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‘PARKING PROTECTED’ CYCLE lanes have moved a step closer to reality in Dublin city centre.
A feasibility study carried out on behalf of the National Transport Authority (NTA) has outlined the impact and estimated cost of creating a 900-metre cycle lane along Fitzwilliam Place to Merrion Square East/Holles Street.
The proposed design, labelled the Georgian Parkway, would see parked cars create a buffer between the cycle lane and traffic. It’s a method used in a number of other countries.
If successful, the route could be extended to other nearby streets.
The project was proposed by Fine Gael Councillor Dr Paddy Smyth last year. It is supported by all eight councillors in the Pembroke-South Dock ward, the area where the plan would be developed.
Yesterday, Dublin City Council’s transport committee discussed the feasibility report.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie after the meeting, Smyth said it’s “hugely important” Dublin is made safer for cyclists.
“I myself saw someone being knocked off a bike recently. It’s really dangerous.”
Smyth, who represents the Rathgar-Rathmines area, said drivers backing out from parking spaces “with the best will in the world, won’t see a cyclist if there’s a van in front of them, it’s an accident waiting to happen”.
The onus is on the city to provide more safe cycling networks. This model does that. If it’s successful, and I see no reason that it wouldn’t be, it could be extended to other Georgian streets.
Smyth said the streets in question are 50-feet wide at their narrowest point, so “there’s more than enough room”.
Cost
The cost of creating the 900-metre stretch would be in the region of €786,000 to €1.1 million, according to the report.
“It sounds like a lot of money, but it’s not in terms of transport infrastructure.
“We don’t need to take away a single centimetre in paving, it would actually increase the amount of paving available to pedestrians. The budget impact and return is actually very good,” Smyth says.
He adds that the plan would involve reconfiguring laneways and repainting the markings in different places.
Smyth believes funding could be sourced from a number of places apart from the NTA and the Department of Transport if necessary, including the Department of the Environment, the European Union and Fáilte Ireland.
“It would be a huge thing for tourism. It’s a transport issue but also a public realm and public amenity issue. There are a few places that funding could be legitimately sourced for this. I want to get this done quickly.”
Smyth said the project would ideally be completed before Dublin hosts Velo-city 2019, the European Cyclists’ Federation’s Annual Global Cycling Summit, due to be held in the capital in two years’ time.
The Department of Transport did not respond to a request for comment, but Transport Minister Shane Ross recently told the Dáil his department has been working closely with the NTA in recent months “to develop an approach to tackling congestion in Dublin”.
Ross said plans put forward by the NTA “will make real progress in relieving congestion in the city, in moving people to efficient bus services and bus corridors, in improving cycling facilities and in being part of what has been the government’s policy and vision for a very long time”.
Segregated cycle lanes were proposed by the NTA last month as part of its €1 billion BusConnects plan.
Impact on parking
Smyth believes the ”main objection” to the plan will be the impact it could have on parking in the area.
As part of the feasibility report, a parking survey was carried out on 6 and 7 December 2016, at various times from 7am to 5pm on both days. The results indicated that 1pm was the busiest parking time.
The report states: “The results of the analysis indicate that whilst parking would be reduced by 139 spaces in the proposed design, at the peak period on the busiest day, the design was just short (4 spaces) of the required capacity.”
It adds that, during the design process, “more options to maximise parking could be considered”.
The report continues: “It is also worth noting that the survey was completed in December, during the build-up to the busiest retail period of the year. Based on the results … it is not anticipated that the design results in a notable loss of paid parking revenue.
Further assessment will be required when a preferred option has been chosen to determine the precise revenue impact as a result of road/parking layout changes.
Plans are already underway to restrict traffic in many areas of the city as part of other proposals, leading to criticism from some businesses about the negative effect this could have on their revenue.
‘Proper cycling infrastructure needed’
The Dublin Chamber, which represents businesses in the area, is behind Smyth’s proposals.
Graeme McQueen told TheJournal.ie the plans are “really exciting”.
“The number of people cycling in Dublin continues to grow at a fast pace. It is important that infrastructure is put in place to support this growth.
Cycling in many parts of Dublin remains far too dangerous. The idea of protecting that is commonplace in cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam and Dublin Chamber is delighted to see this type of design being considered for Dublin. We’d like to see more of this in all parts of the city.
“Proper cycling infrastructure will help to encourage good cycling behaviour in Dublin and increased mutual respect between the different transport modes.
“Better transport infrastructure and more intelligent use of street space is in everyone’s interests. We would expect businesses and the people who work in the Fitzwilliam Street area to benefit greatly from the proposed changes.”
