Cycle Lanes in Phoenix Park

Spanish Eyes

Hurrache wrote: »

I think that was sold recently by the Guinness Estate.

Really? Any further info as to who Guinness sold it to? thanks.

There is no crossing of the Liffey between Chapelizod Bridge and Lucan at the moment, apart from the M50, but pedestrians and cyclists are banned from that as you know.

beauf

cgcsb wrote: »

Only if you don't understand the traffic evaporation concept. Walking 2 miles(are you an american by chance?) defeats the purpose of taking the car entirely.

isn't that the intent. Make so it pointless to use the car to get to the park, or travel through it. Certainly the OPW want no cars in the park. They just don't have any logic to how they go about it.

When they closed the main road in the park, the traffic evaporated, in that it moved elsewhere. I would argue that recreational use of the park also evaporated. It certainly was a lot quieter on my cycle commute through it for months. Really only picked up again once the road was opened.

We would often stop in the park if its on our way to or back from somewhere. I think a lot of people do this. Stop on the way from work, for a walk etc. But if your route no longer takes you past or through it, thats not going to happen.

That said car transport is becoming unsustainable in the city. Only a matter of time before this happens anyway.

Hurrache

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Really? Any further info as to who Guinness sold it to? thanks.

Not sure if this is the place but I do know they were selling land that bordered the Liffey and had an old house and estate in it, along with periphery buildings from that estate.
www.oatlandspark.ie
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/new-to-market/boutique-scheme-in-courtyard-of-historic-liffeyside-estate-1.3502949

beauf

lawred2 wrote: »

I haven't. Can you link me up?

http://phoenixpark.ie/visitor-experience-strategic-review/

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/skateboard-lanes-segways-and-even-a-funicular-a-look-at-the-new-proposed-visitor-experience-at-the-phoenix-park-38045201.html

A major change would see the development of a modern funicular or outdoor elevator, to connecting the Magazine Fort on Military Road with Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge.

Wheeeeeeeeeee

Spanish Eyes

Hurrache wrote: »

Not sure if this is the place but I do know they were selling land that bordered the Liffey and had an old house and estate in it, along with periphery buildings from that estate.
www.oatlandspark.ie
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/new-to-market/boutique-scheme-in-courtyard-of-historic-liffeyside-estate-1.3502949

Thanks for that. Just looked it up on maps, afais it is not where the Silver Bridge is. It is to the West of the M50 bridge.

So maybe there is still hope that the bridge might be restored one day.

Mercian Pro

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Thanks for that. Just looked it up on maps, afais it is not where the Silver Bridge is. It is to the West of the M50 bridge.

So maybe there is still hope that the bridge might be restored one day.

Check out https://www.facebook.com/Rebuild-the-Silver-bridge-611885565532537/

Funding approved for an engineering survey earlier this month.

Effects

The bridge is in a pretty bad state. I crossed over it early last year. Would it simply be easier to replace it rather than try and repair?

As for the private land on the northside, is it possible to CPO a section so the path could continue up to Farmleigh?

Mercian Pro

Effects wrote: »

The bridge is in a pretty bad state. I crossed over it early last year. Would it simply be easier to replace it rather than try and repair?

As for the private land on the northside, is it possible to CPO a section so the path could continue up to Farmleigh?

I presume the engineer's report will be the first step in answering your first question.

Originally there was a tunnel linking the end of the bridge to Farmleigh but I presume it is no longer usable. Maybe another engineer's report is needed?

Effects

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Originally there was a tunnel linking the end of the bridge to Farmleigh but I presume it is no longer usable.

I tried to find the tunnel but there's no sign of it. Hard to know if they collapsed just the entrance or the whole thing.

beauf

Imagine a Greenway route from the park, to the Liffey via such a tunnel. Then along the liffey.

plodder

Nice to see that engineering study going ahead. I hope it includes some investigation of the tunnel because the bridge goes over the lower road and straight into the tunnel as far as I can see. Where the other end of it is, and what state it is in between, is anyone's guess.

It's funny a lot of people seem to imagine this link (and the other proposed bridge at Waterstown) as a way out of the park into other interesting places. I'd see it more as a way into the park for the people who live south of the Liffey without having to get in your car and drive (as well as the above obviously).

Effects

plodder wrote: »

I hope it includes some investigation of the tunnel because the bridge goes over the lower road and straight into the tunnel as far as I can see.

You're not seeing it properly. There's a stone entrance at either end that's blocked off with steel plates. There's no tunnel that can be seen when you are at this entrance.

Here's one image looking north from the bridge

plodder

Effects wrote: »

You're not seeing it properly. There's a stone entrance at either end that's blocked off with steel plates. There's no tunnel that can be seen when you are at this entrance.

Here's one image looking north from the bridge

Sorry, I just meant the tunnel must be there, not that you can enter it, or that it isn't blocked. The point being that I hope it could be unblocked without too much work. But, have you seen the other end of it? That would be very interesting. If so, where roughly is it?

Spanish Eyes

Glad to see so much interest in the Silver Bridge!

There is a great history attached to it as some of you may be aware. Anyway, the tunnel is no longer open on the North side of the Liffey. It emerges somewhere in the grounds of Farmleigh House.

The South side comprises the wonderful Waterstown Park with great walks/cycling routes, a terrific dog run, and a great route along the banks of the Liffey. A hidden gem.

As another poster said, if the bridge were reopened it would be great for walkers/cyclists to be able to cross the river to Farmleigh and the Park in general, and vice versa to Waterstown.

It seems that engineering reports are underway so that is positive. We shall see.

As I have said there is no river crossing for walkers/cyclists from Chapelizod Bridge to Lucan. That is not good. But I live in hope!

