The latest section of the Dodder Greenway, between Ballsbridge to Donnybrook, has been opened to the public this morning.
The short 480-metre section of the greenway was built with flood defences along the River Dodder between Herbert Park and the Donnybrook Road at Anglesea Bridge.
As part of a Pathfinder project to accelerate climate action, the three councils are now taking a section-by-section approach to building the urban greenway. This includes sections which will link to both ends of the Ballsbridge to Donnybrook segment of the route.
Councillor Dermot Lacey (Labour), representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin at he launch of the project, said: “I am delighted to be opening this section of the Dodder Greenway. In addition to contributing to our Climate Action goals, this car-free pathway opens up a beautiful section of Riverside. It will be an incredible amenity feature for the Donnybrook area, and indeed the city.”
He said: “We will be able to enjoy the river more, experience safer walking and cycling facilities and make new connections with each other. It is the first phase to be implemented on the Dodder Greenway, which will run from the Liffey to the Mountains in Bohernabreena, increasing accessibility for the public, cyclists and those that like to be outdoors, demonstrating Dublin City Council’s commitment to roll out a state of the art active travel network.”
Minister for Environment and Transport Eamon Ryan said: “I am delighted to launch this stretch of the Dodder Greenway project today, from Herbert Park to Donnybrook Road. Just last week I attended the opening of the section at Dodder Road Lower, so stretch by stretch we are completing this wonderful project which will connect people from the centre of the city to the foothills of the Dublin Mountains.”
He added: “The Dodder River is such a valuable amenity to Dublin City and this Greenway opens it up as a linear nature and biodiversity park along its banks. It means that people along its route can make a safer and attractive choice now to walk, cycle or wheel instead of taking the car.”
Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority, said, “This latest phase of the Dodder Greenway, delivered by Dublin City Council with funding from the National Transport Authority and the Office of Public Works (OPW) will help to deliver much-needed connectivity for the local communities it serves through the provision of high-quality walking and cycling facilities along the banks of the River Dodder.”
Dublin Cycling Campaign also said last night that it is warmly welcoming the opening of the latest section of the Dodder Greenway.
Úna Morrison, Chair of Dublin Cycling Campaign, said: “This is a great day for commuting and leisure cyclists in Dublin. This link adds to the evolving Dodder Cycleway that will, ultimately, connect the coast to the mountains with a near-completely motor traffic-free route.”
“We were delighted to see the recent links opened in the South Dublin County area, and now we commend the City Council in completing this link, which is due to be followed directly by an open consultation process on the section from Dundrum Road to Milltown Road,” she said.
Morrison added: “The next element Dublin cyclists want to see is a super high-quality link running from Dodder Park in Milltown/Clonskeagh and connecting into this facility – and also simplifying and greatly improving the N11 / Beaver Row / Ailesbury Road junction which is currently quite intimidating for novice cyclists. There are many schools in this area and there is simply huge potential to transform the commuting experience of many students”.
Mairéad Forsythe of South Dublin Cycling, a branch of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, said: “South Dublin County Council have completed some fantastic sections of the Dodder Cycle Route in recent years, and already we are seeing simply huge numbers of locals and visitors using the route — both on foot and on cycles of all shapes and sizes. Many people are rediscovering their localities as a result of this investment in cycling.”
IMAGE: A section of the new Greenway (photo: Dublin City Council).
Accelerate climate action by replacing a green area with a 4 metre-wide tarmac-surfaced white elephant running from nowhere to the middle of somewhere.
Seems like an utter waste of resources. It doesn’t tie into anything on the Donnybrook end, nor is it planned to do anything of the sort. It exits onto the existing narrow footpath beside a 6 lane nightmare. If it was about connecting Donnybrook to Herbert Park area, there are already a number of options within a 100 metres.
No vision for connectivity e.g. by an underpass to the east side of the bridge to connect up with the Beaver Row rubbish scheme etc. Seems like yet another DCC SE piece of rubbish that gobbles up their €50m+ budget without delivering substantive improvements for people walking or cycling.
I think it will be useful – it connects to the path that runs along the side of herbert park getting you just up to the Pembroke Library. At donnybrook, they have put in an extra pedestrian and cycling crossing that is very useful to get on to Eglington road. you can then go over a metal bridge if you have a narrow bike so that you don’t have to cross the dodder at donnybrook. From there, if you can squeeze through, there is a gap in a wall in beech hill that gets you in to UCD.
Also I think the project was also a flood defence project and not just a cycle route
If only they’d put as much PR effort into actual urgently needed cycling infrastructure like decent cycle lanes on Camden st, Aungier st, Leeson st, Baggot st, Westmoreland st, Dame st, Strand Road, the Quays, etc etc… that are actually used daily in huge numbers unsafely but will never be implemented because they are not easy wins like these greenway PR fillers off in the leafy suburbs to be used for Sunday strolls. Nothing against them, but certainly not a priority for cycling transport IMHO.