Cork Transport

@Angry Rebel wrote:

There is no need for a bus lane on Boreenamanna Rd, it would be an utter waste of space. Like the “green route” through Frankfield there is no traffic to hold up the bus so why the need? Instead, in Frankfield you get reduced road space for all concerned so that when the inbound bus stops for passengers all road users behind it must wait. Prior to the bus lane, when buses (or any other user) pulled in, there was still room for people to pass without maiming or scaring those on the other side of the road.

What is needed on Boreenamanna Rd is a serious priority change for the lights by the Glenanaar in the mornings. Heavy inbound traffic gets what seems to be equal priority with traffic coming down the little hill from the Ballinlough Rd, where there is very little traffic. Prevents any real momentum getting going for inbound traffic.

If there was a bus shooting past the traffic build on the borreenamana road each morning. I know I’d be on it.
The road is wide enough for a bus lane and normal traffic. It’s city commuters who mostly use that road for parking not residents.

With regards to posts on Cork not needing trams. The docklands will have a population 25,000 people. The Citys biggest employers are the UCC, CUH. People have to commute not many people are lucky enough to live close to their place of work. Yesterday evenings city gridlock can confirm that.

Build it and they will come.

In other words its a long bus, NOT a tram. I wish they’d stop advertising it as a tram, because its not.

@THE_Chris wrote:

In other words its a long bus, NOT a tram. I wish they’d stop advertising it as a tram, because its not.

I wish that they’d stop calling them guided busses too. All busses are guided. Its not as if they roam the city streets independently, foraging for diesel and passengers.

That wright streetcar is exactly the thing that was outside the city hall a few months ago.

I thought there was soon to be a Glanmire station?? I could be wrong though.

In any case it wont be used because its so far from Glanmire that you might as well drive into Cork rather than just to the station.

@Angry Rebel wrote:

…..and they can use the improved commuter facilities and new stations on mainline rail. Why waste money duplicating…?

The new train station in Blarney will be on the site of the old one on Station Road. This will be surrounded by new developments of housing in future years.

But, as a native of Blarney, most of the existing population live in the village (over a mile) or in the Tower area (over 2 miles, probably three).

Take two possible scenarios:

1. Commuter: Blarney resident travelling to work/college in Cork. Driving at rush hour still only takes 30-40 mins to city centre, UCC, CIT. Alternative would be to slog up station Rd by foot (20 mins min) or car (5 mins), take train to Kent station (20 mins including wait time), then get from Kent station to wherever they’re going – 10/15 mins city centre, 30 mins UCC, 40 mins CUH, 45 mins CIT.

2. Tourist: Most tourists visiting Blarney currently arrive by coach or in a rental car. If we assume public transport is used by those staying in the city, the current main option is to take the bus from the city centre (bus station or Lavitts quay), which takes 20 mins, stops in the middle of Blarney village (and at a few other stops near major housing) and costs around 6 euro return (not sure of this, correct me if I’m wrong).
Taking the train would involve walking or getting a bus to Kent station (15 mins from city centre, 25 mins from Jurys, western rd B&Bs etc), taking train to Blarney (20 mins), then making their way from station to village/castle – a half hour walk unless some kind of shuttle bus was operating.

I know there are ways to make it work better but I just can’t see any of the existing population using the service from the proposed location unless the park & ride is free or they happen to be working within a 5 minute walk of Kent station (which is unlikely if the docklands is developed as mid-density residential).

The Muskerry rail line closed in the 30s I think, the station was located in the heart of Blarney village, beside the current entry to Blarney castle. The old station is now a gift shop beside the former post office. The train was infamously slow, and ran via Donoughmore and Coachford I think. Never the less, 70 years ago one could take a train from the centre of Blarney village to the site where Jurys Hotel now stands on Western Rd, 5 mins from the city centre and UCC.

