Cycling Advocacy

-Chris-

I've been thinking about cycling activists recently and wondering what they think is important to achieve and how that measures up to what the cycling community really wants or feels they need. Some of what they say makes a lot of sense, and sometimes I just feel like the loudest nutter has taken control of the asylum.


So, out of curiosity, which of these topics are worthy of lobbying about, and which are red herrings in your opinion?

Cycle Lanes
Do we need more cycle lanes?
Do we have enough lanes, but we need the condition improved?
Do we need wholesale change to cycle lanes (wider, segregated from the road, whatever)?
Do you prefer off-road Cycle Paths or on-road Cycle lanes?


Compulsory Helmet Law
Asking this question is probably akin to trolling, so I'll ask for two things here:
a) let us know if you think this is an important topic worth lobbying
b) restrain your opinion to a single post regarding this, otherwise the thread'll be off on a tangent in mere seconds...


Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists
Are our right-of-way laws sufficient or do you think cyclists (and pedestrians, presumably) should be given very explicit priority over cars?


More Mountain Biking Trails
Are there enough dedicated mountain biking trails? Is this something that should be fought for? Do the mountain bikers wish they had more dedicated trails, or are you happier to explore the mountains on your own terms?


Dublin Bikes
If you've used these, do you think they've been a success? Should they be extended to the other major cities as a priority in the cycling agenda?


The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
I'm sure a lot of us have seen buses with bike racks in other countries/cities, or have been able to take our bikes on the train in other places - where does this stand in the pantheon of Cyclists' concerns?


Cycle Parking
Is there enough where you are? Should they be improved? Are they big enough or secure enough?


Cycle Training
Is providing cycle training important? At what stage - primary school, secondary school? Should it be compulsory that people go through training or should it be voluntary? Should there be a "cyclist licence" or test of basic competency before you can cycle on public roads?


Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed
There was big kerfuffle when the 30KMPH limit was implemented in Dublin City Centre, less so when they decided to restrict traffic flow around College Green. Is reduction of traffic speed, or restriction of traffic flow, something the cycling lobbyists should be fighting hard for, or does it alienate cyclists from motorists? Where does it stand in the list of concerns?


I guess the best way to get an idea of what the "hot buttons" are is to limit yourself to the 3 or 4 most important topics to you, otherwise I guess we'd all just tick all the boxes :P:D

Whatcha think?

Captain Havoc

-Chris- wrote: »

Cycle Lanes
Do we need more cycle lanes?
YES
Do we have enough lanes, but we need the condition improved?
Do we need wholesale change to cycle lanes (wider, segregated from the road, whatever)?
YES, more cycle only tracks would be good.
Do you prefer off-road Cycle Paths or on-road Cycle lanes?
If you can get them long enough, off road. If there's bumbs and dips every five metres then road ones would be best.


Compulsory Helmet Law
a) let us know if you think this is an important topic worth lobbying
No

Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists
Are our right-of-way laws sufficient
Yes
or do you think cyclists (and pedestrians, presumably) should be given very explicit priority over cars?
No


More Mountain Biking Trails
Are there enough dedicated mountain biking trails? Is this something that should be fought for? Do the mountain bikers wish they had more dedicated trails, or are you happier to explore the mountains on your own terms?


Dublin Bikes
If you've used these, do you think they've been a success? Should they be extended to the other major cities as a priority in the cycling agenda?


The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
I'm sure a lot of us have seen buses with bike racks in other countries/cities, or have been able to take our bikes on the train in other places - where does this stand in the pantheon of Cyclists' concerns?
I think Iarnród Éireann are a shower of robbing bastards and charging for bikes on the third most expensive and crappest network in Europe is a bit rich (staff are nice though).

Cycle Parking
Is there enough where you are? Should they be improved? Are they big enough or secure enough?
Quite a few more have gone up in Kilkenny, so I'd say all good here.

