Category Archives: Transport / Taisteal

Access to train stations

Although all national and local policy talks about prioritising public transport, walking and cycling and ensuring as many people as possible can avail of it, it is often not implemented in practice.

 

Howth Malahide Area Committee (Services A – Operational Matters)

Wednesday, 5 April 2017

Councillor D. Healy – Signage to Sutton Dart Station. AI036626

“To ask the Chief Executive what progress has been made in relation to the provision of signs indicating the routes for pedestrians and cyclists from Dublin Road and Warrenhouse Road to Sutton Dart Station via Binn Éadair View and Railway Avenue and also in the opposite directions since the matter was raised at this Committee in May 2015.”

Reply:

These laneways were intended for local access to the DART Station. It would be inappropriate to sign the area as a pedestrian and cycle route for the general public through these residential areas.

HOWTH-MALAHIDE AREA COMMITTEE MEETING (Services A – Operational Matters)

Wednesday 6th May, 2015

ITEM NO. 11

DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE FOR SUTTON DART STATION

Question: Councillor D. Healy

“To ask the Chief Executive to provide signs indicating the routes for pedestrians and cyclists from Dublin Road and Warrenhouse Road to Sutton Dart Station via Binn Éadair View and Railway Avenue and also in the opposite directions?”

Reply: The area will be inspected and appropriate signage erected.

 

Sutton

Between Sutton Train Station and Lauder’s Lane there is a pedestrian route. Unfortunately it is badly surfaced and after rain is a string of puddles. Iarnród Éireann met with the the Area Committee in June 2015 and promised to address it. I’m still following up the lack of progress in this.

Howth Junction

Clontarf to City Centre Cycle Route – contact Dublin City Council

Dublin City Council has published a proposal to redesign the cycle route from Clontarf to Amiens St. This is the main route to the city centre for residents of the Howth/Malahide ward. The previous time they did a redesign in this area for a quality bus corridor in 2006 they failed to design safely for cyclists. Unfortunately they have come up with another unsafe design.

My concerns are as follows:

BICYCLES AND BUSES SHOULD NOT BE MIXED.
This is the busiest arterial cycle route in Dublin, with over 1400 cyclists and over 200 buses crossing Newcomen bridge southwards in the morning peak. The proposed design means buses would continue to pull across the cycle lane to reach the bus stops. This is bad news for both cyclists and bus passengers. We believe the design should be suitable for cyclists of all ages and abilities. This means `island` bus stops.

FAIRVIEW’S STREET TREES SHOULD BE SAVED.

The proposed design involves the removal of all of the footpath trees in front of Fairview Park, over 50 mostly mature trees. There is plenty of space in Fairview for a good design without felling these valuable trees.
SPACE SHOULD BE TAKEN FROM THE ROAD NOT THE FOOTPATH.

Because of a decision to maintain multiple traffic lanes, space will be taken from footpaths for the design. This makes no sense when there is less space for cars in the City Centre and the official goal is to favour walking and cycling. The design should prioritise walking, cycling and public transport because these move the most people along the route.

JUNCTIONS MUST BE SAFE FOR WALKING AND CYCLING.

The design proposes some real improvements to junctions. However other pedestrian crossings and cycle facilities have been ruled out because the required traffic signal timings would reduce capacity for cars through the junctions. Designing for pedestrians’ and cyclists’ safety should be the first priority.

Further information on the proposal is here. If you agree with these points, please make your views known to Dublin City Council, Block 4, Floor 3, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8 traffic@dublincity.ie before 16:30 on 9th March 2017.

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Current and future mixing of bicycles and buses

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Approach to cycleways being taken in London in recent years

Fingal County Council has agreed to make a submission following a motion I raised at the Howth/Malahide Area Committee.

Submission in relation to redesign of Mayne Road/ Hole in the Wall Road junction

A proposal for a new junction at Hole in the Wall Road / Mayne Road is on public display until 9th March.

I have made the following submission:

As discussed at the Area Committee, i would like to see alternative options for junction design being considered at this location. In particular, the design set out in this video has a lot to recommend it in terms of safety. I have used junctions like this and found them much better than the design proposed.

It’s quite a simple proposal but I particularly urge anyone who cycles or walks on these roads to have a look at contribute their comments.

 

Fingal agrees to encourage the development of car-free neighbourhoods

The Council today confirmed the following amendment I proposed to the Draft Development Plan:

“At locations where higher density development is being provided, encourage the development of car-free neighbourhoods, where non-motorised transport is allowed and motorised vehicles have access only for deliveries but must park outside the neighbourhood, creating a much better quality public realm with green infrastructure, public health, economic and community benefits.”

It reflects successful experience  in neighbourhoods such as Vauban in Germany and entire suburban towns like Houten in the Netherlands, as well of course in old cities around the world.

 

Fingal agrees to provide 30km/h environment in the vicinity of schools

Following public display, the Council has voted, (by a margin of 1 vote!) to confirm the inclusion of the following in the Development Plan:

“Ensure that as soon as possible, but by the end of the lifetime of the Development Plan, the environment in the immediate vicinity of schools is a safe and attractive low speed (30km/h) environment, and drop-off by car within a given distance restricted.”

