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Urban Commuter Article

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  • 19-11-2007 11:32am
    #1
    unionman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,087 ✭✭✭


    Calling all commuter cyclists!

    I'm putting together an article about commuting by bike for a trade union publication. What I am hoping to do is pose a few questions about the experience of cycling in the city, as a commuter, to people doing it on a regular basis.

    I also hope to include an interview with a spokesperson from Dublin City Council on their targets for commuter cyclists, and steps they are taking to promote it.

    It won't be entirely Dublin focussed however, I'd like to speak to cyclists commuting in Cork, Galway, Limerick too if possible.

    The kind of things I want to cover are;
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily (round trip)?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    If possible, I'd like to organise to meet some of the contributors later this week for a photo opportunity to accompany the article.

    If you are happy to participate, leave your answers on this thread, and please let me know what part of the country you are in. For your comments to be included in the article, I'll need to get your real name, which you can send to me by PM.

    Also, If you can spare a half hour for a photo opportunity in the city centre later in the week, please let me know by PM.

    If you have any questions about the article or the publication, do get in touch.

    Cheers
    unionman


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    #2
    TinyExplosions
    Registered Users Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭TinyExplosions


    unionman wrote: »
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    Well, I'll stick a few answers in here for ya!
    1. Off and On for about a year
    2. Anywhere from 4 - 30k (didn't realise it was round trip -duh!)
    3. Bus (I don't drive)
    4. Pedestrians, motorists pulling out in front of you, and people walking in the cycle lane in Pheonix Park
    5. More and better maintained cycle lanes that are enforced; Some form of tax back incentive to encourage cycling (or a bike to work scheme similar to the UK); more considerate drivers!
    6. Exercise, speed at which you can move through the traffic
    7. The traffic
    8. I don't think it'll grow much above the level it's at without improvements to conditions. Some of the road surfaces are terrible in this city.

    PM sent with my details, so long as photo op is not a Thursday or Friday, I'm up for it. :)


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    #3
    Crapjob Sean
    Registered Users Posts: 150 ✭✭Crapjob Sean


    unionman wrote: »

    The kind of things I want to cover are;
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    1. 12 years or so
    2. 5 miles each way. Unless I take a longer route home.
    3. Bus, car, walking.
    4. People parked in bike lanes annoys me the most, forcing me out into the traffic.
    5. Enforcement of bike lanes by the gards. Covered locking spots at work.
    6. The rush I get. It's quicker. I'm not some sad sack stuck in traffic.
    7. Knowing some moron might kill me.
    8. Minimal. The weather's too bad and people are more and more addicted to their creature comforts.


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    #4
    Raam
    Registered Users Posts: 14,317 ✭✭✭✭Raam


    unionman wrote: »
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?
    1. About 4 years.
    2. About 25km.
    3. Bus, train.
    4. Potholes and bad road surface.
    5. Improve the roads, tax incentives.
    6. The freedom, the experience of cycling, I just love it.
    7. The potholes and bad road surface.
    8. I see more and more people cycling everyday, so it is growing, but the facilities are not growing with it. The city needs to be made more bike friendly. Give people another reason to get out of their car.

    I'm in Dublin


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    #5
    penexpers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭penexpers


    unionman wrote: »
    The kind of things I want to cover are;
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?
    1. 2 year
    2. 11.5km each way
    3. Bus
    4. Pedestrians crossing at traffic lights, vehicles parked in cycle lanes, mopeds using cycle lanes.
    5. Cycle lanes that are seperated from the road by bollards.
    6. Gliding past the lines and lines of traffic in rush hour.
    7. The risks of being seriously injured.
    8. Pretty bleak at the moment, the free bikes scheme might make some difference, but I think cyclists need to be better protected by the law before cycling can take off in this city.


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    #6
    rp
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 1,227 ✭✭✭rp


    1. 7yrs
    2. 40km/24miles
    3. None
    4. Vehicles overtaking not leaving a safe distance & pulling-in
    5. Removal of cycle lanes combined with enforcement of Rules of the Road
    6. Endorphins
    7. Poor quality of equipment available
    8. Will increase to c. 30% of all commute modes, within two years

    BTW, commute is Maynooth/Citywest - not Urban(e) enough for this article?


