Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

Macy0161 · 13-12-2021 1:37pm

Not directly cycling related, but some pedestrians hit over the weekend by seemingly self driving vehicles. I assume it's the media just repeating what the Gardai press releases, but I really think a change in narrative to "somebody walking" or "somebody cycling" and "somebody driving" would help humanise incidents. Actually, for all incidents including those involving people driving two different vehicles.

zell12 · 13-12-2021 3:16pm

Radio1 Liveline moaning about proposed cycle lane through graveyard in DLR

Macy0161 · 13-12-2021 3:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315061#Comment_118315061

Can't listen, but from a cycling perspective or from a people using the graveyard perspective?

zell12 · 13-12-2021 3:50pm

People upset that cyclists will be having drunken orgies and whizzing through the Deansgrange graveyard as dead relatives are resting

Seth Brundle · 13-12-2021 3:51pm

I'll wager a fiver that the conversation is designed to get listeners texting in etc so they will be complaining about the dangers of cyclists ploughing through a funeral cortege and nearly killing the grieving family, etc.

zell12 · 13-12-2021 3:53pm

CramCycle · 13-12-2021 3:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315431#Comment_118315431

It is ruthlessly efficient though, we can plough on through and knock them straight into the grave.

Macy0161 · 13-12-2021 4:09pm

Well as discussed in the Infrastructure thread, the cemetry will be going from gates locked to 24/7 access. Ironically enough some have called this "solution" a win win, when cyclists don't want it, people who have people buried don't want, so pretty much just a "win" for a handful of business owners who wanted to maintain illegal parking access.

magicbastarder · 13-12-2021 4:43pm

i wouldn't be seen dead cycling through a graveyard.

Seaswimmer · 13-12-2021 5:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315570#Comment_118315570

And a win for the supposed huge majority of local residents who want to keep driving however, whenever and wherever they want. Interesting vote tonight. To my mind it is a useless piece of infrastructure that will be little used.Designed in the bad old way of getting cyclists out of the way rather than any real effort to build world class or even adequate cycle infrastructure. Hopefully it will be defeated and we can go back to the drawing board to get it right..

Macy0161 · 13-12-2021 6:58pm

It's been suggested that locals opposed the original plan, but that had overwhelming public support when it was put out for consultation. Just another example of the majority being out shouted.

zell12 · 14-12-2021 10:50am

Among the measures under consideration to achieve the targets include: Expanding 30km/h limits in urban areas; increasing sanctions for drug and alcohol use while driving; reviewing the penalties for serious road traffic offences; and the possible opening of an online portal for road users to upload footage of road traffic offences that could assist in prosecution

RTE - New road safety strategy aims to reduce deaths by 50%

De Bhál · 14-12-2021 2:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118318721#Comment_118318721

and more

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/motorists-may-be-encouraged-to-film-and-report-bad-driving-1.4755077

magicbastarder · 14-12-2021 3:40pm

(insert tired old argument) why not try just enforcing the existing laws instead of implementing new laws and measures?

Squidgy Black · 14-12-2021 3:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118320534#Comment_118320534

Because that’d require them to increase the number of Gardai on the roads to actually enforce it.

This way they don’t have to pay them, they just get to try and outsource the stuff to the public, so that when you send in the footage of an incident it gets added to a backlog that may or may not get dealt with.

magicbastarder · 14-12-2021 4:16pm

regarding how the gardai work, there was an article in the IT a few weeks back about the garda operation to police dublin more effectively in the upswing* in antisocial activity since covid, and i nearly choked on my cornflakes when i heard one garda say one of the biggest changes she'd seen was store street and pearse street actually having a shared radio channel - they'd been on separate channels till that point, so couldn't talk to each other.

e.g. if someone was fleeing on foot being chased by pearse street gardai, and they ran across the canal, the pearse street gardai could not alert their colleagues of an incoming chase.

*apparently the bare stats don't show an upswing, but the fact that there have been so much fewer people in the city centre, it justifiably feels like the place is a lot worse.

ARX · 14-12-2021 9:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118320690#Comment_118320690

In the case of Dundrum Garda station they'd just have to walk across the road:

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2893024,-6.2422156,3a,75y,296.09h,74.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLTN6YhgB0QsgC51lfPOn9w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

In Stepaside they'd have further to go, it must be a good 20 metres from the Garda station to the car I see parked on the footpath most times I pass, and another few metres to the vans and lorries parked on the footpath.