Cycle Training
Is providing cycle training important? At what stage - primary school, secondary school? Should it be compulsory that people go through training or should it be voluntary? Should there be a "cyclist licence" or test of basic competency before you can cycle on public roads?
Too hard to implement I think but it wouldn't do any harm to maybe do it once a year in school

Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed
There was big kerfuffle when the 30KMPH limit was implemented in Dublin City Centre, less so when they decided to restrict traffic flow around College Green. Is reduction of traffic speed, or restriction of traffic flow, something the cycling lobbyists should be fighting hard for, or does it alienate cyclists from motorists? Where does it stand in the list of concerns?


I guess the best way to get an idea of what the "hot buttons" are is to limit yourself to the 3 or 4 most important topics to you, otherwise I guess we'd all just tick all the boxes :P:D

Whatcha think?

There's what I think.

-Chris-

I guess I should answer my own questions:

-Chris- wrote: »

Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists
I think it would be a great advance to give explicit right of way to cyclists and pedestrians and a general presumption of fault against the driver whenever there's a collision between a car and a bike/person.

Dublin Bikes
I think these are magic and should be rolled out in every city in Ireland. They democratise cycling and promote commuting.


The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
I think this would increase the uptake of cycling in Ireland if it were implemented. Put a bike rack on the front of every bus in Ireland and allow bikes to be allowed on trains in certain circumstances (in a specific carriage, off peak travel only etc.). This should be free of charge and on a first-come, first-served basis.


Cycle Training
Compulsory cycle training should be given in primary and secondary school on a continuous basis (i.e. every few weeks, maybe as an alternative/addition to PE).

kakee

More Mountain Biking Trails
Are there enough dedicated mountain biking trails? Is this something that should be fought for? Do the mountain bikers wish they had more dedicated trails, or are you happier to explore the mountains on your own terms?

I think every county should have decent dedicated mountain bike trails. It would bring more tourists to the country and encourage more people to take up the sport. We have plenty of forests and mountains in this country and they should be made use of.

CheGuedara

Without getting too caught up in things

*changing right of way type things - the introduction of enforced legal minimum safe overtake distances akin to the 3ft to pass legislation being adopted in parts of the US and in other countries would be greatly appreciated

*in terms of bringing bikes on trains, trams, busses - no problem with busses (never had a problem getting a bike transported on Bus Eireann) but it should be reasonable enough to be allowed bring bikes on trams on off peak times and the trains need some serious work (reduced cost of bike ticket, increased availability of spaces and accurate timetabling of what trains are capable of taking what number of bikes on each route each day)

*bike parking/locking - I cant speak for every place that one can lock bikes but it would be great if the could be more/better CCTV at bike parking facilities. It won't help if people fail to use the regularly recommended reliable locks (Kryptonites etc) but it might act as some bit of a disinsentive to would be thieves and aid in recovery (if the boys in blue can be bothered to chase things up).

*Cycle training - will be a welcome addition to primary/seconday education (the upcoming C.I. Sprocket Rocket programme is an example in the works that should go a long way in this regard). It would be good to see some form of adult education also. A lot can be learned from being a member of a club but that shouldn't be what's required to get even the basic information to allow people be safe, competent cyclists. I would also like to see motorist education/awareness to see an end to the cycling two abreast, 'road tax' and other tired misinformed arguments that come up time and time again

tomasrojo

Cycle Lanes
I'd prefer traffic-calming or wide kerb lanes over cycle lanes. If there must be cycle lanes, they must be 2m wide or else they lead to closer passes than the complete absence of cycle lanes. I dislike off-road cycle paths, because no authority here is willing to take priority away from motorised traffic at junctions, or even sideroads.

Compulsory Helmet Law
A complete distraction that has blighted cycling advocacy for about 25 years now. Has been completely counterproductive everywhere it's been tried.

Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists

Apart from allowing cyclists to contraflow on one-way streets, I think I prefer everyone to have much the same rights of way.

More Mountain Biking Trails

Not an area I know anything about.

Dublin Bikes

Fantastic. One of the best things to happen to Dublin or cycling in Ireland in recent times. And already more emblematic of Dublin than the Spire ever managed to become.

Rolling out to other cities should be prioritised.

If a sponsor can't be found, perhaps such schemes could be funded out of public money. I do wonder whether such a scheme would be more cost-effective than some public transport initiatives. I imagine Galway would benefit greatly from such a scheme, as I always found the buses there relatively useless.

