Stillorgan Road UCD cycle access route officially opened

A new cycling access point has been officially opened into UCD from the Stillorgan Road today, after being open for use in recent weeks.

The project includes a mix of two-way cycle paths, shared paths at junctions and links to upgraded shared paths within the UCD campus

Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr Lettie McCarthy (Labour) officially opened the route this morning.

She said: “I am delighted to open this scheme. The Stillorgan Road (UCD Access) Cycle Improvement Scheme will encourage, and make it safer for our citizens, and particularly the students of UCD, to walk and cycle. This scheme further highlights Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown’s commitment to promoting Active Travel across the County”.

The Stillorgan Road (UCD Access) Cycle Improvement Scheme is a two-way link from Foster Avenue to an upgraded walking and cycling entrance point to UCD, at the south-east corner of the campus beside the pedestrian bridge across the dual carriageway.

The council said the work was done in partnership with University College Dublin, and includes new walking and cycling entrance to the UCD campus, an upgrade of Stillorgan Rd/ Foster’s Ave Junction with new pedestrian and cycle crossing of the dual carriageway, and a two-way cycle path from the junction to the new entrance.

IMAGE: The kerb around the bus stop between the Rise and Foster Ave, south of UCD, has been bevelled into a “forgiving kerb” shape. The previous upright kerb proved problematic for safety.

The paths within UCD have also been upgraded by the university, although these are still shared paths rather than segregated ones. So, it remains the case that’s there’s no substantial non-shared cycle path within an Irish university campus.

The council said the project also included an upgrade of Stillorgan Rd/The Rise junction “with dedicated cycle lane facilities and an upgrade of traffic signals”. This work included realigning a cycle path around the bus stop located between the Rise and Foster Ave — previously it included a narrower and sharper cycle path and upright kerb which proved problematic.

The council said that the work was 100% funding from the National Transport Authority.

The Stillorgan Road at UCD is commonly known as the N11, but along with most national roads within the M50 it was reclassed as a regional road (R138) outside UCD as it is no longer a national road north of Merrion Ave.


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3 comments

  1. I’m a little underwhelmed. A small sheme but nonetheless useful for demonstrating where we fall short in providing good cycle track design:

    1) The 2-way feeder cycle track is totally substandard in width.
    2) Terrible horizontal geometry: we don’t put in “dog-leg” bends on new roads, so why are they OK for cyclists?
    3) Too many (slippery) white paint markings that are hard to avoid due to the the narrow pavement.
    4) Poor visibility at gate where pedestrians and cyclists share the surface. The path into the campus should have been squared-up to mitigate this.
    5) Traffic sign posts should be 0.5m away from the edge of the cycle track (ref: NCM).
    6) No directional signing saying UCD is in here.
    7) There is a traffic yield sign where the pathway joins another pathway – is this really necessary? It’s a shared surface through a park setting where pedestrians and cyclists are mingling and making individual decisions on how best to negotiate each other based on eye contact, common sense and a little respect. It’s not a mini road.

    Reply
  2. Agreed on signs too close to the cycle paths etc but the width is quite good along the main road — see this Google Street View image shown a cyclist on it for scale: https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3043833,-6.2098206,3a,36.1y,222.82h,72.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDt8Akm0zZQO_z4K_i_c6nw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

    The issue with width is only the small section behind the pedestrian bridge, which is narrow (and at least some of the cycle track along the road here could have been widened, see: https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3055462,-6.211487,3a,34.5y,188.2h,83.69t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scyyw5vqtEya25VR6SoMj1w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 — but there are some constraints here on levels, the bridge structures, and maybe also not wanting to take away too much of the trees or UCD not wanting to give them more land?

    Re the bend at the start of the bridge — I get the feeling that it’s designed that way to help slow cyclists, but that’s a guess, it could just as easily been because of UCD only want to give the council the smallest bit of land needed or trying to avoid trees maybe?

    Re directional signs — the video was taken nearly two weeks ago before the official opening.

    The visibility might be down to my camera work?

    Agreed re overkill on yield signs etc — not just yield, but also a “slow” plate under the cycle path sign just before it.

    Reply
  3. I cycled it today from the new Stillorgan Rd. entrance at the foortbridge.
    I agree with comments here. It’s not a fast commuting route that’s for sure through Belfield!

    Reply

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