Heritage
In terms of other impacts the project could have, the feasibility report notes: “The proposed scheme is low impact and as such substantial excavations are not anticipated.
“However, it is possible that limited excavations may be required within the existing roadway as part of service diversions. It is possible that any such works may have an adverse impact on archaeological deposits that may survive beneath the current road surface.
“No direct impacts are anticipated on any of the protected structures that flank the proposed scheme…
“The overall proposed scheme will require changes to the existing road layout, which already contains modern street furniture, signage and islands. Changes that are sympathetic to the built heritage environment are likely to result in an overall positive impact.”
Sedentary lifestyles
Smyth said his work as a GP, coupled with the issue being raised by constituents, compelled him to look into the issue of cycling safety.
“My day job is as a GP, the most chronic illnesses I deal with stem from the sedentary lifestyle engineered by our city … I got into this from a clinical perspective in the first place.
“People want their children to be able to cycle into school, but don’t allow them to as the safety measures are not there.”
Smyth says that if protected cycle lanes become a reality he’s “convinced a lot more people will cycle”.
Ultimately, he’d like to see the route – if it becomes a reality – linked up with the Grand Canal cycle route and the Dodder Greenway once it’s completed.
The full feasibility report can be read here.
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It’s like Newspeak from ’1984′. As bad as conventional politics is, Trump and his associates have reached new depths in dishonesty.
@David A. Murray: as have the democrats
@Seamus Mac: Rudi and Trump.
@TheHeathen: That is so disturbing.
@TheHeathen: I don’t even have to watch it to know it’s Rudy in drag with Trump. First time I saw it I genuinely thought it was a hoax.
Looks like the Dems are trying to impeach Trump on the basis that they do not like him.
Today will be remembered as the day that the Democrats officially threw the towel in on their party.
Trump will be re-elected by a landslide.
@➕The Gray➕: if it was because they didn’t like then that would’ve happened a long time ago. It would appear that there is significant substance to this story. A whistleblower, his attorney admitting to gathering dirt, trump admitting to threats of withholding funds…stinks of trying to influence future elections. If the Dems didn’t at least hold impeachment inquiries then they’d go down as the softest shower in history of their party, bordering on facilitating his antics.
@➕The Gray➕: I cannot believe it has taken this long. Trump is obviously unfit for office and his stonewalling and general attitude towards accountability is clear. If anything, the Dems should have done this as soon as Mueller report was started.
@➕The Gray➕: Landslide you say? :)
Uh huh
Doing this “because they don’t like him”?
They’ve never liked him. They didn’t like W Bush either but there was never a chance he’d be impeached. What is it that makes Trump different? Could it be that he is incapable of telling the truth?
Maybe it’s because it looks clear that he’s been caught literally pressuring a foreign power into investigating a political rival? Something that is flat out illegal.
But sure, it cos “they don’t like him”.
If you were in any way honest and weren’t a paid shill you’d admit that if a Democrat did this you’d 100% support an Impeachment Inquiry (as would I btw). But you won’t because an honest political discourse isn’t your intent here.
@Bob Earner: course he would. Watch the tumbleweed blow by…….whisshhh
@➕The Gray➕: President Trump is a shoe in for re-election. The American economy is booming (but but but it would collapse after he was elected according to hard liberal lefties) and more Americans in work than any other time in history including African Americans. As that famous rascal Bill Clinton once said ” it’s the economy stupid”. Democrats look increasingly unhinged with every passing day.
@Jonathan: trump inherited a healthy economy from Obama. He claimed that economic growth was because if him when he was barely a wet week in office. He hasn’t matched Obama job growth from ’14/’15 despite all his claims. Economic policies take time to see an effect. As we approach the end of his tenure, many experts are saying a recession is looking…
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: *looming
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: A friend of mine that works with leveraged funds told me he believes it’ll start declining in Oct, and the full impact to be felt around Feb of next year. Told me that if I wanted to buy somewhere get the mortgage in place now so when prices drop it’ll be possible to buy without delay.
@Jonathan: you don’t exist :o
@➕The Gray➕: any decision yet on when you’ll be in Cork hon? All this looking over my shoulder is getting boring…there’s never anyone there.
@Jonathan: the economy will degrade if this muppet is relected
The fact that you puts Rudy Giuliani out on the air as your savior , just shows how much credibility Trump has. The whole Republican party at his disposal and he wheels out Giuliani who contradicts himself before he finishes his sentence.
@The long walk home☘️: and he was a national hero after 9/11. Now he’s just a shouty old man trump puppet. Sad.