The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains

This is very important in making cycling more useful to more people. Given that I was thrown off an off-peak and almost empty Dublin Bus for bringing on a compact folding bike, I really think that rules defining when and what you can bring on need to be updated stat.

Cycle Parking
Starting to be a bit of a problem in Dublin, with all the extra cyclists.


Cycle Training

Very important, both in schools and for adults. The importance of looking over the shoulder when rejoining the road from a cycle lane is not widely understood, nor is the hazard of undertaking buses/HGVs. Like vaccination, it wouldn't be necessary for everyone to have taken training; those who have taken it would pass on the knowledge, or lead by example.

Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed

Very important in residential areas. Something like the woonerf concept from the Netherlands would do a great deal to get children playing in the streets again, and making neighbourhoods more livable.

However, since 30km/h restrictions met such strong opposition, I can only imagine what restricting motorists to walking speed would do.

chakattack

My wish list:

Make cycle lanes optional ASAP

Stop putting cycle lanes on kerb level. On road level with the same right of way as general traffic please.

Advertising campaign to improve driver awareness of common errors, ie. not checkling mirror before turning left or opening doors into traffic.

Cameras at junctions to catch the amber gamblers and red light jumpers (on 2 and 4 wheels)

Eliminate VAT on helmets and lights

blorg

Hmm... I voted for the issues that I would see as most important but I think you would could take the meaning of a vote wrong as people may have different reasons for the issue being "important," e.g of the four I voted for:

Cycle lanes but it is a priority for me in terms of making them optional/getting rid of the bloody things where substandard rather than anything else. Certainly not building any more of them.

Similarly my "compulsory helmet law" vote is meant to signify it is important to me that there NOT be a compulsory helmet law...

More provision for bikes on public transport and the success of Dublin Bikes and hope for its further promotion would be the "positive" votes.

petethedrummer

Cycle Lanes
Remove them all. They are a complete waste of paint. The only times they ever approach being useable are on roads so wide you don't need them.

Compulsory Helmet Law
I would emigrate if this came in to effect.

Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists
Whatever works in Denmark.

More Mountain Biking Trails
More of this type of thing.

Dublin Bikes
Great system more please.

The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
Buses have never been a problem. The train situation is pathetic.

Cycle Parking
The current and last industrial estates I worked in have no dedicated bicycle parking stands or shelter.

Cycle Training
Never really thought about it.

Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed
I'd be on for banning cars in all town and city centres, not because I cycle. Just because. More buses and trams.

blorg

petethedrummer wrote: »

The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
Buses have never been a problem. The train situation is pathetic.

€11.50 on Bus Eireann irrespective of distance is a problem. The trains are (slightly) more reasonable and most seem to take them these days; most recently Cork, Tralee and Rosslare have all been problem free bike-wise. Being able to buy a bike ticket online would be good.

ThunderZtorm

1. Option to bring your cycle on public transport. DEFINITELY a big thing that I can't understand isn't sorted over here. Back in Denmark, you can bring your bike on any public transport, given that there's still room in the bus for it.

2. If you make off-road cycle paths, please please please ensure that whenever there's a sideroad, create a "ramp" so there aren't all those massive bumps going on, destroying bikes and making the ride generally unpleasant.


Regarding helmets - Making them forced by law would only make the Gardai cry I think, there's not enough manpower to actually enforce it.

Regarding right of way - I'm not sure about the law over here. In Denmark it's quite simple, the "hardest" gets the problem, no matter who broke the law. So, if a cyclists slams into a pedestrian, it's per default the cyclists fault as the pedestrian is a "softer" member of the traffic. Basically that means that anyone driving a car will per default get the fine and need to pay the insurance if he/she hits a motorcyclist, cyclist, inliner, pedestrian, whatever.
I do think the traffic issue is a matter of being used to cycles though. It doesn't seem to me that Ireland has that large a cycling-as-commuting culture compared to Denmark, where a third of the population in Copenhagen takes the bike to work.

