Number of people cycling daily in Dublin up to 95,000
September 26th, 2017
New figures from Dublin City Council reveal that the number of cyclists travelling around the city centre had grown to over 95,000 in the past six years.
Burgh Quay, D’Olier Street, Aston Quay, Dame Street, George’s Street, Eden Quay and O’Connell Street were named as the busiest spots in the city centre for bike users.
In particular, over 7,500 people cycle via O’Connell Street and Eden Quay, while Dame Street and George’s Street has over 6,000 people cycling through them daily.
The benefits of cycling are well founded, including cutting traffic in the city, great health bonuses and reducing CO2 emissions.
Cycling is a vital part of a transportation system in the modern urban environment and is especially important at this time as Ireland struggles to meet its 2020 emissions targets.
According to the data, 95,166 people are now cycling daily in the capital, owing in large part to the Dublin Bike scheme.
Today, over 16,000 people are using the 100-odd rental stations across Dublin on the daily basis, up from just less than 4,500 in 2010.
Census data on Irish commuting habits indicates that the number of cyclists committing to and from work in Ireland has significantly increased in recent years. In April 2016, 56,837 people cycled to work, an increase of 43 per cent since 2011.
Although there are now 500km of cycling routes around Dublin, overall, cycle usage is still relatedly low compared to other forms of transport.
The 2014 Cycle Network Plan pointed out that cycle usage accounted for only three per cent of all commutes in Dublin, setting a target to triple this figure by 2020.
Cycling advocates argue that one of the main problems in increasing this number is that the current infrastructure has to be developed, particularly in terms of parking facilities and safety issues.
Making roads more safety and improving infrastructure will continue to do the cycling more and more popular type of transport which will give great benefits to both the State and its citizens.
The Guardian reported today that Google Maps has been advised to develop their app for cyclists. In particular, people want Google to provide information on parking spaces for bikes and to add an option for choosing alternatives routes.
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