new cycle routes in Dublin (or Eire)

mikemac

Possibly the council could build a dedicated cycle lane in Fairview Park just inside the barrier.
I realise there is a footpath in the park but pedestrians should be let use that and the new cycle lane should be distinctive (colored tarmac for instance) so pedestrians will clearly know it's out of bounds.

It's a fairly simple thing to do-you could easily do it in a few weeks or maybe less.

And when it's finished pedestrians can then get full use of the pathway which they currently share with cyclists as the cycle lane markings can be erased.

I love the idea of a cyclelane by the canal by the way

ednwireland

should get this crowd involved (have a look at he map its 4.2mb)
oops link http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1089735289781

DITTKD

RE: Fairview cycle lane
Yeah, I'm not fond of errant pedestrians either, but please remember to spare some of your ire for cyclists who travel the wrong way down the cycle lane around the park.
There's a track on the other side of the road for them. dopes.

Stark

DITTKD wrote:

There's a track on the other side of the road for them. dopes.

You mean the car park?

RainyDay

Ghost Rider wrote:

Quite right. They're unbelievable. What's most frustrating is the presence of perfectly good pedestrian pathways parallel to the cycle paths which are routinely ignored by walkers.

How about a planned protest by cyclists involving large numbers of cyclists in groups to ensure that walkers have no choice but to move over, possibly accompanied by distribution of leaflets or cards explaining the problem?

Brooklyn74

I've been having to cycle down Parnell Street a lot lately and the problem with the pedestrians is unbelievable there too. They seem to think the cycle lane is a spillover lane for them when they can't get their shopping bags past the other people on the footpath. Came very close to running into someone the other day who had stepped out right into my path without even looking, fortunately I just managed to avoid her, but of course from the look on her face it was my fault :rolleyes:

cyclopath2001

RainyDay wrote:

How about a planned protest by cyclists involving large numbers of cyclists in groups to ensure that walkers have no choice but to move over, possibly accompanied by distribution of leaflets or cards explaining the problem?

I think law-breaking by pedestrians is the least problem.

The real villains are the councils. What's needed is to get the Auditor & Comptroller General on their case & call them to account for wasting money on sub-standard and unlawful 'facilities' & for the regular disappearance of cycle tracks that they were paid to build and maintain.

The Greens need to use their influence in government, at the very least to undo the damage done by the PDs back in 1998 when they legalised driving on cycle tracks.

oobydooby

ednwireland wrote:

should get this crowd involved (have a look at he map its 4.2mb)
oops link http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1089735289781

This is brilliant! But I worry that it might also be fantastic (as Cyclopath uses it!) Now, I haven't cycled much of the UK but I know that much of those networks are in the countryside and away from traffic. Yes the routes are shared with walkers but walkers are not a threat to me; perhaps an inconvenience, but on the Irish roads it is walkers and pedestrians who are vulnerable. These are the kind of tracks I want to see here - I'd rather share a track with walkers and dogs than with motor vehicles. At night this is more problematic though.

Have you connections with these guys? It would be interesting to hear how they lobbied for the tracks, how they lobby to keep the tracks maintained and who is responsible for the tracks. Our systems of government are fairly similar! (unless the monarchs are into cycling)

I think it's best for us to identify a few safe dedicated commuter cycle tracks. No half-arsed compromises. The canals and river banks and coast seem the best options. A few public park routes too. The aim is to get regular commuters using their bikes (even only occasionally) as the most efficient and safe way to commute so that when we push for better facilities we're not seen as some crew of diehard deathdodgers.

It was on RTE news that 2/3 of workers drive to work. Everyone wants more cyclists but nobody wants to cycle because it's seen as dangerous and uncomfortable. A quality network of 3m wide track, protected from traffic, through pleasant environments, with discreet low light-polluting posts (unobtrusive for walkers) or cateye style lighting should be ripe for the political agenda. It would be a good base from which to develop or upgrade further tracks.

seamus

comer_97 wrote:

a cyclepath to lucan would be pretty sweet. The M50 roundabout is a bit tricky but if they could do something at the slip road to liffey valley because that is the worst part of my day!

:rolleyes:
I made a commitment to myself that I'll never use the N4 to cycle into work, and I'm sticking to that. Seriously, you must be bonkers. I'm surprised that cyclists aren't flattened at that slip road on a daily basis.

Theoretically there are cycle tracks most of the way into town from Lucan. My route takes me up the fonthill road, onto the coldcut road, down through ballyfermot, then inchicore, kilmainham, etc on into the city centre. SDCC and DCC probably claim that this entire route is cycle tracked, but in reality it's just a bit of badly painted tarmac.
In both directions, the track constantly jumps on and off the path, and randomly stops then restarts again 200m down the road. It may also jump onto a path, stop, then restart again on the road, with no indication of how you're supposed to switch safely from path to road. At multiple points it gets inexplicably narrower (so that cars will just jump in on top of you). It also passes *in front* of bus stops, so that busses letting passengers out just spill out in front of you, or people waiting for a bus don't bother moving out of your way. Aside from these, the entire route is littered (I mean littered) with broken glass and large stones. I've complained to SDCC, been told that they'd clean them midweek, but I've yet to see anything.

What Cap'n Midnight proposes is a good idea for that route. At the M50 junction, they really badly need to put in a bike/pedestrian bridge, like they have at the N81 junction. This should then join up with the ped/cycle path on the northern edge of the N4 and bring you safely all the way into Lucan Village.

Aside from Lucan, I think tracks along the canals would be a great idea too. You could put up signs all the way too saying "If you had cycled to work, you'd be five minutes from Grafton St" (say, at Portobello).

P_1

seamus wrote:

Aside from Lucan, I think tracks along the canals would be a great idea too. You could put up signs all the way too saying "If you had cycled to work, you'd be five minutes from Grafton St" (say, at Portobello).

I like that idea