Deansgrange cycle path to detour into graveyard to avoid disrupting cars

— New plan to include graveyard detour and loss of some on-street parking.

Routing a cycle path for school children via a graveyard was welcomed as “fantastic news” and “really good news” by two local politicians who oppose the council’s plan to trial Dean’s Grange Road as one-way for motorists to accommodate a cycle path.

The changes now planned by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will include a new walking and cycling entrance at the south end of Deansgrange Cemetery, the loss of extra on-street parking, and removing a turning lane at the south end of the road. It is likely to also require some footpath narrowing to accommodate a two-way cycle path and also two lanes of general traffic.

Councillors were told in a briefing that the new plan is to be developed as a Part 8 planning process, and not a trial.

In a video posted to Twitter and Facebook, local Fine Gael TD, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and Cllr Marie Baker (FG) appeared warmly welcomed the routing of the cycle path via graveyard so that motorists do not have to take a detour on a parallel road. Both politicians objected to the council’s plan to run a trial to test out having the road one-way.

In the video, Deputy Carroll MacNeill said: “Hi, I’m here in Deansgrange Cemetery with Councillor Marie Baker with some really good news today on an update on the Deansgrange road cycle track.”

Cllr Baker said: “We got some fantastic news. Last night counciollors were informed that the Dean’s Grange Road is going to maintain two-way traffic. So the bus routes will go in both directions but also have a two-way segregated cycle lane, most of which will be on Dean’s Grange Road but a section will run through the cemetery.”

She added: “A lot of more detailed planning has to happen on this but it looks like we found a permanent resolution to the Dean’s Grange Road cycle lane issue.”

Clllr Maurice Dockrell (Fine Gael ) — another local politician who objected to the trial — said: “Great news on the Deans Grange Cycle route. New proposal will see a 2-way segregated cycle track, maintaining 2-way traffic & no effect to current bus routes. Thank you to Councillors who advocated for an alternate solution, particularly Cllr Marie Baker.”

Deansgrange Cycle Route, a local group set up to support the council’s planned trial, said that the new plan will have the cycle route detour through the cemetery for around 200 metres.

In a post on Twitter, the group said: “Considerations: personal safety in the cemetery in dark. Passive surveillance (changes to the wall). Making it a safe, shared space for cycling and walking in the cemetery. Managing cars entering and exiting the cemetery. 24/7 access to the cemetery and what that entails (not many are). Still a lot of cars.”

DLR Cycling, a branch of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, are asking people what they think of the idea. The group said: “School kids cycling are going to be put into the cemetery on Dean’s Grange Road for a few hundred metres away from the main road in order to main the current levels of traffic in Deansgrange. Thoughts is this a positive or negative development?”


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