How to Get the Cycle Tracks you use Fixed

Conor20

Like many cyclists, I used to curse some of the cycle tracks I use on a daily basis. Also like many cyclists, I had convinced myself that the local councils responsible for them are aware of all of the problems, but just don't care about cyclists. I recently came to the pleasant conclusion that this is not actually the case, at least not everywhere.

After many, many years of cycling over the same defects in cycle tracks, I started to wonder if the issue wasn't that the council didn't care about the problems with cycle tracks, but that they just didn't know about them. Hence, I started to look into how to best make them aware of the problems that exist. It turns out, it's surprisingly easy. You can do it too - to improve the cycling conditions for you and other cyclists in your area.

When I encountered a hole or defect in a cycle track, I took a photo of it on my phone, went to www.fixmystreet.ie and reported the issue. This is what one such cycle track looked like - it's the "green route" along Taylors Lane near Marley Park:


This particular piece of cycle track had been in this disintegrated state for the last 2 years, when construction traffic were driving on it to erect a sound barrier beside it. But then, last week, cycling the same cycle track two months after reporting the issue to the council via FixMyStreet.ie, something surprising had happened - the entire section had been resurfaced. It's now perfect:


The same was true for some sections of cycle track near Dundrum. After reporting it via FixMyStreet, hey presto, it was being resurfaced yesterday:


Want to push things further? After reporting the above issues, I contacted a local councillor about how most effectively to influence the plans for cycling infrastructure in my area (you can see who your local councillors are on this page, just click your area, for example, Dublin City Council is here, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown is here, Fingal County Council is here). This also turned out to be very useful. That councillor put me in touch with one of the engineers in charge of the cycling infrastructure for DLR county council area, who explained the strategy, what is planned to be done, and what the tradeoffs are in terms of resources and other challenges. I came out with an understanding of how things work in terms of deciding what to do, and a confidence that the council do actually listen to people - but they can only act if they know what the problems are. They may not always act, but if they don't know about a problem, they definitely won't.

So there you have it. If you encounter a problem with a cycle track, it may well not that that much effort to get it fixed:

1. Take a photo on your phone
2. Go to www.fixmystreet.ie
3. Pinpoint the location on the map and give a good description of the problem and location
4. Not fixed within a few months? Contact your local councillors and let them know why you think it should be prioritised.

Your effort may well be rewarded with a better piece of cycling infrastructure for all.

Conor.

Carawaystick

Good stuff, only used the site for broken lights before.
I wonder how effective it'll be on removing speedramps from bike lanes though...

Conor20

Carawaystick wrote: »

Good stuff, only used the site for broken lights before.
I wonder how effective it'll be on removing speedramps from bike lanes though...

I understand that there are two tiers of things to be fixed: things which can be taken care of relatively easily and things which need a major budget/redesign. Obviously, if the issue you report falls into the first category, it's more likely to be fixed and more quickly. If it's the second, it might require a longer term follow up through councillors, etc. In general for the second, there is now a good Cycling Manual in place for the engineers designing cycle tracks in Ireland, so we're less likely to see these poor designs - ramps, cycle track going up and down at each driveway, etc.

For every type of issue however, I suggest reporting it via FixMyStreet so the council are at least aware of it and they may chose to fix it.

RainyDay

I've had very mixed results with FixMyStreet and with FixYourStreet.ie. Just for info, FixYourStreet is the 'official' site run by the local authorities. FixMyStreet is an independent service, which sends data on to FixYourStreet and the local authorities.

Responses seem to be very inconsistent. Some issues reported to FixMyStreet seem to be ignored, unless I report them again to FixYourStreet. I'm not sure if this is just timing, or local authority folks playing games.

It also depends on the nature of the issue. Litter and signage issues are often fixed quickly, but roads problems or the cycle lane surface issue reported above never seem to be actioned for me. Forgive my cynicism, but I wonder if the timing of the works mentioned above was just coincidental. It seems like the kind of thing that would be planned well in advance, rather than done in response to a report or two.

Still, I agree with the theory of reporting as much stuff as possible, so there is a clear picture of where the problems are.

RainyDay

Or you could try the FixMyDick approach;

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/comedy-phallus-crusader-gets-potholes-9105592

ED E

/Necro

Anyone had any recent experience with using this? Recently left DLRCoCo who are reasonably responsive in general for SDCoCo who seem to have tunnel vision for footpaths now we're at the end of the fiscal year.

Few really nasty holes and gashes in the road that I'd love to see gone especially with the morning frost.

Parchment

I didnt get potholes etc fixed but I did get a regular cleaning of the cycle paths I use daily (lots of debris/glass in them). They now use the sweeper truck on it regularly.

I had contacted the council about it and got a " yeah, yeah - i'll log it in the book" attitude. Then I contacted the smarter travel organisation in my city and they then got onto the council and got it sorted.

AndrewJRenko

ED E wrote: »

/Necro

Anyone had any recent experience with using this? Recently left DLRCoCo who are reasonably responsive in general for SDCoCo who seem to have tunnel vision for footpaths now we're at the end of the fiscal year.

Few really nasty holes and gashes in the road that I'd love to see gone especially with the morning frost.

I found South Dublin to be much more responsible than DLR to road issues.

magicbastarder

how well do fingal rate? the road out from sutton to howth village could do with a run from a road sweeper.

schemingbohemia

I've tweeted DLRCOCO twice (for the same spot, a pothole outside Blackrock college) and they've fixed it fairly quickly. Only thing is, it's a temporary fix each time.....

robyntmorton

schemingbohemia wrote: »

I've tweeted DLRCOCO twice (for the same spot, a pothole outside Blackrock college) and they've fixed it fairly quickly. Only thing is, it's a temporary fix each time.....

If you have space in the tweet, @mention a couple of local councillors too. Always helps if people think there are votes involved

ED E

So far quite impressed by SDCC regarding lighting. Hopefully their roads guys can keep par with their colleagues.

Chuchote

I've found Dublin City Council so useless at mending any roads I've reported that I'd seriously consider spraying "BOBBY SANDS A MARTER FOR IRLAND" on them, knowing that they'd be fixed pronto then.

magicbastarder

how were you contacting them?

Chuchote

magicbastarder wrote: »

how were you contacting them?

Phone, fixmystreet, possibly fixyourstreet, the Council's own page where you can add one photo and mark the place on the map.

It's a bit bizarre. For instance, one report was about one of the most beautiful roads in Dublin (or it should be), Beaver Row beside the Dodder in Donnybrook, which is potholed and neglected-looking, with bushes growing out over the pavement and in one place the bottom of a cone glued to the pavement for, ohhh, as long as I remember - maybe two years. Beside that, under the newly painted and fixed up footbridge, another couple of cones have been dumped into the river.

I've also reported multiple tagging; potholes, seams and badly decaying patches on Leinster Road, the overgrowth of the cycling path through Milltown Park…

magicbastarder

i once emailed the traffic department directly, got a (non-automated) email acknowledging receipt, and nothing ever happened.

josip

DLR absolutely hopeless for road repairs.
They haven't been able to repair the very bad surface outside a long term councillor's house for over 18 months now.

ED E

magicbastarder wrote: »

i once emailed the traffic department directly, got a (non-automated) email acknowledging receipt, and nothing ever happened.

Ive tried them for traffic before (induction loops that dont detect bikes), nothing ever happened.

AndrewJRenko

Chuchote wrote: »

I've found Dublin City Council so useless at mending any roads I've reported that I'd seriously consider spraying "BOBBY SANDS A MARTER FOR IRLAND" on them, knowing that they'd be fixed pronto then.

You could try the approach of Wanksy from Manchester (Google it).

ED E

Recent mineshaft of a pothole patched by SDCC on foot of a report. Took about 10 days.


Keep at them if you see something, does eventually work.

magicbastarder

have reported it to fixyourstreet, but beware there's broken glass on the cycle path here:

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2991579,-6.1756412,3a,60y,65.81h,87.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2n3Tivnch5jCbbC4zuWNYA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

magicbastarder

though i did go to fixmystreet.ie first and chuckled at the most recent issue reported:
"My neighbour at number 7 has cut down a lovely tree and replaced it with a driveway"

Chuchote

magicbastarder wrote: »

though i did go to fixmystreet.ie first and chuckled at the most recent issue reported:
"My neighbour at number 7 has cut down a lovely tree and replaced it with a driveway"

Not so funny when your neighbours cut down all the trees in their gardens in the middle of nesting season