Plans for a large-scale development on the grounds of Connolly Station in Dublin does not include public bicycle parking for train station users despite CIE reserving space for 180 car parking spaces for company or station use.
As IrishCycle.com reports in more detail in another article, the developer of the Connolly Quarter Strategic Housing Development is seeking to build ‘fast-tracked’ housing on the grounds of Connolly Station in Dublin has argued that building a new car park elevated over a railway siding is exempted development, which does not need planning permission.
The development will have 1,406 covered bicycle parking spaces for residents and visitors for the housing — these will spaces will be provided partly in the basement accessible via a two-way cycle path, and, on the ground floor, behind retail and community space units accessible via a public square. The provision is said in planning files to exceed the minimum standards set out in the 2018 planning guidelines for the housing aspect of the development.
There is, however, no apparent provision on the site to provided public bicycle parking for Connolly train station. This is despite the council’s Dublin City Centre Cycle Parking Strategy which earmarks 200 high density bicycle parking at the station with “Potential to Expand Further”.
In its submission, the Dublin Cycling Campaign said: “The proper integration between cycling and public transport is a key part of building a sustainable multimodal transport network in Dublin. There is currently only a very limited amount of publicly available bike parking at Connolly station.”
It added: “Policy Objective 8.2 of the National Cycling Policy Framework states that high-quality public bike parking facilities should be provided at public transport stations. Connolly Station is a strategic public transport hub in Dublin. CIÉ was identified as one of the key stakeholders required in delivering high-quality and high-density bike parking at strategic rail hubs like Connolly Station.”
It also quoted from the Dublin’s city development plan, which states that it is policy: “To promote Bike and Ride at public transport hubs by providing secure, dry, bike parking facilities.” The development plan also states: “To promote and facilitate, in co-operation with key agencies and stakeholders, the provision of high density cycle parking facilities at appropriate locations, taking into consideration (inter alia) the NTAs Cycle Network Plan, Dublin City Centre Cycle Parking Strategy, and Dublin City Council’s Public Realm Strategy.”
In the Dutch city of Utrecht, which is smaller than Dublin, Utrecht central railway station has now around 21,250 bicycle parking spaces run by the railway company, another 4,400 spaces nearby run by its city council, and private companies are providing 6,725 spaces for offices workers in nearby buildings.
The Dublin Cycling Campaign said: “We recommend that An Bord Pleanála seek further information from the developer and CIÉ about where future high-density bike parking facilities will be created at Connolly station if the station car park area is to be used for office and apartment redevelopment and for 180 CIÉ car parking spaces”
Besides noting of the comments by the cycling campaign, the planning files had no apparent mention of providing bicycle parking for users of the railway station.
EXAMPLES OF DUTCH TRAIN STATION BICYCLE PARKING
Inside the doors of Utrecht Centraal Station there’s steps down to trams, trains and buses, just outside this video shows steps down to the largest bicycle parking unit in the world… this was taken early on a Saturday night so it’s quiet enough… pic.twitter.com/6G9IAsuu3w
— IrishCycle.com (@IrishCycle) December 22, 2019
DublinBikes has 1,600 bicycles across the city. In Utrecht, there's 1,000 @OV_Fiets rentable from just the largest parking unit. You can rent them 24/7 for €3.85 per 24 hours. Goal is to extend reach of rail, not to have a high turnover. pic.twitter.com/qLkrDJ1Ma0
— IrishCycle.com (@IrishCycle) October 19, 2019
And cycling into and out of the underground bicycle parking at Delft train station #IEinNL pic.twitter.com/NcVcwHzeoJ
— IrishCycle.com (@IrishCycle) October 12, 2019
This development is one of the most positive things to happen to the North inner city for a long time and is a massive win for cyclists, pedestrians and the general public and adds increased safety and permeability for both both thorugh and alongside the development as well as many much needed social housing units. The amount of space for bicycle parking here will be enormous as with other Ballymore developments.
The wranglings and hoops that have to be jumped through when dealing with a state agency backed by unions is massive and the fact that they’ve even managed to get to this stage is a miracle in the first place
I can’t help feeling this is a sock puppet hiding the fact Frank McDonald and his An Taisce NIMBY cronies who read this don’t want tall buildings in Dublin and want to keep the city as a museum!
@Jimbo — I don’t have a problem with the development, I’ve just reported the newsworthy information re the car park and the development claiming there’s no need for planning permission for it.
But I don’t know how you think that the development will increase permeability both through and alongside the development? It’s only a small thing, but I don’t know why you are making such a claim.
And sure the amount of space for bicycle parking for residents and their visitors will be great (although the layouts far less so than great in some cases). But it’s been built on train station land without any provision for large-scale bicycle parking for train users.
Re: “The wranglings and hoops that have to be jumped through when dealing with a state agency backed by unions is massive and the fact that they’ve even managed to get to this stage is a miracle in the first place”
CIE seem fairly eager to sell land and I don’t know what unions have to do with it.
Re: “I can’t help feeling this is a sock puppet hiding the fact Frank McDonald and his An Taisce NIMBY cronies who read this don’t want tall buildings in Dublin and want to keep the city as a museum!”
It’s irrelevant to my reporting above, but just for clarity: I don’t have a problem with the size or scale of this development and others like it.