THE DEPARTMENT OF Transport has unveiled plans for a cycle network in the Greater Dublin Area, launching a public consultation process yesterday.
The proposed network would treble the existing system in urban areas from 500km to 1, 485km in length. It will provide over 1,300km of new connections between towns in rural parts of the area which covers the four Dublin local authority areas and the counties of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.
The planned network consists of both primary and secondary routes as well as routes through parks and along waterways.
Commenting on the plans, Minister Leo Varadkar said there has been a significant increase in the number of people cycling in Dublin in the last few years and that it is the department’s “vision to have as many people cycling into the city every morning in 2021 as currently take the bus”.
“This is a huge ambition but I believe it can be done,” he said.
The urban network is intended to attract new cyclists, as well as catering for the increasing numbers of existing city-cyclists.
The department said the network will be designed to the appropriate quality, with the busiest routes and sections having the highest quality of service. In some cases, this will involve re-visiting and upgrading the current provision for cyclists to a higher quality.
The network incorporates existing cycle routes such as the Grand Canal Cycle Scheme, but also proposes significant new routes, such as the off-road Dodder Route, connecting Tallaght to the South City Centre Business District.
A special cycling demand model has been created for the main urban area of Dublin to assess the future demand in the busiest areas.
Gerry Murphy, Cheeif Executive of the National Transport Authority said encouraged anyone with an interest in the proposals to review them in their own time and submit their view through the consultation process by 14 October.
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