Social Democrats are engaging in “culture war nonsense” against cycle lanes according to one of Ireland’s leading cycling campaigners.
The SocDems disability policy, which was launched this week, states: “Recent urban planning trends have seen a prioritisation of cyclists at the expense of pedestrian safety, particularly impacting those with mobility or sensory impairments, necessitating a more balanced approach to public space design”.
This mirrors the language used by some of Ireland’s strongest critics of cycle lanes.
It also states that the party will: “Ensure that when cycle lanes are being designed, they do not infringe on the ability of cars to drop off disabled people in appropriate areas.”
Dave Tobin, vice chair of the Irish Cycling Campaign, said: “Active travel investment has drastically improved safety for both cyclists and pedestrians. This is culture war nonsense and little more than disinformation. It undermines the SocDems policy document and the importance of active travel infra for all mobilities.”
“As a member of the Irish Cycling Campaign it shows a shocking disrespect to our members from the SocDems who through disability, age or other factors rely on safe active travel infrastructure to walk, cycle or wheel,” he said.
He added: “I’d strongly hope this is revised as soon as possible.”
If cycling lanes are not properly designed and built they will inevitably be less effective in terms of delivering the true value that they can, in a perfect world, offer. It may well be inconvenient to hear it, but if it needs to be said because it’s true, then it needs to be said. We’re not truly dedicated to modal change if we cannot accept this. In truth, advocates for cycling infrastructure are opponents of how cars and specifically car-related infrastructure and policy has devastated our urban and suburban spaces – not velosexuals.
Most of our urban cycle tracks built in recent years are sub-standard in relation to achieving modal-shift. Far too narrow and designed to not intrude too much on space and utility for motor drivers.
We do need provision of commuting cycling infrastructure to be declared as critical national infrastructure. We are in a climate crisis.
In fairness cian the issue is mainly in relation to accessible parking spaces that are now outside inside cycle lanes. These have now made it extremly dangerous for those exiting from them and trying to access the footpath. Currently most spaces against the path have issues that there is no ramped access to the path now with the car outside the cycle lane the wheelchair user has a choice of going along a cycle lane to access the earest junction to get on the path or run along the road . And before saying wheelchairs can use cycle lanes there have been incidents in protected cycle lanes of users been shouted at and intimadated mainly by deliveroo cyclists
Define “extremely dangerous”.
I have a 5 lane road outside my front door that I need to cross to get to my car. At least two people have been killed there in recent years and I’ve witnessed multiple crashes just in the last year. It’s a nightmare for people without disabilities and impossible for those with disabilities. Where is the outrage from politicians trying to fix roads like these up and down the country? (Aside from the Greens)
Isn’t the issue in that case that there is no ramped access to the footpath rather than anything to do with the cycle lane existing? If car doors need to open into cycle lanes then there should be sufficient buffer or footpath space for car doors to open without opening into the path of passing cyclists so that risks to all are minimised.
Define “extremely dangerous”.
I have a 5 lane road outside my front door that I need to cross to get to my car. At least two people have been killed there in recent years and I’ve witnessed multiple crashes just in the last year. It’s a nightmare for people without disabilities and impossible for those with disabilities. Where is the outrage from politicians trying to fix roads like these up and down the country? (Aside from the Greens)