Hope for safer Clontarf to City Centre Cycle Route as decision deferred by councillors

Major flaws on the planned Clontarf to City Centre Cycle Route may yet be addressed as councillors have deferred a decision on the Part 8 planning process for the route.

Councillors tonight deferred the decision on the route to the October monthly meeting of the council where they can outright approve, approve with conditions or reject the proposals.

The route as proposed by the council management and presented to councillors at the monthly meeting of Dublin City Council this evening went against the preference for a two-way cycle path which was requested by most of the individuals, businesses, cycling groups and councillors who replied to the public consultation.

Rather than developing a segregated two-way cycle path as preferred by most groups, the current plan includes mixing cycling and buses at bus stops and no protection for people cycling at large junctions.

The project is also not compliant with national guidance, including the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets which recommends the removal of left slip turns and staggered crossing, and requires pedestrian crossings at all legs of urban junctions.

The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets states: “Omit left turn slips, which generally provide little extra effective vehicular capacity but are highly disruptive for pedestrians and cyclists. Where demand warrants, they may be replaced with left tuning lanes with tighter corner radii” and the National Cycle Manual, produced by the National Transport Authority says that slips turns “often gives drivers an unreasonable sense of priority,” allows “vehicles to take corners at higher speeds” and “restricts views of cyclists and pedestrians.”

The council, in a report which is in the name of city CEO Owen Keegan, claims that following the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets would have too much of an impact on traffic capacity.

6 comments

  1. Too much of an impact on traffic capacity? Cars they mean.

    If they really are interested in moving more people around urban areas then they need to invest in cycling infrastructure. Dinosaurs.

    Reply
  2. Cian you may need an off ramp here, this is way better than nothing on a v dangerous route at times. If you succeed in stopping it altogether, you may find yourself looking in the mirror some day, best to be ready to compromise and engage in the detailed design

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    • The proposals from council are possibly as dangerous as the existing layout as the proposed design will lull people into a false sense of security while all the major conflicts will remain — ie left hook from cars/buses/trucks at the main junctions, conflict with buses at bus stops, left slip turns, cars parking, trucks loads etc.

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  3. Cian, I could accept that if most people joined the route from a completely segregated environment but they don’t.

    Having looked at the Dublin city council meeting, its really this or nothing for a few years.

    two deciding factors:
    Loss of funding for an unknown period
    The traffic light count at the old cinema bit

    Please do me the favour of decrementing your petition count by one.

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    • @GerryC — I watched the same meeting after reading your comment and I was surprised to find that most councillors who spoke seemed to be aware of the issues and many seem still open to two-way paths.

      The need to fight hard to tip the balance towards a safe and segregated route isn’t something unique to Dublin, it even was needed in the Netherlands.

      Re if most people joined from a completely segregated environment — building that segregation has to start somewhere and on such a busy route for motorised traffic seems like a good place to start. The route could also be quickly linked to a network including the existing S2S north, the Royal Canal route which is out for tender to construct, the existing canals route linked to the Royal Canal, and the Liffey Cycle Route which is in planning and other routes will follow.

      Reply
  4. Thanks Cian
    I’m coming from not wanting to be KSI on this patch which comes close about once a month on this stretch. From my POV anything is better than nothing so we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one!

    Reply

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