For those interested, here is the Silver Bridge, (called Farmleigh Bridge on the map), with Farmleigh (North of the river) to the left, and Waterstown (South of the river) to the right.

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Farmleigh+Bridge/@53.3647687,-6.3681747,1954a,35y,90h/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48670d24b4e9af3d:0x1afc72b6b7501427!8m2!3d53.3613199!4d-6.3652629

Effects

plodder wrote: »

Sorry, I just meant the tunnel must be there, not that you can enter it, or that it isn't blocked. The point being that I hope it could be unblocked without too much work. But, have you seen the other end of it? That would be very interesting. If so, where roughly is it?

Sorry. I was talking about the bridge entrances. Looking back at photos now, the stone entry to the bridge is only on the north side. Behind it there's no sign at all of a tunnel.

Carawaystick

cgcsb wrote: »

By public transport, walking or cycling

Lets say I and the smallies want to go cycling in the park. We get the train to Ashtown and they should just cycle along the ashtown road, around the roundabout at the halfway house and into the park? I presume your four year old is able to do this, but mine would not be able to do this safely.

Also if a person wanted to walk a dog, no public transport will take them.

cgcsb

Carawaystick wrote: »

Lets say I and the smallies want to go cycling in the park. We get the train to Ashtown and they should just cycle along the ashtown road, around the roundabout at the halfway house and into the park? I presume your four year old is able to do this, but mine would not be able to do this safely.

Also if a person wanted to walk a dog, no public transport will take them.

Solution to that is improved cycling infrastructure. This will be somewhat achieved through bus connects. You can take dogs on public transport in Ireland free of charge. In Germany you have to get a doggy ticket.

Ya know what's not the solution? Filling your 4 year olds lungs with NOX carcinogenic compounds. And the lungs of other 4 year olds for that matter.

At 4 they're too young to be cycling on their own on the road, there should be a child seat on your bike or a trailer for them. On my cycle to work the parents usually have them on a saddle on their crossbar or in a trailer or in a seat on the back. The older kids 7 or 8 plus usually have their own bikes and their dad will cycle on the outside of them or they'll go up on the footpath at pinch points where the infrastructure is poor.

beauf

The solution is infrastructure that doesn't exist. Also make every journey 2 or 3 times longer. Not much of a sales pitch is it.

The cycling infrastructure around D15 is very disjointed. Nothing connects to anything.

cgcsb

beauf wrote: »

The solution is infrastructure that doesn't exist. Also make every journey 2 or 3 times longer. Not much of a sales pitch is it.

The cycling infrastructure around D15 is very disjointed. Nothing connects to anything.

None of the OPWs proposals exist yet either. That's the thing about proposals, they happen in the future.

beauf

May happen in the future. 8 yrs and counting for the liffey route.

https://irishcycle.com/2019/04/03/liffey-cycle-route-new-plan-includes-cycle-paths-on-both-quays/

plodder

Effects wrote: »

Sorry. I was talking about the bridge entrances. Looking back at photos now, the stone entry to the bridge is only on the north side. Behind it there's no sign at all of a tunnel.

Nice pictures. I assumed that the other side of the bridge went straight into the hill, so the tunnel had to start there, but from your second photo, that doesn't seem to be the case.

buffalo

buffalo wrote: »

Surprised this wasn't posted already: http://phoenixpark.ie/visitor-experience-strategic-review/

Deadline for submissions is tomorrow at 6pm:

Now's the time to ask about some pedestrian and cyclist crossings, priority for same at junctions, less through-traffic, making the Park available for cycle races more easily, etc. Or whatever you're having yourself.

Some feedback from this: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/no-major-retail-for-phoenix-park-says-opw-commissioner-1.4112540

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/funicular-plans-for-phoenix-park-to-be-abandoned-1.4112524

Cycling is a big issue, as well as public transport and what we do with cars. If I was starting with a blank page, would I allow cars at all? But Chesterfield Avenue has evolved over decades as a commuter route and for many people it is a necessary way to get into and out of work,”

Weepsie

Anyone who asked for more parking should rightly have their submission binned.

buffalo

Review now available at http://phoenixpark.ie/visitor-experience-strategic-review/

buffalo

buffalo wrote: »

Review now available at http://phoenixpark.ie/visitor-experience-strategic-review/

Love this summary:

• Generally against the closure of Chesterfield Avenue and any reduction on car usage which would impact commuters in particular
• Support sustainable transport proposals including public transport, electric shuttles, or improved access to train line or extension of Luas line.
• Welcome the improvement of pedestrian and cyclist facilities generally (surface, additional paths, crossings, increased management for safety, additional Dublin bike stations and rental locations)
• Support the reduction of the Park as vehicular route (slowing down, partial closure of access, increased traffic management, enforcement of speeds)
• Against any additional parking (e.g. Bloom permanent car park)

Weepsie

2-5 above there in the summary would surely facilitate 1. They should also have ANPR cameras at gates to ping commercial vehicles. I'd support paid parking too if it is to be kept on weekdays at least. A free period maybe, but it's used as a park and ride/park and walk facility by too many people. It's not a place that people should be able to dump their cars from 8-6 everyday.

axer

buffalo wrote: »

Love this summary:

Weird how they grouped those together and put the "Generally against the closure of Chesterfield Avenue" one first in the list but when you look at the appendix you can see it had much lower mentions (3.7%) than "Support the reduction of the Park as vehicular route" (14.5%).

CramCycle

I am not sure how they got anything out of that review bar reduce car traffic and leave the rest as is.

bazermc

Some amount of inconsiderate car parking in Phoenix park this morning. Cars parked in the on road cycling lane on Chesterfield avenue.

OPW was out dealing with it but not sure what exactly they can do if anything.

Weepsie

Probably the same arseholes who feed the deer despite the endless amount of signs. They'd be complaining if one rutted them