Comment & Analysis: The Clontarf to City Centre Cycle and Bus Priority Project is not finished yet, but as construction progresses, the lack of attention to detail and some striking design contradictions are becoming increasingly apparent.
The main issue that most people have noticed is that the cycle track width is narrower than it could have been in many locations, making it harder to cycle side by side or even overtake a single other cyclist safely. Even 0.2-0.4 metres extra in width in some locations could have been helpful along parts of the route without impacting much on any other user or greenery etc.
The striking design contradictions, however, are more likely to include extra risks for both people walking and cycling.
A key example of a striking design contradiction is at the junction with the Malahide Road in Fairview, where there is provision for a signalised crossing between a footpath and a bus stop platform, but nothing at the left-hand turn from the Malahide Road towards Clontarf.
Of course, there’s no denying that people cycling can be a risk to people on foot (as people on foot can be a similar risk to people cycling). But there’s a risk in talking up cycling as a danger so much that we collectively take our eyes off the bull that is motoring in the China shop that is our streets.
When there’s so much focus on cyclists being a danger, design choices are made that forget the far more substantial danger. And we get massive contradictions that don’t make sense:
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These are shown as raised crossings in public consultation drawings – https://clongriffinscheme.ie
Yes indeed raised table crossings are better for everyone and help to reduce speed