Dublin commuter cycling numbers up again

Chips Lovell

Some pretty impressive cycling figures from Dublin City Council today which showed that the number of cyclists travelling into the city centre grew from 10,893 in 2015 to 12,089 last year.

That's up from 4,839 ten years ago, a whopping 150 percent increase.

At this rate we'll be up to Dutch/German levels in no time.

Red Kev

Up 10% year on year and it's doubled since 2010. I suppose the question is how they do this count? is it still picking a random day, or is it an average over several days. Weather can affect the numbers somewhat. You'd also have to imaging how much higher they'd be if there wasn't such a hate campaign by certain elements of the media against cyclists.

We're still a long way off the Dutch model, but we're getting there bit by bit.

Lots done, much more to do.

tomasrojo

I assume that the usual qualifier applies: this misses all the cycling that doesn't cross the canals, which is nearly all the Dublin Bike journeys, for example, and quite a few people who live and work in the city centre. So there probably is a lot of cycling this doesn't capture.

(As an index rather than a quantifier of real numbers, I think it does indicate a very large increase in cycling, and I think it's very obvious that such an increase has occurred, just from looking around you.)

Two thirds of people use “sustainable transport” – walking, cycling and public transport – to access the city, said the council.

That's starting to look more like a "normal" European city too.

07Lapierre

I heard on the radio this morning DCC are planning more Bus lanes along the quays and a ban on private cars too! The important word is "Planning" ! whether this will ever happen is another days work!

tomasrojo

Red Kev wrote: »

I suppose the question is how they do this count? is it still picking a random day, or is it an average over several days.

The count, taken each November, measures the modes of transport on 33 routes which can be used to access Dublin city through a cordon roughly defined by the Royal and Grand canals during the busiest commuting hours. Information is also provided by bus operators, Irish Rail and, in relation to the Luas, by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, to give a full picture of everyone accessing the city in the morning.

So don't think it's a "random" day, but not sure whether it's on one day or averaged over a few days. I've always assumed it's just one day, which should make the signal rather noisy, but it's seems a pretty steady figure.

tomasrojo

07Lapierre wrote: »

I heard on the radio this morning DCC are planning more Bus lanes along the quays and a ban on private cars too! The important word is "Planning" ! whether this will ever happen is another days work!

Is that in relation to the Luas Cross City? I think they will have to restrict private car use, from what they were saying. Lights will be changing every ninety seconds when the Cross City if running. Which is this year, I think?

Wishbone Ash

07Lapierre wrote: »

I heard on the radio this morning DCC are planning more Bus lanes along the quays and a ban on private cars too! The important word is "Planning" ! whether this will ever happen is another days work!

They did say they can do it under a SI and bypass Co Councillors on this one so it looks more hopeful.

tomasrojo

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

They did say they can do it under a SI and bypass Co Councillors on this one so it looks more hopeful.

Because if falls under the auspices of the NTA?

07Lapierre

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

They did say they can do it under a SI and bypass Co Councillors on this one so it looks more hopeful.

There doing a "Trump" on it?

check_six

They count everything on the one day. 15th November 2016 was the last count day. They counted people crossing over the canal in various modes of transport. The weather was good that day, but the previous year was a bit of a stinker if memory serves.

Here's the link to thread from the day itself:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=101669793

Seaswimmer

I've posted these figures on here before but the counter on the Rock Road at Willow Park over the last few years.

2013...200,000

2014 and 2015: Out of action from approx. April 2014 to Sep 2015 so no full yearly totals.

2016: 275,000

so 37.5% increase on this corridor in 3 years.

tomasrojo

Some details on proposed private car restrictions in Dublin city centre:
http://irishcycle.com/2017/02/21/dublin-to-get-major-bus-and-tram-priorty-mesures-for-luas-cross-city/

Beasty

It's really good news, although I would add traffic across the city is up significantly as we've moved on from the effects of the crash and credit crunch. Rush hour traffic is back to congestion levels of perhaps 10 years ago, which actually increases the advantages of cycling into work.

I think from a wider perspective this has to be good news for future improvements of cycling infrastructure as more people start to appreciate the tangible benefits, be it making getting into work a bit faster or the generally healthier lifestyle it can bring. That hopefully leads to an appreciation within city (and indeed government) officials of those wider benefits and encourages further investment in cycling facilities.

tomasrojo

Seaswimmer wrote: »

2013...200,000
2016: 275,000
so 25% increase on this corridor in 3 years.

37.5%?

Seaswimmer

tomasrojo wrote: »

37.5%?

