— Progress on cycle routes in Dublin too slow and routes must not be left disconnected, says Dublin Cycling Campaign.
Dublin City’s planned Fitzwilliam Cycle Route could be both delayed again, and be left disconnected from the Grand Canal Cycle Route possibly for years, a council document outlines.
As reported last month the project was one of a few routes which was already delayed. According to Dublin City Council, the new delay is due to the National Transport Authority.
The route was original due to be finished for June 2019 ahead of the Velo-City conference.
A Dublin City Council document, the Monthly Management Report for October 2019, outlines how the National Transport Authority (NTA) has raised a number of issues with the cycle route project.
It states: “Fitzwilliam Cycle Route: The NTA has raised a number of issues with the project that require to be resolved before proceeding, including curtailing the project on approach to Leeson St junction, and not providing connectivity to Grand Canal Cycle Route. This will mean that the advanced works package cannot proceed, and further engagement will be required if the scheme is to change which will result in project delivery delay.”
Commenting on the report, Kevin Baker, chairman of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, said: “This project, just like the Royal Canal and Clontarf cycle route, have been delayed again and again. The Royal Canal was approved December 2015 and most of it hasn’t even started construction yet. Progress is too slow.”
He added: “We need a connected network of safe segregated cycle routes. Not connecting the FitzWilliam Cycle Route to the canal cycle route at Lesson Street misses the mark and will fail to create a city that is safe for people all ages and all abilities to cycle.”
IrishCycle.com is asking the NTA for clarity and comment on this issue.
It’s clear what’s happened here. The NTA must have pulled rank and said “you can’t design it like that, we’ve got something else in mind for Bus Connects along there”. Which means yet another project getting caught up in Bus Connects. The top priority for Bus Connects designers should be to work with local authorities to get the right designs in that are forward-compatible with the Bus Connects designs. This would show good faith and help to incrementally grow cyclist and public transport numbers while very deliberately reducing private car use between the canals.