Cycling banned in Waterford parks

Raam

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0110/waterford.html?rss

10 January 2006 16:48

Waterford City Council is banning cycling and skateboarding in its parks and in open spaces with offenders liable for a fine of nearly €1,300.

Waterford City Council has adopted a series of by-laws, saying it hopes the regulations will ensure that the city's parks and open spaces can be fully enjoyed in safety by all.

The by-laws will be enforced by garda fines of up to €1,270 payable by offenders on conviction.

No skateboards, roller-skates, roller blades and other non-motorised vehicles, with the exception of motorised wheelchairs, will be allowed in parks and open spaces.

The by-laws make it unlawful to hold or address a public meeting or religious service in parks or open spaces, or to film, except with the written permission of the council.

...and pretty soon, no talking, no breathing and no having fun.*

Was there a recognised problem with dangerous cyclists/skaters in the parks of Waterford? There must have been for this by-law to be introduced. I can understand banning cycling (but only at a stretch, maybe), but skating? Where else is there to skate?

*I do not condone dangerous cycling, skateboarding or rollerblading

Victor

Are there formal parks in Waterford?

No skateboards, roller-skates, roller blades and other non-motorised vehicles, with the exception of motorised wheelchairs, will be allowed in parks and open spaces.

What about non-motorised wheelchairs and prams/buggies? Pedestrian rickshaws?

cyclopath2001

It's probably because of the public liability.

I recall some time ago that Fingal was going to impose a 10kph speed limit on bicycles.

Dublin is already half-way towards banning cycling in cycle lanes......

Raam

cyclopath2001 wrote:

I recall some time ago that Fingal was going to impose a 10kph speed limit on bicycles.

When was that? I assume it was for parks only.

cyclopath2001

King Raam wrote:

When was that? I assume it was for parks only.

Yes, for parks. But some parks are part of important routes.

A couple of years ago, I found it as a draft bye-law while I was surfing. Not sure if it got passed. Anti-cycling legislation is normally enacted by stealth, Orwellian-style. For example, the PDs opening up of cycle lanes to cars back in 1998.

wideangle

There are alot of bmx street riders in Waterford,sometimes as many as ten too the group.Maybe this is what caused it,they have the best street riding spots in the whole country down there.Also most of these risders ride without brakes.
There is a skatepark in Waterford but very few use it as it is plastic and a bit on the small side,they are getting a second one as part of the government plans,and another one in Tramore.
I hope the ban gets lots of objections like the proposed one for Cork a few months ago.

robfitz

Unfortunately you a little or no hope in blocking this bye-law. Very similar bye-laws are already in place in many councils across the country.

DUN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY COUNCIL, Parks Bye-Laws 2003
...
3. Traffic:

a. No person shall bring into the park, save with the permission of the Council, any bicycle, skateboard, roller-skates, roller blades or other vehicle except an invalid chair, carriage or a perambulator.

b. No person shall cycle or use any skateboard, roller skates, roller blades, or other vehicle in the parks except on such routes and in such places as may be designated by the Council for this purpose, from time to time.
...

Fingal County Council, Regional Parks and Open Spaces Bye-Laws 1999
...
4.6 TRAFFIC, BICYCLES, SKATEBOARDS ETC.

a)No person shall cycle or use any skateboard, roller skates, roller blades, or other vehicle in the park except on such routes and in such places as may be designated by the Council for this purpose.

b)No person shall leave any vehicle, bicycle or tricycle unattended in the park, except in such places as may be set aside as standing or parking places.
..

With similar restrictions being placed on the use of bicycles in parks for a long, long time.

SAINT STEPHEN'S GREEN BYE-LAWS, 1962
...
3. No person shall bring into the Green, except with the permission of the Commissioners

(i) any bicycle or other vehicle except an invalid chair or carriage or a perambulator;
...

BYE-LAWS, 1926. (PHOENIX PARK) (DUBLIN)
...
VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.
...
(6) No vehicle other than a bicycle or tricycle shall be driven on or across the turf or grass in the Park except during such times and at such places as the Commissioners shall authorise and shall specify in notices exhibited at such places.

(7) No bicycle, tricycle, or other vehicle shall be ridden or driven at any time on or across any footpath in the Park.
...

wideangle, I think your plan should be for you and your parents to ring and write to your local councilors, ask them (demand?) that they bring forward any current plans to build any new skate parks before such a bye-law is enacted. Or give a concrete date for the completion of the skate parks.

egan007

You should organise about 1000 cyclists scate boarders / bladers /rollers to all invade teh park some saturday as a protest. The parks are for the people. The laws are for the people. If they conflict to the majoritys annoyance then the laws must be changed.

daymobrew

cyclopath2001 wrote:

Dublin is already half-way towards banning cycling in cycle lanes......

Last weekend I was cycling in the Phoenix Park. I entered at the Castleknock end and stopped at the start of the cycle lane to adjust something.

A family came along, father and childminder walking with a buggy, mother and 3 daughters rollerblading. As they approached the fork in the path for pedestrian lane and cycle lane the mother shouts "Left" to her daughters, directing them onto the cycle lane. I pointed across to the pedestrian lane.
The mother barks at me: "When you resurface that we'll use it!"
I have no idea about the state of the surface, though can't imagine it is bad.

