Cycle infrastructure planned for south Dublin

Peregrine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117695847#Comment_117695847

You are aware of who the Minister for Transport is?

Larbre34

Lol, so?

Its clear enough that Ryan does what he's told and hasn't an original thought in his head. The AG will come to cabinet with a remedy and Ryan will carry it out, whatever it is.

First Up

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117695875#Comment_117695875

Indeed I am and I have previous experience of how Keegan has been emboldened by a Green presence in government to drive his own agenda.

But others have noticed too and are wise to his antics, as I think this incident is going to show.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696010#Comment_117696010

What exactly is Keegan's agenda which some people keep referring to.

First Up

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696194#Comment_117696194

He fancies himself as someone who "gets things done" by pushing the boundaries. He sees impatience as a virtue and enjoys confrontation and being controversial. Massive ego behind it all.

And he has a thing about bicycles.

Podge_irl

Did strand road not have the support of the democratically elected DCC?

First Up

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696356#Comment_117696356

No, it was driven entirely by officials, using Keegan's favourite ploy of introducing something on temporary or "trial" basis and then arranging a "review" that says it's all great.

Peregrine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696414#Comment_117696414

Strand Road is the only cycle lane project in DCC that was proposed on a trial basis with a review. If it was his favourite "ploy", why doesn't he do it more often?

First Up

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696464#Comment_117696464

He did it when running DLRCOCO.

Mr. Cats

For which scheme in DLRCOCO did he do it?

Peregrine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696486#Comment_117696486

Go on..

You're going back quite a bit but what was it?

He must really love this favourite "ploy" of his if he last used it before 2013 when he was in DLR and not for the countless cycling projects in the last two years. Yep, Owen Keegan and his favourite ploy.

First Up

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696511#Comment_117696511

No, I'll just let it play out.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696356#Comment_117696356

He used the Government's flawed instruction to bypass them.

The Government said to the Councils 'its a pandemic, build whatever you like to keep folk separated'.

On the back of that, Keegan attempted to use a section of the Road Traffic Act, designed for implementation of minor traffic control measures, to build a highly impactful 3km cycle track. That Section is an executive function of the Council, which bypasses the approval of the elected Members. He further attempted to split the project into two, Strand Road, then Beach Road, to further avoid the thresholds of planning legislation. (Project splitting is viewed very dimly by the An Bord Pleanála and the Courts)

Keegan then came under pressure from the Councillors and had his subordinates arrange some non-statutory public consultation (for non-statutory read sham) which considered the proposals with no metrics offered for success or failure. He also sought and received what I regarded immediately as hugely flimsy advice from a planning consultant, confirming to Keegan that he had no need to carry out certain environmental assessments on a project of this scale.

It is various aspects of this that were challenged in the High Court and judgement delivered in favour of the plaintiffs on Friday.

It's for all these reasons, that Keegan has effectively undermined COVID era streetscape schemes all over the Country and given a massive headache to Eamon Ryan.

And its all fairly cut and dry as I see it, which really makes me puzzled as to why Cian Ginty and Kevin Baker and Ciaran Ferrie and others are so confident that an appeal by Keegan's City Council would be successful. I think they're delusional.

Mr. Cats

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696522#Comment_117696522

Ah go on. Tell us about the other times he used his “favourite ploy”?

Yourself and the failed public servant, Labre, above are quick to attack the man with accusations that he is this and that so it would be good if you could at least back it up with some facts?

Podge_irl

It's for all these reasons, that Keegan has effectively undermined COVID era streetscape schemes all over the Country and given a massive headache to Eamon Ryan.

A flawed project should not undermine other projects if they are done correctly. Or else all projects were not done on an appropriate statutory basis and you just think they would have "gotten away with it" without Keegan upsetting some rich folk. In which case its good that it is addressed legislatively anyway.

The criticism of the consultation seems particularly asinine considering I have never seen a consultation specially provide for the option of a local resident's groups (terrible) solution.

I don't get the hatred of Keegan. Driving through Dublin is going to get progressively more restricted over the upcoming years and people are just going to have to get used to that.

Out of curiosity - was any planning permission required to put down the roundabouts that they are now looking to remove?

Larbre34

Those roundabouts would be good examples of what is actually allowed under Section 38. You can see the obvious disparity.

And let's be clear, you're right what you say, few or none of these COVID street schemes were put in on an appropriate statutory basis. Some of them are small enough that they will escape under Section 38 or other minor regulation, but many will not, including the CMR in Dun Laoghaire.