Cabaal

Cycle Lanes
Yes, however they must be designed correctly and optional

Compulsory Helmet Law
They should be optional for the cyclist


Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists

Never put much thought into this, I suppose at certain junctions it could be allowed


More Mountain Biking Trails

Don't mountain bike so never put much thought into this one


Dublin Bikes

I've not used them, but given the scheme has been very succesful I think it shoiuld be thought of for other citys throughout Ireland


The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains

Racks on bus's would be great, the ability to put bikes on buses and trains should be made more visable to encourage people to use it as a farm of transport

for example: get train into dublin and then cycle around Dublin


Cycle Parking

I've seen it improved in the likes of Waterford & Kilkenny and even the small town where I live, sadly whoever picks the parking stands such as where I live is an idiot.

I'll never put my bike into one of the stands that can **** up my bikes wheels


Cycle Training

No need for cycle license, I think however that rules etc should be covered in primary school. It;ll likely stick more at a young age as well


Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed

For me I'd like to see speed restrictions and more importantly I'd like to see them enforced!

-Chris-

Also, if there's anything you think I've missed that would deserve attention, let us know!

smacl

Regarding off road cycle lanes, they are absolutely brilliant when you have young kids learning to ride, starting to cycle to school etc... Given we want many more people riding bikes they provide some value in that respect. Round my area, most experienced cyclists seem to ignore them, particularly the off road variety. Problem is that on road cycle lanes work better (interfere less) for the experienced cyclist, whereas off road are way better for young kids.

Bike security is also a biggie for me, and i guess many people commuting. I currently wouldn't leave my main leisure cycling bike anywhere unattended, even locked. The school where I do evening classes has had a number of bikes nicked from racks, even though they were locked and under CCTV. Apparently 17 seconds of grainy footage of a bloke with a bolt cutters in a hoodie doesn't help much when your bikes gone. I've also seen a fair amount of locked bikes heavily vandalised which isn't much better. I'd have no problem paying for a parking fee to use a locked off area with a guard and insurance.

nak

I thought the Sprocket Rocket program was aimed at getting kids racing? DCC have been training primary school kids, my husband has been helping out teaching kids on 3 day cycling courses. The cycle training group from the council didn't get the funding they were hoping for this year unfortunately.

I definitely think a lot of adults could do with some training now that there are more cyclists on the road, a lot of people haven't a clue how to interact with traffic, pedestrians and other cyclists.

Don't understand why taking a bike on public transport is so awkward here, used to take my bike on Scotrail trains free of charge on a regular basis.

HivemindXX

Cycle lanes is my primary concern. I don't necessarily want more of them but I do want any that are present to reach a certain minimal level of quality. My bar is extremely low, using a cycle facility should not be worse than using the road along side it. Somehow the authorities consistently fail to clear this bar. Here's a by no means all inclusive list of cycle facility "features" that need to be eliminated

• Keeping straight ahead cyclists on the inside of left turning traffic
• Requiring cyclists to yield at every side road and driveway
• Length of only a few metres requiring the cyclist to stop or perform a risky maneuver to re-enter the road after only a minute or two
• Unexpected route changes, meaning you are alongside a road going a certain direction on the cycle path and then the path goes off down a side road with no opportunity for the cyclist to get off

Even if the legal requirement to use these was lifted there would still be a major problem with aggressive motorists becoming enraged by seeing a cyclist ignoring a cycle lane and deciding to "give them a warning". It's not good enough to say "simply don't use dangerous cycle facilities". If they are worse than using the road beside them they need to be removed or improved. From a lot of experience with cycle facilites in Dublin I doubt the authorities desire or ability to improve a lot of these examples so I'd like to see removal be the main solution used.

seamus

-Chris- wrote: »

Cycle Lanes
Do we need more cycle lanes?
Do we have enough lanes, but we need the condition improved?
Do we need wholesale change to cycle lanes (wider, segregated from the road, whatever)?
Do you prefer off-road Cycle Paths or on-road Cycle lanes?

Rather than cycle lanes specifically, which is a bit of a red herring, it's cycling infrastructure which needs to be considered. There's an impression that if you stick a bit of paint down the side of a road or widen a footpath, that you've provided cycling infrastructure. You haven't. If they ploughed a muddy track through a field and called it a national road, motorists wouldn't accept it, so I don't know why cyclists are expected to accept facilities which are similarly poorly thought out.

