New Wheelchair Accessible Footbridges

[PaulM]

Has anyone had the mispleasure of using the new bridges at Blackrock/Booterstown yet?

They are the most commuter unfriendly thing on the DART network. I was quite excited to use it until I realised the maze of stairs I had to walk accross.

I asked a few of my colleagues what they thought, all answered "It takes f* ages to cross it, too many steps."

I suppose what matters most is it looks nice.

[Mark Gleeson]

Blackrock opened Saturday but the lift is not finished

Booterstown opened Wednesday but the original bridge is still in place

Its a maze alright but there are two stair cases in the old days it was a major bottleneck in Blackrock in the mornings it took ages to cross over

The bridges are taller than earlier ones as they make allowance for double decker trains and new safety regulations

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Its a maze alright but there are two stair cases in the old days it was a major bottleneck in Blackrock in the mornings it took ages to cross over

It still does!

[Mark Gleeson]

Killiney opened during the week and the old bridge has been lifted out. Only one stair is open and the lift is not in use.

[Mark Gleeson]

For the record here is the maze in Blackrock

[James Shields]

This morning I say a flat truck heading down the north quays towards the Point carrying something that looked very like the steps from a railway bridge. Coincidence?

[Colm Donoghue]

part m of the building regulations
section 1.14 max height between landings 1.8m

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by colmd

part m of the building regulations
section 1.14 max height between landings 1.8m

Not sure I follow (I'm slow today ) are you saying that it is building regulations that mean I have to traverse a maze and battle a minatour everyday?

I can't fault IE if it is. Doesn't make me like the bridges though.

[Thomas J Stamp]

That starcase reminds me of the film "Outland" starring Sean Connery.....

[Colm Donoghue]

yep. The regs are designed for people with impaired mobility, not able bodied.

There's lots of little annoying things in the regs, but they sure do allow disabled people access far easier than without.
I spent some time with 2 broken legs in an 1970's house with no downstairs loo so I appreciate them.
you are gonna get old and you never know when you're gonna appreciate them.

I guess the big bridges are the ones IE had planning troubles with. a refurb wouldn't have to meet the regs.

[Mark Gleeson]

The planning objections where very funny, the only real change they managed to get was railings at the opposite end of Blackrock station replaced with matching one

Legally IE had to build the bridges the section M and the bridges are taller as clearance to the overhead wires needed to be increased to account for modern safety regs as well as possibilty of double decker trains later

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The planning objections where very funny, the only real change they managed to get was railings at the opposite end of Blackrock station replaced with matching one

Thanks God for that. It could have been chaos otherwise.

[Colm Donoghue]

What is the issue any way? is it the 3 turns on the way up the stairs?
Does this slow people down as much as they are saying?

Was there not only 1 stairs in Blackrock previously? Surely the two stairs have more capacity for people?

There's 4 flights down from the east platform in Tara st also.

[Mark Gleeson]

Blackrock had a standard DART footbridge one flight of steps with a small landing about half way up

What really gets you with the new bridges is the step pitch is funny

[PaulM]

Like Mark said, the step pitch is funny. You go up a few steps, turn, walk up a few stairs, walk along a flat part (I decide who to race here), then walk up a few more stairs. You then cross the bridge and do it all again to get down. I think the first turn is a problem as that does slow it down.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Why didnt they go for the ones that have been built in Portlaosie, Templemore and Thurles? They are fully accessable and a lot tidier and better looking.

[Mark Gleeson]

Am I missing something or did IE waste a heap of cash in Thurles on a bridge?

I don't think the bridges elsewhere comply with section M and they are not tall enough to cope with double decker trains

The one interesting thing about the DART bridges are very compact in width which is important as all are up against a sea wall

[Thomas J Stamp]

I heard a funny story about the Thurles Bridge which may or may not be true so I'll PM it to you.

Sadly I cant find a photo of these bridges. They have a phnumatic elevator on each side, and there are open starcases on each side. They do confirm to current standards as far as i know but as for Double Deck Trains I wouldnt say so. They are Green and have many many lights on them.

Pity no-one uses them.

[PaulM]

I noticed yesterday that nearly every one (bar three) people getting of the train at Booterstown crossed the tracks by the old bridge.

Show's I'm not alone in my hatred of the mazes.

[Peter Turner]

Originally Posted by thomasjstamp

Why didnt they go for the ones that have been built in Portlaosie, Templemore and Thurles? They are fully accessable and a lot tidier and better looking.

Well, where do I start? Accessibility I will give you, tidier I will give you and better looking perhaps on a Dart line but they do look out of place in the old stations like Portlaoise. However they did not think very much about the time it takes to get over these bridges either. I have gone over these bridges with noone in front of me and STILL taken longer to cross than someone starting at the same time and with billions (slightly exaggerated) of people in front of them. I would say less than 5% of people use the new bridge over the old one (at Portlaoise anyway).

Now we like to collect time-wasting bridges here in Portlaoise. Anyone ever see that blue bridge that goes for miles in one direction then miles back in the other (for wheelchairs of course) but everyone just crosses the road using the pedestrian crossing provided?