JC Decaux a total disaster for Paris in just 18 Months. What hope for Dublin

Halfrauds

penexpers wrote: »

Steel is better for this kind of application and they already have 3 speed internal gear hub and a rigid fork. From looking at the Paris ones too they have Schwalbe Marathon Runner tires, the dynamo lights, the baskets, the two-legged integrated kick stand. It's pretty easy to write them off as over-valued, but I think if this bike was to ever retail in Ireland it wouldn't be far off 600 euro, probably a lot more.

Yup youre right steel is better. But if you look at the bigger picture i think for these bikes they should keep the weight low and the comfort high, yes steel is more comfy than aluminium, BUT if you look at the other parts the weight just piles up:o, so i think you could compensate somewhat with aluminium. Also the geometry on them is pretty awful too.

I just think for e400 they could have done alot better.

if I build a steel bike, ill put light parts on to compensate for the weight in the frame. But the heavier the bike the harder to push so *some* will find it difficult to cycle, therefore dismissing cycling a a whole:(.

Similar bike would be the raleigh metro , which ive seen around the 2-300 mark, RETAIL.

I just think we are getting ripped:o

Halfrauds

petethedrummer wrote: »

Why don't you write a letter of complaint or phone your local TD/Councillor?

I have, ive also told that finian mc grath gob****e, what i taught of him while he feebley withdrew his governmant support, hes all yes yes well do somthing but he doesnt he just deals with the population of coolock/darndale/kilmore

Politics are the same, your only listened to if

A) you have money and therefore voter influence

or

dis-advantaged, black, foreign, traveller, because when you give them facilities they **** them up, but it gives a good photo opertunity in election year:rolleyes:


When your normal and work,like the majority, you have to pay for all this crap through taxes.

All politicians are the same, full of ****, weak, liars and afraid to grab a situation by the balls.

they have plenty of complaint letters at the moment i, they do feck all about it.

kinda funny how if writing a letter of complaint gets you somplace, when the areas with traditionally high illetracy and education get most.

Gavin

Halfrauds wrote: »

when the areas with traditionally high illetracy and education get most.

High what ?

Halfrauds

Gavin wrote: »

High what ?

exactly:D

maybe i should not spell check letters for politicians!LOL

bobbbb

I heard today from someone i know on the inside that they may be postponing these til 2010 due to "administrative problems". I hope nit

petethedrummer

Halfrauds wrote: »

All politicians are the same, full of ****, weak, liars and afraid to grab a situation by the balls.

I half agree with you, but they are they people the populace keep voting in. The country gets the politicians it deserves.

ODS

Halfrauds wrote: »

All politicians are the same, full of ****, weak, liars and afraid to grab a situation by the balls.

While I understand you frustrations I wouldn't necessarily agree - there are plenty of councillors I know who work their holes off and get feck all credit for it.

However

If you want to know the primary politician responsible for pushing this dumb ass deal onto the city, it's a Labour Cllr based in Ballymun by the name of Andrew Montague - combined primarily with officials who concluded the deal without the knowledge/ assent of the council. Here's your culprit: http://www.labour.ie/andrewmontague/

Btw Ballymun got a number of the new billboards including one advertising alcohol outside the primary school the day I passed, and also got loads of bikes... well eh no actually - no bikes, just billboards is what Ballymun got. What a dumbass (being kind) - he should be run from every door when he goes canvassing for the upcoming local elections

bobbbb wrote: »

I heard today from someone i know on the inside that they may be postponing these til 2010 due to "administrative problems". I hope nit

What? You mean the "free" bikes that were to arrive in 2007 aren't going to turn up this year? Billboards have been let out for adverts since last summer... Next you'll be telling me the tooth fairy doesn't exist

The sooner Dubliners wake up and realise that they have been robbed by an outrageous scheme that has dumped ugly and dangerous units onto areas where they knew there would be least opposition, (ie not D4/ D6), the better!

Wake up folks, we have been robbed blind and no-one is being made accountable - just like other rot at the top of this rotten little state :mad::mad::mad:

blorg

I know Andrew Montague and he's a hard-working councillor and a keen cyclist IIRC. I talked with him before about cycling issues and he is more on the ball with these than most. I'm sure he will respond to your concerns if you email him (preferably something coherent ). Personally I think the bike scheme is a great idea, the only potential problems may lie in the implementation (will there be enough bikes/enough stations?)