It's a whole other topic of its own. Off-road cycle lanes need to be segregated from the path - but not so much that pedestrians use it as a path. They also need to be swept a minimum of twice a week and inspected 3-monthly for damage/bulging. They also need to be constructed such that cyclists should never be in conflict with traffic pulling out of driveways or sideroads. A brand new set of cycle lanes has been constructed near me in the last 6 months (and work is still ongoing) and they're immediately unusable as cycle facilities because whoever designed it never considered the actual practicalities of using it. I've been meaning to take photos of it.

All that said, I would be equally happy if they tore up all the cycle lanes/tracks tomorrow and just painted a picture of a bike in the middle of every R road to indicate that it's a shared lane.

Compulsory Helmet Law
Asking this question is probably akin to trolling, so I'll ask for two things here:
a) let us know if you think this is an important topic worth lobbying
b) restrain your opinion to a single post regarding this, otherwise the thread'll be off on a tangent in mere seconds...

Total red herring. No provable benefit to wearing one, no reason to lobby for it.

Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists
Are our right-of-way laws sufficient or do you think cyclists (and pedestrians, presumably) should be given very explicit priority over cars?

No. The network works well because all traffic has equal priority and is treated equally. Grading the right-of-way would cause confusion, would cause *more* accidents as people try to enforce their superior right-of-way and would further cause tension/angst between the categories of road user.

More Mountain Biking Trails
Are there enough dedicated mountain biking trails? Is this something that should be fought for? Do the mountain bikers wish they had more dedicated trails, or are you happier to explore the mountains on your own terms?

The best trails are one less travelled. I imagine MTBers would prefer that there was less resistance to using public tracks for MTBing. Most MTBers use tracks which are technically illegal for them to use anyway - fireroads, etc - but formal legal rights to use them would be nice.

Dublin Bikes
If you've used these, do you think they've been a success? Should they be extended to the other major cities as a priority in the cycling agenda?

Absolutely. This should be a top priority for every city council. They've done so much to change people's attitudes to cycling in the city. People who would never consider cycling in the city have had their opinions changed.

The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
I'm sure a lot of us have seen buses with bike racks in other countries/cities, or have been able to take our bikes on the train in other places - where does this stand in the pantheon of Cyclists' concerns?

I'm not a long-distance traveller so I couldn't say. But I gather that bringing bikes on trains is an important topic. I believe it's a "build it and they will come" scenario - i.e. if you provide more capacity and security for bikes on trains, then people will take their bike on the train and use it at either end of the journey.

Cycle Parking
Is there enough where you are? Should they be improved? Are they big enough or secure enough?

Again, doesn't really affect me, but only because I have somewhere to lock my bike in work. A large locker-type facility in the city centre I think would be a good idea where cyclists pay a yearly fee which gives them a small secure "locker" in which to store their bike (and accessories) during the day, access-controlled and monitored. It would certainly encourage more people to cycle to work.

Cycle Training
Is providing cycle training important? At what stage - primary school, secondary school? Should it be compulsory that people go through training or should it be voluntary? Should there be a "cyclist licence" or test of basic competency before you can cycle on public roads?

Basic competence test or licence, no way. Cycle training for children should be a high priority and should start in primary school. Parents should be encouraged to have their kids cycle to school by providing limited car parking facilities (i.e. none if possible) in and around the school and giving priority to cycle lanes and bike parking around the school.

Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed
There was big kerfuffle when the 30KMPH limit was implemented in Dublin City Centre, less so when they decided to restrict traffic flow around College Green. Is reduction of traffic speed, or restriction of traffic flow, something the cycling lobbyists should be fighting hard for, or does it alienate cyclists from motorists? Where does it stand in the list of concerns?

I don't believe it's a big deal. I've cycled on roads with speed limits of 100km/h and the only difference is that you need to look much sooner if you plan to go around a pothole.

recedite

I don't use cycle lanes myself; too much stopping, hopping and swerving involved, but one or two ultra smooth long distance ones would be good. For example parallel to the Luas line or any railways. Or along the Liffey from Lucan to Dublin. Gentle gradients. They would be totally separate from the road, and raised with a steep camber for self cleaning.

