Detail and comment on planned Dublin area cycling projects

Recently funding of €43 million for cycling, pedestrian and public transport projects in the Dublin area was announced — here’s the full list below with added cycling related commentary in bold and split by council area:

Dublin City

  • Final stages of the Marlborough Street Bridge for bus and Luas – €5 million >> It’ll also include cycle lanes.
  • Commence the expansion of Dublin Bikes eastwards and westwards – €2.6 million >> Only if a deal is agreed. As we reported, there’s still no deal.
  • New traffic management schemes in the south city centre around St Stephen’s Green and Pearse Street – combined funding of €2.25 million >> This is also for Luas BXD; it will be inteirtsing to see how well cycling is treated here.
  • Resurface key bus and cycle routes – locations to be determined by Dublin City Council and NTA – €2 million >> Hopefully, this time they will follow the National Cycle Manual, unlike last time.
  • Widening Newcomen Bridge for cyclists on the busiest cycle route in Dublin – €250,000 >> We’re still waiting to see the design options for this one. Cycling provision — mainly in the form of segregation of cyclists — was done extremely poorly in this area in the past… Will this time around be any different?
  • Complete a cycle route through Tolka Valley and Cardiffsbridge Parks, and start planning a cycle route from The O2 to Heuston Station and Phoenix Park – combined funding of €500,000 >> The quays cycle route is the one to watch this year… if any progress is to be made.
  • Start planning the first five major cycle routes in Dublin city centre – €200,000 >> The Dublin cycle network review to be published this year should shine some light on what routes will be chosen.

Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown

  • Construct new carriageway, cycle tracks and footpaths on Braemor Road – €1.5 million >> This is a highly promising redesign of a badly maintained and a somewhat desperately designed off-road cycle track.
  • Final improvements to cycle routes on N11 – €500,000 >> Final improvements? Hopefully not that final. Sections of the N11 cycle tracks have been improved in recent years and the new sections seem to be good, but overall this has amounted to little more than putting “lipstick on a pig”.  We could be wrong, but along the N11 there seems to be more work to do than €500,000 will likely cover.
  • Design an improved cycle and walking link between Windy Arbour and UCD – €250,000 >> This route has so much potential. It includes some welcomed upgrades of cycle lanes and tracks on the Rock Road and some good contra-flow near the Luas end. But the chosen design has some flaws including shared use where there’s space (but maybe not the funding!) for high quality cycle tracks and crossings.
  • New crossing of N11 at Silver Tassie – €175,000

South Dublin

  • Improve cycling facilities between Tallaght town centre and Spawell roundabout – €700,000 >> Any improvements to this key link between Tallaght and the Dublin City area should be a good thing. Hopeful the route just beyond the Spawell roundabout can also be tackled — the crossover from two-way to one-way is one of the worst parts of the current route.
  • New pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Dodder, construction starting this year – €400,000 >> Sounds like it could form part of the planned River Dodder cycling route?
  • Develop new walking and cycling route on Grange Road – €300,000 >> More likely upgrade what’s already there?
  • Tender for cycle parking at Luas-bus interchange – €106,000 >> That’s a notable amount of money for bicycle parking.

Fingal

  • Construct Ongar/Clonee cycle network – €1 million >> Boom times saw Fingal at least watching over the street network being destroyed for cycling as tiny footpaths were put in place at the same level as cycle tracks. Will this project amount to more than just more “lipstick on a pig”? We might sound negative but looking at cycle tracks in the Ongar area is depressing.
  • New distributor road at Holywell Village to remove traffic from residential area – €575,000
  • Build a new cycle and walking route along the Royal Canal towpath – €500,000 >> No comment for now.
  • Complete a new and safer traffic junction in Lusk – €275,000

Kildare

  • Construct traffic calming measures in Celbridge – €250,000
  • Build public transport hub on Main Street, Naas – €250,000
  • Design new cycle routes in Kildare – €250,000 >> Sounds like a low amount for more than one cycle route?
  • Design new footpaths on Main Street, Kill – €200,000

Wicklow

  • Provide new pedestrian, cycle and bus facilities on Main Street, Bray – €650,000
  • Complete the flagship cycle scheme for Bray seafront – €600,000
  • Complete the Spine Route for cyclists in Bray, linking schools, residential areas and work sites – €150,000
  • Complete the Marine Road coastal cycle route in Greystones – €225,000

Meath

  • Pedestrian and cycle links in Johnstown, Navan – €724,300
  • Design priority cycle routes in Meath – €250,000
  • Improve pedestrian, cycle and bus facilities in Ashbourne – €200,000
  • Complete one section and plan a second of River Boyne cycle route from Drogheda to Slane – €150,000

1 comments

  1. The more cycle lanes / tracks the better. As a cyclist I find there are problems with cycle lanes.
    1. Cycle lanes which share an area alongside an area for pedestrians. Many pedestrians seem to be oblivious to the cycle lanes and walk in them. They stroll in the cycle lane, push baby buggies, walk their dogs and jog. Sometimes they hurl abuse at the cyclist for being in the cycle lane.
    2. Cycle lanes are used as car parking areas. Motorist drive up on the kerb and park in the cycle lane. Vehicles used by state bodies are frequent offenders.
    3 There seems to be a lack of awareness about the proper use cycle lanes by all road users and pedestrians. Perhaps an education programme would help.
    I could go on but these are my main points.

    Reply

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