Council wants 30km/h limit to make Dublin safer for cyclists

SerialComplaint

Perhaps something might come of the JC Decaux debacle - see http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0927/1222419966379.html
- Maybe they should focus on enforcing the existing limit before reducing it.

Ciaran500

More reasons for motorists to hate us

Gavin

Bit dubious as to if this makes cyclists safer. Any research or statistics done on it, anyone know ?

I suppose it would mean that cyclists could comfortably cycle in the middle of the lane without cars behind trying to overtake as the cyclist can easily cycle at 30km/h.

Harrybelafonte

I say unenforceable, turn more motorists against cyclists and they should concentrate on enforcing laws already in place, one of which becoming more pertinent as days get darker - Proper visibility for cyclists and bit of media effort in increasing drivers awareness of cyclists' presence in the darker days.

Stark

Try driving at 50km/hr without someone trying to get around you. I can't see anyone obeying the 30km/hr limit. Also, most casual cyclists cycle at significantly less than 30km/hr

mikemac

Verb wrote: »

the cyclist can easily cycle at 30km/h.

Not all cyclists can

xz

They want to try reparing the cycle lanes first, if they want to worry about cyclists safety.
I'm pretty fed up being blown out of it by drivers when I'm on the road.

Oh, and the best one of all is when they beep you in the bus lane, when they shouldn't be there either.

311

I can see this turning into a farce pretty quickly. There'll be all sorts of people looking for the limit outside there homes.

Chips Lovell

Dear god no. You can make good time on the quays. I don't want to be slowed down to 30kph.

72hundred

Could a cyclist be charged with speeding if going faster that 30kph? I'd exceed 30kph regularly around town, if not the majority of the time.

As far as I know, cyclists are not charged with speeding but something like cycling/travelling dangerously.

Chips Lovell

72hundred wrote: »

Could a cyclist be charged with speeding if going faster that 30kph? I'd exceed 30kph regularly around town, if not the majority of the time.

As far as I know, cyclists are not charged with speeding but something like cycling/travelling dangerously.

A bike is a vehicle under law, so yes, you could get done for speeding.

72hundred

el tonto wrote: »

A bike is a vehicle under law, so yes, you could get done for speeding.

That's funny! But surely one's driving licence could not receive penalty points....
Also would radar guns work on a cyclist?

EDIT: Come to think of it, getting done for speeding on a bike would like a badge of honour!:rolleyes:

Ciaran500

72hundred wrote: »

Also would radar guns work on a cyclist

They should work but I'd be surprised if you could use it in court.

Mr. Presentable

What they need to do.

Get parked cars out of cycle lanes
Get cyclists to put lights on their bike

Last night driving through Rathmines/Rathgar, in the dark, the cycle lane is full of parked cars so the cyclists are out among the traffic. But of five I passed only one had any light! Dear cyclists, please let us know you are there!

72hundred

72hundred wrote: »

That's funny! But surely one's driving licence could not receive penalty points....
Also would radar guns work on a cyclist?

EDIT: Come to think of it, getting done for speeding on a bike would like a badge of honour!:rolleyes:

In the thread last year someone mentioned how they know someone who was banned from cycling for exceeding the speed limit. Of course, this is the internet so...

72hundred

Yeah, here's the actual post.

Sounds like a real my brother's, girlfriend's, babysitter's, dog-walker.... kinda of story.

But if he was acting the complete d^^^ on the bike maybe it could have happened...

Chips Lovell

Actually, going by the legislation quoted in that older thread, it looks like I might be wrong and that speed limits only apply to mechanically propelled vehicles.

I'm exempt from speed limits. Woohoo!

blorg

A 30km/h speed limit in the city centre makes a lot of sense and I'd be all for it. It's only the _centre_, not the whole of Dublin. Makes the city safer and more comfortable for pedestrians as much as cyclists. Most cars wouldn't be travelling much faster than that in the centre anyway.

This sort of limit is commonplace in other cities.

munchhausen

In other countries you can lose you car drivers license even as a cyclist. For instance, if you are caught drunk on a bicycle in Germany you would collect a few points and you could temporarily lose your license. Similarly for running a red light.

mr potato head

Yep, living in Germany at the moment and there are plenty of laws like the loosing licence or fine for "drinking and cycling" a friend got a couple of hundred euro fine and a month without licence after a Beer festival incident.

I wouldn't mind if it was like home, but here there are reasonable bike paths everywhere here.

The thinking is if you have a drivers licence you should know better than to drink and ride or to break a light!

Increasing the numbers and quality of dedicated bike lanes/paths/routes would take priority in my opinion.

Victor

90% of pedestrians and cyclist survive accidents at 30km/h. 10-20% survive at 50km/h, so this has very real safety implications given the hundreds of thousands of people using hte city centre every day.

el tonto wrote: »

Dear god no. You can make good time on the quays. I don't want to be slowed down to 30kph.

The most anyone will be delayed is one minute - assuming they manage to reach 30km/h on the quays, which often they won't anyway.

el tonto wrote: »

A bike is a vehicle under law, so yes, you could get done for speeding.

Speed limits only apply to mechanically propelled vehicles.

I exchanged e-mails with Harry McGee, he may have a follow-up piece next weekend.

oobydooby

Victor wrote: »

90% of pedestrians and cyclist survive accidents at 30km/h. 10-20% survive at 50km/h, so this has very real safety implications given the hundreds of thousands of people using hte city centre every day.

That's how I see it too. I expect part of the philosophy is to keep unnecessary traffic out of the city, something they have been trying to do for years but for which every such initiative is undermined. Mainly by drivers having no alternative routes and inadequate public transport. The most important part of this plan should be ensuring that people have reasonable alternatives to driving through the city, before imposing an unpopular speed limit. Which roads will be 30km/hr zones and which roads will be arterial routes, (with a higher speed limit and intelligent lights sequencing presumably)?

Capt'n Midnight

30Kph would require a lot of traffic claming maybe side friction , no one likes speed bumps, maybe a different surface and REMOVE all traffic lights so drivers have to slow down at juctions OR set the lights so that at 30Km you get greens and at 60K you are guaranteed to be caught on a speed camera and get points

since a large proportion of cyclists in the city are killed by trucks and buses make sure that the 5 axle limit is enforced by refusing permits to repeat offenders

Lumen

I'm not convinced that lower speed limits make the roads safer.

Drivers are just as likely to switch off at those speeds and hit a cyclist they haven't seen.

As a car driver, it would also be bloody annoying when the roads are empty.

Safer roads are best achieved by proper road engineering and policing. Spot fines for cyclists riding without lights at night would be a start. But such measures are more expensive than throwing up a few speed limit signs...

The city bike scheme seems a bit rubbish from what I've read - poor value for the taxpayer, not enough bikes.

kenmc

I don't see it as a bad thing, but I do see it as a bit pointless unless they can enforce the limit and facilitate alternatives. As others have said most of the time traffic is going less than 30km/h anyway.
Would rather see them properly enforcing parking/driving on cycle tracks, mobile phone use, buslanes etc before a new lower speedlimit.
The only ones who will probably be affected by this new speed limit is motorbikes.