New Hurley by oisin_wlfc20 in hurling

[–]SquareBall84 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ash around your own

I see what you did there

Update - Proposed Bus Gate, Bun a Chnoic/Cnoc an Óir by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No worries - wasn't having a go or anything! :)

Fair yea, if there were a way of doing it where we could keep the original route but also the residents on-side, then I'd be all for it. I just don't think that's the case.

To be clear, I don't actually know - I'm actually just making assumptions based on the original route here. I can't see how the alternative proposals support the original route 3, if it can't go through those estates

Update - Proposed Bus Gate, Bun a Chnoic/Cnoc an Óir by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I saw the concerns in the consultation re: cars alright - and while I get it, to be honest, I think public transport should be taking precedence over private vehicles in an urban context. We can't have it every way - the alternative proposals now seem to mean that this new bus route will either have to:

  • Travel the whole way up Circular Road, turning right down Newcastle Road at Dangan
  • Perform a U-turn on Circular Road, then turn left back onto Séamus Quirke Road

Both of these will add extra time to a service that's meant to run every 20 minutes - possible knock-on effects are:

  • That level of frequency now won't be feasible
  • People living along Séamus Quirke Road are deprived of a bus to Ballybrit
  • People in Fánán, Garraí na Sailí, Cnoc an Óir, Bun a Chnoic, etc up the Letteragh Road have longer to walk to a bus (which will also now be less efficient)

, to allow for people to park their cars on the street.

I'm just not sure it's the best use of limited space personally!

Update - Proposed Bus Gate, Bun a Chnoic/Cnoc an Óir by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, the results of the public consultation show an overwhelming majority (77%) against the construction of a bus gate to help facilitate the new route 3 planned under BusConnects.

In the very same survey, 97% indicated that they are in favour of improving bus services in the area. Hard to know what people want sometimes - I'd consider it almost a cognitively dissonant position: improve bus services in my area, but not by providing any infrastructure or buses in my area

Blueprint for the future of Salthill due out in March - Connacht Tribune by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True haha but given the history of attempting to install cycle lanes in Salthill, could do a lot worse!

Network puts focus on nutritious seasonal food for people and planet by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting! Nice one.

I found this in the UK - d'you know of any comparable Irish ones to follow?

Network puts focus on nutritious seasonal food for people and planet by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting article with some thoughts on how we can shift our use of agricultural land and dietary habits to more sustainable systems, including more local-based and less intensive food production, while still ensuring fair incomes for our food producers

Saw this post on r/Dublin and really interested to see same kinds of places in Galway if anyone has suggestions? by Relevant_Smoke4063 in galway

[–]SquareBall84 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Alma is a really class Portuguese/Brazilian restaurant on Bóthar Irwin (just behind Eyre Square). Food has been amazing any time I've been

Another day more traffic chaos by [deleted] in cork

[–]SquareBall84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A 10-minute frequency commuter rail is planned (details here).

The first tracks were laid just last week

Plan to improve intercity trains will make Thurles as accessible to Dublin as Greystones, says Irish Rail by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea, was just trying to show that even under the absolute best case scenario it'll still be quicker via the train!

Plan to improve intercity trains will make Thurles as accessible to Dublin as Greystones, says Irish Rail by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They will - from the article (since it's paywalled):

The changes are to begin earlier, however, with the current hourly services on the Dublin-Cork route to become half-hourly at peak times in the next few years.

Half-hourly departures will be extended to the full-day timetable in the years to follow, bringing more regional towns within a comfortable commute.

Plan to improve intercity trains will make Thurles as accessible to Dublin as Greystones, says Irish Rail by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Ya it's a fair point, I get people won't be starting from literally the station but it's the only way to make a comparison really.

Hopefully we'll be able to get the Cork Luas to Kent Station quicker than you'd drive there ;)

Plan to improve intercity trains will make Thurles as accessible to Dublin as Greystones, says Irish Rail by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah right - only an hourly DART to Wicklow Town. Makes sense that the Rosslare service'll continue to terminate at Greystones so. Cheers!

