2024 in review: Sustainable transport developments in Ireland: Legal, planning and political issues slowed progress

Happy New Year! Thank you to readers, especially subscribers, for your ongoing support, which is much appreciated. There’s a separate article covering how this website got on, while this article is the year-in-review:

Road safety was, of course, a big issue, with a fluxation of deaths and a strange lull in the summer. By the year’s end, the total number of deaths was slightly down, but three more people who were cycling died on Irish roads in 2024 compared to the previous year. And there were ongoing issues over the lack of enforcement, both automated and by Gardaí.

Calls for mandatory high-vis also kept creeping up, showing that even if the Road Safety Authority is successfully reformed away from victim blaming, there will be continued pressure to look at solutions with no supporting evidence as “common sense” gains ground.

Some new cycle routes and also some of the same issues

2024 was the year that the high-profile Clontarf route in Dublin finally opened after much delay at the construction phase but also much misinformation too, with the project amounting to a full boundary to boundary street and road renewal, including watermain replacement, and not just a cycle path.

There is lacklustre progress elsewhere in the Dublin City Council area, with many quick-build routes being very slowly built and even more of them not getting beyond the drawing board. There was firmer-looking progress on networks of routes from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, South Dublin County Council and Limerick City and County Council, with progress on key routes and clearer progress on others.

Cork County Council also made significant progress, something which is missing in Cork City, Galway City and Waterford.

While IrishCycle.com extensively covered issues with the design of cycle routes planned and built again this year, an award for one of the worst cases goes to the plans for the Finglas Luas extension. These not only fail on cycling design but, regardless of intent, include a scorched-earth approach that will make a cycle network harder to build.

There was a warm welcome for a plan to replace the narrow path at Blackrock Dart station with a wide passageway, but, generally across the country, there seems to be still an issue with the width of cycle lanes and paths. This is very apparent in the above-mentioned Luas project, and it’s also clear with other planned routes, including a route from Artane to Clontarf and a route in Tramore.

Feedback that the cycle track is too narrow was one of the key reactions from users of the Clontarf to City Centre route, but there seems to be a wide official reluctance to build wide enough cycle tracks, often (but far from exclusively) to maximise general traffic lanes.

Overuse of shared spaces where people cycling and walking are mixed on paths and crossings also contained to plague projects. Shared paths might make sense in rural areas but not close to central Dublin along the canal, and removing one of the few segregated cycle paths even closer to the city centre.

The Cycle Design Manual, published towards the end of 2023, will help improve standards. But too many councils, the BusConnects and rail sections of the NTA, TII and other agencies are still approaching cycle design from the wrong starting point of squeezing cycling in or it being an afterthought.

So, while no design manual alone will fix this, we might still need to firm up guidance around basics such as widths of both cycle lanes and general traffic lanes.

Articles about greenways also remained popular, including the Dublin Port Greenway opening this year (here’s how to get to it). The issue of CPOs of farmland for greenways kept growing with threats of “war” over a greenway in Mayo.

Pedestrian priority has improved, but not everybody is happy

As is often the case, people against street changes which knock the car off its perch complain that they are not being listened to, but the pedestrianisation of New Street in Malahide is a classic example of where the objectors were listened to, but the majority of councillors disagreed with them. But also, like so much other progress on sustainable transport, the full redesign of the street looks set to be hindered by legal action.

Pedestrian priority was, however added nationally, with clarity added that drivers must yield to people waiting at zebra crossings, and earlier in the year, councils were told that they can now roll out zebra crossings without expensive beacons.

Public transport delays of different types

More rural bus routes continued to be opened or improved, while Cork City bus services suffered from chronic driver shortage issues and Dart and Commuter services in Dublin suffered after a new timetable and from an apparent inability to get the first trains to leave on time, which kept on messing up the running of trains for the day.

An Bord Pleanala’s internal processes delayed the approval of Dart+ infrastructure, which would better support the expansion of high-frequency suburban railways across different parts of Dublin and slightly beyond. An Bord Pleanala’s board had its inspector’s report for Dart+ West project nearly 180 days without acting on it.

Meanwhile, a Bord Pleanala planner was busy writing a 16-page report justifying the rejection of a bicycle shed in a front garden of a Cork suburb. Meanwhile, while freelance journalist Ken Fox broke the news in the national media about the Dail bike shelter, there was no shortage of follow-up stories, which also proved popular including how the Minister responsible for OPW spending having the “audacity” to blame cyclists for cost of €335k now infamous Leinster House bike stand.