Beware too many mountain biking trails; others start to assume that MTBs should be confined to these areas.

It would be very useful to have a place on trains and/or buses to quickly stash a normal (not folding) bike. It would make cycling a better option for the longer trips.

DavyD_83

The ability to bring bikes onto publin transport when reasonable (not saying i should be allowed squeeze my bike onto a packed bus) would be a huge benefit, it is ridiculous how little provision there is on trains for this. I see no reason not to be allowed onto luas at off-peak times (would happily pay an extra charge), as long as some common sense is applied.

Improvement of the existing cycle lanes and intelligent designing of new lanes is also very important. Should be a requirement to consult some sort of cycling authority (containing cyclists) before construction starts on any lane.

I'd love to see a left on red policy brought in to the road laws (ie. ok to 'break' red light as long as your following the kerb). Cycling desperately needs to be seen as convenient and less hassle than driving in order to encourage people to get out there.

I do beleive some form of training program should be introduced in Primary/Secondary schools. But the real training I find is required in the slightly older generations - Mrs high viz to the max cycle to work scheme newbie, or Mr suit and umberella (shocks me every time i see it).

As others have said, IMO campaigning for compulsory helmets seems like a waste of time and effort. I feel it would be mostly counter-productive and would result in 'criminalising' a lot of decent cyclists. I for one would ignore it for the most part, and if stricly enforced would actually discourage me from cycling to make short trips. (just my view)

blorg

DavyD_83 wrote: »

Mr suit and umberella (shocks me every time i see it).

That's why you need the Bike Umbrella (this is the guy who invented the Tidy Tent/Bike Cave) or Drybike.

Cycling with umbrellas is pretty common in Asia where cycling is a lot more popular than here. Loath to link to that blog but it is also common enough in Copenhagen and Amsterdam which have similar high levels of utility cycling. If you are wearing a suit and not going very fast it surely makes some sense.

maninasia

blorg wrote: »

That's why you need the Bike Umbrella (this is the guy who invented the Tidy Tent/Bike Cave) or Drybike.

Cycling with umbrellas is pretty common in Asia where cycling is a lot more popular than here. Loath to link to that blog but it is also common enough in Copenhagen and Amsterdam which have similar high levels of utility cycling. If you are wearing a suit and not going very fast it surely makes some sense.

This has been invented years ago in Asia..fixable bike umbrella. Common to see people cycling with umbrellas over here, but most places aren't as windy as Ireland.

maninasia

maninasia wrote: »

This has been invented years ago in Asia..fixable bike umbrella. Common to see people cycling with umbrellas over here, but most places aren't as windy as Ireland.

Yes, I can just picture a cyclist with an umbrella in this country catching a gust of wind and doing an inadvertent Mary Poppins:

irishmotorist

Cycle Lanes
Unless they're well maintained, they're useless - and that's how many of them are now. Law currently allows cyclists to share with buses in bus lanes and these are the best kind of 'cycle lane' in my opinion. Once bus drivers are competent in passing a cyclist safely (and that's their responsibility) I don't see any problem with this sharing happening.


Compulsory Helmet Law
I agree with helmets but don't think they should be compulsory. One example is that Dublin Bike Scheme for example might be impractical in this way. People would need to carry their helmet 24/7 in case they might need a spur-of-the-moment Dublin Bike.


Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists
I'm not totally sure what this means. One comment above mentioned a compulsory 3 foot passing distance. This sounds like a very good idea but I'm not sure what else it might encompass.


More Mountain Biking Trails
I think there should be more. I'm not into MTBing but if there was a trail in my local park, then maybe I would be. Currently I'd have to drive my bike up the mountains to get somewhere that I know of having a trail.


Dublin Bikes
I think they've been a great success, despite never having used one.


The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
I don't think it would be of much use to me as I have a car and would take the bike that way if I was travelling long distances, but just look at the number of people trying to find out about this when there's a 'down the country' event on.



Cycle Parking
I value my bike hugely so I would never ever leave it lying around town. If there was a secure lockup, like Hardings cycles used to have, I believe, then I would be in a position to consider it.


