I have objected to a planning application in Balgriffin, primarily against the road designs which would place pedestrians and cyclists at risk.
30th January 2007
Planning Department,
Fingal County Council,
Main St.,
Swords,
Co. Dublin
By hand
Re: F06A/1918
A chairde,
I would like to object to the above development on the following grounds.
1. The road design proposed does not provide for safe use by cyclists. It seeks to place a cycletrack on the footpath and treat cyclists as pedestrians.
Among the consequences of this design approach at junctions are the following:
a) a cyclist using the cycletrack and going straight on is at risk from vehicles coming from behind, which is a particularly difficult conflict.
b) there is no way for a cyclist to turn right.
These design flaws are evident in the plans at all junctions, including the following:
a) How do cyclists travelling north on the new road and seeking to turn east do so?
b) How do cyclists travelling east to west on Balgriffin Road do so if they use the cycletrack provided?
c) How do cyclists travelling east on the new east-west road turn north onto the new north-south road at the roundabout?
d) How do cyclists travelling east on the new east-west road turn north onto the Malahide Road?
This is of particular importance as under Irish law cyclists have to use a cycle track if one is provided.
2. The design proposes the use of roundabouts without controlled crossing points on all arms.
Due to the geometry of roundabouts and the fact that the pedestrian has no right of way, a pedestrian has to guess the intention of accelerating and decelerating motorists, both on the roundabout and entering it. This is a particularly difficult task and for more vulnerable and less mobile pedestrians it is impossible.
These designs are entirely inappropriate in what will be a high-density neighbourhood with a stated intention of providing for a high level of pedestrian and public transport use.
In fact, the map shows what appears to be a 3lane roundabout, a design which would effectively rule out any safe way for a pedestrian to cross the arms of such a roundabout.
The proposed design would result in a fragmented urban area, with little pedestrian movement across these junctions simply because it would be so dangerous.
3. The proposed design puts the Mayne River through a culvert instead of making a feature of it.
I enclose the €20 fee.
Is mise, le meas,
David Healy