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    #7
    macinalli
    Registered Users Posts: 907 ✭✭✭macinalli


    unionman wrote: »
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    1. About 6 months
    2. 24 km
    3. Car; train/bus combo
    4. Motorists cutting you off; bad surfaces in bike lanes
    5. Separate the bike lanes from the main traffic and make them wider. Also, don't use bike lanes as a handy place for manholes - a crap surface affects us a lot more than car drivers!
    6. Getting to work in a good mood & feeling refreshed.
    7. Inconsiderate drivers - some people are completely oblivious to how dangerous their driving is
    8. Safety is the biggest barrier to getting more people out of their cars


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    #8
    unionman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,087 ✭✭✭unionman


    rp wrote: »
    BTW, commute is Maynooth/Citywest - not Urban(e) enough for this article?

    Not at all, this is perfect as the emphasis is on the 'commute' experience!

    Thanks for the input so far everyone, please remember to PM me your real name for inclusion in the article (and thanks to those who have alredy done so).

    Hope to set up the photo before the end of the week.

    Cheers
    U.


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    #9
    Bicyclegadabout
    Closed Accounts Posts: 378 ✭✭Bicyclegadabout


    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    7 months

    2. How far do you travel daily?
    Just under 25km/day

    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    There’s a bus but it’s impractical. Commuting by bus and foot would take anywhere from 2 and a half hours to 4 hours a day. (cycling is just over an hour a day, every day.) Also, my bus route was affected by the strike.

    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    Dealing with poorly thought out, poorly managed cycling facilities. General lack of consideration and awareness from all road users (motorists, other cyclists and pedestrians).

    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    Too many to mention, but the attitude of the general public and government policy needs to be completely changed.

    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    The freedom it provides, as opposed to relying on public transport.
    Cost.
    Functional exercise.
    Arriving to work fresh and alert.

    7. What's the worst?
    The contempt in which it is held, which is mostly ill-conceived, tabloidesque nonsense. It distracts everyone from thinking about the real causes of, and solutions to, traffic problems.

    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?
    Government policy needs to get completely rid of its car-centric attitude, otherwise everyone will continue to waste time and money sitting in traffic.
    Cycling is the best way to get around the city for most people most of the time. I think more and more people are realising this, but it needs to be encouraged.


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    #10
    daymobrew
    Registered Users Posts: 6,501 ✭✭✭daymobrew


    1. 14 years
    2. 18 miles/28km
    3. Train
    4. Dangerous drivers.
    5. More/better on-road cycle tracks. Shower and secure bike parking facilities at work.
    6. Mostly unaffected by traffic jams; exercise; moral high ground :p
    7. Inconsiderate/dangerous road users.
    8. The alleged dangers keep many people away from cycling. Lack of facilities at work limits things too. The lack of cycle tracks is also discouraging.

    Not available for photo op.


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    #11
    HJ Simpson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 159 ✭✭HJ Simpson


    1) 17 Years
    2) 15 Miles a day
    3) Car, Bus, Luas
    4) Vechicles turning without looking. Pedestrians crossing without looking. Other cyclist being morons-not stopping at lights etc. Poor road/cycletrack conditions
    5) Encourage employers to offer better conditions (showers/secure bike parking etc)
    6) Knowing roughly how long it takes to get to and from work regardless of traffic. Staying healthy while cycling to work.
    7) Keeps you fit/is enjoyable
    8) Wind/being invisible to other road users
    9) As the traffic is getting worse I see more people turning to bicycle to get to work.

    PM on the way I am available Thursday and Friday only this and all next week.


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    #12
    Bicyclegadabout
    Closed Accounts Posts: 378 ✭✭Bicyclegadabout


    Bicyclegadabout wrote: »
    General lack of consideration and awareness from all road users (motorists, other cyclists and pedestrians).

    Oops,
    I of course meant here that there are inconsiderate and unaware motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. I didn't mean that *all* road users are inconsiderate or lacking awareness :o


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    #13
    p15574
    Registered Users Posts: 756 ✭✭✭p15574


    1. 4 years
    2. 27 Km
    3. Bus
    4. Motorists - turning left, breaking red lights, blocking cycle lanes when they are stopped and trying to merge with traffic; other cyclist not obeying ROTR and not having hi-vis gear or lights
    5. Have access to bike lanes (many have huge kerbs with no way up - no cyclist is going to stop when you have momentum to lift a bike up); separation of cycle lane from traffic to protect cyclists (kind of contradicts the previous point!); Better design of cycle lanes - by a CYCLIST, not an engineer - a lot look well, but are totally impractical and so are ignored; ensure roadworks on cycle lanes restore proper surface afterwards; tax breaks for purchase of bikes
    6. Exercise, reliable journey duration (no longer waiting for buses that just don't turn up)
    7. The fear I may never see nmy children again
    8. OK so far, needs to be pushed. Law-breakig cyclists need to be reined in in order to gain the respect of motorists. Continental initiatives that are heading here, of hiring bikes, is good (but what about helmets/lights?)


