Cyclists in the Dublin area have reasons to be hopeful

Published by Dave Brooks on April 26, 2016

26th April, 2016

A proposal by Fine Gael Councillor Paddy Smyth to reconfigure parking arrangements to improve cycling safety in Dublin’s Georgian quarter and Fingal County Council’s motion to establish a Cycling and Walking Officer post suggest that cyclist needs are being taken more seriously.

In a video on the Irish Times website, journalist Olivia Kelly sets out Cllr Smyth’s proposal for ‘parking protected cycle lanes’ in the South Georgian core of the city. This involves placing a cycle lane between the footpath and a buffer zone next to a row of parked cars, a measure which improves cyclist safety by separating them from moving traffic and the unexpected opening of car doors.

The National Transport Authority has agreed to undertake a feasibility study on the proposed ‘Georgian Parkway’, which, if successful, could connect to the grand canal cycle lane to the Merrion Square and Stephen’s Green areas.

[x_button shape=”square” size=”regular” float=”none” href=”http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/dublin-city-cyclists-to-trial-new-lanes-inside-parked-cars-1.2623818″ info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover”]Click here to go to the Irish Times Video[/x_button]

Another potentially positive development for cyclists in the region is in Community Representative Ray Ryan’s motion for the establishment of a Cycling and Walking Officer in Fingal County Council (FCC). The proposal, tabled at a meeting of FCC’s Strategic Policy Committee, comes in light of the fact that Cycling Officers are in place in all other Dublin County Councils except for Fingal, and that reaching the National Cycling Goal of 10% of all commutes taking place by bike would not be possible without such measures.

FCC are to engage in discussions with the Cycling Officers of South Dublin and DunLaoghaire Rathdown, to establish whether such a role would be viable in the region.

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