“Guerrilla” cycle lane protection in the form of flower planters were not removed by councillor workers, Dublin City Council said today.
The planters were apparently installed by members of the public in the last 48 hours on a section of a contra-flow cycle route between Capel Street and Ryder’s Row.
A spokeswoman for the council said: “Dublin City Council was not aware of the flower boxes and have not removed them.”
The council said it would take longer to respond to questions as to why the contra-flow cycle route was not segregated a number of years ago when a number of short contra-flow cycle route were fixed or made more usable in one year.
The planters were placed on hatching of the contra-flow cycle lane on Ryder’s Row and featured on Twitter and Broadsheet.ie yesterday.
People on Twitter speculated that the council might have removed the planters but it now turns out removal might also have been a “Guerrilla” action.
I’m told these appeared on Ryders Row in Dublin city today. Rogue #freethecyclelanes activists with a knack for gardening! pic.twitter.com/GnOOhpmxPl
— Catherine Sanz (@sanzscript) February 21, 2019
The cycle lane also suffers from cyclists using it in the wrong direction, at least some of whom do so without knowing its a contra-flow lane — not helped by the bicycle logo pained in the wrong direction (as pictured in the main image, which also show contra-flow signs aimed at with-flow road users).
RIP Ryder’s Row cycle track. At least you had an evening of freedom.
It goes to show our priorities when something so beneficial is destroyed because it challenges the predominant power structure.
The poor flowers, too!@sanzscript @dublincycling @broadsheet_ie pic.twitter.com/TTO2wluG98
— I BIKE Dublin (@IBIKEDublin) February 22, 2019
It must have been the nosey parkers.