Limerick Bike Scheme

panda100

Vladimir Poontang wrote: »

Cycling three abreast, slowly, on busy roads just riles people up.

I cycle frequently with the Tri Club and we always cycle Two-abreast, so do Limerick Cycling Club and any other group cyclists I know. I have never seen cyclists three abreast Vladimir, where have you seen these cyclists? Do they have club tops on?

I think people really overstate how dangerous cycling is in Limerick. It's no more or less than any other Irish city. Statements like 'your life is in great danger' if your cycling in limerick are absolutely ridiculous and just put people off cycling. Yes, you have to have your wits about you and much, much more can and should be done to make our roads safer for cyclists. I cycle in town every day and its grand, never once had any incidents or felt like I was in danger.

phog

panda100 wrote: »

I cycle frequently with the Tri Club and we always cycle Two-abreast, so do Limerick Cycling Club and any other group cyclists I know. I have never seen cyclists three abreast Vladimir, where have you seen these cyclists? Do they have club tops on?

I think if there's a large group of cyclists cycling 2 abreast then unless they're directly in line with each other it can give the illusion of they cycling at 3 abreast.

I do think some groups could be more helpful to traffic when cycling on narrow rural roads but in general I find them ok bar a few who seem to want own the road.

I think people really overstate how dangerous cycling is in Limerick. It's no more or less than any other Irish city. Statements like 'your life is in great danger' if your cycling in limerick are absolutely ridiculous and just put people off cycling. Yes, you have to have your wits about you and much, much more can and should be done to make our roads safer for cyclists. I cycle in town every day and its grand, never once had any incidents or felt like I was in danger

+1

That type of attitude being expressed on social media could be putting people off cycling which would be a pity

panda100

I see the Pery Square station is now completely off line. Screen is gone which is a very worrying sign for that station. No sign of the LIT station, Colbert or King John's Castle Station even though they were promised for the end of April 2018. With Pery Square Station gone it's a right old hike from people's park station to train station. Makes it easier to drive or get a taxi tbh.

Tim76

panda100 wrote: »

I see the Pery Square station is now completely off line. Screen is gone which is a very worrying sign for that station. No sign of the LIT station, Colbert or King John's Castle Station even though they were promised for the end of April 2018. With Pery Square Station gone it's a right old hike from people's park station to train station. Makes it easier to drive or get a taxi tbh.

The scheme is bad enough in Limerick as it is. Let's hope this isn't the beginning of the end.

LeoD

You would have to imagine that the operators of this scheme have given up on Limerick.

Tim76

LeoD wrote: »

You would have to imagine that the operators of this scheme have given up on Limerick.

I can't imagine that they're making any kind of profit as i rarely see people using the bikes. I've always assumed that they were getting subsidies from the government or council.

geotrig

It should be government run, for me most of the stops are in useless or near useless areas.
I think there should be stations near ,
:The Cresent takes in large sways of people near the cresent and balincurra etc.
:The parkway or childers road or inbetween the 2 again another large living hub ,
: Lit /thomond park one near
:UL i.e near singland we need those students to do a small bit for themselves .
:Further out in Corbally near Shannon fields at least or Tesco express again near a large urban hub of people it might also encourage people to cycle the red path more.

People would use them to cycle out to these places but they will also use them to cycle in !

Cookiemunster

LeoD wrote: »

You would have to imagine that the operators of this scheme have given up on Limerick.

It's not just Limerick. The Galway and Cork schemes are a disaster too.

Each bike in Galway was used just 2.2 times per week in 2017 (23,758 journeys/205 bikes) — compared with 84 in Paris, and the average of 28-49 uses per week in regional European cities.
Each bike in Cork was used 17 times a week, and in Limerick the figure was just under three.
Galway members took just seven journeys per annum last year (23,758 journeys/3,485 members), in Cork they took 25 and there were only 10 in Limerick. https://www.thesun.ie/news/2449236/irish-taxpayer-spending-e85000-each-month-on-bicycle-projects-in-galway-cork-and-limerick-but-two-of-them-are-facing-an-uphill-battle/

cgcsb

Limerick's one way streets are a pain to cycle on, there needs to be better infrastructure. Also the Limerick probably isn't big enough and/or densely populated enough, which has poured cold water on a Waterford scheme. There are lots of schemes in small cities in Spain, but they're often supported by improved infrastructure, denser living arrangements and much larger public subsidy.

what_traffic

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It's not just Limerick. The Galway and Cork schemes are a disaster too.

