Revised plans for the Liffey Cycle Route have received support from the transport minister, councillors, business groups and the Dublin Cycling Campaign.
IrishCycle.com has details of the segregated route in an article published earlier today.
The plan includes segregated cycle paths on both side of the quays, boardwalks to accommodate pedestrians on the riverside at pinch points, footpath widening on the building side, continuous bus lanes and at least one general traffic lane throughout.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross said: “The Liffey Cycle Route is a wonderful project for everyone who lives in, works in or visits Dublin. It will provide a safe and segregated cycle track right through the heart of our capital city. From listening to the concerns of cyclists over the past few years I know that this is something which will be very much welcomed by them.”
He added: “I’d like to thank the NTA for their work on developing this Recommended Option, look forward to hearing people’s views during the planned public consultation and hope this long-awaited project can now move forward.”
Cllr Naoise Ó’Muirí (Fine Gael) said the route is vital and while there are some trade offs he wants to see support for the scheme.
Cllr Ray McAdam (Fine Gael) said he will be supporting the project himself and as Fine Gael party leader on Dublin City Council, he will be seeking support from fellow party councillors.
Cllr Ciaran O’Moore (Sinn Fein) said it was a 100% improvement on the previous plans for the route.
Cllr Ciarán Cuffe (Green Party), chairman of the transport committee and MEP candidate, said: “The scheme isn’t perfect, and has had to make compromises, but I’m hoping that this latest plan prepared by the National Transport Authority’s consultants will get the green light from the Transportation Committee so that we can move towards construction.”
He added: “People are crying out for segregated bike lanes that will make it safer for cyclists young and old to travel safely along the Liffey Quays. Let’s hope we can now move these plans forward to construction.”
Richard Guiney, CEO of central Dublin business group DublinTown, said: “This is a welcome development that I think we can all get behind. Liffey cycle route selected after seven years of plans.”
Guiney said: “The proposed Liffey Cycle route is a sensible compromise that achieves the best possible solution for all Dubliners. It has the support of DublinTown.”
Graeme McQueen, head of communications at the Dublin Chamber, said: “Improved cycle facilities along the Quays are badly needed. The number of people cycling along the Quays has increased sharply in recent years. Indeed, on some stretches of the Quays, the number of cyclists more than doubled between 2012 and 2018. For the most part, people cycling along the Quays at the moment are taking their life in their own hands as they are forced to mix with buses, cars and other vehicles. The introduction of segregated cycle lanes along the Quays will save lives. It will also lead to a further increase in the number of people who cycle in Dublin.”
“Maintaining a general traffic lane along the Quays is particularly important as we await urgently-needed improvements in Dublin’s public transport network, including the addition of increased bus and rail capacity in the short term and the delivery of key long term projects such as MetroLink and BusConnects,” said McQueen.
McQueen said: “The €20m Liffey Cycle Route is a real statement of intent that the authorities are serious about making Dublin a safer and easier city to cycle in. There have been 10 people killed on the Quays in recent years: 5 of these were cyclists, while the other 5 were pedestrians. A network of safe cycling infrastructure across the city will greatly enhance how attractive it is to live in Dublin.”
The Dublin Cycling Campaign said: “Dublin Cycling Campaign warmly welcomes the design, which will now be submitted to a public consultation process, and will need to be approved and supported by the members of Dublin City Council. The public consultation process will allow for specific suggestions to be taken up on the detailed plans.”
Anne Graham, chief executive of the National Transport Authority said: “The Liffey Cycle Route is a key objective of the cycle network plan for the city and NTA has been closely involved in this project since 2012. This plan means there will be safer cycling facilities and an improved environment for pedestrians along the Liffey and we believe that this will encourage more people to cycle and walk as part of their daily commute. This is good news for commuters, but it’s also good news when it comes to reducing our carbon emissions.”
The Department of Transport said that as the project is projected to cost more than €20million, a detailed business case will be developed by the NTA in line with the requirements of the Public Spending Code.