Ten Dublin and national groups have come together to call for the Strand Road cycle path trial to proceed for 12 months this summer — they are seeking members of the public to support the call via a petition and by contacting councillors.
It has been over 4 years since the High Court blocked the trial that would have made Beach Road and Strand Road in Sandymount one-way for people driving to make way for a two-way cycle path. But, last month, the Court of Appeal overruled the High Court, stating that the judge had erred on several points of law and fact.
Today, a mix of advocacy groups, social enterprises, and others — including this website– have come together to make the call for the cycle path trial to go ahead. The groups so-far include: A Playful City, Cycling Without Age, Dublin Commuter Coalition, Dublin Cycling Campaign, I Bike Dublin, Irish Doctors for the Environment, IrishCycle.com, Irish Cycling Campaign, Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, and The Bike Hub.
Members of the public are being asked to sign the petition at my.uplift.ie and to email councillors in Dublin City to ask them to support the trial as it has city-wide benefits. A list of councillors to contact can be found on a page at dublincity.ie.
The original trial was proposed to be 6 months, but the groups are calling for a 12-month trial to follow guidelines published after the court cases started. A 6-month trial might be enough to collect data on traffic, air quality, cycle path usage, and any other issues around the trial, but it is not enough time to evaluate that data or, for example, to allow any adjustments to be made, and the collection of new data after that.