IT HAS TAKEN ten years to reach any broad consensus on what Dublin’s Liffey Cycle Route should look like and what form it should take.
Even as Dublin City Council prepares to vote to progress the route on a “trial” basis only, there remains division among cycling advocates over design.
If plans for a temporary route are voted down, cyclists in Dublin could face another four years at least of current traffic arrangements on Dublin’s quays, which many argue is a barrier to encouraging cycling in Dublin.
As Councillors get set to vote on whether to adopt a temporary fix to a decade-old problem, we decided to take a look at how we got to this stage and the many obstacles along the way.
‘Drawing Board’
In 2015, Councillors were presented with four design options for the Liffey Cycle Route, drawn up by Council engineers and consultancy firm Aecom.
‘Option 3′ – as it was known – emerged as the preferred route.
It involved diverting the cycle route away from the Quays and through Croppies Acre Park on Arran Quay.
Business owners and apartment dwellers, however, raised concerns about this diversion.
In addition, Planning Permission had already been granted for a six-floor apartment block on the parcel of land where buses would be diverted to facilitate that section of the Liffey Cycle Route under ‘Option 3′.
There was also criticism of the public consultation undertaken by Dublin City Council at the time.
Then, in May 2016, Aecom revealed ‘Option 5′ after retreating to design stage.
This option had the route travel down Benburb St. on Dublin’s Northside. Again, this option faced push-back from local businesses and residents.
By now, Councillors and cycling advocates had grown frustrated by delays in agreeing a route option – and queried why Aecom had not foreseen issues later identified with ‘Option 3′.
The original plan – a riverside amenity in the form of a cycle path – had become a medley of diversions.
In the end, ‘Option 5′ was not to be.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) pulled funding for the project in September 2017 and took over the project after Councillors failed to agree a design.
‘A Great Boost’
Two year laters, the NTA announced that Dublin’s Liffey Cycle Route was, after all, feasible.
It proposed a 5km route running from the Tom Clarke (East Link) bridge in the Docklands to Heuston Station.
Connecting the Point Village to the Phoenix Park, it’s planned the route will consist of a combination of one-way and two-way cycle paths.
Under the proposed design, there will be boardwalk and footpath facilities for pedestrians, separated continuous bus lanes, as well as a continuous general traffic lane across the route.
The 2km western section of the cycle route will be located on the building side of traffic lanes. The 1.2km central section the route will be on the river side of the traffic lanes.
The change from building side to quayside via a cycle crossing would occur near O’Donovan Rossa Bridge with the final 1.8km stretch of the route through the Docklands proposed to consist of a two-way cycle track alongside the river on both sides.
The route will be generally 2m wide for the one-way sections and 3.5m wide for the two-way sections.
The cycle route requires boardwalks for pedestrians to be installed which will add to the cost of the project, according to an NTA report.
This chronically-delayed project – estimated to cost over €20 million – finally looked set in stone. It was widely welcomed.
Then, another setback.
In December, Dublin City Council’s Transport Division said it will take until at least 2024 to complete the permanent Liffey Cycle Route.
‘A Trial’
Given years of public campaigning for a safe route along Dublin’s Quays, cycling advocates wasted no time in demanding that a “temporary” or “trial” Liffey Cycle Route be implemented once delays with a permanent scheme became apparent.
Last month, 250 cyclists protested in favour of a running a trial route. An online petition in support of the trial cycle route has also received more than 4,000 signatures.
Last week, in the absence of an actual Liffey Cycle Route, Dublin City Council proposed this “trial” run.
In a report to Councillors, 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.
If approved by Councillors, a series of continuous protected cycle lanes will be provided 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.
‘Far From Ideal’
Response to this temporary scheme has been mostly positive.
Welcoming the plans, IBike Dublin said the trial proposal, though “far from ideal…will improve the safety of people already cycling on the quays and will hopefully encourage more people to cycle”.
Said Kevin Baker, Chairperson of Dublin Cycling Campaign:”The trial isn’t perfect but it will better protect the thousands of people who cycle along the Liffey quays everyday,”
“The trial will show the huge demand for a safe cycle route along our city’s river through the heart of Dublin,” he said.
Cian Ginty of IrishCycle.com, meanwhile, urged people to contact Councillors to ask them to vote down the trial proposal.
Ginty, who described the Council’s plan as “light on detail”, criticised a number of aspects of the proposal and favours a continuous route for cyclists along both the North and South quays.
Councillors are due to vote on this proposal tonight.
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