Irish Cycle Facility of the Week

March 2, 2014
cyclists dismount

Above is maybe of of the most understandable “cyclists dismount” points, where the council are stuck between a rock and a hard place (or a very large stone wall and an active railway line).

Hopefully efforts to resolve the issue don’t come dismounted.

Image: IrishCycle.com
Location: Blackrock Park – Blackrock Train Station
Local body/authority: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council
Street View: Only opening at train station side visible 

Send suggestions to [email protected]. And make sure to view the original and UK-focused facility of the month page on Warrington Cycle Campaign’s website.

4 comments

  1. A classic case of ‘sure anything will do for cyclists’ by a road authority. They would not act this way with a road or motorway scheme would they?
    The wall is the eastern boundary to a properety (‘Deepwell’) with a very extensive garden. The owner should be offered compensation to lose 2-3 m of this garden.
    That’s how its done for road schemes. Parity of esteem for cycling please.

    Reply
  2. Dismounting in this area would only work if the pedestrian, bike and cyclist are extremely skinny. Suggesting dismounting in this area means taking up twice the width and make it extremely difficult for anyone else to pass. It makes more sense to ask cyclists and pedestrians to proceed with extreme caution or close it off entirely. The land purchase would be a suitable solution, but I would rather see the money spent on better cycle facilities, however I would question the “bona fides” of anyone suggesting dismounting as a serious solution.
    The area was narrowed when CIE enlarged the Platform in Blackrock DART Station. FYI, this little area leads eventually to one of the best designed award winning cycle lanes in the entire DLRDCoCo area. It’s just circuitously difficult to get to legally.

    Reply
  3. I cycle to work most days. Today I didn’t as I’m going out later and drink will be taken. Instead I used the dart from blackrock. While walking along this laneway i chanced upon a heated altercation between a pedestrian and cyclist about right of way. Probably quite common. Can someone explain to me why many cyclists have to be loud, aggressive and arrogant when someone has the impertinence to point out to them when they are in the wrong? I thought cycling was supposed to be good for both body and mind

    Reply
  4. I have been one of these pedestrians nearly taken out by a cyclist, as well as being very narrow, there is no visibility when entering/leaving lane for either party, which is why it’s even more important to dismount, I have been involved in several near misses because of this. One cyclist told me to mind my f***ing business when I asked to dismount, another wondered why I was so upset when he missed me by an inch going at speed when I was 5 months pregnant! What annoys me is how cyclists can be so self righteous with motorists but repeatedly flout the rules themselves, breaking lights etc. As an aside I was crossing at a pedestrian traffic light in dun laoghaire when I had a green light and a cyclist broke the red light and I had to pull my 5 year old son out of his path to avoid him being hit. The cyclist said when remonstrated with said he was going slowly! I am a cyclist too but I follow the rules and respect other road users.

    Reply

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