Each bike in Galway was used just 2.2 times per week in 2017 (23,758 journeys/205 bikes) — compared with 84 in Paris, and the average of 28-49 uses per week in regional European cities.
Each bike in Cork was used 17 times a week, and in Limerick the figure was just under three.
Galway members took just seven journeys per annum last year (23,758 journeys/3,485 members), in Cork they took 25 and there were only 10 in Limerick. https://www.thesun.ie/news/2449236/irish-taxpayer-spending-e85000-each-month-on-bicycle-projects-in-galway-cork-and-limerick-but-two-of-them-are-facing-an-uphill-battle/

Disagree. Galway has been very poor alright(am based here), not Cork. That is doing well OK for a regional City. Al least Councils there put in some Contra Flow facilities- nothing like that in Galway - actually Galway City Council actually hid some of the stations in corners of there own Car parks and in playgrounds. Really poor Roll out, they were just ticking boxes.

zulutango

It's easy to drive around Limerick (the lowest traffic congestion in Ireland according to the Council). That acts as a disincentive to cycling. Also, the population is very spread out and people don't live near where they work, study, shop, etc. We've designed a city (or at least a Metropolitan Area) in the last 30 years that isn't really conducive to cycling.

Having said that, I used them 5 to 6 times each day. My work and my home are within the limits of the existing scheme. I think it's fantastic. Poor form that those few stations are still offline.

Mc Love

cgcsb wrote: »

Limerick's one way streets are a pain to cycle on, there needs to be better infrastructure. Also the Limerick probably isn't big enough and/or densely populated enough, which has poured cold water on a Waterford scheme. There are lots of schemes in small cities in Spain, but they're often supported by improved infrastructure, denser living arrangements and much larger public subsidy.

They're a pain to cycle on because there's no cycle lanes!

panda100

geotrig wrote: »

It should be government run, for me most of the stops are in useless or near useless areas.
I think there should be stations near ,
:The Cresent takes in large sways of people near the cresent and balincurra etc.
:The parkway or childers road or inbetween the 2 again another large living hub ,
: Lit /thomond park one near
:UL i.e near singland we need those students to do a small bit for themselves .
:Further out in Corbally near Shannon fields at least or Tesco express again near a large urban hub of people it might also encourage people to cycle the red path more.

People would use them to cycle out to these places but they will also use them to cycle in !

It is run by the NTA so it is government run? I know that Ecotravel have expressed an interest in establishing in Limerick. Their type of bleeper bikes are much more suited to the suburbs that you describe than the current bike scheme. The scheme is always going to be poorly used when stations are unoperational and poorly maintained. We really need better local political will behind it imo.

cgcsb

what_traffic wrote: »

Disagree. Galway has been very poor alright(am based here), not Cork. That is doing well OK for a regional City. Al least Councils there put in some Contra Flow facilities- nothing like that in Galway - actually Galway City Council actually hid some of the stations in corners of there own Car parks and in playgrounds. Really poor Roll out, they were just ticking boxes.

Cycling in Galway is a travesty the roads are a disaster for bikes, needs serious investment. Hopefully busconnects Galway will deliver this.

cgcsb

Mc Love wrote: »

They're a pain to cycle on because there's no cycle lanes!

Well specifically contra-flow cycle lanes which are well used in Cork.

Mc Love

zulutango wrote: »

It's easy to drive around Limerick (the lowest traffic congestion in Ireland according to the Council). That acts as a disincentive to cycling. Also, the population is very spread out and people don't live near where they work, study, shop, etc. We've designed a city (or at least a Metropolitan Area) in the last 30 years that isn't really conducive to cycling.

Having said that, I used them 5 to 6 times each day. My work and my home are within the limits of the existing scheme. I think it's fantastic. Poor form that those few stations are still offline.

Saw this on twitter not so long ago



85000 people within a 20 minute cycle of the city center yet so few cycle.

zulutango

Why cycle in 20 minutes when you can drive in 10 or 15 and easily get cheap parking?

Cookiemunster

zulutango wrote: »

Why cycle in 20 minutes when you can drive in 10 or 15 and easily get cheap parking?

Because cycling doesn't suit everyone. For example if you're traveling from the suburbs to go shopping in town or if you've got a baby or small children you're not going to cycle. It's also bloody dangerous to do so with the lack of facilities.

