Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE RECENT COLD weather has once again highlighted the priorities of local authorities in Dublin and the hierarchy of road users embedded in their policies.
As snow fell and temperatures dropped across the country, major roads were gritted and cleared. However footpaths and cycle lanes were left untouched in many areas, and five days into this cold spell compacted snow and ice have resulted in treacherous conditions underfoot.
Our staff have been out gritting roads, targeting the main routes in and out of the city. More than 300km of roads were treated overnight#sneachta #snowfall pic.twitter.com/jQJumcGXFY
— Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) December 9, 2022
Many who cycle to work, or cycle and scoot their kids to school, have had to find alternative travel options because of the dangerous condition of the safe cycle routes. Some may be able to take public transport or walk, but many will likely drive instead.
Why are we prioritising cars?
Ireland’s emissions per capita are now the third highest among EU/EEA member states. The most recent calculations from the environmental protection agency (EPA) show that the transport sector is the second highest contributor to Ireland’s carbon emissions, accounting for 17.7%.
The majority of these emissions come from private car usage. Figures from the CSO National Transport Survey show that in 2019 more than half of journeys under 2km in Ireland were made by car. Only 15% of Irish adults ever choose to take a journey by bicycle.
It is estimated that cycling instead of using a car for short trips in the UK would reduce individual travel emissions by approximately 75%. Given our high usage of cars for short trips there are huge reductions in emissions achievable if we can change behaviour and incentivise more active travel.
Reducing car usage in favour of walking or cycling also has significant health benefits. Studies have shown that individuals who cycle to commute have lower mortality rates from all causes, even accounting for other lifestyle factors while walking to commute is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the evidence suggests that there are significant mental health and well-being benefits to walking or cycling to commute. When asked their reason for cycling, by far the most common reason Irish cyclists gave was that they enjoy cycling followed by keeping fit/exercise.
Change needed
There are behavioural changes needed to switch from driving to active transport, and there are important social network and peer effects. Motorists may use their car for short journeys out of habit and need a nudge from the status quo. Additionally, the attitudes of the general public towards cycling in particular may be an important factor in developing an active travel culture.
A false dichotomy has been constructed in public discourse, often perpetuated by the media, of cyclists versus motorists. In reality, almost all cyclists are also motorists, and most significantly both groups are comprised of people, just on different modes of transport.
A hierarchy has long existed in Irish transport planning that prioritises motorists over other road users, and this has understandably resulted in many motorists feeling that they should have priority on our roads. Anecdotal evidence from cycling groups and advocates is that women are particularly reluctant to cycle because of driver hostility towards cyclists on Irish roads. Therefore, incentivising active travel requires changing attitudes and behaviour in addition to providing infrastructure. For this to happen we need a top-down approach, changes to policies and a reallocation of road space to reduce the dominance of cars.
Shifting to cycling and walking
A recent OECD report on redesigning Ireland’s transport system for net zero highlighted the major issue of car dependency in our country, where three-quarters of individuals travel by car every single day.
The report identifies three unsustainable dynamics that underly this dependency and need to be addressed to transition to net zero; induced car demand, urban sprawl, and the low attractiveness of sustainable modes trap.
Controlling urban sprawl and developing attractive, reliable, frequent public transport options requires long term planning, substantial investment, and rethinking the design of our cities and towns. However, there are changes that could be made in the short term to increase the attractiveness of active travel that would go some way to addressing the induced car demand.
I raised the issue this morning of footpaths during this freezing weather. Currently @LimerickCouncil do not have resources to salt footpaths and it is not in the winter maintenance plan.I requested that Limerick City centre and around schools is prioritised for footpath gritting https://t.co/bMoBc6greD
— Cllr Elisa O'Donovan (@elisaodonovan) December 12, 2022
During Covid lockdowns, improvements were made to the cycling infrastructure in Dublin city centre with the addition of protective wands to some non-segregated cycle lanes. These wands ensure that cycle lanes are kept clear in traffic so cyclists can safely filter through and prevent drivers from very close passing. However, these wands are only on small stretches of some cycle lanes and in many places they stop and start to leave room for parking.
