The extension of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s Coastal Mobility Route from Blackrock Park at Booterstown Dart Station to the boundary with Dublin City Council is nearly ready to open.
The new two-way cycle path on the coast side is not yet open, but IrishCycle.com took this sneak peek video last:
Here is a map showing the extension in context:
The shared footpath spaces are less than ideal and widely disliked by both pedestrians and cyclists. But the cross-over for people cycling towards the city centre, at the north end of the route, is a particularly unusual design:
The design of the ending at Dublin City side doesn't make much sense and I cannot see line marking helping with this enough… pic.twitter.com/7v8pT54DDT
— IrishCycle.com (@IrishCycle) July 6, 2023
Here are some images of the cross-over area:
Google Street View images — taken before the works started and in June while the works were ongoing — show that the space for the two-way cycle path was mainly found by removing the in-bound cycle lane and secondarily removing the central island (except at the junction where you can see a narrowed island) and it seems some reducing widths of traffic lanes along some sections.
The removal of the existing cycle lane on the with-flow, inbound side of the road might be seen as a downgrade for some people cycling along the Blackrock Road without — it doesn’t make much sense for those people to divert to the two-way cycle path for just 450 metres.
At the same time, there isn’t really a continuous cycle lane on that side of the road before or after this section of the route — those cycling in the bus lanes etc are already braving it out on what many view as one of the worst roads for cycling so close to the city. Often along the road, the cycle lane is just pained within the bus lane.
Here’s a middle section of the project:
And at the junction at the Dart station:
And from the other side of the street at the same junction:
I can’t believe they got planning for this at all to be honest – the way the lane going north just disappears in the middle of the busy traffic route is just plain dangerous. Everyone will just cycle the footpath to Strand road as usual. I will be very surprised if anyone waits to have to cross to the other side of the busy road and then continue on a busy road that has no cycle lane- especially if they are going to Strand Road.
Surely DCC could have continued the cycle lane to the Dart crossing. I’d be very interested to hear Councillors for the area reply to that. It’s just inviting accidents and confusion as it stands.
@Mark, in fairness, councils have to look after their area and if another council isn’t ready because of a court case, I’m not sure what you think DLRCC can do. The route also links up with the way to the N11/UCD etc.
You don’t see half built road infrastructure for cars that just abruptly ends half way – or half built bridges etc., Yet safe cycling infrastructure is left at the whim of councils rather than transport it seems.
Strand Road doesn’t start half way across the Rock Road.
The link between the DLRCC/DCC border and Strand Road was not a central part of the Strand Road project but it was planned along side it. I think rightly feel building it would be at least going against the spirit of the Strand Road judgement.
The overhead shot tells the story here. 6 lanes for motorised traffic when you include parking and bus lanes ( bearing in mind you can drive in most bus lanes after 7 and on sundays). Should have been possible to fit a two way cycle lane on both sides of this road considering the importance of the route. Still its an improvement. Turning lanes seem to take up so much space and you would wonder should they be provided in cities.
Great articles Cian. Keep up the good work
I share Mark’s view about this short section from Booterstown Park junction to the Trimelston one.
“You don’t see half built road infrastructure for cars that just abruptly ends half way – or half built bridges etc., Yet safe cycling infrastructure is left at the whim of councils rather than transport it seems”.
This construction work has been going on for months with considerable disruption to outbound traffic, including buses.
I will not be be using it when returning to home from trips to Dun Laoghaire! The project has done nothing to improve the safety or comfort of bike users using the Rock Road or continuing on the Merrion Road past the Clayton hotel. There are a lot of primary and secondary schools in this area and having to hit a beg button to make the transition across to the inbound side is just unacceptable, so it will not facilitate modal-shift away from the school run by car.
The outbound bus lane ends abruptly now at the threshold of the Trimelston junction so buses (and taxis) have to force their way into the GVL, cutting across bike users as well. Drivers coming through Merrion Gates heading south are simply tearing up in the bus lane until they reach the Trimelston junction and then forcing their way into the GVL.
A waste of public money without the Dublin City project being done at the same time.