New cycling-friendly links to be examined around Luas Cross City

— Two-way cycling proposed for South William St, College St, Westmoreland St.
— “Cyclists dismount” advisory sign to be designed for Dawson St tram stop.

National Transport Authority officials have today published its long-awaited cycling and Luas report — it contains recommendations on cycling restrictions and possable new cycling-friendly measures which are to be examined.

Despite consultants recommending in 2012 that “bicycles must be integrated into tramway planning processes from the earliest stages”, the publication of the report is after test trams are running daily on the route and just two months away from the opening of the cross-city tram extension.

The report titled “Assessment of cycling feasibility on the Luas Cross City route” contains few hints at time frames in which the recommended measures will be put in place.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) report states that a standardised “cyclists dismount” advisory sign will be developed to place before the Dawson Street northbound Luas stop. The report recommends that the advice will be “against cycling on this link” from Dawson Street to College Green, because the “space between the kerb and the west-bound rail is insufficient to accommodate cycling” and cyclists moving to the centre of tracks would be at risk with colliding with buses.

No mention is made in the report of the no-entry except buses and trams signs at the Luas stop on Dawson Street, which were erected before the report was finalised. There is a difference of opinion between Dublin City Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland on the matter.

The report said that, subject to further analysis, NTA and Dublin City Council are to examine two-way cycle routes on Westmoreland Street and College Street. These will link to he the current wide cycle path on College Green in front of the Bank of Ireland, which is intended to become two-way if the College Green Plaza plans are granted permission.

Contraflow cycling on South William Street linking into Dame Street and College Green is also being examined, it could act as a parallel alternative route to Dawson Street. This was already a suggestion as part of the Clonskeagh to O’Connell Bridge, which was stalled due to a lack of funding — the demand for cycling is so strong in the area that the project was examining both the South William Street corridor and the South George’s Street corridor.

The city and NTA is also looking at enabling contraflow cycling on Nassau Street from Kildare Street to the Dawson Street junction.

As we reported at the start of the year, a contra-flow cycle route was to be built between the existing Luas stop at St Stephen’s Green and Grafton Street, but the report published today says that this is on-hold “as it needs to be considered as part of a separate public realm scheme for the local area”.

A summary of main “recommendations / considerations” in the report includes:

  1. Contra-flow cycle facility [on St Stephen’s Green] from Glover’s Alley to Grafton Street to be considered as part of the future public realm scheme in the area;
  2. Contra-flow cycling on Kildare Street, and prepare proposals for contraflow cycling on the western end of Molesworth Street;
  3. Prepare proposals for contra-flow cycling on Nassau Street between Kildare Street and Dawson Street;
  4. Advise against cycling along the Luas Cross City alignment between Duke Street/Dawson Lane and College Green in both directions;
  5. Provide for two-way cycling in College Green, connecting Dame Street to Westmoreland Street;
  6. Prepare proposals for a segregated cycle track on College Street, connecting D’Olier Street / Hawkins Street / Pearse Street to Westmoreland Street;
  7. Provide for box turns at O’Connell Bridge;
  8. Monitor / Review cyclist use at O’Connell Street / Middle Abbey Street and propose intervention(s) if required;
  9. Provide a cycle crossing for turning right from Parnell Street to Parnell Square West;
  10. Cyclist movements at Broadstone Plaza – Constitution Hill – Western Way – DIT Grangegorman to be reviewed to ensure cyclists are adequately provided for;
  11. Advise an alternative cycle route for cyclists approaching the Dominick Street-Parnell Street junction (south-bound);
  12. Advise an alternative cycle route to the left turn into Parnell Street from Cavendish Row;
  13. Review the overall O’Connell Street / Parnell Street / Cavendish junction operation and layout;
  14. Advise an alternative cycle route to the left turn into Marlborough Street from Parnell Street;
  15. Advise alternative routes to cycling in the Marlborough Street – Abbey Street junction;
  16. Prepare proposals for contraflow cycling on South William Street;
  17. Install box turns at various locations;
  18. Provide road markings for guidance at various locations to ensure rail crossings are undertaken by cyclists as close to 90 degrees as possible.

MORE: Luas Cross City Cycling Report October 2017 (PDF)

IMAGE: Image thanks to Ian Moore.

1 comments

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.