The next phase of the interim Liffey Cycle Route is to include lightly segregated cycle tracks on Parkgate Street, Wolfe Tone Quay and Sarsfield Quay, Dublin City Council has said.
The council said last week that these sections will be provided building-side before a traffic-light controlled crossover at Sarsfield Quay allows people to move to the quay-side cycle track, which will start on Ellis Quay just before Blackhall Place.
The council made the comments in response to question from IrishCycle.com on the delivery of the interim Liffey Cycle Route and on how people will be expected to get to the quay-side cycle track and back again.
Last week, Angela Walsh, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council, said: “As part of the works on the COVID-19 response involving temporary widening of footways and the installation of temporary cycle-ways, works have been carried out on Inns Quay, Ormond Quay Upper and Lower and Bachelors Walk. These works commenced on April 27th 2020. The implementation of the COVID-19 measures were informed by the on-going designs for the interim Liffey Cycle Route. As a result, some of the works undertaken to date are also essential elements of the interim Liffey Cycle Route.”
“In order to achieve the target delivery date of August, the interim scheme is being designed and implemented in phases. The first phase focuses on the design of the scheme for Parkgate Street and the North Quays. Some work has already been completed between Inns Quay and Bachelors Walk, however further changes to lane markings will be introduced along this section shortly. Cyclists currently moving from building-side on Arran Quay to river-side on Inns Quay may do so during the early start for cyclists, when all other movements are stopped,” she said.
Walsh added: “The next phase will see a protected cycle lane being delivered on the building-side on Parkgate Street, Wolfe Tone Quay and Sarsfield Quay, it is expected construction work will begin on this section week beginning 25th May. The next phase of the interim scheme will deliver a cross over to the river-side at Sarsfield Quay to Ellis Quay, this crossover will be signal controlled.”
It’s yet unclear if there will be further changes to the scheme — the first section constructed between the Four Courts and core city centre included reallocating extra space for social distancing for both walking and cycling, and an extension of the quay-side cycle track to Bachelors Walk.
These were the details previously outlined before the COVID 19 crisis — including conflicts at bus stops, pinchpoints with narrow sections of cycle tracks, and mostly just extended shared bus lanes on the south quays. The council has since announced a post-lockdown plan for Dublin City which includes a trebling of number of people cycling into the city centre. The narrow sections of the route previosly outline are unlikely to be compatible with such a plan. Here’s the previously outline of the route as based on a special Liffey Cycle Route meeting of the council’s transport committee:
VIDEOS OF THE PROGRESS TO DATE:
https://twitter.com/DanTheMusician/status/1264648823428825090
A short thread of @dublinbusnews intimidation and endangerment on the #LiffeyCycleRoute
coming to Grattan Bridge a bus driver pins a person cycling in and blocks access to the crossover.
as i'm on the right of traffic, my cameras dont catch everything but i saw it happen
[1/8] pic.twitter.com/pHJoLjxuyE— Alan D (@AlanDub13) May 29, 2020
The interim Liffey Cycle Route is a joy, but I really hope @DubCityCouncil have better plans for this abrupt end to the path. @JanetPHorner @Pidge @CllrCat – any idea if there's anything happening here? pic.twitter.com/jVQ1EMiv1y
— YIMBY.ie (@yimbyie) May 29, 2020
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