January 12, 2015:
This is one of many examples around Ireland where the Department of Transport seems to have funded cycle lanes by the distance in which the council could put down the markings. Cycle lanes we retrofitted into roads and streets across Ireland minimum possible structural changes — the lanes were only installed where they fit (even if they often used sub-standard widths).
Above you see how the motorist — as commonly happens — drives into the cycle lane as they pass a chicane outside a school. It could be classed as poor driver and if a bicycle was hit it would likely be classed as such, but this is also clearly poor design.
The National Cycle Manual states that (non-segregated) cycle lanes should be protected with segregation when they and people cycling on them are shifted horizontally. Where cycle lanes continue through chicanes, there’s a clear case for segregation to stop weaving motorists from hitting people on bicycles.
Image: IrishCycle.com
Location: McDermott Street, Ballina, Co Mayo
Local body/authority: Ballina Town Council / Mayo County Council
Street View: Currently shows street before cycle lane installed
Send suggestions to hello@irishcycle.com. And make sure to view the original and UK-focused facility of the month page on Warrington Cycle Campaign’s website.
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Just more of the same.
Cyclist.ie in a submission to then minister for transport, Dr. Leo Vardkar, sought to have a moratorium on the roll-out by road authorities (NRA, RPA, LAs) of any more so-called cycling infrastructure until such time as the DoTTAS established an inspection/approval body for such projects. This demand was included in our pleadings that led to the formulation of the NCPF (2009).
We cannot trust road authorities to get it right for cycling.
We are not even sure if road safety audits are being undertaken by road authorities using independent consultants to review the projects at design and implementation stages. We call for road safety audits to be uploaded to road authority web-sites that are publicly accessible.
There has to be accountability for what is happening (or not happening)!