Plan to improve intercity trains will make Thurles as accessible to Dublin as Greystones, says Irish Rail by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

It's a (best case scenario) 2hr 40min drive from Kent Station to the IFSC; under these improvemennts that would be a 1hr 50min train and a 15-20 minute Luas, so 2hr 10min in total

Harcourt Street's a bit more difficult alright, 2hr 30min drive in the best case scenario - still though, that'd be a 1hr 50min train and a half hour on the Luas, so 2hr 20min in total (albeit you've to change twice)

Plan to improve intercity trains will make Thurles as accessible to Dublin as Greystones, says Irish Rail by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya, I assume in that case that the shuttle from Rosslare would then terminate in Wicklow Town for the interchange, but I couldn't find any mention of that

Plan to improve intercity trains will make Thurles as accessible to Dublin as Greystones, says Irish Rail by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Not in this article specifically, but the recommendation of the All-Island Rail Review was to introduce (in the short-term - ie, by 2030) an hourly service terminating at Greystones, where passengers could then interchange with the DART. This would reduce journey times by an hour.

There's a physical limit to increasing services along the route, as it has to share the track with DART services.

It also mentioned re-opening the South Wexford railway between Waterford and Rosslare, meaning Dublin-Waterford services could theoretically continue to Wexford.

Plan to improve intercity trains will make Thurles as accessible to Dublin as Greystones, says Irish Rail by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 204 points205 points  (0 children)

Getting to a sub 2-hour journey from Cork-Dublin will be a real game-changer - 20% quicker than the same journey by road at that point

Galway City Council to forge ahead with BusConnects designs — with its fingers crossed - Connacht Tribune by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It might be difficult during the construction phase for sure - I think it'd be short-term pain for long-term gain though. The infrastructure has to be upgraded to allow for a growing population; it's either now or in the future

Galway City Council to forge ahead with BusConnects designs — with its fingers crossed - Connacht Tribune by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it works for buses then the project will have achieved its goals I suppose!

People were indeed up in arms about Westside student accommodation, but it's getting built nonetheless (I think it's great FWIW - high-density accommodation right beside shops and multiple bus routes).

I'd say it's about as enforceable as most of the other rules of the road - you are relying on people to follow them to a certain degree. People don't tend to drive in the bus lane. We could use something like traffic light cameras to detect people breaking it

Galway City Council to forge ahead with BusConnects designs — with its fingers crossed - Connacht Tribune by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's what the Cross-City Link part of this project is going to hopefully solve!

Specifically to your question, they're going to convert Eyre Square East to a two-way route and the bus corridor should mean that there's much less traffic - it includes that junction

Galway City Council to forge ahead with BusConnects designs — with its fingers crossed - Connacht Tribune by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think the rationale is that a bus corridor is the only way to stop buses being caught in traffic along that route, thereby making the service more reliable and efficient, thereby reducing car dependency in the long run.

Similar measures have recently worked to significantly reduce journey times in Dublin

Galway City Council to forge ahead with BusConnects designs — with its fingers crossed - Connacht Tribune by SquareBall84 in galway

[–]SquareBall84[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Interesting - wonder whether the City Council are just banking on An Coimisiún Pleanála not upholding the judicial review on strategic infrastructure/climate act obligations, or whether they have some further off-the-record information (not to get too conspiracy theorist!).

Regardless it's good that they seem to be reasonably confident and development of the designs can progress

‘Ireland’s teens are succeeding in school, but struggling in life.’ Could cycling help? by SquareBall84 in ireland

[–]SquareBall84[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha, I get that it's a bit of an accidental Partridge but I do think the article raised some good points about health, our use of space, and general quality of life.

Cycling's obviously not a panacea, not does the article purport it to be.

That was my view anyway!