@Brian Dunne: He may have had a moment but before 9/11 he was not exactly loved. Either way what he is doing now will destroy anything good he did in the past. By all accounts he appears to be drunk alot now
@The long walk home☘️: shame Spitting Image is not on anymore, Rudy has a face for radio!
Even when the president’s own personal attorney admits to visiting Ukraine to get dirt, they circle the wagons! If it was Obama in office and he carried on the trump has, he’d have been impeached 20 times over.
The Dims have dragged US politics into the gutter. They still haven’t gotten over DT’s win.
@Jack Simpson: The RepubliKKKlans have always been in the gutter :-)
So what we know is that the official Ukrainian position is there was no pressure from Trump & no favours promised. We know the whistleblower didn’t hear the conversation he speaks about, nor did he read the transcript, rather he heard it from a 3rd party. We also know Trump is releasing the transcript today, though it may be tomorrow before it gets the all clear. He claims he has nothing to hide in it.
I think what we’ll be seeing from Biden’s side is that Burisma who Hunter worked for had a contract with Chevron, who in turn had a licence for fracking in eastern Ukraine, but they couldn’t get started because of the local population. 3 days after Joe chaired a meeting of the Ukranian Council of Ministers, the war in Eastern Ukraine began & the local population was cleared. More to come.
@Burn_the_Witch: pfff ….biased much ffs….
@Burn_the_Witch:One of the payments sent to Hunter, $3 million was sent from Ukraine, through a Latvian Bank, where it was laundered, then on to a Cypriot Bank. When the fired prosecutor asked the Cypriot bank how much the payment was, he was told the US embassy told the Cypriot bank not to disclose the amount. Ukraine-Latvia-Cyprus-US is a regular money laundering route.
This is going to be a huge scandal when it gets out involving Shell and Chevron, Joe and Hunter Biden, John Kerry’s Son, fracking and finally the war in Eastern Ukraine.
And that’s all before we even get to China where Hunter (with virtually no business experience) flew with Joe in Air Force 2 and received $1.5Billion for his fund. Hmmm…..
@Dave Hammond: No, just following the story. I’ll keep you updated. The media will eventually catch up, but that could be weeks or even months away. Some like John Solomon have been investigating this story for years, so it’s all out there. You should really look into it yourself though, without bias of course.
@Dave Hammond: Clearly you are! Someone said it so it must me true? T w a t
So Don Jnr complains about Biden’s son benefiting from his father’s vice presidency, but not a word about the grifting trump siblings benefiting from Don Senior being in office.
@Kendra Jackson: how has Don Jr benefited?
@Jack Simpson: isn’t Don Jr responsible for running the Trump Corp hotels etc while daddy is busy in office ?? Ya know all them hotels that the US military , the Saudi Government , The VP etc etc are using – are you really that blind to the partisan nonsense that is being spun in american politics….seriously ffs.
@Dave Hammond: Chill out Dave. Unlike some, I look for facts first. Show me evidence that Don Jr has benefited from his dad being in office? Show me proof that US military, the Saudi government, etc.do anything differently now than before DT took office. I’m not interested in speculation or rumour. Re the VP, his ancestors come from Doonbeg. Are there any other 5 star hotels in Doonbeg? Or did you expect him to stay in an Airbnb?
@Jack Simpson: go back and check your facts mate.
@Jack Simpson:The most recent example came last year, as The Washington Post reported in August that a visit from Saudi officials to Trump’s Trump International Hotel in New York City helped boost the hotel’s quarterly revenue by 13% in 2018′s first quarter.
The bump came after two straight years of booking declines for the property, according to a letter obtained by the Post in which the manager of the Trump hotel cited “a last-minute visit to New York by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.”
@Dave Hammond: You must have all the facts then!
1) Throw up a link.
2) Have important people stayed at the hotel before DT became president?
3) Did DT request that these officials stay at the hotel?
Looking forward to seeing these facts.
@Jack Simpson: knock yourself out mate -your full of crap
@Dave Hammond: you must be a dim supporter. All hot air.
@Jack Simpson: is that all you can say when you are given some examples of facts you asked for ? pretty pathetic.
I expect there to be an absolute deluge of panicking from Trumpists / paid shills now that he’s clearly, blatantly and publicly crossed the line and the Impeachment Inquiry has been triggered.
There will be desperate attempts to twist this to be about Biden, about “the Dems” and to claim “this will cause Trump to win in a landslide” (even though his approval rating is the lowest it’s ever been).
They’ll be screaming that “This is the end of the Dems”, “Witchhunt” etc. etc. etc.
But that’s what happens when you corner a rat and it panics.
@Bob Earner: clearly, blatantly and publicly!!!! Jaysus at least wait for the evidence. Not biased are we?
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