South Dublin County Council places obstacles on planned cycle route

— Bus shelter moved into flow of cycle route
— Slip turns and staggered crossings retained against guidance

South Dublin Council Council has gone from its historic practice of placing traffic lights and signs posts in the way of segregated cycle paths to now placing high-design elements in the way of cycling.

Planned works on the N81 includes a new “Landscape Improvement Scheme” and the N81 (Fortunestown to N82) cycle track scheme (shown in orange in the map below).

The Fortunestown to N82 scheme underwent public consultation in 2014 but is to be altered under the landscaping scheme. While the the original project did not follow best international practice for segregating walking and cycling, the changes add obstructions to the cycle route.

As part of the landscaping scheme, between Cookstown Way and the Belgard Road a new segregated cycle track (eastbound) and footpath are to be provided (shown in blue on the map below). With this, however, South Dublin County Council are to continue to use shared use footpaths at the junctions.

Even though the cycle route follows a national road and main commuter route, cycling is given low priority with the use of shared use footpaths, a bus stop shelter in the way between cycle tracks, new greenery planting in lines of sight and lines of flow, and staggered crossings and left hand slip turns at junctions.

Slip turns and staggered crossings retained against guidance in the National Cycle Manual and the Manual for Urban Roads and Streets which state such should be removed for the safity and priority of walking and cycling.

The following is an outline of some of the features of the route:

The cycle track scheme had a bus shared surface at a bus stop: Here’s the drawing of the cycle route project which was consulted on in 2014:

The new design as part of the “Landscape Improvement Scheme” includes relocating the bus stop shelter into the direct flow of the cycle route: Here’s a part of the landscaping drawing from this year:

In another case, a section of the cycle track scheme which had an almost straight shared path (blue) and segregated crossing:

But this is to be changed, with to crazy paving replacing the segregation and with a bend not suited a cycle route along a national road:

At the junction of the Fortunestown Road the new scheme includes much larger shared areas with greenery obstructing lines of sight and directions of flow:

At the Cookstown Way end of the newly planned cycle path and footpath between Cookstown Way and the Belgard Road, the council continues to use a shared use footpath at the junction:

The crossing of the slip road from Belgard Square South includes cycle tracks which don’t match up:

At the Belgard Road end, the new cycle track ends with shared use and three crossings to cross one major side road, because the council retains the left hand slip turn and staggered crossings despite guidance advising not to do so: