Skip to main content

Promoting Dublin's cycling culture

Let's face it. Dublin's cycle paths are un-attractive. Many times I have driven past a cyclist looking despondent, getting splashed when each passing car drives through a puddle next to him. One of the main cycle lane in the city is located along the N11. It's a fairly direct route, starting at Loughlinstown, before passing by Stillorgan, Donnybrook and eventually emerging at Leeson street just off St. Stephen's Green. However some cyclists would criticise it for having a poor surface in parts, and having issues with cars and buses travelling at close proximity to them.

A contribution on a thread on Boards.ie from a cyclist who uses the N11 cycle lane frequently.

I was sitting on the Luas a few weeks ago and a thought struck me. The Luas green line runs directly into St. Stephen's Green from Cherrywood. It originally had a terminus at Sandyford. This route is incredibly direct, passing through Dundrum, Milltown and Ranelagh before heading onto Harcourt street. Perhaps, it would be possible to build a cycle lane along the same route. It would not come into contact with any traffic, allowing for streams of cyclists living in south Dublin to travel to work in the city centre safely and more peacefully than they currently can. Certainly such a route would be beneficial in the development of Dublin's transport infrastructure, in my eyes.

Highlighted in red is roughly the path taken by the Luas Green Line.
Right at the bottom of the map is Stillorgan Reservoir.

We really need to incentivise people to cycle to work. A cycling culture is developing in the city, but it will only prosper in the suburbs if the necessary infrastructure is put in place to support cyclists. People won't be willing to commute from the suburbs to the city centre by bicycle if they do not have an attractive route to travel. Perhaps my idea is somewhat ludicrous seeing as there is not a lot of space either side of the tracks and most of the track is bordered by gardens of houses. I really just wanted to create food for thought about developing a safe cycle lane into the city centre independent from the road.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Preference VS Protest: Democracy isn't a Competition.

 Shock and awe were evoked in Britons, among people across the European Union and in the greater world community today. The Brexit result left everyone in surprise. It was all very unclear as the polling stations closed last night. With a lack of exit polls, people were left to focus on odds set by bookmakers who ironically predicated the remain side winning. “I voted ‘no’ but I didn't foresee this outcome”   - the words of a bemused voter on the BBC this morning.   Almost with a tinge of regret, the man appeared to be piecing together the consequences of this landmark vote in his own mind as he answered the question. To him and many Britons, leaving the EU seemed so radical that it could never happen. Well I wonder if the thought crossed his mind that the government could take the Irish approach. That's the tactic which involves re-running a referendum and giving voters a little light encouragement to change their preference. It worked for us. But it see...
Post a Comment
Read more

Legal Process and Values

I was struck by a remark made by Jolyon Maugham QC in an interview with LBC's James O'Brien . Maugham is a high-flying tax lawyer turned Brexit crusader, leading a number of constitutional challenges to the English government's handling of matters since Art 50 was triggered. The conversation turned to how great lawyers are not innately good politicians (Keir Starmer's name was dropped with uncomfortable regularity). In fact, the two skillsets might be somewhat mutually incompatible. Maugham noted that lawyers are obsessed with process. By that he means not just the granular detail that the law requires, but a slavish focus on the rules as prescribed by the law and their application, as opposed to the substance or merit of those rules. Though this might seem a somewhat trite observation, it reminded me of a remark made by Michael Kirby, a former Australian High Court judge. Kirby J as he was identified in cases, was a senior judge for many years and was known colloquiall...
Post a Comment
Read more

The 'A Word'

"YOU support murdering children?"   It was a simple exchange. We were talking about faith in the modern world, and I foolishly dropped the 'A Word'. Hinting my feelings in relation to this controversial topic, I was immediately stopped in my tracks. My words had led to a judgement being made about my character and my personality. This headline from Waterford Whispers News summarises what has happened to the debate in Ireland: It's ironic, because since the debate has come into general public consideration in Ireland, it has almost become more of a taboo. A highly emotionally-charged debate, both sides will shoot the other down with provocative statements. People are afraid to open their mouths about it in case they are ridiculed for their views. This is exacerbated by the far-left and far-right musings on social media, suggesting that there is little or no middle-ground in this debate. Whatever side of the tracks you are on, or whether you have made ...
Post a Comment
Read more