tonys wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

I'm pro rail and anti roads, generally, but I am really enjoying being able to drive to Dublin in an hour when it used to take two and a half hours. One of those roads to be finished this year in the list Auditor posted will take another twenty minutes off. Less petrol will be used per trip, but will I be tempted to drive it more often?

It's the Governments fault regardless.

Aw gawan. Give them a break, tonys.

I blame the electorate myself (Tonys, I'm looking at you in particular)

That's too easy, eoinmn.

For a start, I'd be having a close look at the NRA which is an extremely powerful little organisation. Methinks it's a little Frankenstein's monster.

eoinmn wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

I'm pro rail and anti roads, generally, but I am really enjoying being able to drive to Dublin in an hour when it used to take two and a half hours.

I'm quite a fan of that motorway too.

But, the Galway City Outer Bypass is not needed.
Better traffic management is needed. Moving schools closer to where people live, is needed. More cycling facilities are needed. More cyclists are needed! Better public transport is needed.
But spending a billion on that bypass when the country is verging on bankrupt is insane.

The problem for cyclists in Galway at the moment is the lack of adequate provision for them. This puts me off getting on a bike. Quite frankly, it terrifies me getting on one. Both myself and my daughter have bikes but I wouldn't let her cycle to school in a blue fit. She would have to cross a major road, tackle a large roundabout and compete with speeding cars on a very skinny road for the rest of the journey. There is not one bit of cycle path between my home and her school.

Car drivers in Galway are not used to looking out for cyclists which further adds to the danger. This is not the drivers' faults. Cyclists are a rarity on the roads here and are therefore not within the typical driver's awareness.

I have an idea that has been brewing for a while now about promoting Galway as a Cyclist's City. I think it is very possible with a bit of planning and not very much money. An example is the old unused tracks (not railway) all around Menlo and Carrowbrowne. These would make a beautiful touristic loop for both cyclists and walkers. Another idea is to build a cyclepath parallel to the Headford Rd all the way out the Curragh line. this would surely be very simple to do and it would open up a stretch of about 13 miles to cyclists and tourists in the mood for walking. My ideal would be to see it possible to cycle from Headford to Galway. The old Clifden railway is a further opportunity.

In Gallicia in Northern Spain, there are walking tracks everywhere and an entire tourist industry has built up around them. It is not beyond the realms of reality that we could do something similar in Galway. Thoughts anyone?

floatingingalway wrote:

Car drivers in Galway are not used to looking out for cyclists which further adds to the danger. This is not the drivers' faults. Cyclists are a rarity on the roads here and are therefore not within the typical driver's awareness.

As opposed to motorists in Dublin who should be aware of cyclists but decide simply to ignore them and in alot of cases make cyclists feel like they are targets to be knocked over! Had it happen to myself, a hit and run I tell ya!!!

I do have alot of sympathy for you down in Galway though. As someone who has on many occasions attempted to cross the Headford Road from that big Dunnes Stores to Gort na Coiribe I know just how dangerous it is and I wouldn't let my hypothetical daughter cycle around it either.

johnfás wrote:

floatingingalway wrote:

Car drivers in Galway are not used to looking out for cyclists which further adds to the danger. This is not the drivers' faults. Cyclists are a rarity on the roads here and are therefore not within the typical driver's awareness.

As opposed to motorists in Dublin who should be aware of cyclists but decide simply to ignore them and in alot of cases make cyclists feel like they are targets to be knocked over! Had it happen to myself, a hit and run I tell ya!!!

I do have alot of sympathy for you down in Galway though. As someone who has on many occasions attempted to cross the Headford Road from that big Dunnes Stores to Gort na Coiribe I know just how dangerous it is and I wouldn't let my hypothetical daughter cycle around it either.

That's one of the roads she has to cross!
On the subject of Dublin, I know what you are saying. I grew up there and cycled everywhere and you had to get used to the ignorance of drivers very quickly. However, I think that nowadays it is a bit better there. At least there are cycle lanes that function as cycle lanes unlike the Galway versions where you are likely to come across potholes, signage and roadworks every few hundred metres.

Usually I don't like to derail a thread, but with this one I'm quite happy to turn a thread on motorways into one on cycling!

Quote :

At least there are cycle lanes that function as cycle lanes unlike the
Galway versions where you are likely to come across potholes, signage
and roadworks every few hundred metres.

True.
Although many of the city centre bike lanes in Dublin are full of parked cars.

Lots of good points, Floating.

floatingingalway wrote:

The problem for cyclists in Galway at the moment is the lack of adequate provision for them.

True, we need more bike stands, (covered ones would be nice, esp with all the rain we get), less roundabouts, and lower speed limits.
I don't see bicycle lanes as a top priority. Redesigning junctions is.

floatingingalway wrote:

At least there are cycle lanes that function as cycle lanes unlike the
Galway versions where you are likely to come across potholes, signage
and roadworks every few hundred metres.This puts me off getting on a bike. Quite frankly, it terrifies me getting on one. Both myself and my daughter have bikes but I wouldn't let her cycle to school in a blue fit. She would have to cross a major road, tackle a large roundabout and compete with speeding cars on a very skinny road for the rest of the journey.

Completely understandable.

floatingingalway wrote:

Car drivers in Galway are not used to looking out for cyclists which further adds to the danger. This is not the drivers' faults. Cyclists are a rarity on the roads here and are therefore not within the typical driver's awareness.

You hit on an important point here. There is safety in numbers. Research shows that when the number of cyclists go up in a city, the accident rate goes down. Encouraging more cyclists on to the road is more important than encouraging helmet use.
http://www.imt.ie/news/2009/03/helmets_an_unproven_distractio.html

floatingingalway wrote:

I have an idea that has been brewing for a while now about promoting Galway as a Cyclist's City.

It is hoped that this will be done as part of the new Smarter Transport policy.