Mc Love

zulutango wrote: »

Why cycle in 20 minutes when you can drive in 10 or 15 and easily get cheap parking?

Cheap parking? Are you being sarcastic? Its 80-85 euro a month in Howleys Quay, probably the same in Harveys Quay, they upped it to 60 euro a month in Steamboat Quay.

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Because cycling doesn't suit everyone. For example if you're traveling from the suburbs to go shopping in town or if you've got a baby or small children you're not going to cycle. It's also bloody dangerous to do so with the lack of facilities.

Agreed, shopping isnt ideal at all. But for people working in the city centre, should be cycling if you live with that circle, maybe incentivise those who live within the area by slapping on a charge on their vehicle, kind of like a congestion charge, if you live outside the area, then encourage park and ride/cycle facilities.

zulutango

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Because cycling doesn't suit everyone. For example if you're traveling from the suburbs to go shopping in town or if you've got a baby or small children you're not going to cycle. It's also bloody dangerous to do so with the lack of facilities.

That's my point. So long as it's easier to drive, people will drive.

zulutango

Mc Love wrote: »

Cheap parking? Are you being sarcastic? Its 80-85 euro a month in Howleys Quay, probably the same in Harveys Quay, they upped it to 60 euro a month in Steamboat Quay.

I'm open to correction, but don't we have the cheapest parking in Ireland? And loads of people do on street parking for a whole day by using just two parking disks and taking the chance that the warden won't get to them!

Cookiemunster

zulutango wrote: »

That's my point. So long as it's easier to drive, people will drive.

Then you provide better PT. The type of people in my example are never going to cycle no matter how difficult driving is made. Cycling is not the magic bullet to solve everything.

zulutango

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Then you provide better PT. The type of people in my example are never going to cycle no matter how difficult driving is made. Cycling is not the magic bullet to solve everything.

Nobody is saying it is. But we could be doing much better than 2% of all journeys by bike. Some large cities in the Netherlands are up to near 70%.

Cookiemunster

zulutango wrote: »

Nobody is saying it is. But we could be doing much better than 2% of all journeys by bike. Some large cities in the Netherlands are up to near 70%.

As Panda said on another thread, we need to stop talking about the Netherlands. This is Ireland and Irish people are very different to the Dutch.

Mc Love

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Then you provide better PT. The type of people in my example are never going to cycle no matter how difficult driving is made. Cycling is not the magic bullet to solve everything.

And you make it harder to drive.

phog

zulutango wrote: »

I'm open to correction, but don't we have the cheapest parking in Ireland? And loads of people do on street parking for a whole day by using just two parking disks and taking the chance that the warden won't get to them!

Is this a myth?

I cover a lot of the city every day and the traffic wardens are very active with checking parking discs/permits. Perhaps people take chances in the outskirts of the city but imho the city centre is well patrolled.

zulutango

We need to stop talking about the country that has been more successful than any other in developing a thriving cycling culture? Sure, what could we possibly learn from the Dutch!!

mdmix

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Because cycling doesn't suit everyone. For example if you're traveling from the suburbs to go shopping in town or if you've got a baby or small children you're not going to cycle. It's also bloody dangerous to do so with the lack of facilities.

Was in London traffic a few months back and saw dozens of dads cycling to work carrying their toddlers in a trailer hitched to the bike. There’s a guy doing the same in Castletroy recently. This is not possible within limerick city. I do take your point here and agree that even with perfect cycling infrastructure many people would still never dream of it, but so many people are simply turned off the idea of cycling because it seems unsafe in and around the city center

LeoD

Cookiemunster wrote: »

As Panda said on another thread, we need to stop talking about the Netherlands. This is Ireland and Irish people are very different to the Dutch.

Can we talk about anywhere outside of Ireland because you can always use the "we're different to them" argument in that case. It's hard not to use 'foreign places' as examples of successful integration of cycling in the transport network but I could reference cities in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, France, Spain & Denmark that while not nearly as cycle friendly as the 'N' word, are investing heavily in cycling.

LeoD

mdmix wrote: »

but so many people are simply turned off the idea of cycling because it seems unsafe in and around the city center

This is the nub of the problem and the research shows this all over the world (so in some ways we're the same as the Dutch, Danes, Swedes, etc). If the perception of safety is poor, people won't cycle - and rightly so.