Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

tomasrojo

RAGE CAPS is good though

Type 17

Clicked it a few times and got some good ones:

"MORE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS BEING PUSHED ONTO US BY THE FIANNA FAILERS ON BIKES. THEY WON'T STOP UNTIL THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYED THE HOUSING MARKET."

and

"WE COULD HAVE USED APPLE'S 120BILLION EURO TO INVEST IN TAYTO CRISPS IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE TOXIC GREENS AND THEIR CLIMATE HOAX PROPAGANDA."

Duckjob

Grassey wrote: »

Opinion: The programme for government is like a visit from Santa for cyclists

Get the popcorn ready for the comments this will generate....

I'm a bit disappointed that it took so long this time for road tax to get a mention.

Up your game please theJournal mouth-frothers, up your game.

Grassey

The motoring fraternity must have had a day off.

TheChizler

Tragic incident up in Limerick. Both the person cycling and the driver of the car killed. You can understand why reports normally point out "the driver of the car was uninjured" when this kind of thing can happen.

https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2020/0626/1149732-limerick-rta/

ngunners

TheChizler wrote: »

Tragic incident up in Limerick. Both the person cycling and the driver of the car killed. You can understand why reports normally point out "the driver of the car was uninjured" when this kind of thing can happen.

https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2020/0626/1149732-limerick-rta/

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.breakingnews.ie/ireland/carlow-boy-dies-in-hospital-after-collision-with-jeep-while-cycling-1007551.html

A 10 year old boy in Carlow also died after being hit by a jeep. Very sad.

Seth Brundle

Skoda’s new tech should stop drivers dooring cyclists
"The new Octavia is apparently one of the most cycle-friendly cars out there"

fat bloke

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Skoda’s new tech should stop drivers dooring cyclists
"The new Octavia is apparently one of the most cycle-friendly cars out there"

Always has been! Very few hatchbacks you can put a family of four into and then put two full road bikes (wheels off) & all necessary luggage for a week away in the boot!
As good as any estate!

RobertFoster

Further restrictions on cars planned for Phoenix Park (RTÉ)

Six "peripheral gates" closed during the Covid-19 lockdown will now remain shut although the main entrances at Castleknock and Parkgate Street will remain open.

eeeee

RobertFoster wrote: »

Further restrictions on cars planned for Phoenix Park (RTÉ)

Great news!

tomasrojo

Programme for Government might pass, based on this:
https://twitter.com/oconnellhugh/status/1276580933475368967

Which would make Eamon Ryan Minister for Transport and Climate Change, or something like that.

tomasrojo

Some word of a super junior minister installed by FG or FF to make roads aren't neglected. Hm.

Eamonnator

tomasrojo wrote: »

Programme for Government might pass, based on this:
https://twitter.com/oconnellhugh/status/1276580933475368967

Which would make Eamon Ryan Minister for Transport and Climate Change, or something like that.

Does this mean, Ryan will be on duty at The Orwell Randonnee next year instead of Ross?

tomasrojo

Eamonnator wrote: »

Does this mean, Ryan will be on duty at The Orwell Randonnee next year instead of Ross?

Not sure ER can match Ross' incandescent enthusiasm for cycling.

magicbastarder

at least they could put ryan to use at the start fixing punctures and other niggles.

Grassey

Well there you go GP vote 'yay'

tomasrojo

Here's hoping that budget shows up and is well spent

magicbastarder

are you able to join multiple political parties at once? i.e. do any of them have it in their constitution that you can't be a member of another party?
was just wondering given that the green vote was cast by about 2000 members, that a spoiler vote of people who joined simply to mess with them could have thrown the result the other way with only about 200 votes.

Grassey

GP constitution is you can't be a member of another party (without prior approval from the heads of party), would assume the other parties are similar. You also need to be a member past 6 months probation to vote, so unless someone had the foresight to join last December to mess with the vote....

tomasrojo

I think they did have an influx of members from or related to Extinction Rebellion, and they were largely opposed to the programme for government. But they didn't join to monkey with the membership vote, obviously.

Seth Brundle

Another letter to the Times...
A new era for cycling

Sir, –As a regular cyclist, I am “swiped” by motorists on average once a day, generally by commercial vehicles, presumably driven by “professional” drivers. On two occasions I was knocked from my bicycle.