Pinch Flat · 14-12-2021 9:34pm

On cycling through graveyards, a local cemetery in waterford (ballygunner) put in car access so people could drive to pretty much all parts of the new part of the graveyard. guess what? Nobody blinked an eye.

magicbastarder · 14-12-2021 10:25pm

to be fair, i can see a qualititative difference between that - allowing access to the graveyard; and building a cycle path in it, which allows acces through the graveyard.

Seth Brundle · 14-12-2021 11:08pm

The Irish Times are reporting that considerable changes in relation to cycling (and agriculture, land use, Transport and energy) have been approved by Cabinet...

Among a long list of greener transport ambitions, cycling is to take up more space on roads and proposals to encourage greater public participation, crucially through safe and widespread infrastructure, are to be drawn up.

By early next year, a ‘National Cycling Manual’ is to be finalised by the National Transport Agency (NTA), while several greenway projects will be approved and promoted. Cycle network plans will be developed for each local authority in the second half of next year, with road networks assessed to identify how more space can be given over to pedestrians and bikes.

There are plans for a Greater Dublin Area Network consisting of 500km of bike and walking infrastructure, which is to be delivered by the NTA and Department of Transport by 2025. Regional city networks will extend to a total of 275km under the proposals.

Amended legislation will see increased fixed notice fines for the drivers of vehicles found parking on footpaths, cycle tracks or in bus lanes.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/plan-for-major-cycling-network-set-out-in-climate-action-strategy-1.4755508

15-12-2021 1:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118322809#Comment_118322809

This is great news and is very welcome.

The one thing I will say is if there is no improvement in junction designs to go along with this then we are likely to see a significant increase in the numbers of cyclists killed and maimed by inattentive drivers

Grassey · 15-12-2021 9:58am

Sure what's the point in increasing fines for illegal parking if its not enforced as a regular daily part of the job.

See it every week up around Hellfire/Cruagh - a 1 day blitz where a load of cars get ticketed, people grumble, same people park back there the next tripbecause they are 'safe' for a few more months.

Macy0161 · 15-12-2021 10:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118322325#Comment_118322325

It's more nuanced than that in this case. The cemetery will be going from limited opening hours to 24/7, for a convoluted route that most confident cyclists won't use. Just so a handful of shops could maintain two way access for their customers to illegally park.

ARX · 15-12-2021 11:39am

I for one am looking forward to taking the Deansgrange Cemetery KOM.

Mefistofelino · 15-12-2021 11:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118324384#Comment_118324384

King of the Mausoleum?

Grassey · 15-12-2021 11:56am

This Garmin Badge is going to be even more special now!

15-12-2021 6:17pm

https://cyclingindustries.com/news/details/commissions-strongest-commitment-to-cycling-to-date-cycling-organisations-react-to-the-efficient-and-green-mobility-package

Elements of the package that ECF, CIE and CONEBI welcome in particular include:

the overall prioritisation of the development of cycling, walking, public transport and shared mobility services in urban mobility
the call for cities to properly address cycling in urban mobility policies “at all levels of governance and funding, transport planning, awareness-raising, allocation of space, safety regulations and adequate infrastructure”
the proposal to require that TEN-T urban nodes adopt Sustainable and Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) that also serve to increase cycling levels
the call for the TEN-T regulation to better integrate active transport modes in the network and maintain the continuity and accessibility of cycling infrastructure
the acknowledgement of the need to accelerate the deployment of cargo bikes and e-cargo bikes for urban logistics and last-mile deliveries, notably as an integral part of Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans (SULPs)
the recognition that e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, as “the fastest-growing e-mobility segment in Europe,” are contributing not only to an increase in the number and length of cycling trips but to the strong industrial leadership of the European cycling industry
the call to ensure a better integration between public transport, on the one hand, and shared mobility services and active mobility, on the other
the call for cyclists and pedestrians to be given sufficient road space, including through safe and separated infrastructure
plans to launch a programme for the collection of urban mobility data for harmonised indicators, including on modal share
that the revised ITS directive has a widened scope that calls for seamless multimodality, using the most efficient transport mode for each leg of the journey, a goal which cycling can deliver.

Grassey · 15-12-2021 11:24pm

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/former-olympian-cyclist-tells-court-of-the-loss-he-suffered-as-a-result-of-his-bookkeeper-stealing-thousands-from-his-business-41154342.html

magicbastarder · 15-12-2021 11:27pm

hmm, a connaughton involved too. would be gas if there was a family link there also.

15-12-2021 11:41pm

Big bucks for a small business, what was it that woman stole from TV3 that was in court recently ? about 800k over 10 years?

Ironically we're watching Superman 3 here with Richard Pryor doing his thing and funnelling all the half cents from everyone's pay into an expense account for himself.

Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

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