IrishCycle also had to debunk myths about MetroLink and other public transport projects, which the national media continues to reinforce. An Bord Pleanala ordering further consultation for MetroLink means that the project will also be delayed while the authorities behind were accused of burying figures rather than providing for predicted bicycle parking demand.

Legal issues mount and keep going

In the short term, it turns out that the sky did not fall after the first measures of the Dubin City Centre Transport Plan, the bus gates on the quays at O’Connell Bridge in Dublin, were implemented. Legal action is now progressing, but one of the most high-profile members of the group taking the action said that they had one of their best Christmases, with streets being “jammed” with shoppers.

Legal action is now also hanging over some BusConnects routes and Dart+ projects, which were approved. That’s not to say there’s nothing valid in any of the complaints, but any sign of progress on so many projects is now being slowed within one type of process or another.

With legal action, there’s no case as apparent as Strand Road, which has been years in legal arguments, first in the High Court, and soon it will be two years since the Court of Appeal reserved judgment in the case. The delay in issuing that judgment is baffling many.

Meanwhile, a proposed closure of the bus lane on O’Connell Street in Limerick was resisted. At the same time, Cork’s central bus lanes, sections of bus-only streets and bus stops are just being blocked by motorists illegally parking and entering those areas. Cork City Council told this website that there is enforcement, but clearly not enough because the issues are ongoing.

Green suffering at the national level is tenuously linked to transport

The Green Party were nearly wiped out nationally, but just months before, the website was able to report that where pedestrianisation, cycle routes, and bus priority were election battlegrounds in Dublin, supporters (who were not just Greens) won out.

Some commentary pointed towards these issues being linked to the Green’s national downfall, but this seems unlikely when most of the party and candidates who replaced them share or come close to sharing their policies. More likely affecting their downfall are wider issues and the general issue of smaller parties entering government being the “fall guy”.

Top 10 most read articles in 2024:

  1. Ireland’s Road Safety Authority to adopt new “Be seen, grab a brick!” campaign (April 1st)
  2. If an inland greenway route from Westport to Murrisk goes ahead “you will never see a war in Ukraine like it” says Mayo councillor
  3. Red light camera in Dublin to be turned back on ahead of wider roll-out of camera enforcement
  4. Cycle lane bollards removed and dumped in a garden ahead of fatal crash in Dublin
  5. An Bord Pleanala writes 16-page report rejecting bicycle shed, but owner now might replace it with trailer which isn’t covered by planning laws
  6. Minister responsible for OPW spending has “audacity” to blame cyclists for cost of €335k Leinster House bike stand
  7. New greenway opened at Dublin Port with views of Clontarf and Bull Island
  8. A senior Garda says you should “think about where you choose to cycle your bicycle”, while motorists are clocked at 126km/h on urban roads
  9. New north Dublin greenway is expected to be “absolutely magnificent”
  10. TD asks about Garda enforcement of non-existing law on wearing high-visibility clothing

Most read each month;

Most read in January

Most read in February

  1. Dodder Greenway between Ballsbridge and Donnybrook opened to the public
  2. Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Solidarity, independent councillors voice concerns against new Dublin cycle route leaving only a Green to support it
  3. Cyclist dies in hospital after collision involving car driver on Malahide Road this morning
  4. Dodder Road Lower to be made one-way for motorists to enable Dodder Greenway cycle path
  5. Bus Éireann’s €10 fee for bicycles questioned but Minister Ryan says it’s not a matter for him

Most read in March

  1. If an inland greenway route from Westport to Murrisk goes ahead “you will never see a war in Ukraine like it” says Mayo councillor
  2. South Dublin County Council could boast the best area in Ireland for cycling, but one thing is holding it back
  3. Fianna Fail councillor was “delighted” with cycle lanes in 2020 but now denies she was told about them before project started
  4. Hundreds attend demonstration in support of Dún Laoghaire Living Street plan
  5. Dublin councillor calls for registration and insurance for cyclists

Most read in April

  1. Ireland’s Road Safety Authority to adopt new “Be seen, grab a brick!” campaign
  2. A senior Garda says you should “think about where you choose to cycle your bicycle”, while motorists are clocked at 126km/h on urban roads
  3. TD asks about Garda enforcement of non-existing law on wearing high-visibility clothing
  4. Tallaght councillors blame Government, NTA NGOs for cycle paths when their own policy includes promoting cycling and reducing car use
  5. Woman cycling killed in rush-hour crash involving truck driver in Dublin