Ryaner

blorg wrote: »

I know Andrew Montague and he's a hard-working councillor and a keen cyclist IIRC. I talked with him before about cycling issues and he is more on the ball with these than most. I'm sure he will respond to your concerns if you email him (preferably something coherent ). Personally I think the bike scheme is a great idea, the only potential problems may lie in the implementation (will there be enough bikes/enough stations?)

The biggest problem is with the planning. Those signs should never have been allowed up where they are.

Dyr

blorg wrote: »

I know Andrew Montague and he's a hard-working councillor and a keen cyclist IIRC. I talked with him before about cycling issues and he is more on the ball with these than most. I'm sure he will respond to your concerns if you email him (preferably something coherent ). Personally I think the bike scheme is a great idea, the only potential problems may lie in the implementation (will there be enough bikes/enough stations?)

I'd call montague something else altogether.

ODS

blorg wrote: »

I'm sure he will respond to your concerns if you email him (preferably something coherent )

Shove your snippy little arrogant comments and pointless suggestions up your hole :mad:

Montague is a muppet - he defended this scheme on radio before it was built when it was pointed out that there would be far too many problems than benefits. What point is there emailing him now - is he going to deconstruct the units? A muppet suggestion

I am a cyclist and my city has been made a lot more dangerous by these units which block sightlines of motorists & also visually distract - this is why any that were appealed to An Bord Pleanála were shot down when they were in non-pedestrianized zones... Problem was, thanks to gobsh!tes such as Montague, JC Decaux was let apply for one development as over 130 separate applications - and so it would have cost over €30,000 to appeal and have had all units of the one development independently judged. It' is like hhaving to appeal a hhouse brick-by-brick.

Perhaps you like the old communist way of doing things - where decisions are made behind peoples backs, and people are denied any democratic input, because that's exactly what happened here.

All Montague saw was bikes. All the bikes were was a trojan horse for billboards. Natives and trinkets, simple as - and Montague shoved it through along with city officials behind closed doors.

As Ryaner says the billboards should never be where they are... So blorg kindly shove your unhelpful, arrogant, condescending, pointless, advice where the sun doesn't shine, and don't bother directing anymore such inane comments in my direction again.

Gavin

Aggressive, uncalled for and inappropriate. Reporting !

blorg

I don't deny there are big safety problems with the signs- this thread is (was?) however about discussing the bike scheme end of the deal. There is a good thread over in motors dealing with the sign safety issues where MadsL has done sterling work documenting the problems.

The "coherent" suggestion was more directed at Halfrauds than yourself ODS so apologies if you took offence. There has been a lot of ranting on this thread about our useless politicians but no-one seems to have taken any effort to contact one it appears. Similarly there has been a fair bit of incoherent ranting about the bike design in Paris from people who have never actually ridden them :rolleyes:

ODS

blorg wrote: »

The "coherent" suggestion was more directed at Halfrauds than yourself ODS so apologies if you took offence.

I did take offense as it was me that first mentioned Montague's name, and hence it was perfectly reasonable to believe that the comment was aimed at me.

For the record, I have emailed politicians on the matter - and it's worth noting my previous post acknowledged that there are a fair number whose hard work goes unappreciated - I don't like to tar all with the same brush.

However I stand over my comments re Montague - he has been directly involved in delivering new dangers onto the streets, as was reported by the Herald some weeks ago, based on an investigation published by Plan magazine:


Billboards on city's streets are 'not safe'

By Cormac Murphy

Friday November 28 2008

AN internal report has claimed that the majority of Dublin City Council's new on-street advertising panels are "deficient regarding road safety".

The allegation was made in Plan Magazine following an investigation by journalist Ruadhan MacEoin.

Despite the findings of the report, the panels were nonetheless deemed compliant with road safety standards.

It was also discovered that there was still no schedule for an independent safety audit, although the vast majority of the panels are in place.

The advertising space was provided by the council to the French company JC Decaux as part of a deal which will see rental bikes at locations across the city.

In his investigation, Mr MacEoin also found that billboards were erected on roads known to have a bad safety record, while alcohol adverts are now flashing outside schools.

