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We are lobbying for the provision of safe cycle ways in Fingal for our children, for our families, for everyone. For leisure, for health for local transport. To schools, clubs, parks and playgrounds. To train, DART and future metro stations.
4 comments:
I've been following a discussion about this campaign on boards.ie. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of confidence that Fingal County Council will actually do anything constructive. They do seem to have a habit of making agreeable noises and then coming up with nothing much useful. The example about Coolmine Cross, mentioned in a comment elsewhere on this blog, seems to be pretty much representative. The idea that kids need a Garda escort to get to a reportedly shoddy cycle path safely is not something for Fingal's councillors or the Department of Transport to be the least bit proud of.
Hi Ken,
Well done on the website. My main emphasis as you can see from my own site (www.davidhealy.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategor&id=28&Itemid=40 ) is addressing the existing roads. I strongly believe that the main response to dangerous roads must be to make the roads safer especially for pedestrians and cyclists. I agree with the Dublin Cycling Campaign’s approach on this (home.connect.ie/dcc/docs/society.html ) which also reflects good practice.
I think it’s important that we do not look for separate cycleways instead of ensuring that the existing roads are safe for cyclists.
That does not mean that they are not a good idea. Cycleways, properly designed and built, can be great pleasure to use, much more pleasant that sharing space with motor vehicles. (A cycleway in Irish law is a public road for cyclists only or cyclists and pedestrians only.) They can definitely encourage more people to cycle and are invaluable for getting young children used to dealing with traffic outside of the particular dangers of motor traffic. In particular the coastal routes would be a wonderful leisure amenity. I have been pushing for the coastal route between Baldoyle and Portmarnock for the last two years. I have also arranged for the Sutton to Sandycove group (www.s2s.ie) to make a presentation to the Area Cttee meeting in Baldoyle Library on 2nd September at 3pm. The S2S design is of a high quality and should address the flaws of the existing coastal route south from Sutton. I'm hoping that similar design standards will be adopted for most of Fingal's Coastal Way.
I completely agree with the comment above about poor design and construction of cyclist-specific infrastructure in Fingal and indeed Ireland generally and I have been raising this repeatedly. Our attempts to amend the County Development Plan to bring in a realisation that cyclists are not pedestrians and vice-versa was firmly resisted by the Transportation Department who refused to even discuss the issues involved. Some of them are opening up a bit more now but the standard approach is still appalling. Worse still are the developers and their consulting engineers who are designing most of the roads and streets being built in Fingal at the moment. The more complaints that come in from the public on this the better. I have also been raising this with Engineers Ireland (see correspondence detailed on my website) and we desperately need more people from inside that profession willing to take on their colleagues.
Best wishes,
David
Councillor David Healy
Green Party/Comhaontas Glas
Howth ward / Dublin North East
www.davidhealy.com
01 8324087
54, Páirc Éabhóra, Beann Éadair
54, Evora Park, Howth
Dear Ken,
Please note that the Broadmeadow estuary footpath/cycle way is a stated objective of the current development plan, this also includes the barrack bridge area which for your information is subject to 15,000 cars per day and not 8,000 as stated on your website.
Fingal County Council is currently in the process of seeking agreement with Irish Rail to provide a suitable bridge/structure to take pedestrians over the viaduct and until such time as this agreement is sought, no action will be taken. The planning of the proposed routing of the footpath has not been started, but it is noteworthy that is it not planned to place a cycle path from Swords Sailing Club to Mantua Road as it is felt that this road is adequate in width to cater for cyclists.
I am more than happy to assist you in whatever areas require specific attention, but I would encourage you to focus your efforts on areas where the Council have neglected nor have any plans to upgrade facilities such as the Swords Road, Malahide Road, Coast Road, Back Road, Dublin Road etc.
Yours sincerely and keep up the good work!
Alan Farrell
By the look of this they're not doing much. Even when a nice off-road cyclepath actually gets built whoever is responsible for it gets away with putting the traffic-light poles in a position that is as dangerous as it is bafflingly stupid.
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