As the father passed me I told him that this was the cycle lane.
"And who are you to tell me what to do?" was his aggressive reply.
I didn't say anything else. I won't lower myself to their level.
Nice example those parents are for their 4 children. :eek:

I kept a lookout for Park Wardens but didn't see any (and I cycled all over the Park that day).

The Park Wardens tell me that the number 1 gripe of cyclists is pedestrians using the cycle lane.

miketv

daymobrew wrote:

Last weekend I was cycling in the Phoenix Park. I entered at the Castleknock end and stopped at the start of the cycle lane to adjust something.

A family came along, father and childminder walking with a buggy, mother and 3 daughters rollerblading. As they approached the fork in the path for pedestrian lane and cycle lane the mother shouts "Left" to her daughters, directing them onto the cycle lane. I pointed across to the pedestrian lane.
The mother barks at me: "When you resurface that we'll use it!"
I have no idea about the state of the surface, though can't imagine it is bad.

As the father passed me I told him that this was the cycle lane.
"And who are you to tell me what to do?" was his aggressive reply.
I didn't say anything else. I won't lower myself to their level.
Nice example those parents are for their 4 children. :eek:

I kept a lookout for Park Wardens but didn't see any (and I cycled all over the Park that day).

The Park Wardens tell me that the number 1 gripe of cyclists is pedestrians using the cycle lane.

I hrear you!
Check out the clontarf to howth cycle lane, especially the bit along the coast by the graveyard, some people seem to refuse to walk in the clearly marked walk footpath. Even worse than this (because i've had 2 accidents) are people walking on the footpath(nothing wrong there so far) but the killer is at night sometimes they have a dog on a lead. The dog walks across the cycle lane and thus you have a nice lead right in front of you to knock you off epecially little dogs as you cant see them or the dark lead especially when your racing....theres my rant
I'm sure somebody else has experienced this!

Raam

miketv wrote:

I'm sure somebody else has experienced this!

practically every day on my way to and from work on that exact cycle track!

Civilian_Target

daymobrew wrote:

A family came along, father and childminder walking with a buggy, mother and 3 daughters rollerblading. As they approached the fork in the path for pedestrian lane and cycle lane the mother shouts "Left" to her daughters, directing them onto the cycle lane. I pointed across to the pedestrian lane.
The mother barks at me: "When you resurface that we'll use it!"
I have no idea about the state of the surface, though can't imagine it is bad.

As the father passed me I told him that this was the cycle lane.
"And who are you to tell me what to do?" was his aggressive reply.
I didn't say anything else. I won't lower myself to their level.
Nice example those parents are for their 4 children. :eek:

LOL! I've encountered similar experiences in Phoenix park, but the air horn on the front of my bike generally kept them fairly short.

Sometimes the only way to be about these things is obnoxious. No-one wants to get hit by a bike going at 20 mph (its easy to do when you're going down through the park), no matter how much they believe its their cycle lane, and if they have plenty of warning to get out of the way, they will...

Generally though, I tend to take the N3, because the park is a complete pain, and you still have to go down the quays to get into town

wideangle

Quote;wideangle, I think your plan should be for you and your parents to ring and write to your local councilors, ask them (demand?) that they bring forward any current plans to build any new skate parks before such a bye-law is enacted. Or give a concrete date for the completion of the skate parks.

Firstly,I'm not from Waterford,but there are bmx riders in Cork that go down there to ride street with the locals.
Secondly I'm in my thirties and do not live with my parents any more.
Just letting you know thats all.

The skaters in Cork got councillors to vote against a ban on street skating in Cork..and it worked.

cyclopath2001

Civilian_Target wrote:

LOL! I've encountered similar experiences in Phoenix park, but the air horn on the front of my bike generally kept them fairly short.

The legislation on cycle paths is a poorly-drafted, confusing mess. It's been made worse by the stealth unpicking of cyclists' rights by the PDs back in 1998.

Dealings with the city council indicate that as far as they're concerned, pedestrians can walk on cycle paths & cyclists must give way to pedestrians. This is their interpretation, but the law is not precise on this point. It's quite possible that most of the city-council's cycle paths are outside of the law which further muddies the waters.

You may find that different laws apply in the Park to on public roads, so don't assume you're in the right. In any case, right or not, a compo case is a messy business.

egan007

Great the cycle biatches are in - steer around


...why should we....

...ah blow me..

Victor

Actually, reading the bye-laws in detail, the proposal appears to ban anything but pedestrians from the entire city.

SimpleSam06

cyclopath2001 wrote:

The legislation on cycle paths is a poorly-drafted, confusing mess. It's been made worse by the stealth unpicking of cyclists' rights by the PDs back in 1998.

Dealings with the city council indicate that as far as they're concerned, pedestrians can walk on cycle paths & cyclists must give way to pedestrians. This is their interpretation, but the law is not precise on this point. It's quite possible that most of the city-council's cycle paths are outside of the law which further muddies the waters.

You may find that different laws apply in the Park to on public roads, so don't assume you're in the right. In any case, right or not, a compo case is a messy business.

Argh thats nasty... but worth knowing, since violating them can cost you 1300 yoyos. That would probably qualify as the most expensive bike ride of your life...