Thank you..:)

Annie get your Run

Beasty wrote: »

Rush hour traffic is back to congestion levels of perhaps 10 years ago, which actually increases the advantages of cycling into work.

I think from a wider perspective this has to be good news for future improvements of cycling infrastructure as more people start to appreciate the tangible benefits, be it making getting into work a bit faster or the generally healthier lifestyle it can bring. That hopefully leads to an appreciation within city (and indeed government) officials of those wider benefits and encourages further investment in cycling facilities.

+1, definitely more cyclists but equally more cars too. On the advantages of cycling, I take enormous pleasure in passing the 70, stuck in heavy traffic on the quays every morning, having been overtaken by him on the road out of the village an hour previously . I really wish they'd do something with the North Quays though. Plenty of instant changes that don't cost anything to DCC like not allowing Dublin Buses to park there for periods of time and possibly reducing the car lane down to one.

Chips Lovell

Number of car journeys has actually dropped from 58,664 to 51,908 in the same 10 year period.

Fell from 53,064 to 51,908 last year.

NBar

Why we just couldn't do as they do in the USA and put out Luas/metro system up on stilts above the road and traffic still move below etc. Now it's going to be people fighting for road space

magicbastarder

the original plan for the metro north called for it to be placed on stilts going up the ballymun road.

07Lapierre

NBar wrote: »

Why we just couldn't do as they do in the USA and put out Luas/metro system up on stilts above the road and traffic still move below etc. Now it's going to be people fighting for road space

Terrible idea!

would you really want streets looking like this.. https://goo.gl/maps/fR4rRHcUrvL2

Wishbone Ash

NBar wrote: »

Why we just couldn't do as they do in the USA and put out Luas/metro system up on stilts above the road..

Awful idea ....have you ever been to Chicago?

Beasty

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

Number of car journeys has actually dropped from 58,664 to 51,908 in the same 10 year period.

Fell from 53,064 to 51,908 last year.

Presume that is within the city and equally some may have been put off due to additional traffic restrictions put in place. Equally that must be more encouraging for cyclists as there should be more room for them - perhaps that has contributed to the uptake in cyclists

Alas I'm guessing traffic levels on the M50 may be a different story

NBar

The city doesn't look much better now with a Luas system running through it, I would prefer what they have in Chicago or just went underground, the city will yes become a no car zone and will feel the effects of it had push traffic back onto the m50 which is already at breaking point, I don't go into the city anymore due to conjestion etc and cycling had become more dangerous also, don't know who the Luas will benefit.

buffalo

NBar wrote: »

I don't go into the city anymore due to conjestion etc and cycling had become more dangerous also, don't know who the Luas will benefit.

umm... you don't want to drive into the city, and you don't feel you can cycle in... sounds like it would benefit you!

tomasrojo

And there is no compelling evidence to suggest that cycling has become more dangerous. If you track rates of serious injury or death year by year, you can see rises between particular years, but they generally fall again the next year, and the overall trend is downwards or stable.

In particular, be sceptical of arguments based on percentage rises and falls of, for example, deaths, because you're dealing with a number that centres around ten or so, and you always get big movements in terms of percentages when you're dealing with small numbers.

07Lapierre

NBar wrote: »

The city doesn't look much better now with a Luas system running through it, I would prefer what they have in Chicago or just went underground, the city will yes become a no car zone and will feel the effects of it had push traffic back onto the m50 which is already at breaking point, I don't go into the city anymore due to conjestion etc and cycling had become more dangerous also, don't know who the Luas will benefit.

Yeah...it would look so much better with a chicago style "L" system!!! :eek:

NBar

buffalo wrote: »

umm... you don't want to drive into the city, and you don't feel you can cycle in... sounds like it would benefit you!

I drive for work in city so have no interest in going in there on a private capacity, i see the way it's going now and it's not good for anyone ex do the Luas snd Dublin Bus

Tenzor07

All of the increases are in spite of the absence of cycle infrastructure in Dublin city, though very encouraging figures all the same, hopefully this will mean that councils/local government will finally start to take notice and make some concessions to bicycle commuters in the canal cordon in the form of more cycle lanes, less trucks, traffic lights for cyclists etc etc..

DanDublin1982

tomasrojo wrote: »

Some details on proposed private car restrictions in Dublin city centre:
http://irishcycle.com/2017/02/21/dublin-to-get-major-bus-and-tram-priorty-mesures-for-luas-cross-city/

Those proposals are way overdue. There are going to be some upset motorists out there.