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    #14
    littlejukka
    Closed Accounts Posts: 423 ✭✭littlejukka


    1-2 years
    2-14km
    3-Bus, Car, Luas
    4-Inconsiderate motorists, thoughtless parking, kerb-clipping on narrow Dublin roads
    5-Better cycle paths, protection from traffic, better driver education (to promote cyclist awareness)
    6-The predictable time for the trip to work
    7-The constant level of awareness required of un-neccasary dangers from others
    8-If Dublin City Council cop on to the fact that people want to cycle and provide decent facilities, i think people will only use it more and more. Here's hoping!


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    #15
    thesunwashot
    Closed Accounts Posts: 91 ✭✭thesunwashot


    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    5 years

    2. How far do you travel daily?
    28km. Knocklyon to Clontarf. I know...

    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    I could take the bus but unless I get up VERY early it is a two bus, 2.5 hour journey across the city.

    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    There is very little respect for cyclists from motorists. Cycling across town feels very dangerous. The cycle lanes are mostly a joke and are especially bad in older areas of the city. Some of the lanes I use stop being cycle lanes at 7pm so you then have heavy traffic and no lane. crazy.

    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    More cycle lanes. Fewer people driving. Compared to other cities I have lived in the quality of the public transport is awful in Dublin. The investment needs to be made before people's attitudes are going to change. It seems the government are waiting for some kind of spontaneous mass desire to use buses before putting more buses on.

    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    Faster than any other way of getting around in Dublin. The freedom of it is nice and it is a good way to start the day.

    7. What's the worst?
    It can be pretty miserable in the rain but the traffic situation is the worst thing about Dublin cycling.

    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?
    People will cycle if good safe cycle lanes become widespread. My hopes aren't high for the government stepping in and sorting this out though.


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    #16
    flickerx
    Registered Users Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭flickerx


    1. How long have you been cycling to work?

    For about seven years. For about three and a half years a longer, more serious distance.

    2. How far do you travel daily (round trip)?

    About 12 miles.

    3. What other travel options are open to you?

    Dublin Bus. The service is OK, but I cant handle it. Some days I get home early on the bus, other days you could be waiting forever and a day, the bus can be crowded... with the bike you're moving at your own pace, you're the master of your own destiny - at least for 45 minutes when you have to commute.

    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?

    Drivers driving in the bike lanes. My biggest bugbear. If I wasnt such a chicken, I'd slash the tyres of every car that did it.

    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?

    Ban all cars, forever. I'm serious. They're killing the planet - its either them or us.

    6. What's the best thing about cycling?

    The discovery of the completely unexpected ability to delay orgasm for a very long period of time during sexual intercourse from the increased stamina from cycling a longer distance.

    7. What's the worst?

    Heavy rain and wind blasting the face off you. But it still beats sitting in traffic.

    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    As long as people vote for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in large numbers for the City Council, nothing will ever change - those parties (and to a lesser extent the others) only care about promoting business and money in this city - which means development without due consideration for the quality of life. This political thinking filters down to everything in the City Council, from the planners to the architects, the managers and the officials. Prime example is the recent renovation of O'Connell Street. Most of the bicycle parking bars were removed and not replaced. You now have the ridiculous situation of people having to lock their bikes to the new trees because the few bars that are there are always full. But why is there space on the street, yet no bike locks? Because its being held over for a commercial venture, where people can rent bikes with their credit cards, in conjunction with JC Decaux who'll put advertising hoardings up in return for providing the bikes, which you have to pay for. Meanwhile the ordinary commuter has to lock their bike elsewhere. Its INSANE. You go to any progressive European city and they have acres of places to lock your bikes. Copenhagen is a prime example. Getting rid of the trucks from the quays was a good move but it should be the first step in a long line of measures that the city needs in order for it to turn into something other than the gridlocked hell hole it is at the moment. Congestion charges, enforced car free days, more pedestrianised zones, one lane of traffic for bicycles only (or better yet no cars, full stop), income tax breaks on bicycles and higher taxes on cars and petrol, CCTV monitored parks near cop stations, proper attention given by the cops to bike theft, I could go on and on and on...