On request by councillors, city officials conducted an internal audit whereby 32 site inspections were carried out in the city centre.

Some 46 sites do not appear to have been inspected.

"In total, of the 78 metropole units, about 50 raise problems in terms of road safety or are located on dangerous roads, the investigation found.

"Despite this, the independent safety audit required has not even been advertised for contract -- with no timetable apparent as to when it is likely to be carried out," the architectural magazine stated.

A recent council report scotched fears it will be held financially liable for any injury claims relating to the "billboards for bicycles scheme".

The report was the local authority's most detailed public document so far on the much-hyped project.

Revenue

It states: "It should be noted that while a tariff for the use of the bike scheme has not been finalised as yet, any revenue from the scheme will go to Dublin City Council."

In relation to the bicycle stations, Mr Keogan said "each individual site will require a customised design which in turn must be manufactured".

"It is expected that ground works on the installation of the bike stations will commence in March 2009 and that the bike scheme will be operational by May 2009," the document added.

The report stated JC Decaux has confirmed they have a public liability policy in place.

- Cormac Murphy

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/billboards-on-citys-streets-are-not-safe-1556470.html

In my opinion, if and when pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users are injured or killed owing to motorists who have not been able to see them, Montague must be held to account... And if it does happen to be a death rather than injury, I understand that there are provisions under the Corporate Manslaughter Act which may then become relevant.

Halfrauds

I dont need to ride a overpriced heap of ****e, to know that it s a overpriced heap of ****.:p

I also know that we are getting ripped off big time.

studiorat

...

DECEMBER ISSUE - PLAN MAGAZINE, Ireland's leading architectural publication, has conducted a major investigation the results of which are published in our current issue. In conducting our research, we uncovered key findings including:

Dublin City Council's own internal report finds majority of units inspected to be deficient regarding road safety yet units nonetheless deemed as compliant

No schedule yet for the independent safety audit, although vast majority of units are in place.

JC Decaux's list of 50 predominantly already obsolete billboards accepted as complying with the condition that sought to reduce 100 billboards around the city

Billboards erected on roads known to have a bad safety record

Alcohol adverts now flashing outside schools

"Having published the previously secret rezoning map in April used to deliver the Decaux scheme, Plan Magazine lifts the lid and again further exposes significant new shortcomings some of which are potential public safety hazards."
Synopsis of our findings:

1. On request by councillors, city officials conducted an internal audit whereby 32 site inspections were carried out in city-centre areas, primarily on the smaller "metropanel" units, now freestanding on footpaths. Twenty-seven had been erected at time of inspection, yet of the units only eight appear to be completely free from "road user infringements". Although the majority appear to have deficiencies in terms of road safety and could be potentially dangerous, such as "blind spots" (council's own description) and sightlines blocked, all bar one have been deemed to be compliant.

2. Forty-six other units, primarily the larger "metropole" type, do not appear to have been inspected; however Plan Magazine has correlated data provided by the Gardai with locations of development, and it appears that approximately 25 have been built on roads known to have bad history of accidents. (Any of the larger "metropole" units that were appealed to An Bord Pleanála were shot down, primarily because of road safety concerns; in contrast Dublin City Council approved 100% all such applications in the first instance. No Environmental Impact Assessment was ever carried out.)

3. In total, of the 78 "metropole" and "metropanel" units, approximately 50 raise problems in terms of road safety, or are located on dangerous roads. Despite this the independent safety audit required has not even been advertised for contract with no timetable apparent as to when it is likely to be carried out.

4. The condition stipulating a cleanup of the city by the removal of 100 billboards has seemingly been retrospectively changed to 50, yet the evidence of decommissioned hoardings by JC Decaux appears to have significant peculiarities. Of the 50 units, 30 roads and streets are listed – yet only 20 of these are identifiable with specific numbers provided. Having conducted site examinations of the locations, Plan Magazine has discovered that many of the sites were already under or effected by redevelopment, including in one case state land where a garda station is being built, while in other instances it appears that some addresses provided do not exist.

5. Other matters including alcohol adverts outside schools such as on Dorset Street, land ownership issues, estimates of the scheme being worth €150 million, liability questions and more!

bobbbb

Can i just have my bikes now please.
Ive tried these out in other cities. They're fantastic.