{"id":131,"date":"2006-05-30T22:52:52","date_gmt":"2006-05-30T22:52:52","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"City_Council_draft_design_puts_Northside_cyclists_at_risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/?p=131","title":{"rendered":"City Council draft design puts Northside cyclists at risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dublin City Council has produced a design for the QBC from Amiens St., through Fairview and out along Malahide Rd.  The design involves cycle lanes of sub-standard width placed often where cyclists would be at risk from doors being opened by parked cars.  At junctions, it leads cyclists into increased danger by putting them to the left of left-turning traffic.   At other locations, it attempts to squeeze buses past cyclists where there simply isn’t room on the carriageway.<\/p>\n

I have made a submission to the City Council; see below.  The deadline for submissions is 16th June. <\/p>\n


<\/span><\/pre>\n
                                                                                    Councillor David Healy<\/span><\/p>\n
Green
\nParty\/Comhaontas Glas <\/span><\/p>\n
Howth ward
\n\/ Dublin North East<\/span><\/p>\n
www.davidhealy.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
01
\n8324087<\/span><\/p>\n
54,
\nPáirc Éabhóra, Beann Éadair<\/span><\/p>\n
54,
\nEvora Park, Howth<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
Comments on Malahide Road QBC proposals.<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
30th May 2006<\/span><\/p>\n
By email to
\nqbnoffice@dublincity.ie<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
The following comments are submitted in response to
\nthe public display of the proposed changes to the Malahide Road QBC <\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
My comments focus in particular on the safety of
\nthe proposed design for cyclists.  My
\ncomments are made as a cyclist who uses part of the route to access the city
\ncentre myself, and as a Green Party representative for the general Dublin
\nNorth-East area for which either all of part of the route constitues the only
\neffective cycling access to the city centre. 
\n<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
Comments refer to entire route
\nproposal drawn up, not just that on display at the moment<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
The following comments refer to the design drawings
\nfor the entire route from Amiens St. to Clare Hall, dated 18th August
\n2005.  I understand that the drawings on
\ndisplay start with North Strand\/ Annesley Bridge and therefore Section 5 below
\n(Sheet 5 in the full set of drawings) relates to Sheet 1 in the drawings on
\ndisplay.  I understand also that the
\ndesign on display does not go beyond the Artane Roundabout.  Section 17 (Sheet 17 in the full set of
\ndrawings) corresponds to Sheet 13 in the display.  I enclose my comment on all the elements of
\nthe design as I feel this would be most efficient.  Comments which relate only to the elements
\ncurrently on display are from Sections 5 to 17.<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
Generally the scheme is not good
\nfor cyclists<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
I note that improving facilities for cyclists is
\none of the stated objectives of the scheme. 
\nUnfortunately it does not achieve that objective.<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
At the Velo-city conference last year, the flaws in
\nthe existing design in Fairview were openly acknowledged by Dublin City Council
\nstaff.  Indeed attendees including myself
\nwere assured that that the City Council have learnt a lot since and would not
\nmake the same mistakes again.<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this appears not to be the case. The
\ndesign proposed retains almost all the defective elements of the existing
\ndesign from the Fairview\/Malahide Rd. junction to Amiens St.  It proposes to add many kilometres of
\nsubstandard cycle facilities to the route.<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
The potential exists along this route to create a
\ngood quality route, minimising conflicts and risks for cyclists and creating a
\npleasant and safe cycle facility along the route.  The current design proposal does not meet
\nthat potential and I urge the members of the City Council to require that it be
\nredesigned.<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
Section 1 Amiens St. (not in
\ncurrent consultation)<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n
1.1 Traffic lights near Foley
\nSt.<\/span><\/p>\n
The proposal here is to change the northbound cross
\nsection at the traffic lights from<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/span><\/p>\n