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    #17
    Bicyclegadabout
    Closed Accounts Posts: 378 ✭✭Bicyclegadabout


    flickerx wrote: »
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?

    The discovery of the completely unexpected ability to delay orgasm for a very long period of time during sexual intercourse from the increased stamina from cycling a longer distance.

    :) Because I'm a dignified and refined gadabout, I didn't want to be the first to mention that. But yes, increased levels of sexiness is certainly a major benefit of cycling.


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    #18
    tywy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,240 ✭✭✭tywy


    unionman wrote: »
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily (round trip)?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    1. About 3.5 years, since I started college
    2. About 12km I estimated from google maps
    3. Bus, Car (if Dad is kind enough to lend it to me) or a long walk
    4. Motorists not giving adequate space to manouver/ allowing me to turn right. Pedestrians trusting their ears and failing to look before they cross the road. Also there is a primary school on my road so I'm at risk to being 'doored'. I've seen it happen a few times.
    5. Cyclists need to be given more respect on the road, all road users need to be better educated in order to improve road safety in general. More good quality cycle lanes.
    6. It wakes you up before you get into lectures rather than falling asleep on a roasting bus.
    7. Having to cycle home in the rain after a long day at college.
    8. I don't see a lot of people will take it up as it's generally seen as unsafe. Unless there's an improvement in road safety, I don't see more people cycling in the future.


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    #19
    davidsatelle100
    Registered Users Posts: 503 ✭✭✭davidsatelle100


    How long have you been cycling to work\school?

    About 20 years, last 14 to work

    How far do you travel daily (round trip)?

    about 14km a day

    What other travel options are open to you?

    Bus but thats not really an option

    What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?

    The dreaded door

    What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?

    Secure areas in the city centre\shopping centres to enable people to feel safe leaving a bike. I have secure and covered bike racks in work and as a result i dont even think of any other method of commuting

    What's the best thing about cycling?

    Speed of commute which leads to more time to spend with the family

    What's the worst?



    What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    Very little, there is no investment in cycle lanes and cycle lanes that are there now are just car parks. The lack of secure facilities in the major areas of the city.

    People who are currently cycling will do so until the cant any more, there will be a small percentage each year who will decide its the only way to get to work but the vast majority will be put off by the lack of safe cycle lanes and the weather.


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    #20
    flickerx
    Registered Users Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭flickerx


    Bicyclegadabout wrote: »
    :) Because I'm a dignified and refined gadabout, I didn't want to be the first to mention that. But yes, increased levels of sexiness is certainly a major benefit of cycling.

    Seriously - I had no idea. Not wanting to derail this thread, and trying to avoid any detail which might embarrass some contributors, but I was with someone recently for the first time in ages, following a year of a much longer cycle than usual. Don't want to sound like a boasting moron here, but they came long before I did (and then again, it was... perfect.). I didn't understand what was going on with me! I was thinking it was just from getting older, but that didn't make any sense either. Only thing I could put it down to was the extra cycling.


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    #21
    rob1891
    Registered Users Posts: 1,038 ✭✭✭rob1891


    unionman wrote: »
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily (round trip)?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    1. 14 years
    2. 6km
    3. Bus
    4. Parked cars (in cycling lane & door openings), traffic turning left, traffic driving in cycle lane, heavy vehicles (buses)
    5. General awareness of cyclists, improved on road cycle lanes, a program like Velib in Paris
    6. Time-saving, Flexible, Green, Economical and Fun
    7. Having your space encroached on by other traffic
    8. As the fastest and most popular way to cross town

    In Dublin 6 at present

    Rob


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    #22
    unionman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,087 ✭✭✭unionman


    flickerx wrote: »
    Seriously - I had no idea. Not wanting to derail this thread, and trying to avoid any detail which might embarrass some contributors, but I was with someone recently for the first time in ages, following a year of a much longer cycle than usual. Don't want to sound like a boasting moron here, but they came long before I did (and then again, it was... perfect.). I didn't understand what was going on with me! I was thinking it was just from getting older, but that didn't make any sense either. Only thing I could put it down to was the extra cycling.

