— Liffey Cycle Route should live up to its name and stay beside the river says campaign
Keeping the Liffey Cycle Route on Dublin’s quays will “unlock this congested and often dangerous route so that cycling works for families, leisure cycling, and commuters”, the Dublin Cycling Campaign has said in a submission sent to Dublin City Council in reply to the council’s latest plan.
The campaign said: “The proposed Option 5 diversion, between Church St and Heuston, for the iconic Liffey Cycle Route is not an acceptable solution for cyclists, and downgrades the role of cycling as part of the transport solution for Dublin City.”
“The proposed circuitous diversion away from the riverside (option 5) moves the route away from its pleasant setting, away from basic desire lines, and adds numerous extra junctions and conflict points between cycling and pedestrians and delivery vehicles. For these reasons this proposed design will not attract biking commuters and other bike users, will cause problems for cargo bike/delivery bike users and will do little to encourage newcomers to cycling. It will set a low bar, undermining future plans for cycling in Dublin,” the submission said.
It said: “Dublin Cycling Campaign maintains that the essence of an option with a full riverside cycle route and bus priority, and the relocation of the Croppies Acre down to the river is feasible, and the best option for Dublin City.”
It added that other options include one or more of a mix of the following: narrowing the proposed cycle route over a short distance, as happened on sections of the Grand Canal cycleway; merging main traffic lanes for a short section diverting pedestrians on to the building side of the North Quays for a section, enabling the use of the existing riverside pathway width; diverting general vehicular traffic along Benburb St for an agreed distance; or consideration of other possibilities, including new bridges across Liffey.
The group listed 18 reasons why the backstreet detour Option 5 from Phoenix Park to Church Street is a poor choice:
- Lack of buffer space between cycle route and general carriageway all along this off-river section of route.
- Badly designed linkages with existing Phoenix Park cycle tracks.
- Conflicts with the loading and parking bay at the Criminal Courts of Justice.
- Loss of scarce footpath width on the north side of Parkgate Street.
- Conflict with high demand for loading and parking on north side of Parkgate Street (see image below).
- Loss of priority at minor business entrances on Parkgate Street.
- Conflict with delivery and coach loading at the Aisling Hotel.
- Crossing the Luas tracks west of the Croppies Park at an inappropriate angle.
- Loss of a footpath behind the Civil Defence HQ and Croppy Acre Park.
- Conflicts with pedestrians at the Museum Luas stop.
- Poor linkages with the critical Heuston transport hub and Heuston South Quarter
- Conflict with apartment car park access on Benburb Street.
- Extra turning conflicts with vehicles on the shared Luas/carriageway sections.
- Loss of a busy newly constructed footpath at Smithfield pinch point.
- Dangerous cycle path design contrary to National Cycle Manual at Smithfield pinch point.
- Lack of linkages to Father Mathew Bridge.
- Loss of river frontage and directness of route
- Loss of an iconic statement by City on transport priorities for the future
SIGN THE PETITION: Save the Liffey Cycle Route: Keep it on the quays!