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A “TRIAL” LIFFEY Cycle Route along Dublin’s quays has been proposed by Dublin City Council after it emerged last year that the permanent scheme will not be completed until 2024.
In a report to be presented to Councillors next week, Chief Executive Owen Keegan has recommended that a route should be implemented on a phased basis and said it should be completed by August at a cost of €800,000.
The Liffey Cycle Route, a fully segregated track running along both the north and south quays, was first proposed in 2011.
Designs for the 5km route, proposed to run from the Tom Clarke (East Link) bridge in the Docklands to Heuston Station, was unveiled in April 2019.
However, the Council estimates that the earliest completion date for the permanent scheme is 2024.
In recent months, cycling advocates and Councillors have called for interim measures to be implemented along Dublin’s quays.
If approved by Councillors on Monday, the Council plans to provide a series of continuous protected cycle lanes along the quays between Wolfe Tone Quay and Custom House Quay on the Northside and from Georges Quay to Victoria Quay on the Southside.
The planned route consists of road markings, bollards and lane separators along the quays.
The report also recommends the removal of a number of traffic lanes along the north quays at Parkgate St, Wolfe Tone Quay, Sarsfield Quay, Inns Quay and Upper Ormond Quay.
On the South Quays, the Council proposes removing westbound traffic lanes at Georges Quay, Burgh Quay and Victoria Quay.
Cyclists would be given two-metre wide protection on one-way cycle lanes along the majority of the route under the plan.
At certain sections, cyclists would have a minimum of one metre-wide separation from general traffic, according to the report.
The Council, however, said it is not possible to provide a continuous, segregated cycle lane between Aston Quay and Essex Quay due to the impact on commercial activity in Temple Bar.
Under the plan, access to Jervis St. car park and Fleet St. car park would also be maintained.
The trial route should be “sufficiently robust” to remain in place until the permanent Liffey Cycle Route is built, Keegan said in his report.
In addition, the Council said bus priority would not be affected by the interim route, there would be no major alterations to bus stops along the quays and pedestrians footpaths won’t be reduced.
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These plans will make the Quays better for bus users, pedestrians and people who’d like to start cycling instead of being stuck in traffic. Well done Dublin City Council for getting this going quickly.
@Oisín O’Connor: and much worse for those who need a car to get into the city such as the elderly or the disabled.
@Tony Murray: nice try Tony, but no.
@Tony Murray: elderly people cycle too Tony. As do some “disabled” people – be it on recumbent or normal bike.
Sweepingly ageist and reductive
@Tony Murray: My elderly relatives always took the bus.
@Tony Murray: The elderly/disabled would have no problem if the roads weren’t full of able-bodied drivers who could use the bus or cycle.
@Bennett blaster: Free bus mostly too ! I love my bus pass .. gave up the aul banger once it needed an expensive part . I accept I am lucky to have bus routes near my home though. Some do not.
@Conall: Pity the buses only run part time in Ireland, people work 24/7 shifts, but public transport still thinks we all still have a 9 to 5 mon to fri job?
@Tony Murray: not really, everyone that uses the lane instead of a car means one less car on the road, freeing up traffic for those that need to use a car.
@Oisín O’Connor: Please explain how so.
@Oisín O’Connor: Actually it will and there are serious safety concerns about all vulnerable pedestrians in this scheme. Which DCC admit too also.
@Jazz Buckler: Hey what with the ” ” on disabled. You are the one being abelist
@Conall: Would that stop the cyclists on the footpaths and breaking the lights I doubt it
We’re really pleased to see Dublin City Council recommending that the cycle route trial should go ahead, and we hope that Councillors will give it their full support. This is a big step towards creating a more liveable Dublin for everyone.
@Dublin Cycling: what is the carbon footprint of these cycle ways with a concrete plinth down middle of road
@Richard Russell: It depends on how many times the planes that makes the delivery will fly around the globe – they get lost sometimes.
@Dublin Cycling: Except the vulnerable pedestrian as you know well.
A great start. More of this please Dublin City Council….