That's not to say they'll all have to be ripped out, but they will have to be regularised under the full planning process to retain them. And approval is not a foregone conclusion.

First Up

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696622#Comment_117696622

This is a discussion about the plans for Strand Rd. I'm not going to distract from that.

Let's just deal with the facts. People who have a say in how this develops know who and what they are dealing with.

Podge_irl

This is about Strand Rd and I'm not going to distract from that, but the mastermind behind it has an incredibly questionable history and form in breaking the rules for projects just like this but I won't go into that cause this is just about Strand Rd. And that awful guy with bad history who is planning it.

🙄

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117695782#Comment_117695782

Let's just be clear. Some people were suggesting that Strand Road is the only possible route to the East Link. That's just not true.

Yes, SOME traffic does indeed use Strand Road today, cars, vans, trucks, hopefully not five axle HGVs. Some of that traffic will evaporate. Some of that traffic will find different routes. Some might stop using the East Link. There are lots of other options.

Peregrine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696737#Comment_117696737

This is hilarious!

"Keegan is using his favourite ploy!"

"I've never seen him use it. When did he last used this ploy that he loves so much?"

"Like ten years ago."

"What did he use it for?"

"I'll just let it play out. I don't want to distract from Strand Road."

What?? 😂

Anyway, this thread is used for more than just Strand Road. I believe it's for cycling infrastructure in south Dublin. Let's hear about this big project in Dún Laoghaire.

Mr. Cats

Would DCC need planning permission to make all of Strand Rd one way? So two lanes southbound?

Trudee

Owen Keegan has form in rushing through projects without considering end result:

The €430k roundabout

In his capacity as Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown council chief, the Killiney towers roundabout was given a €275,000 facelift in 2011, in what the council said was an effort to make it safer for cyclists.

However problems soon arose when the layout led cyclists to believe they had right of way over motorists – and motorists vice versa.

The council admitted that the design of the roundabout was ‘unduly ambitious’.

A further €155,000 ‘design solution’ was then ordered to fix the problem, and clear up confusion over right of way.

However locals complained that the new system forced cyclists to use the pavement to negotiate the roundabout – putting pedestrians in danger.

The two upgrades left the taxpayer with a combined bill of €430,000.

 

Rechuchote

Safe infrastructure for active travel needs to have the same right-to-be-built as other health infrastructure - water, electric and gas grids, sewerage, broadband.

This is the favourite of objectors now; back in the day electric wiring and telecoms infrastructure were regarded with the same horror. That's why, for instance, the main telecom lines originally followed the rail lines. These were owned by the State, so no wayleaves were needed to bring the telecoms infrastructure along them.

Mr. Cats

The man is clearly a monster. He tried an innovation on a roundabout and when it didn’t work, the error was admitted, and it was changed.

Now I see the point about his pattern of behaviour.

First Up

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696839#Comment_117696839

I don't recall anyone saying Strand Rd is the "only possible" route; just that it is the safest, most direct and most widely used.

Larbre34

Why do I get the feeling if a senior public official was taking the piss in various ways and wasting public money, all in a manner AGAINST the interests of cycling, we would be having a very different debate here now.

It does amuse me how many in here would call poor driving near cyclists, "criminal" behaviour, but incompetence in public office, so long as it benefits the cycle lobby, is graaaaaaaaand.

That's the sort of hypocrisy that will come back to haunt you.

Podge_irl

That's not hypocrisy. Incompetence in public office isn't criminal and poor driving near cyclists very regularly technically is.

Trudee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696931#Comment_117696931

And after two people hospitalised in two separate incidents due to council being ‘unduly ambitious’

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696963#Comment_117696963

There's plenty of public money being pissed away that's against the interests of cycling and active travel and has done a disservice to all types of road users and has been called out for being a collosal waste.

That n11 cycle lane you seem to think is good, and most infrastructure thats been put in about the city in years past. They have done a lot of cosmetic lipservice and spent a lot doing so, and created new problems as a result.

Mr. Cats

No it’s obviously not grand to waste public money.

However you and a few other posters have written here that the man is arrogant, is always doing this sort of stuff etc. When pushed for examples, one probably poor decision from more than 10 years is dragged up. In the example, the mistake was admitted and rectified. It’s not like the Killiney Towers roundabout hasn’t been changed to this day and is ruining lives. If anything it supports the point that the cycle path is a trial which can be reversed if it doesn’t work.

Whats your real issue with Keegan? It seems to be personal with a few of you.