The OECD report identifies that parking takes up a large amount of the space allocated to cars on our roads, and outlines that reallocating this space is key to reducing our car dependency. Removing car parking spaces, particularly on busy commuter routes into our city centres, would facilitate more continuous protected cycle lanes and the increased safety would encourage more cycling.
Segregated cycle lanes or shared cycle and walkways would of course be safer and preferable to the quick fix wands. Even though these would not be as fast to implement, they would be much faster and cheaper to build than the development of public transport.
I did request, got a blanket no from Executive, DCC does not grit pavements, even volunteered to go out and do myself with the community if they could supply grit salt, but DCC do not supply to local volunteer or community groups. That road maintenance staff 5th night on roads. https://t.co/RwEiDSE7ZQ pic.twitter.com/25TT9vq38p
— Cllr. Donna Cooney (@donna_cooney1) December 11, 2022
Extensions to the Luas lines or the long ago proposed MetroLink are also needed to reduce the number of journeys taken by car, but these are long term projects requiring big investments. If we want to reduce our carbon emissions and meet our short-term goals, we also need to implement policies that are high impact and produce results quickly.
As evidenced by the current cold snap, however, the existing policies local authorities have in place do not support, much less prioritise active travel. When my local South Dublin County Council spokesperson was asked about de-icing footpaths and cycle lanes, he confirmed that they do not do it traditionally, except in ‘extreme’ circumstances and ‘strategic locations’.
Dublin City Council had stated similarly but did respond to requests from councillors and were out gritting footpaths eventually.
Our @DubCityEnviro teams are out and about the city centre gritting footpaths. #Dublin #YourCouncil pic.twitter.com/25v5ZItj8S
— Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) December 13, 2022
Clearly however priorities need to shift. Local authorities in the greater Dublin area last year left one third of their budgets for active travel infrastructure unspent.
This figure was even higher for rural local authorities, who spent less than half of their funding on cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Individual behaviours need to change to reduce our significant emissions from transport and private car use. Local authorities need to redesign their policies to prioritise active travel and facilitate this change.
Dr Emma Howard is an Economist and Lecturer at Technological University Dublin.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
A phased reopening that keeps getting speeded up, is not a phased reopening or the right course of action.
@mac: it is if the data dictates it which it clearly does at this point and is in the interest of the vast majority, while absolutely protecting vulnerable groups in society appropriately.
@mac: when are ppl going to wake up and realise that this is a bad flu. Keep the elderly in and the ppl with underlying health problems in safe isolated spaces with plenty to do, get a proper plan in place for our nursing homes better liaising, care and communication with hospitals!
We are not going to have a “2nd wave” until winter rolls back in or theres a significant drop in temp and an increase in influenza, then we will see C-19 back in full swing.
Funny all the ppl out protesting across the world over the last 2-3wks and no increased cases in C-19 only decreases?
@The Boss: Increases in several countries have led to restrictions being reimposed. And it is much worse than ‘flu’. Many people who get it and ‘recover’ suffer permanent lung damage.
@The Boss: There’s been an increase in numbers hospitalised in a number of US states
@Mairead Jenkins: funny how the wording “some” became “many” and do you have a % for that?? It is a bad flu. Overall deaths in the country are no higher than 2018 indicating its a lot of propeganda.
@Masses are awakening: propaganda
You obviously had no relation die from it you f uckin gom
@The Boss: Tell that to any of the relatives of the 1’706 dead and see how it goes telling them its just a flu, or the second wave is happening later than we think.
Coronavirus has been such a rulebreaker, being undetectable for a while, being able to get infected again, and being highly contagious. It has a way of beating the usual strategies. So just follow the rules and help the rest of us by not spreading it.
@The Boss: And what are your scientific qualifications?
Queued outside sports shop for 15mins with our 5y old for new runners.
While they only allowed five people in at a time.