This is great news! If anywhere needs dedicated cycle infrastructure in Dublin it’s the quays, it’s a deathtrap for anyone not driving. The proposal isn’t perfect but I think it will still be a vast improvement over the current state.
@Yaman Umuroğlu: No it wont as was shown by the college green fiasco
That is a decent provisional solution. Not ideal, but better than the current situation, which is just horrible.
Great to see such a quick response from the council to the petition raised late last year. It’s far from perfect but it will make a big difference to people walking, cycling and travelling by bus along the quays.
@Ciarán Ferrie: not really quick in fairness, this was first proposed in 2011
@Forest Hump: Fair point – I meant a quick response to the petition. The delay in delivering this and many other cycling infrastructure projects has been very frustrating, to say the least.
Interesting to see the council doing quick interim measures. There could be huge benefits for people cycling or using buses along the quays in this plan.
The council tend to be so slow moving at times that it’s good to see them at least planning quick interim measures while they slowly bringing the full project through the planning process.
I cycle the quays daily and will generally cycle in the middle of the lane whenever there’s no cycle lane (and occasionally when there is). Almost two years ago now, a taxi tried to squeeze past me when there wasn’t the space for it, clipped my handlebars and almost wedged me into the parked bus on my left. He stopped and apologised after. Ever since that day, I’ve never left a driver to think that it was worth the risk to squeeze by because they’ve so little to lose and I’ve got so much. I welcome any proper partition which makes it safer to cycle in the city safely.
great to see this moving forward, sustainable, active transport is the only way dublin will be liveable in the years to come. public transport, deliveries and taxis will continue to be strangled if private car usage is not reduced by switching people to bikes and public transport
It is one element of addressing the poor transport options – i would like to see much more aggressive approach to Ireland building 21st century infrastructure – can you believe Dublin Bus they went ahead with orders for Diesel buses for the fleet replacement ( electric options are an obvious alternative ) – the metro and new rail projects are all still talked about endlessly but no sign of actual building – dart underground – airport rail links – additional luas lines – more darts – improved frequency and reduced over crowding on the buses and luas during rush hour – taking a few hard decisions and restricting free travel passes to off peak hours – taking free travel passes off those abusing with anti social behaviour on trains/dart/ luas are among the list of low hanging fruit that a modern progressive economy should be doing – then on a more complex level we should explore major technical project of putting all public transport options ( taxbus rail ) into cloud and use AI computing power to match supply and demand on routes with users (handsets ) – consider flexible pricing during the daytime for the 1bn tunnel ( 10 euro one way keeps it empty during the day while it can easily accommodate about an 75% increase in users without impacting the trucks- if it was reduced to 1 euro per journey and raised at peak times ) – the list is endless but we have around 100 transport agencies and quangoes that do not do any joined up thinking or implement integrated planned well thought out strategies for a smart city / country for the future – but its grand we are building more cycle lanes. The transport /bus service to my parents housing estate in Dublin was more frequent and better in the 1960s than it is today.
@Dave Hammond: all good points lost in terrible formatting.
@Dave Hammond: Completely agree. It’s so frustrating that anything worthwhile in this country takes years of unnecessary consultants, archaic (and inconsistent) planning laws, and just inertia in general. It seems nobody in public office has the drive to really push things through coupled with no appetite to revise and implement new fast-track planning regs and efficient processes for getting these projects up and off the ground.
@Dave Hammond: port tunnel is €3 outside of peak hour
@Fozz: thanks…typed on my phone… sorry ;-))
@Porterb: yep exactly the point , thats 6 euro round trip a DAY just to use off peak ? And so it is empty…..a billion euro project empty for most of the day while all the alternative routes are clogged in congestion – so have a flexible ( even surge pricing that varies by the hour would be better use of system) could easily drop to 50c and increase a steady flow – the point is we have a fixed narrow view to even trying anything remotely progressive – who says 6 euro off peak ideal – who says 10 quid is the correct level – they were set 10 years ago and nobody questioning the logic. My whole rant is that we should be more questioning about the status quo and shaking up the inertia – jaysus they are 10 years faffing about making a square pedestrianised in front of Trinity and can’t make a decision or get agreement one way or the other on ONE initiative ffs.