    Well, you may have just hit upon a way to make cycling a LOT more attractive to other commuters:D

    A decisive message at the heart of a promotional campaign perhaps?

    I probably have as much as I need to file the article, but I have only heard from Dublin, or near Dublin commuters. If there are any Galway / Limerick or Cork bike commuters out there please get in touch.

    Also, so far contributors are all male. I know that in Dublin, male cyclists outnumber female cyclists considerably. If there are any women out there reading the thread, please get in touch too.

    Sincere thanks to all of you for taking the time to contribute to the thread, and for your follow-up PM's. I am extremely grateful to you all.

    U.


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    #23
    p15574
    Registered Users Posts: 756 ✭✭✭p15574


    Just a few further observations...

    a) regarding what someone else said about showering in work, if my employer didn't have shower facilities, I wouldn't be able to cycle (at least, not without stinking out my colleagues!), so infrastructure in the OFFICE is as important as infrastructure on the ROADS.

    b) on the subject of the downsides, I completely forgot about the weather. Yes, cycling in a downpour is pretty miserable, you need a backup like public transport (hey, I'm not a masochist!)

    c) Agree totally about the need for more, sorry, scratch that, ANY secure cycle parking facilities. I wouldn't cycle only for the fact the cycle park is in a secure underground carpark in work. If I want to cycle anywhere else, I'm put off by the lack of anywhere to lock the bike ("Bicycles locked here will be removed" etc) - totally bike-UNfriendly

    d) No comment on the perceived, eh, side effects, except to say it's a good headline angle for your piece (no pun intended)


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    #24
    LDB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 445 ✭✭LDB


    From a female commuter in Dublin...

    1. 3.5 years
    2. 24k
    3. Dart or Bus
    4. Poor road surfaces
    5. Compulsory facilities in office of a certain size i.e. bike parking, showers, lockers. Well kept cycle paths that are for bikes only and do not allow cars to pull into or park in.
    6. Exercise, knowing how long it takes to get to work, time to wind down after a day at work
    7. Dealing with nasty weather the odd time
    8. I'm not sure, I think we are getting more lazy as the years go by. iI there were significant tax incentives and good facilities in work / college that would make people think more about doing it.


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    #25
    CountryWise
    Closed Accounts Posts: 661 ✭✭✭CountryWise


    How long have you been cycling to work? 2 years
    How far do you travel daily (round trip)? 15km
    What other travel options are open to you? Bus
    What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly? Poor Surfaces,pedestrians,cyclists who cant keep to the left,sharing a cycle path with a bus and speeding taxi's
    What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive? Better surfaces, Protected bike paths e.g. a barrier between me and huge bus
    What's the best thing about cycling? Exercise and fresh air
    What's the worst? rain in this country, the danger of other motors and motorbikes using the bike lane without care
    What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city? It will go on like it has been the last few years, little progress as government doesnt really care and the roads will just get more and more packed!


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    #26
    mcgratheoin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,461 ✭✭✭mcgratheoin


    unionman wrote: »
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily (round trip)?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?
    1. Last 2 years in Dublin, previous 2 years in Oslo
    2. about 12km
    3. unreliable bus service or walk - about the same length of time in rush hour
    4. pot holes/broken cycle lanes/erratic drivers and pedestrians
    5. better road surfaces and cycle lanes. the worst thing for a cyclist is constantly having to stop/slow down to get on and off cycle-lanes, avoid bus stops etc.. The cycle lanes in Rathfarnham are an absolute joke. The best layouts (not necessarily surface) in Dublin imo are Phoenix Park - where more signs are needed telling people to walk on the separate footpath, and Clontarf area
    6. beating the traffic. smug sense of superiority as you exercise/don't pollute/reduce traffic - take your pick :D
    7. cycling in bad weather. not bad enough to stop me cycling but everyone prefers sunshine to rain.
    8. it could have a great future, if it is promoted correctly and cyclists are looked after properly. Narrow backstreets that are mainly unused by cars could be turned into dedicated cycle ways and any urban rail project (luas/metro above ground etc..) should include a cycle path as well. Existing opportunities for cycling facilities (coastal cycle route/royal canal/tax incentives) should be exploited, as without the obvious investments being made, any further effort is difficult to take seriously.