Inside shop was five lads all standing in one corner of the shop browsing while the rest of the shop was completely empty.
When we did get in they didn’t have the size we wanted. Complete waste of time. Went online and ordered what we wanted. If they can sort out next day delivery it will be the end of shopping centres.
@Craig Mahon: Some of us work and can’t do home delivery.
@ChadChaderson: you can get it delivered to work
@ChadChaderson: When the shops sort out next day/out of hours/deliver to where you are. That’ll be the end of shops. I’m not advocating for it by the way. I rely on retail for my a large part of my business.
I’m just saying it as I see it. Most people go into shops to browse. Your not going to do that if you’ve to wait for 10/15min outside every shop.
@ChadChaderson: so use parcel motel and collect it at your leisure
@D: Not allowed personal deliveries to work, a lot of companies have that as a standard rule.
@Craig Mahon: I’d like to see Click and Collect here in Ireland, all the same. Pick up your order, try it on, and if it doesn’t fit, return it there and then. Far less hassle than collecting a delivery, and having to possibly return it through a post office.
So are kids just banned from everywhere forever then? How is this fair to them?
@A d d y o u r n a m e: if a shop only allows 10 people in at a time and a woman rocks up with 2 children, 30% of the stores customers is one buyer for the duration of her visit.
@Peter Cavey: yes that’s true. If three adults come together then the same is true. Why single out children? Children need clothes, they need shoes, and they need to simply to get out in public once in a while.
@A d d y o u r n a m e: I agree, its ridiculous. Also, i find it a lot more annoying having to navigate around a bunch of adult women who arent capable of going shopping without their sisters and friends and mothers and cousins in groups of four or five. Happens all the time in Dundalk.
I can imagine that the exclusion of children from society won’t end well. No school, limited opportunities for social development and play and reduced exposure to economic activities
I have zero interest in going shopping but i have 2 children who have both had massive growth spurts during lockdown and need clothes and shoes. I’ve tried online shopping and it’s a pain sending stuff back and I’m not buying them shoes online! Why are children being treated like lepers everywhere?
@Melissa OHara: agree with you there, what are the long term psychological impacts on our kids ?? Isolation, exclusion and anxiety
@Melissa OHara: because some parents don’t keep their kids beside them in the shops. Kids running around while their parent are shopping, paying no attention to them.
Maybe the answer is to have crèches?
Please stop with this ‘new normal’ thing. There is no new normal.
@FecklessBear: Indeed, so the exclusion of children from normal everyday living, practises and events is no the “New Normal”? A Horrible and very Dangerous phrase.
@FecklessBear: i hate that stupid saying its like saying all these ridiculous over the top measures are here to stay.
I really don’t see the point of one way systems. We went into our local center yesterday to go to Boots. The shop is 3 shops from the door and there was no people on that side of the center. But due to the one way system we had to walk right around past a queue of 50-60 people outside tesco to get back to where we could go up to Boots. There was a security guard stopping people going the other way.
Seems like it’s only going to cause arguments once there are more shops open in the centers
@Carl Pyne: I agree, i parked around the corner from the street i was collecting a takeaway from, and the streets now have a one way pedestrian system. I wasnt going to cross the street to avoid walking a few yards in the ‘wrong’ direction, and then cross back. Its a nightmare crossing that street as it is
@Carl Pyne: I suppose the idea is to stop people browsing but I assumed it was one-way only going around the shop. I know the last time I went into Boots, I wanted to be quickly in & out with two things but had to go to the back of the shop just to join the queue to pay.
Testing and very fast tracing are going to be mega important with all this speeded up reopening. Several countries, now including China, have had to reintroduce restrictions as cases spread again. Hopefully this can be done on a local lockdown basis as needed.
Online Shopping only option for people with kids.
@Nicola Ní Chathail: such a tough world
What about those parents that are single parents and their nearest family member that might be able to mind them is over 20km away? They will have to make exceptions for families like this. My son detest going shopping (he’s only 8) but I still have to get food for us both.
have your say