Car dependent area of Dublin says “some essential travel will continue to be made by cars”

A draft development plan covering some the most car dependent areas of Dublin defends that “some essential travel will continue to be made by cars and goods vehicles”.

The transport section of the Fingal County Council draft development plan, covering from 2017 to 2023, states: “While it is clear that walking, cycling and public transport are the most sustainable modes of transport, it is also clear that some essential travel will continue to be made by cars and goods vehicles.”

While Fingal contains a large chunk of rural Co Dublin, it also includes large and small urban areas where many short car trips are within walking and cycling distances.

The plan goes on to state that: “Walking and cycling are the most efficient modes of travel in terms of use of road-space, and the most sustainable in terms of environmental impacts. They also contribute to national health policies by promoting day-to-day physical activity. To promote the development of cycling in the County, a comprehensive network of cycle routes will be established throughout the County with the emphasis on promoting direct, comfortable, convenient, and safe routes.”

Details of the plan and to find out how to make a comment on it can be found at fingal.ie/dpdev/draftplanstage2nowopen/


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4 comments

  1. I’m wondering if this is a clickbait title.
    Lots of the north of Fingal is rural farmland. How does Cian suggest cattle get moved to be sold or slaughtered without goods vehicles? Or vegetables brought to shops from fields?
    How would people get to rural locations to work in agribusiness?

    Reply
    • @ Colm D — the headline is reflective of the daft opening statement in the transport section of the plan. There’s no plan and little in the development plan to suggest that people will be given attractive alternative choices.

      Re rural vs urban areas the article states: “While Fingal contains a large chunk of rural Co Dublin, it also includes large and small urban areas where many short car trips are within walking and cycling distances.”

      Who is suggesting farmers should not use goods vehicles? Can you please quote where that is said or implied? Thanks.

      Reply
  2. The opening 2 paragraphs of the article quote the “some essential travel will continue to be made by cars and goods vehicles” statement, which I feel you are implying is, a priori, a bad thing in all cases.
    Maybe I misread your points, but the headline is misleading by conflating Dublin city with the sticks of Oldtown, Garristown, The Naul etc.

    If you took issue with the Statement of Policy
    “Promote and facilitate movement to, from, and within the County of Fingal, by integrating land use with a high quality, sustainable transport system that prioritises walking, cycling and public transport.”
    When FCC have allowed or built themselves appalling cycle infrastructure.

    Or Objective MT22 should include PT links from Bayside/Sutton to the Airport, and include services at the times suitable for staff to use them.

    Reply
    • @Colm D – yes, you did pick up the point wrong.

      It’s not about if “some essential travel will continue to be made by cars…” is good or bad, it’s that it’s nonsense in the context of little or nothing in the plan which challenging the status quo of such travel being the majority mode.

      It’s a statement protecting essential travel by mode X when there is nothing threatening majority travel by mode X.

      I’ve already covered rural vs urban — the article covers this: the bulk of the population in Fingal is in and around large urban areas and travel distances are generally short.

      Reply

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