July 7, 2014:
Cars parked in the with-flow cycle lane are not a regular occurrence here, at least as far as we’ve seen. And while the garda (police) traffic cones shows that they know that there will be a problem that they could have been on the lookout for, the daily issue here isn’t the with-flow cycle lane or illegal parking.
It’s the design of the contra-flow cycle lane (pictured behind the footpath build-out). It ends around 5 meters before the junction with a sign (like the one pictured below), telling people to dismount. The problem is that this is heading into a busy main road and there’s no way it’s safer to dismount to cross the road.
There was no need for this. Some of the space that the footpath build-out takes up could have made for a great exit point for the contra-flow cycle lane.
The fact that the council needs a cycle network sign to explain what the dismount sign is about shows that there’s something wrong with their thinking.
Images: IrishCycle.com
Location: Town Park, Ballina, Co Mayo
Local body/authority: Ballina Town Council (now defunct) / Mayo County Council
Street View: Currently shows build out but pre-cycle lanes
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Cian Ginty
Editor, IrishCycle.com