There is no funding for the permanent Fitzwilliam Cycle Route, according to officials in Dublin City Council.
The route was proposed in 2017, underwent a considerable battle at the public consultation stage and was built as an interim scheme in 2020.
The interim project effectively included changing perpendicular car parking bays into parallel parking which acts as a buffer to cycle lanes, a standard set up in many countries.
Most of the surface of the cycle lane is now what was parking lanes and the street has not been resurfaced since.
An update report to councillors issued ahead of the monthly meeting on Monday, said: The Fitzwilliam Cycle Route scheme will deliver 1km of cycling facilities linking Leeson Street Lower and Adelaide Road to Merion Square. The Project also includes a refurbishment of the Adelaide Road Traffic Island.”
It said: “The tender competition and Final Business Case for the scheme has been completed and a preferred contractor identified. Funding for this project is currently unavailable.”
The report was dated December 18 and signed off by Andy Walsh, director of the active travel office in the council and John Flanagan, assistant chief executive and city engineer.
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While it is a lot safer with the parked cars as a buffer the road surface is really awful at the moment. It’s in ribbons. Does the above mean that money is all that is preventing it from going to construction? I’d have thought it would never get that far without funding for construction being in place. If it doesn’t get funding at that late stage then does the design work etc not go stale and the pricing they get run out of validity? It feels hard to believe and frustrating for such an important route, especially when other projects are delayed for objections etc whereas it sounds like this one has got past that.
Surprising how little safe cycling infrastructure there is in that whole general area to link up the canal cycle track with the city centre. You would think that would have been their key next step years ago.
Leeson street, Baggott St, Mount St Upper all lack even basic painted lines in some cases- still none at all on Baggot St.
I notice basic line painting seems to have stopped entirely in the city for a few years now- faded cycle lanes and bike icons everywhere it seems.