The text is copied from the National Cycle Policy Framework; it is something which should be happening at all schools nationwide by 2020.

 

Amendments to County Development Plan

Fingal County Council is currently preparing the County Development Plan to run from 2017 to 2023. The Draft Plan was on public display between February and April 2016 and a report on the over 900 responses received was supplied to Councillors at the end of July.

As Councillors we had until yesterday, 6th September, to draft proposals to amend the Plan based on the public consultation.  Those  amendments which the Council agrees to will go on public display in November.

I submitted amendments to a wide range of topics in the plan. A copy of my proposed amendments is here. In order to make them easy to navigate I have grouped them into the following topics:

  • On Special Amenity Area Order and Dublin Bay Biosphere Reserve
  • On cycle pedestrian routes to be added to the map
  • On public transport reservation from Clongriffin/Portmarnock – Balgriffin – Belcamp – Clonshaugh to metro reservations south of Dublin Airport
  • In relation to the Moyne Road bypass proposal based on discussions at the previous stage of the Development Plan and in response to submissions by the developer of the adjoining residentially zoned land and Portmarnock Community Association
  • On the zoning of the industrial estates beside Howth Junction railway station based on issues I raised at the previous stage of the Plan and a submission from a local business.
  • On the process for sub-county level plans based on the experience of Fingal councillors and citizens as well as submissions from public authorities including the National Transport Authority
  • Based on Fáilte Ireland’s submission
  • In relation to the circular economy and sustainable resource use
  • In response to the submission by Keep Ireland Open, Fáilte Ireland and others concerned with access to the countryside
  • Based on concerns about Fingal’s approach to open space in high density development, an issue raised both by developers and residents
  • On the transition to a low carbon climate resilient economy, a legal obligation of the Plan under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act and raised in a range of submissions
  • On adaptation to climate change
  • On Ecosystem Services Approach
  • Transport motions based on a range of submissions by local road users and public transport users and the NTA
  • Motion incorporating text from the Dublin City Development plan in relation to cycle parking as recommended by the submission from the National Transport Authority
  • In relation to cycling in response to a wide range of submissions seeking better and safer cycling insfrastructure.
  • Based on text in the National Cycling Policy Framework, to which some of the submissions refer.

Response to consultation on draft County Development Plan

My response to the draft Fingal Development Plan and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Plan is here.

The main issues in my consultation response were sustainable development, climate change adaptation and mitigation, transport, car-oriented development, cycling, road proposals, aviation, building energy use, and renewable energy. A recurrent theme under many of these headings was the lack of actual assessment in the SEA report.

As Councillors, we will receive a report on all consultations responses in July and based on that feedback can submit amendments to the plan in August for meetings in September. I would welcome any feedback on the issues in my submission or on or any other aspect of the Development Plan.

Email to Transport Minister on Greater Dublin Area Draft Transport Strategy

I have written to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in relation to the draft Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy. The Strategy was drawn up in order to address congestion and addressing climate change was not one of the objectives in developing the Strategy. This is contrary to the obligations which all public bodies now have under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill. I pointed this out in my response to the public consultation in relation to the Strategy, but the Strategy has now been sent to the Minister essentially unchanged. This latest draft was supplied to the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly for our comments. My email of 9th January to Minister Donohoe (attaching my response to the consultation) is below.

Mr. Pascal Donohoe,
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport,​
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport,
44 Kildare Street,
Dublin 2

Re: Compliance with Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 in the development of and adoption of a Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area.​

Dear Minister Donoho​e,

I refer to the draft Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016 to 2035 which has been sent to your office by the National Transport Authority​.The purpose of my letter is to draw your attention to the obligations which now apply to you and all other relevant bodies under section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 and ​to highlight ​the relevance ​of these obligations ​to the adoption of a Transport Strategy.

The draft Transport Strategy which has been submitted to you envisages a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the Dublin area during more than half of the time period specified in the Act for transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy. As documented in the accompanying documentation, the strategy would lead to a minimal reduction compared to a ‘business as usual’ scenario.

The reason the Strategy has this minimal effect is that, as confirmed to me by the National Transport Authority (NTA), greenhouse gas emissions abatement was not one of the objectives which drove the development of the Strategy.

I pointed out in my submission to the NTA in response to their public consultation ​on the draft Strategy that, on the enactment of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, adoption of the strategy as drafted would be illegal due to its failure to comply with the obligations in​ s.15 of the Act. From my reading of the subsequent draft submitted to you, my observation seems not to have been taken account of.  I attach a copy of that submission for your information.

Manifestly, it would not be lawful for you to approve the draft Strategy without fundamental alterations aimed at bringing transport in Dublin in line with transition to a low carbon climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy.

I am at your disposal to clarify any of the above or anything in the attached and hope to hear how you will comply with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act.

​Best regards,
​

Cllr. David Healy

+353 87 6178852
54, Páirc Éabhóra,
Beann Éadair,
Co. Bh.Á.C.

@davidhealyv