The deadly double left turning slip turn at Liberty Hall heading towards the back of Customs House is no more.
The left turn slip lane — which add risk for pedestrians and people cycling — went from Eden Quay to Beresford Place.
The new layout is a bit of a strange one in terms of cycling — so, the verdict might be out on how it works yet, but it would be hard to be worse than what was there before.
The section of Eden Quay had one of the longest exposed cycle lanes in the Dublin City Council area where you didn’t know if motorists were going to try to zoom past you from behind or in front of you or possibly both at the same time.
The slip turn was also deadly for pedestrians with the most recent death understood to be within the last year.
Slip turns are recommended against by safety and design guidance documents which state that there is little extra benefit for motorists compared to the extra risk for pedestrians and people cycling.
As reported in February last, the new layout will still include buses pulling into and out of the bus stops across the cycle lane for most of the distance of Eden Quay.
DCC’s proposals for cycle tracks on Eden Quay (on-road cycle track placed between a long bus stop and a traffic lane) are so out of tune with the Cycle Design Manual that I just hope they are considering this an interim scheme pending provision of a proper segregated cycle track with island type bus stops down the line. Still, the concept of “designing for all ages and abilities” has been around for some time now so this 2022 design is just not good enough. In 2019 when Velo-City took place at the nearby Convention Centre Dutch presenters shared their experiences of cycling along Dublin’s quays to the venue and it was not good. I am not sure they would be particularly impressed either with what is about to be built.
Everything DCC do is interim, they’re largely incapable of delivering full scale projects so half arsed interim schemes are all they do anymore
To think you can incorporate the optimum design standards as per the NCM retrospectively in a medieval city like Dublin is just plain naive. Some common sense on what is achievable needed
I sure am glad that the soft, human bodies sitting on a bit of metal get to protect the giant metal buses from potential damage by being on their outside. The buses are safe everyone, don’t worry!!
I know everyone is complaining but, my god was that slip lane bad. One of the scariest places to cycle in the city.
To be fair, it could be better for sure but it’s a heck of a lot better than the death trap it was before.
You were never sure how to approach this junction to stay alive. It was a real roll the dice and hope for the best type of junction.
Certainly island bus stops would make a big difference.