THE DECISION ON a new 2.7km cycle route between Clontarf and Dublin city centre has been delayed after a successful campaign to save the majority of old trees along Fairview Park meant the plans for the route had to be altered.
City councillors were to vote last night on the proposal, but chose to delay the vote until their October meeting – saying they needed time to undertake more consultation.
While many of the details have been part of plans for the area for years – such as new pedestrian and cycle crossings, better lighting and CCTV and the relocation of bus shelters and car parking spaces – the decision last month to keep the trees resulted in a new reconfiguration of the plans for Fairview.
As a result, councillors say that they only received the new proposals last week.
The proposed route would run from the Clontarf Road to Amiens Street on the north side of the city, running through Fairview and the North Strand Road.
Safety
Concerns about the safety of the proposal have also been raised.
The lack of a two-way cycle lane and the way cyclists would still be exposed to buses and cars at bus stops and intersections have been branded as “dangerous” by Cian Ginty, the Editor of IrishCycle.com.
The proposed route is possibly as dangerous as the existing route, but with more of a sense of security.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Ginty welcomed the deferral, describing the proposed route as ”substandard”.
Segregated cycle facilities will be provided “wherever possible” along the route, the current proposal says. Raised cycle tracks would also be provided along most of the route, “except where the facility transitions to on-road at bus stop locations, through major junctions and pedestrian crossings”.
As the changes may attract novice cyclists the roads, Ginty said the current proposals might result in a route that is “as dangerous, if not more dangerous” than the existing route.
Ginty sent a submission to the council in relation to the project, one of 192 received, that included a petition from 1,495 people requesting that the cycling route be constructed as a two-way segregated path. However, a one-way cycle track was deemed to be more efficient in built-up areas – as such paths do not need traffic lights.
Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Paul Mahon said that he’s received a large volume of emails from cyclists who “aren’t happy with the plans”.
Mahon welcomed the extra time to consider the proposal, and said that he would go out and walk the route to consider the proposal’s effects on both cyclists and motorists.
Councillor Naoise O Muiri of Fine Gael said that he wanted to vote on the proposal last night. There is a “fixed amount of space” between the road and buildings, he said.
It’s not a perfect proposal by any means, but our entire area should be cyclable.
Changes
New crossings for both pedestrians and cyclists, often called “toucan crossings” are proposed for a number of crossings along the route, including the Annesley Bridge Road, the Cadogan Road intersection and the North Strand Road and Charleville Mall intersection.
At Fairview Park a new greenway along the front of the amenity is planned, along with bicycle parking.
A 22km continuous off-road cycle route is planned between Sutton and Sandycove. Construction of the project, which will span Dublin Bay, has been under way for the last few years.
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