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    #27
    RtD
    Registered Users Posts: 165 ✭✭RtD


    A commuter from home to college to work and back home.

    1. 4 months
    2. About 22km
    3. Some of the better bus routes in Dublin, including the mighty 46A
    4. Bad road surfaces, poor cycle lane positioning, oblivious drivers and slippy wet roads
    5. Improvement in the quality rather than quantity of existing cycle lanes and employers providing better parking, storage and showering facilities.
    6. Fastest way to get around at peak times, fitness and general feel good
    7. Windy or wet days, sweaty back from wearing a backpack sometimes, decreased lifetime of my jeans (due to the odd catching in the chain and also wearing through the arse of them) and when cycling home late from work (about midnight) often can't sleep for about an hour after getting off the bike
    8. Outside of road and bike parking planners, employers will have a large part to play in the uptake of cycling to work. If they realise that an employee straight off a bike in the morning is more productive from the start than an employee that just came off a bus or from a car and will need to wake up a bit more before hitting full productivity. Any investments made could be saved in coffee expenses :rolleyes:


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    #28
    Ghost Rider
    Registered Users Posts: 1,883 ✭✭✭Ghost Rider


    1. How long have you been cycling to work?

    Around 8 years (including a partial hiatus lasting a year, during which I was exiled to Planet Bray and only cycled a portion of the trip.)

    2. How far do you travel daily (round trip)?

    My round trip distance is 9-10km. It takes just 12-14 minutes each way.
    (Only a bike nerd knows details like that.)

    3. What other travel options are open to you?

    As I live and work in the city centre (Phibsboro and Ranelagh respectively), bus is the only other realistic option, but even that would involve a 10-15 minute walk at one end. In total, it would probably take between 50 and 70 minutes, which, considering the distance involved, would be lunacy.

    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?

    Since the opening of the Port Tunnel, the biggest threat now is undoubtedly private motorists (as opposed to taxis or buses). Most are pretty aware of cyclists but there are some – enough of them to pose a daily threat – who are totally oblivious of cyclists. Blocking bike lanes, turning left in front of you, veering wildly across roads while nattering on the phone, or simply swanning around while listening to music in a state of splendid isolation – the list of ways in which motorists endanger the lives of cyclists would take some time to compile.

    One classic cycling accident – and it happened to me just over two weeks ago – is to be “doored” i.e. knocked off your bike by someone opening a door without looking. Of course, cyclists should be aware of this possibility and give ample clearance for car doors, but there are streets that are simply too narrow for this to be possible e.g. Capel Street which, since Dublin City Council widened the pavements on both sides, thereby narrowing the carriage, is now absolutely lethal.

    In general, the level of road awareness among bus and tax drivers is much better than among ordinary motorists. This isn’t surprising – they’re professionals, after all – but you do see a certain casual abuse of cycle lanes from both classes of driver. Unfortunately the law does little to help the plight of cyclists in this regard.

    The other major hazard is the state of Dublin’s roads, particularly the parts of them given over to cycle paths. This is especially worrying when you bear in mind that the current legislation makes it mandatory for cyclists to use cycle paths wherever they are provided (even though, disturbingly, it does not require drivers to stay clear of them). Some of these are so riddled with pot holes that I wouldn’t even recommend a tractor drive on them, never mind a bike.

    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?

    It’s not a question of making commuting by bike seem more attractive; it’s just a question of removing the obstacles. Here’s what I mean…

    At present, the mandatory nature of the regulations concerning cycle lane usage (see no.4 above) serve as an attempt to keep cyclists out of the way of motorists. This is completely the opposite of what needs to be the case: cycle paths must be zones of protection for cyclists, not zones of banishment. To do this, motorists who drive or park in cycle paths should be penalised. At present, most of Dublin’s cycle paths are of the “optional/mandatory” designation: that is to say “optional for motorists, mandatory for cyclists”. This should be completely reversed; it should be mandatory for motorists to stay out of them, and optional for cyclists to stay in them.

    As for the optionality of cycle paths, I don’t believe this is something to worry about: the vast majority of cyclists will opt to stay within them if they believe it is safer to cycle there. This brings up the question of maintaining these paths: they have to be kept smooth (i.e. free of potholes) and, where possible, free of glass.