I’m not advocating the reopening of this exact line, but I would suggest the following as a possible alternative or complement to the proposed new Blarney commuter station:
Light rail/tram, with the following route and stations:
City terminus: Emmet Place or Leitrim St
— Hegarty (or is it Howard?) or Ladys Well brewery could potentially sell up their sites to make way for a much larger commuter rail hub.
Stops at:
Ladys Well
Leitrim St
Watercourse Rd (Blackpool village)
Blackpool Shopping Centre
Commons Rd / Parklands
Killeens?
Blarney East (close to BFS, school, shops, station rd)
Blarney Centre (servicing village centre, castle, hotels etc)
Tower

Here’s just a few possibilities:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=51.918862,-8.516464&spn=0.082372,0.2314&t=h&z=12&om=1&msid=100307207241949948570.0000011288ee7249cfd7b

@pleanala wrote:

I think the idea of the Bus Tram is not necccessarily that they would replicate trams in terms of overhead lines but rather that they would differ from standard buses as they would run on independent tracks away from Road Transport an also that they might be electric and thus have less of an environmental impact compared to a Diesel bus??

I doubt it very much. Our city and suburbs are old, the streets are narrow and development has taken place in a piecemeal fashion over the centuries. There is very little spare land available that could be used as a dedicated bus/tram track. I think the only realistic option for most routes is to use on street busses or trams, with perhaps the chance to run small sections on dedicated off street tracks/pathways where the land allows.

Our city coucil haven’t done much to help this cause though. Take one of the worst blackspots for evening rush-hour traffic — The stretch of road between Dennehys cross and the junction at the AIB on western rd. Some of the busiest busses in the city regularly get stuck in traffic here, along with thousands of stressed drivers. In the docklands plan available on the council’s website since years ago, there is a proposed light rail or guided bus coridoor from Mahon – Atlantic Pond – City Centre – Western Rd – Vic X – CIT. The logical thing would be to set aside land along this coridoor as it becomes available in case it is needed when such a bus/tram track is to be built.

But no, along this single stretch of road almost all the land on the south side and some on the north has been redeveloped in the few years since this docklands plan was published. Victoria Mills for example is built right out to the edge of the site, almost touching the wall of the bridge. The new hideous brown-brick apartments next to it are similarly built right out to the already too narrow public footpath. Even if the funds were made available to provide a light rail or segregated bus track in this area, there is now no room left for this. Even the existing 4 lane road is too narrow, the pedestrian and cyclist provisions are woeful, and there is no room for a bus lane, bus stop or tram stop.

I really wish that someone in the council could have seen the potential before all this land was developed, to reservce a strip of roadside land from the clinic to Dennehys cross and prevent any development on it. Then we could have busses that cruise from Gaol Cross to Dennehys cross in a dedicated lane, rather than getting stuck in traffic for 20 mins.

Too much ranting lately. Must go do something more productive!

It is the difference between the concept of a street which is presumed to have buildings right to the edge of each plot and a road which is presumed to be upgraded at some future date to a 22 lane highway. They are just keeping their options open!

Any chance that its within the curtilage of a protected structure or in an ACA?

Isn’t there some regulation that if you rebuild something exactly like for like within a two year time frame that it does not require consent?

Before I post this I should clarify I have no party allegiance

Just to happily give the electorate of Cork a public apology. I said previously on this thread that we were complete twats to vote in so many FF Tds in 2002 given the way the last gov treated Cork from 1997 on. This time unlike the rest of the country we gave FF three less seats in the county and fair dues to us. At least we had the balls to send Bertie a message.

That said I feel v bad for Dan Boyle. He’s a good guy and good for Cork. As it happens I’m one of the first preferences he lost for tactical voting reasons. If GP are in government I hope Dan’s loss does not distract the GP from cork transport development.

If the Greens go into Government, you can be pretty sure that Dan Boyle will be made a Senator, so he’ll still be in the public forum and the political system.

I’d say he could be an excellent and high profile senator.

Shame, as he brought the greens a fair way down the road towards sound economic policy.
I’ve no doubt he’ll be a Senator if FF/Green/PD comes off.