A local councillor has said that, while cycling, she would not feel safer being moved closer to the carriageway, and she thinks the proposed changes — which go against best design practice — appear to make things worse.
In response to safety concerns at Fairview Avenue Lower, Dublin City Council plans to modify the recently constructed setback cycle track and change it to what is known as a “bend out” cycle track, where the cycle route is positioned closer to the carriageway.
This approach appears to be contrary to national guidance in the Cycle Design Manual and international best practice.
Older-style design thinking viewed “bend out” cycle tracks as safer because people cycling can be seen better by drivers turning. But the design principles behind the setback design include having a buffer that gives motorists better visibility and space before they turn.
The new thinking also recognises that when a cycle track is right beside a carriageway, people on the cycle track are more likely to be missed in a blind spot of a vehicle.
The issue at Fairview Avenue Lower, a non-signalled junction, however, mainly seems to be caused by a different kind of visibility issue — a cluster of vertical items blocking the view between left-turning motorists and the cycle path.
This issue has been exacerbated by a larger volume of traffic turning onto Fairview Avenue Lower after the left turn at Edge’s Corner, a signalled junction just west as part of the C2CC project. Fairview Avenue Lower was already viewed as a rat run, but some see the C2CC project changes, without a long-promised neighbourhood traffic scheme in Marino, as having made the issue worse.
The cluster of items — including a wide lamppost, a signpost and a tree at Fairview Avenue Lower — is also planned to be removed or relocated as part of the planned works. However, it is unclear why the council is not attempting to remove these items before modifying the cycle track.
An email to councillors outlined how the works are due to start next Monday. An official in the Active Travel section of Dublin City Council wrote: “As part of the Clontarf to City Centre Scheme, following the recent Road Safety Audit 3, the proposed cycle-track realignment works at Fairview Avenue Lower & Merville Avenue are scheduled to commence on Monday 28th April 2025.”
A similar junction issue exists at Merville Avenue, which is also to be changed, but the volume of traffic is much lower at this junction, and he cycle track there already partly bends out.
The council official added: “A duration of approximately 10 weeks will be required to complete the necessary realignment works. The outbound cycle track at these locations will be closed to facilitate the works.”
But a local councillor, Cllr Donna Cooney (Green Party), has called for a pause on the works and a review of the changes to the junction.
Cllr Cooney said she has asked for a copy of the Road Safety Audit, but it has not been provided to her.
She said that before undertaking these more drastic works, which would push cycle track users towards traffic and close the cycle track for more than two months, the council should try moving the wide lamp post and sign post first.
Other measures, such as adding a red surface to the cycle tracks, could also be tried, she said, before undertaking another stage of the safety audit to review the changes.
“Bringing people out closer to where the cars are turning certainly won’t make me feel safer anyway,” she said. “There’s a large number of children on bikes and parents bringing young children using the route, so it’s important that it’s not more dangerous.”
Cllr Cooney added: “These works will close the cycleway over most of the summer at the most difficult and dangerous section to cycle through.”
While the C2CC pre-dates the Cycle Design Manual, it’s unclear why it is not being followed now with adjustment works. The guidance outlines that, for a similar design — and most designs — red colouring should be used on the cycle path, a bicycle logo painted at the junction, and “elephant feet” painted (square markings) to highlight the cycle track. It also notes that the buffer area should be clear of elements which would hinder visibility.
Before Cllr Cooney made the above call to pause the works, IrishCycle.com had asked Dublin City Council a set of questions earlier today. Normally, this publication would give the council more time to respond, but given the nature of changes and the limited public notification of the cycle path works, this article is being published today, and the council’s response will be published after it is received.
IrishCycle.com has asked Dublin City Council to confirm whether it has obtained National Transport Authority approval to deviate from the Cycle Design Manual principles, switching from the preferred setback design to a “bend out” design for the cycle path.
Ahead of this article and not knowing the changes were planned to happen so quickly, IrishCycle.com had observed the junction at Fairview Avenue Lower junction for some time, at various times of the day, and on different days.
Most motorists are yielding to users of the cycle path in the buffer area between the carriageway and the cycle track, so IrishCycle.com asked how removing this buffer area will make the junction safer.
This website further asked why the council is not trying other changes before bending out the cycle track, such as removing a cluster of items — including the wide lighting pole, a signpost and a tree — which are blocking visibility of the cycle track from the perspective of motorists, highlighting the cycle track in red as has been done at other locations along the C2CC project, raising the angle of the kerb at the carriageway to bring it more in line the shape of the Dutch entrecne kerb, and/or rasing the cycle track to slow motorists on approach to it.
