Car Free Day a 'joke', claims cycling campaign

Victor

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0922/breaking78.htm

Car Free Day a 'joke', claims cycling campaign
MARY MINIHAN

Car Free Day has been described as "meaningless joke" by the Dublin Cycling Campaign (DCC).

In Dublin, Merrion Square West was closed today from 7am to 7pm for a family fun day.

However, the chairman of the DCC, , Dr Mike McKillen, dismissed the move as "meaningless".

"Dublin City does not sign up because it isn't prepared to close the streets in a meaningful way. It's a joke. It's tokenism," said Dr McKillen.

A small number of Dublin Cycling Campaign members cycled from the Spire in O'Connell Street to the Department of Justice on St Stephen's Green to highlight the problem of dangerous overtaking in the city.

They said motorists should leave a distance of 1.5 metres between their vehicle and the bicycle they are overtaking.

"We don't need new laws. We just need effective and proper road traffic law enforcements," Dr McKillen said.

"We need to change the standard of Irish driving. You see totally different behaviour in the way French and German drivers interact with cyclists.

"Most drivers don't seem to understand there's an offence out there called dangerous overtaking. If drivers are skimming past us, that's dangerous overtaking."

Dr McKillen also conceded that there were some "errant cyclists" on the streets.

Meanwhile, AA Roadwatch spokesman Conor Faughnan said Car Free Day had little impact on traffic levels.

"The effect on traffic has been minimal. It's a benign idea, a well-meaning initiative. But the reality is that in Dublin you can't do without your car. We are acutely short on public transport by international standards. That's the source of our problems, not us using out cars," he said.

"The vast majority are in their car for want of choice. Too often it's easy to assume that the people causing the problems are the people using cars, rather than caused by people not having options in terms of public transport.

"A great many car users would gladly take a tube if there was one."

Also: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0922/1221998221919.html?via=rel

...it was a car free day today?

sickle

...it was a car free day today?

exactly, they could have advertised it a bit better!
should i have paid on the bus today or is it only supposed to be free off peak? i can't remember what happened in previous years.

From Victor's link:

Car Free Day uses art and play to foster alternatives

TIM O'BRIEN

Mon, Sep 22, 2008

CAR FREE Day takes place across Europe today and motorists can expect some diversions across towns and cities in Ireland.

In Dublin there will be road closure at Merrion Square West, the Gallery side from 7am to 7pm for a family fun day in the park.

There will be a presentation by the Road Safety and Training Unit of Dublin City Council. A competition is being run with a prize of a bicycle. All entrants will receive a hi-visibility jacket.

There will also be a market area (11am to 7pm) with a variety of hot and cold foods available. Live music will be provided between noon and 3.30pm.

An artist has been commissioned to create a mandala, which is similar to the Tibetan sand paintings. This piece will incorporate various Tibetan symbols associated with the theme for European mobility week - Clean Air For All.

The Dublin Transportation Office and Dublin Bus will also help animate the area by having information stands and giving advice as regards tax-saving schemes and One Small Step, the campaign to encourage alternatives to the use of the car.

In Ballymun the Green Transport Challenge which starts at 8am at the Civic Centre on Ballymun's Main Street will see people travel to Dublin city centre in as fast a time as possible.

The bus and bicycle will be pitted against the car, in a challenge to cross the finish line at the Department of Transport offices in Kildare Street.

© 2008 The Irish Times

But... but... but... schools are back, most colleges (bar Trinity) are back, it's a Monday so people are in work. Why have a presentation on Road Safety/'festival'/assorted 'fun' activities on when no-one is there to see it?!

cyclopath2001

sickle wrote: »

exactly, they could have advertised it a bit better!

I think it was mentioned on radio as a 'mobility options' exhibition.

The least they could have done was to remove the rule forcing cyclists to share cycle tracks with cars, even just for one day.

Vélo

I only heard about this on my "drive" home yesterday.

I cycled in today so maybe that cancels it out.

unionman

I'm guessing the total absence of publicity is down to the ban on advertising spending imposed by the government during the summer.

Put this so-called 'car free day' out of its misery, the net effect is zero.

And I only just heard about it now by seeing this thread!

Harrybelafonte

I wonder if they made public transport free and put on extra buses and stuff would people take it up?

The article just says there were free buses to Ballymun.

CreepingDeath

Myth wrote: »

...it was a car free day today?

99.9% of the time I get the bus in... had to bring the car in to the garage.
Only day I drive in is car free day !

Feck those cycling muppets... the amount of times they hold up a bus full of 100 people on the N4 is ridiculous.

Ghost Rider

Getting someone to do a Buddhist mandala on car-free day also reinforces the link (strong in the minds of some) between cycling and hippy-dom.

Don't get me wrong: I have no problem with Buddhism, patchouli oil or the movies of Richard Gere (except for "Pretty Woman") but I do resent the assumption that just because you cycle a bike, you're probably a lentil-loving new ager who lives in a tree and pays daily tribute to the earth goddess, Gaia.

It's true that it takes nuts of considerable numbness to make this assumption but I've been surprised to come across it recently in someone who should know better. Also: so many drivers nowadays are so infuriated by the sheer freedom of cyclists, it wouldn't surprise me if this kind of thinking became a reactionary badge of honour among some of them.

Gavin

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Feck those cycling muppets... the amount of times they hold up a bus full of 100 people on the N4 is ridiculous.

True

Harrybelafonte

DCC do nothing to encourage the general public to cycle, their "activities" only reinforce stereotypes of hippy self-righteous cyclists and ostracise the public in general. They might convince people of the same leanings to start but it's not a valid approach to changing attitudes to transport

Plus I'd like to add that emphasising how close drivers come to bikes when overtaking (not something I've personally experienced) only reinforces the fears many have that put them off cycling.

Morgan

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Feck those cycling muppets... the amount of times they hold up a bus full of 100 people on the N4 is ridiculous.

DAMN THEM!!! DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL!!! :mad::eek::mad:

Harrybelafonte

Morgan wrote: »

DAMN THEM!!! DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL!!! :mad::eek::mad:

F'kin hipsters - all riding fixed

Petrolium Hat

Northside dart services weren't running at rush our in and out yesterday. Brilliant advertisement for leaving your car at home.