While the majority of drivers are courteous and careful, there is a sizeable minority of motorists who are actively aggressive towards cyclists. I have to concede that the situation is not helped by those cyclists who exhibit a blatant disregard for the rules of the road. There is a need to effect an attitude shift by both motorists and cyclists, but like all behavioural adjustments, this will take time and education.

In the meantime, the depressing toll of road deaths of cyclists continues.

As the uptake of both commuter and leisure cycling continues, prompted by the needs to maintain social distancing, as well as lowering our carbon emissions, I suspect the toll will continue to rise unless remedial measures are implemented as a matter of urgency.

With the inclusion of the Green Party in the new Government and its commitment to the green agenda, there is an opportunity to make some essential changes. If we want to lower or eliminate cycling deaths, we have to end the practice of sharing the same space with motor vehicles. As in most of other European countries, we need to elevate and separate cycling lanes, by widening existing footpaths and delineating the pedestrian lane from the cycling one. Needless to say these cycling lanes need to be one-directional and properly maintained.

Might I also suggest that An Garda Síochána develop and resource an expanded cycling division to police the burgeoning cycling community, enforce the rule of law, and monitor both bad motoring and cycling behaviour. – Yours, etc,

FRANK WALSH,
Coolballow,
Wexford.

Brock Turnpike

eeeee wrote: »

Great news!

No. It isn't. There is no viable alternative for a lot of people who have to drive to and from the city. Traffic is going to be badly effected by this decision. Long term it's a good idea to phase it in, if & when sufficient public transport was available, but unfortunately there is a huge lack of PT.

Seth Brundle

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

No. It isn't. There is no viable alternative for a lot of people who have to drive to and from the city. Traffic is going to be badly effected by this decision. Long term it's a good idea to phase it in, if & when sufficient public transport was available, but unfortunately there is a huge lack of PT.

The vast majority of drivers do not *need* to commute into the city - they *choose* to.
If those that currently choose to drive are deterred from driving in, then that means there is more space on the roads for those that need to drive in.
As for making PT available and then drivers switching over, PT won't improve until road space is taken from drivers so it's a bit of a chicken and egg situation.
Anyhow, I suspect this is derailing the thread and there are already plenty of threads on the Phoenix Park changes.

Brock Turnpike

Seth Brundle wrote: »

The vast majority of drivers do not *need* to commute into the city - they *choose* to.
If those that currently choose to drive are deterred from driving in, then that means there is more space on the roads for those that need to drive in.
As for making PT available and then drivers switching over, PT won't improve until road space is taken from drivers so it's a bit of a chicken and egg situation.
Anyhow, I suspect this is derailing the thread and there are already plenty of threads on the Phoenix Park changes.

I disagree. And I also think that it's rail lines that should be the focus of PT. Regardless, I agree with you that it is taking the thread off topic so I'll leave it there.

Seth Brundle

This translates into: "The @police_nrw_k controls the minimum distance of one and a half meters when overtaking cyclists. In view of the lack of calibrated technical devices, the police are currently concentrating on one-way streets in the secondary network, which can never be overtaken legally."

https://twitter.com/ADFCKoeln/status/1277291512913674240

They should be stopping the cyclists and explaining about door zones there too. It's exactly the type of road I'd plant my arse in the middle of for fear of doors.

Type 17

The construction of the segregated cycle route from Blackrock to Sandycove has started.

Traffic from Blackrock southbound is diverted through Monkstown/DunLaoghaire, traffic from Sandycove is unaffected (although as a cyclist, be careful as the cones mean that vehicles can't move out enough to overtake you, so until the lane is ready for bicycle-use, things may actually be a bit worse).

Seth Brundle

Type 17 wrote: »

...although as a cyclist, be careful as the cones mean that vehicles can't move out enough to overtake you, so until the lane is ready for bicycle-use, things may actually be a bit worse).

"take the lane" until it is safe for others to overtake

Type 17

Seth Brundle wrote: »

"take the lane" until it is safe for others to overtake

I always do, but just a reminder for others

Johnny Jukebox

Nice article in the IT about the best summer ever...

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/the-best-of-times-roche-goes-to-the-limit-and-beyond-in-bid-for-tour-de-france-glory-1.4291899