Can’t believe nobody has mentioned red lights, insurance and the oul favourite “road tax” yet, where are they all hiding?
@Alan Currie: must be tuck in traffic on the quays
@Mills: *stuck
@Alan Currie: no need
A cycle lane… lol… outside Dublin you are lucky to have a pot hole free road
@Paul Somers: not really, loads of cycle lanes all over the country. and Dublin/Leinster taxes fix your potholes. If you want to get the council to fix them, then feel free to up your property rates and stop relying on handouts.
@Paul Somers: it’s not much better in Dublin, I’m afraid, Paul.
@JDel: This Dublin vs the rest attitude is stupid (I live in Dublin btw). Dublin taxes don’t fix anyone’s potholes. Dublin is not subsidising the rest of the country.
@Aidan: I’m afraid Dublin does !!!
Facts say it is though.
@Bren: How many of the people working in Dublin live and travel from outside it. ‘Dublin’ doesn’t generate any tax Nor does Tullamore. People pay tax and those people are from all over the country. Dublin vs anything is just silly.
Pedestrians will walk in them unless some form of policing is done.
@Craic_a_tower: Same as bikes being used on footpaths!! Pot and kettle.
@Olivia Smith: You won’t find a bike on every path but you will find a pedestrian in every cycle lane off the road. I don’t cycle on the path myself so I am happy for that to be policed and fine. About time there is fines for reckless pedestrians. A cyclist was killed last year by a pedestrian walking into a cycle lane. Can go to that cycle lane now and see people still doing it. The last pedestrian killed by a cyclist was 15 years ago.
@Craic_a_tower: I’m not doubting that, but cyclists need to give pedestrians and cars the same respect they want all the time. I’m sick to death of sitting at red lights and cyclists just flying through them. And if 1 gets hit it’s the cats fault. The mind boggles. Every instant needs to be policed and fines handed out to all.
@Olivia Smith: “cars, not cats”
@Olivia Smith: same for all. Pedestrians currently don’t have any charges being applied and it is simple they should
@Craic_a_tower: cyclists need to yield to pedestrians who do stupid things just like all road users. In the same way that cars should yield to more vulnerable road users like bikes and motorbikes.
The holier than thou cyclist attitude doesn’t filter down to pedestrians. Sorry, but it’s very easy to read someones body language if they are about to step out. Have to deal with it
@Olivia Smith: Yeah, I was stuck at the crossroads at kcr tonight because some drivers decided to pile through on amber/red to sit in a traffic jam. We were stuck in our cars at a green light till those clowns cleared the junction.
@Craic_a_tower: And I did say all, can you not read??
@Bennett blaster: And again it all needs to be policed and fines handed down to all breaking the law!!! Cars, bikes and pedestrians. I never ruled 1 out!!
About time ,quays are so dangerous for cyclists. Less cars and more bikes and busses.
Not everyone can cycle or get a bus. Turning me off doing business in the city centre. Traffic and parking is a nightmare for a van.
@Declan Leonard: help me out, I don’t understand how the business of skip on wheels is affected by cycling lanes by the Liffey.
@Declan Leonard: And if those that can do, then wouldn’t there be less congestion overall?
The road surface on the south quays will need to upgraded, as it’s full of potholes and recesses which make cycling difficult. Without these improvements the south quays will remain cycling unfriendly
A vulnerable pedestrian nightmare and it is being slid in under cover as per all f the dangerous designed cycle paths/shared space plans.
Not a care in the world for the old or disabled citizens of Dublin.
Dont try and say I am wrong I campaign on this all the time.
Low kebs vision impaired people cant recognise cyclists going where they want when they want.
Time for defensive pedestrian skills to be used. Cyclist to close defend yourself.
Hell we have defensive cycling now its up to us vulnerable pedestrians to do likewise.
Break out the walking sticks, the metal ones.
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