Cycle Training
I think this is very important. I think I went to something when I was a small chissler around Fairview (but I didn't know where anywhere was then so I could be off target). It consisted of a video showing a cool-dude and a sensible-dude having a 'race'. The cool fella's antics ended up making him crash or something and the sensible fella won. Then we went out on a little carpark sized circuit on bikes practicing signalling, turning and all sorts.

As a slight aside to this, I think education to drivers is important too. I think motor tax renewals have been coming out recently with notices about being aware of cyclists and I see that some of the illuminated warning signs on the way into the city mention cyclists some of the time. This is welcome. I think that bus drivers and drivers of other large vehicles should be targetted too. These are the people that most put me at risk when I'm out. Things like safe overtaking distance is an important one but also stuff like the effect of wind-buffeting is something that they might not be aware of but is important.


Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed
Personally, the speed thing hasn't made any difference to me. It might for younger/less experienced cyclists though. Traffic flow (e.g. College Green) has made it more pleasant and more enjoyable but for me, it wouldn't make me change route to use it. It's nice but not necessary.

rughdh

Cycle Lanes
We need to get rid of all cycle lanes and make overtaking by at least 1m compulsory. Cycle lanes can give the cyclist a false sense of security and the narrow ones can have the effect of sending the cyclist into the gutter, as a kind of unconscious perceptual thing.

Compulsory Helmet Law
Any attempt to mandate the wearing of bicycle helmets should be evidence-based.

Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists
I think something has to be done about making roundabouts safer, particularly for commuters. It's a joy to cycle in the Netherlands and other lowland countries. I'm not suggesting that it's very dangerous in Irish cities, it's just that you can relax a lot more when you're not competing for an entry to a roundabout, and the like, with heavier vehicles or wondering how close the next car is going to be as it passes you. It can be hard work maintaining the assertive approach and having to take the vehicular stance 24/7.


Dublin Bikes
I haven't used these, but I think they are a great success. I have no problem admitting that I was sceptical about the level of take-up, initially.


The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
I have never taken a bike on a bus, but the train situation is a disgrace.


Cycle Parking
I'd like a fancy automated bike parking device like what they have in Japan, please.


Cycle Training
A provision in primary school would go a long way. I think a telly campaign along the lines of promoting taking a vehicular stance, would be very useful from a road safety point of view. Any adults caught cycling dangerously could be sent on a training course.

Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed
Restrictions on either one or the other are necessary for the safety of all road users when traffic enters a bottleneck anywhere. Entering towns can be dodgy if you forget to take the lane where it's narrowed ostensibly for safety reasons. Educaton of cyclist and motorist is needed here. As in "No overtaking" includes bicycles as vehicles and for the cyclist "a motorist may try to overtake you even if there is no room between the path and the island for you and the motorised vehicle, so take the feckin' lane for your safety and theirs!"

Lumen

rughdh wrote: »

Cycle Lanes
We need to get rid of all cycle lanes and make overtaking by at least 3m compulsory.

3m? Why? That's over twice the separation of cars overtaking on a motorway.

rughdh

Lumen wrote: »

3m? Why? That's over twice the separation of cars overtaking on a motorway.

I meant 3 feet, but now that I'm using the metric system and approaching my doting years, I got confused. It should be 1m or thereabouts. Thanks for pointing it out.

tomasrojo

rughdh wrote: »

Restrictions on either one or the other are necessary for the safety of all road users when traffic enters a bottleneck anywhere. Entering towns can be dodgy if you forget to take the lane where it's narrowed ostensibly for safety reasons. Educaton of cyclist and motorist is needed here. As in "No overtaking" includes bicycles as vehicles and for the cyclist "a motorist may try to overtake you even if there is no room between the path and the island for you and the motorised vehicle, so take the feckin' lane for your safety and theirs!"

I agree, but I can't think of any occasion when the road safety lot here have ever advised cyclists to take the lane. I don't think they would advocate it, even though it is on many occasions obviously the correct thing to do.

Ant

-Chris- wrote: »

Cycle Lanes
Do we need more cycle lanes?
Do we have enough lanes, but we need the condition improved?
Do we need wholesale change to cycle lanes (wider, segregated from the road, whatever)?
Do you prefer off-road Cycle Paths or on-road Cycle lanes?