    When it becomes the case that cyclists are protected both by the law and by the physical condition of cycle paths, commuting by bike will automatically become more attractive. Everybody already knows how much fun it is to ride a bike! (All that said, a further incentive could be something like the “Cycle to Work” scheme in the UK, where employers are given a tax incentive to subsidise employees’ purchasing bikes.)

    6. What's the best thing about cycling?

    For me, it’s the freedom to go where I want without being constrained by pre-defined routes and the movement of others. (Interestingly, I guess this is what many drivers would state as their favourite aspect of driving; it’s just that if they said it about driving in Dublin, they’d be lying!)

    But it’s also the fact that it is enjoyable exercise. I really love it – even more than I did when I was a kid.

    There’s also a third reason – one I grow more conscious of every day. Even bearing in mind the carbon footprint of a bike made in the Far East (as so many are), cyling is a relatively clean, green way to travel. Having become painfully aware of our over-reliance on oil as a nation (and globally too) I like to think this is something I can do to make some small difference. Happily, I enjoy it too.

    7. What's the worst?

    Hazardous cycling conditions (as outlined above) are easily the worst thing about cycling.

    Also, no matter how much you invest in expensive rain gear and such, there’s still no real solution to the problem of the Irish climate. It’s an ongoing issue, no matter what people say. One particular question that persists for many (including myself) seems to be how to stay dry from rain without having to wear clothes that are so warm you sweat enough to make you as wet as you would get from the rain!

    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    Given the impending global energy crisis, cycling will of necessity become more and more popular. But with a better policy climate in Ireland, cycling could become that popular much sooner. I really think it’s a political issue.

    Until you can say that car drivers are completely irrational to be driving, it’ll probably remain a political issue. At present, public transport and the obvious hazards associated with cycling render the choice of many people to drive all too rational (- not all people; some are simply in denial). When the choice to drive in Dublin city centre becomes fully irrational, and therefore utterly indefensible, I reckon we’ll see them stopping in their droves.


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    #29
    SerialComplaint
    Registered Users Posts: 2,644 ✭✭✭SerialComplaint


    unionman wrote: »
    The kind of things I want to cover are;
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily (round trip)?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?
    1) 18 months approx
    2) 10 miles
    3) Luas/walk - Sometimes I take this on a wet day, car (depending on family arrangements)
    4) Cars driving so close to the kerb that they leave no room for cyclists, cars driving the wrong way down a narrow one-way street on my route
    5) Better workplace facilities - a locker big enough to take a suit, drying space, maybe even a towel service (as is provided in one public body here)
    6) Building exercise into my daily routine, so no need to go to gym early/late
    7) Lack of support for cyclists and cycling from Gardai and local authorities
    8) It is unlikely that numbers cycling will expand without more positive support from the authorities.


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    #30
    delta_bravo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭delta_bravo


    What union is this for?


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    #31
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,483 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    unionman wrote: »
    The kind of things I want to cover are;
    1. How long have you been cycling to work?
    2. How far do you travel daily (round trip)?
    3. What other travel options are open to you?
    4. What are the greatest hazards you encounter regularly?
    5. What improvements do you think are necessary to make commuting by bike more attractive?
    6. What's the best thing about cycling?
    7. What's the worst?
    8. What kind of future do you think cycling has in the city?

    I'm in Waterford,

    - Been cycling to/from work for about 5-6 years here in Waterford, but cycling over all since I was like 8 years old

    - Commutate vary's, but I'd say about 5miles

    - Walking, getting the bus or getting a lift with a friend

    - Motorists breaking red lights, motorists changing lanes without indicating or checking the lane is clear before hand, motorists passing to close at speed. Cars hugging the kerb which makes it difficult to pass

    - Better bike racks at work (once that don't buckle wheels), perhaps so employee discount for buying a bike, employers could encourage bike use as it cuts down on sick days as generally speaking cyclists tend to be more health, cyclists also don't need car spaces so this cuts down on space required paid/rented by company.

    - Best thing is fact I can get into town in almost half the time of a car, I feel better, when I get to work in the morning I'm lovely and warm even on a cold morning, I know I'm doing my bit to reduce by carbon footprint

    - Rain, motorists who are careless and pedestrians who cross the road and walk out infront of you because they cross with there ears and not their eye's

    - Reducing people's carboon footprint and as such reducing the tax they tax they will have to pay, improving quality of life so instead of taking 40min to travel 4 miles they can do it in less the half that via bike


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