COMMENT & ANALYSIS: If we ask ‘Which streets should be pedestrianised in Irish cities or towns?’ there’s obvious ones like Capel Street or College Green in Dublin where there’s a lot of heal dragging over it various reasons despite huge public support, but what are the less obvious examples?
My contender — which I have not understood from childhood why it isn’t already car-free — is Williamsgate between Shop Street and Eyre Square in Galway.
It strikes me every time that I visit Galway that the street is crying out for pedestrianisation. Today like many other times I can recall over the years we’re people walking into the road because the footpath was so jammed packed.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen it discussed as a suggestion locally (open to info that it has happen, I just haven’t seen it). The reason seems to be that the city is so car-sick that the best it can do is think about possibly making it bus, taxi and bicycle only after the second ring road is built.
What’s your example?
...That's the end of the article. Keep scrolling if you want to the comments, but IrishCycle.com *NEEDS* readers like you to keep it that way. It only requires a small percentage of readers to give a bit each month or every year to keep IrishCycle.com's journalism open to all. Thank you.
I love pedestrian/cyclist only roads. In Dublin filtration and contraflow works really well too. My favourite spot for a bike contraflow would be Slievebloom Rd, Drimnagh. It would take a bit of engineering as there is car parking down (?) both sides I think, but it would be amazing to be able to get off the Long Mile Road and into Drimnagh’s otherwise excellent quiet road network without having to navigate the terrible surfaces, narrow lanes, towering close-passing buses and close-passing motorists of the Long Mile Road.
However contraflow or shared road signage can be poor – I’ve been beeped at by angry motorists as I’ve cycled on shared lanes in Blackrock and on the Inchicore Road going pas the Gaol & Museum. They seen to think I can magically evaporise myself or else perhaps hoist my pannier-laden heavy folder on top of a parked car.
On saturday going southwards up Mount Pleasant (legal on a bike) a motorist drove straight at me, shouting that it was one-way. While yeah it’s not right to drive at anyone or shout at them, I could understand him being enraged if he thought i was breaking the law. Seemed to me that the signage here was a problem – anyone got deets for Ranelagh area local councillors so I could alert them to this?
lots of contenders out there favourites would be abbey street upper and maybe marlbourogh street between earl place and the pro cathedral but very much surprised that you support pedestrianisation cian as it means no cycling on those streets either which i love hearing you support