Most read in May

  1. Vanishing bus stop “removed by a local resident on a regular basis” reported to Gardaí
  2. Dublin City pushes ahead with plan to cut short one of its busiest cycle paths at Portobello
  3. Clarity added that drivers must yield to people waiting at zebra crossings
  4. School safety measures causing “untold inconvenience” to motorists, councillors claim
  5. Road Safety Authority under fire refusing request to appear at Public Accounts Committee and claiming on air it contacted groups when they say it didn’t

Most read in June

  1. Cycle lane bollards removed and dumped in a garden ahead of fatal crash in Dublin
  2. New north Dublin greenway is expected to be “absolutely magnificent”
  3. Dublin MEP candidate makes “jaw dropping” “rant” of “spaghetti junction of cycle lanes”
  4. Court case against Malahide pedestrianisation puts funding at risk, business group expresses frustration street will be kept in limbo
  5. Ringsend to Point Village walking and cycling bridge project expands to include road widening on existing bridge, new control tower

Most read in July

  1. An Bord Pleanala writes 16-page report rejecting bicycle shed, but owner now might replace it with trailer which isn’t covered by planning laws
  2. Motorists make good use of new “parking spaces” marked out on Dublin footpaths
  3. No Lego at Christmas for your children if you take the bus! Why is anybody listening to the Dublin City Centre Traders Alliance?
  4. Fear of delay for MetroLink and Dart+ as An Bord Pleanála takes 37 months to approve “relatively straightforward” level crossing removals
  5. Part of Royal Canal Greenway between Glasnevin and Drumcondra to open on Friday

Most read in August

  1. Another piece added to the puzzle: Dublin City’s longest off-road cycle route is now 10km long
  2. Opening of Dublin’s MetroLink in mid-2030s “looking like a pipe dream” as planners order consultation to be reopened
  3. Only 1 of 16 MetroLink stations are at Dublin Aiport, so why are its opponents so focused on it?
  4. Rollout of Dublin City Centre traffic plan starts this Sunday with bus gates at O’Connell Bridge
  5. RSA slammed for promoting idea that people who don’t drive are a “burden for others”

Most read in September

  1. Minister responsible for OPW spending has “audacity” to blame cyclists for cost of €335k Leinster House bike stand
  2. New greenway opened at Dublin Port with views of Clontarf and Bull Island
  3. Minister Ryan won’t say why he gave An Post carte blanche to park on footpaths, cycle paths
  4. Cyclists call for removal on yield markings on new cycle path
  5. Councillor’s call to remove Dublin cycle lane safety bollards criticised and rejected

Most read in October

  1. After traffic light confusion at revamped Dublin junction, council marks out how people can cycle into new shared sections of paths
  2. Irish Rail sent an early ‘Christmas present’; commuters expected see benefit from 2026
  3. Dublin councillors debate loss of illegal “car parking spaces” when cycle route includes adding 16 legal spaces
  4. “Heckler” disrupts launch of new Limerick cycle lane with an unexpected demand from his car
  5. How do you get to Dublin Port’s new greenway?

Most read in November

  1. 2 years and 9 months in the making; months longer than planned; but now, Dublin’s first continuous suburbs to city centre cycle route is opened
  2. “It should not have taken 30 years” says Minister Ryan as Dublin’s first continuously segregated suburbs to city centre cycle route is opened
  3. Department of Transport confirms Minister Ryan has moved against advice in independent report on future of RSA; doesn’t say why
  4. TD uses Dáil time to call for mandatory high-vis for people cycling and for walking where there’s no footpaths
  5. Dismay as Dublin to stay disconnected for longer from 130km Royal Canal Greenway to River Shannon

Most read in December

  1. Interior of new Dart trains to lack signature green after NTA “micromanagement”
  2. Finglas Luas not only fails on cycling but, regardless of intent, it includes a scorched-earth approach that will make a cycle network harder to build
  3. “A Christmas miracle”: Limerick Mayor says closing bus lane for motorists to use it cannot be justified “at this time”
  4. Cycling safety: Gardaí should focus on what’s illegal and show a bit more care around implying perfectly legal things are not
  5. Work on Broadmeadow Way greenway restricted to certain times of the year, to open in 2026

1 thought on “2024 in review: Sustainable transport developments in Ireland: Legal, planning and political issues slowed progress”

  1. Keep up the great work for 2025 Cian.

    Safe, connected and segregated cycling infrastructure is depressingly non existent in Cork city. Councillors/politicians continuosly puts the needs of the individual (who shouts the loudest) over the interest of the wider public.

    Reply

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