Operation Freeflow

[pete]

Freeflow or FreeFarce?

website stuff

For another who takes public transport is commuting quicker? I'm driving & a lot slower today.

Another seen a guard actually do something?

[soccerc]

Freeflow or FreeFarce?

website stuff

For another who takes public transport is commuting quicker? I'm driving & a lot slower today.

Another seen a guard actually do something?

GOSLOW more like.

I observed, for a long time as a rookie with his arms folded clueless and doing nothing to prevent gridlock at a certain junction in Clondalkin. All he needed to do was prevent cars filtering out from behind the yield sign onto the major road and allowing traffic merge one by one.

[Macy]

Freefarce. I mean, it really helps traffic flow waving traffic through green lights. On my journey home they're at the wrong junctions - ones that aren't a problem anyway. For Example in Donnybrook they're at the Anglesey Road junction, when it's the next ones back towards town that are the problem with people blocking the yellow box.

Really slowed down car traffic, but I think that's the aim anyway (certainly it's stated City Council policy all year). Anyone in our office who gets public transport gets the dart or luas now so obviously no knock on on that. I suspect it's marginally quicker on buses, where they're policing bus lanes.

[pete]

Freefarce. I mean, it really helps traffic flow waving traffic through green lights. On my journey home they're at the wrong junctions - ones that aren't a problem anyway. For Example in Donnybrook they're at the Anglesey Road junction, when it's the next ones back towards town that are the problem with people blocking the yellow box.

Same here. I think its like work practice for rookie cops to introduce them to the fact that a lot of their job may involve stand in one place for long periods.

I notice guards at wrong juntions too i.e. the ones where traffic slow because of volume of traffic & not people blocing yellow boxes.

I have been amazed how morning commute now maybe 30%+ longer than last week.

[Macy]

Same here. I think its like work practice for rookie cops to introduce them to the fact that a lot of their job may involve stand in one place for long periods.

The state of some of them, they'd want to be jogging along the side of bus lanes to keep them clear. They'd struggle to run after a couch potato like me ffs.

[mypost]

For another who takes public transport is commuting quicker? I'm driving & a lot slower today.

Why would anyone drive to/come from work in Dublin at rush hour?

I've long argued that Irish people are as much responsible for gridlock as much as poor infrastructure. Everyone knows how poor it is, yet they all want to get from A to B by car, all driving on the same roads at the same time, and I rarely see a car on the road with more than one person in it. The average car can carry 5 people at any one time, and if it was used, that's 4 less cars off the roads at rush hour. The more it happens, the fewer cars on the roads, the faster the commute.

It doesn't require much thought, that if you have roughly 100k people travelling in 100k cars going to the same place at the same time using the same roads, you're going to have traffic gridlock, be it Dublin or Durban. In Dublin, we have a relatively decent public transport system available compared to the rest of the country, (bus, tram, train) that is faster but people still use their cars alone. And then they wonder why we have traffic congestion?

[the 12 th man]

2 hours to get home last night normally takes 1 hr 15 mins

[pete]

Why would anyone drive to/come from work in Dublin at rush hour?

Car is faster than bus. On a yearly basis car takes from 20-50 minutes, best & worst time. Bus takes from 40-75 minutes. Buses all go into city centre & i'd have 10-15 minute extra walk then. I work flexible hours too so not a 9-5 peak time traveller. Dispite being on QBC i could be waiting 5-20 minutes for bus.

As gets closer to christmas i will probably take bus as off peak traffic gets worse.

[cullenswood]

Is Operation Freeflow not designed to get the public transport moving on time, rather than help out the cars?

[pete]

Is Operation Freeflow not designed to get the public transport moving on time, rather than help out the cars?

How does it do that? If traffic is slower then buses will be slower as they share the same roads?

[cullenswood]

How does it do that? If traffic is slower then buses will be slower as they share the same roads?

It ensures the bus lanes are moving quicker, and are always free. Apparently the majority of Dublin Buses have been running on time since it was brought in, which is highly unusual.

[Limeref]

Left Limerick to go to Dublin on Thursday at 2pm at Newlands Cross at 3:45pm got to Balbriggan at 5:45pm??????

Left Balbriggan at 8pm on Friday at Toll bridge at 8:30pm got to Red (Mad) Cow Roundabout at 9:30pm for no apparent reason, good job I didn't go during peak times!!!

[Macy]

Why would anyone drive to/come from work in Dublin at rush hour?

I've long argued that Irish people are as much responsible for gridlock as much as poor infrastructure.

But it's because of the poor infrastructure that people don't have the option. Look at how packed buses, trains, darts, luas are where they're available! Do you really think people would sit in their car for hours each way if there was a quicker, convenient alternative? As bad as the traffic is, getting public transport would increase my journey time by at least an hour each way.

What's would make a difference is:
1) Park and Ride facilities on all the main routes into Dublin. These could be serviced by buses - just don't let them stop until they get inside the canals either way to make them fast and efficient.
2) More support for e-working to get unnecessary journeys off the road and/or public transport. A lot of work is done by email and phone these days, so no need for people to commute - if they come in for meetings etc they can arrange them off peak.
3) More support for flexible working times. No reason why people shouldn't be able to do 7-3 or 11-7 as well as 9-5 or 8-4.

1 would require genuine support for public transport by Government
2&3 could be supported with tax breaks by Government, particularly with regard to set up costs for 2, but they could at least lead the way with their own employments.

[DmanDmythDledge]

What's would make a difference is:
1) Park and Ride facilities on all the main routes into Dublin. These could be serviced by buses - just don't let them stop until they get inside the canals either way to make them fast and efficient.

I can never understand why park and ride hasn't been introduced. It has worked brilliantly in Cork.

3) More support for flexible working times. No reason why people shouldn't be able to do 7-3 or 11-7 as well as 9-5 or 8-4.

Maybe employers would be unwilling to do this as it would mean higher costs- electricity etc and wages (receptionists etc)?

[pete]

There are a lot of jobs that need people working 9-5. For example you may need to work the same hours as your customers. You may also need people to work in teams at the same time. Software companies are generally very flexible as often do not always require people in same place at the same time. We even have guy who works from home in Wales into our office. If you travelling by public transport the schedules a lot less frequent once you move out of the peak times.

[mypost]

If you travelling by public transport the schedules a lot less frequent once you move out of the peak times.

I travel by public transport to/from work, and can time the journey like clockwork. Smooth, fast, comfortable, no gridlock. If you travel by car, you can't rely on it to get you from A-B on time, every time at rush hour. That's the difference.

Because Ireland starts at 9am, and finishes at 5-6pm every day, adults and kids use the same roads at the same time, that are not built to cater for 100k people turning the city into a car park, because they won't use public transport.

[pete]

I travel by public transport to/from work, and can time the journey like clockwork.

I would be surprised if you taking the bus?

[Macy]

There are a lot of jobs that need people working 9-5.

Obviously, but there's lots of jobs which don't - take those journeys off the roads improves the situation for those that have to work 9-5

For example you may need to work the same hours as your customers.

Yeah, but if everyone was more flexible, surely this would be less of an issue?

Maybe employers would be unwilling to do this as it would mean higher costs- electricity etc and wages (receptionists etc)?

Again wouldn't suit all, but for example our office block is open 7am-8pm everyday (with someone on reception at those times) anyway, however, hours of work are 8am-6pm