Dublin City Council is currently consulting the public on three interim walking and cycling projects planned for the city’s northside — the projects are of mixed quality, with protected cycle lanes with widths ranging from good to sub-standard.
One of the projects is of a generally high standard, while another even has a “cyclists dismount” area, and the third has no details of what the council plans to do around junctions.
The interim projects are planned ahead of longer-term redesigns of the streets and roads. The three projects are:
- Raheny to Kilbarrack Walking and Cycling Interim Scheme (January 26, 2023)
- Ratoath Road Walking and Cycling Interim Scheme (January 20, 2023)
- Kilbarrack Road to Oscar Traynor Road Walking and Cycling Interim Scheme (January 30, 2023)
This is in addition to the North Circular Road Walking and Cycling Interim Scheme (also closes January 20, 2023) and the revised Point Roundabout replacement project (consultation recently closed).
Raheny to Kilbarrack
The 1.75km Raheny to Kilbarrack scheme along the Howth Road connects to the S2S at its north end. It is of generally high quality for a quick-build scheme with unidirectional cycle tracks with a width which is mostly 2 metres wide in each direction.
It includes sections of parking-protected cycle tracks and it includes segregation at some bus stops.
But, at other bus stops, buses will drive across the cycle lane to reach the kerb, despite in some cases space being available for segregation just metres away from the location.
Ratoath Road
The 4.1km Ratoath Road — in Cabra, Ashtown and Finglas — is of much lower quality with a general sub-standard width of just 1.5 metres of unidirectional cycle tracks. The route contains both cycle lanes ending at mini-roundabouts where users have to mix with motorists, and also twists and turns on shared footpaths where walking and cycling are mixed.
It also includes a section where cyclists are expected to dismount and, unlike the other two projects it does not include narrowing the size and radii of large side road junctions and entrances to schools and other areas.
Kilbarrack Road to Oscar Traynor Road
The cycle lanes on the planned Kilbarrack Road to Oscar Traynor Road project, in Kilbarrack and Coolock, are also of a sub-standard width.
The project has no segregation at bus stops and the published project drawings have no details of the planned junction treatments.
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The route from Raheny to the James Larkin Road won’t add much. The only issues at the moment with cycling that route are at the bend and junction near to the James Larkin Road. I can’t really tell from the maps but I don’t think the proposed route will help there at all. The second current issue with the route is the constant illegal blocking of the current cycle-lanes in Raheny village. This is so constant and endemic that I fully expect drivers to continue doing it whenever the new facilities are installed. Raheny Gards DNGAF.
The second route might have more of an impact to enourage those that don’t currently cycle but at the moment I’m not able to properly see what’s proposed on the DCC website. I’ll try to look again later.
KR to OTR lacks the detail on the worst junction. Outside Killbarrick fire station to be done in phase 2! Width problematic (especially given the large verges on most of the road) but overall an improvement. Malahide road junction a little unclear. Another Dublin style junction?
There is a need for a cycle path from Kilbarrack Road junction (further north) to the beginning of he Sutton cycle path. Because, despite there being a cycle “stripe” in the walking path beside the sea (across the road) its usually full of debris, but the stripe is way too narrow going north (going south is great/too wide). It is lop-sided in favour of those cycling south. Has been for donkeys years. Concil haven’t changed it. Sutton-bound cyclists are hemmed-in at the wall with southbound cyclists coming at them to close. Result is – some opt to stay on the road instead. So, put the cycle lane on the road or get the stripe sorted.