At the moment, less cycle lanes would be a real improvement. There have been so many badly designed lanes built over the past 15 year that the most valuable gain for cyclists would be the removal of these lanes. Most of these are the off-road ones which force cyclists to cede right of way at every single driveway and side-road. Off-road cycle lanes are useful for beginners, leisure cyclists and other slow cyclists but a good road is the most appropriate for cyclists who want to get from A to B in a reasonable amount of time. In my experience, motorists (and bus drivers) are often aggravated when they encounter cyclists not using what the motorist perceives to be as a "perfectly good cycle track".

The biggest problem with many cycle lanes is that they force the cyclist into a road position that decreases their visibility to other traffic (particularly traffic coming from side roads) and leaves them vulnerable to being hit by left turning traffic.

-Chris- wrote: »

Compulsory Helmet Law
Asking this question is probably akin to trolling, so I'll ask for two things here:
a) let us know if you think this is an important topic worth lobbying
b) restrain your opinion to a single post regarding this, otherwise the thread'll be off on a tangent in mere seconds...

I wear a helmet about 90% of the time I'm on the bike as I think they're useful in certain situations. However, I'd be extremely opposed to mandatory helmet wearing as in other countries it has resulted in less cyclists on the road and a higher rate of injuries sustained by cyclists. There's an inverse relationship between the number of cyclists on the road and the incidence of accidents among cyclists (safety in numbers). e.g. It was recently reported that this year there were no cycling fatalities so far (touch wood) even though there are many more cyclists on Irish roads.

-Chris- wrote: »

Change in right-of-way law to further protect cyclists
Are our right-of-way laws sufficient or do you think cyclists (and pedestrians, presumably) should be given very explicit priority over cars?

I'm not sure what extra rights of way are being proposed. If it's the idea that the motorist is automatically presumed to be in the wrong in the event of a collision with a cyclist, I'd be pretty much against it - though I'd be open to persuasion if good evidence for its usefulness could be provided. In general, I'd say all road users should be responsible for their own behaviour.

-Chris- wrote: »

More Mountain Biking Trails
Are there enough dedicated mountain biking trails? Is this something that should be fought for? Do the mountain bikers wish they had more dedicated trails, or are you happier to explore the mountains on your own terms?

Off-roading is good fun but I don't think there's a pressing need for more dedicated trails.

-Chris- wrote: »

Dublin Bikes
If you've used these, do you think they've been a success? Should they be extended to the other major cities as a priority in the cycling agenda?

The DB scheme has been implemented really well and it's a great example of how social ownership of a transportation service can meet the needs of the public when it's done properly.

-Chris- wrote: »

The ability to bring bikes on buses & trains
I'm sure a lot of us have seen buses with bike racks in other countries/cities, or have been able to take our bikes on the train in other places - where does this stand in the pantheon of Cyclists' concerns?

Not a high priority for me but the fee to take bikes for any journey length on Bus Eireann is prohibitive. It's particularly annoying when there's no fee for similar sized luggage items.

-Chris- wrote: »

Cycle Parking
Is there enough where you are? Should they be improved? Are they big enough or secure enough?

Not a huge problem. I live in Dublin and Dublin City Council have done a fairly good job in providing good cycle racks over the past few years. Credit where credit is due.

-Chris- wrote: »

Cycle Training
Is providing cycle training important? At what stage - primary school, secondary school? Should it be compulsory that people go through training or should it be voluntary? Should there be a "cyclist licence" or test of basic competency before you can cycle on public roads?

Training is a good idea for primary school children. I'd be worried about a compulsory competency test having the effect of reducing the numbers of cyclists on the roads similar to laws on mandatory wearing of helmets.

-Chris- wrote: »

Restrictions on Motor Traffic Flow/Traffic Speed
There was big kerfuffle when the 30KMPH limit was implemented in Dublin City Centre, less so when they decided to restrict traffic flow around College Green. Is reduction of traffic speed, or restriction of traffic flow, something the cycling lobbyists should be fighting hard for, or does it alienate cyclists from motorists? Where does it stand in the list of concerns?

Not a particularly high priority for me.