Finian McGrath on cycling on footpaths again

monument · 01-10-2014 10:32pm #1

The following is a written Dail question from Finian McGrath to the Minister for Justice re footpath cycling....

...Does anybody know exactly where this recurring problem area is?...

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2014-09-17a.1553&s=cycling

Finian McGrath wrote:

To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding cycling on footpaths; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Frances Fitzgerald replied:

The Deputy will appreciate that I have no direct role in roads policing which is principally an operational matter for An Garda Síochána and will be aware that I previously brought his concerns surrounding cycling on footpaths at this location to the attention of the Garda authorities.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities that local Garda Management is aware that the area concerned is prone to traffic congestion arising from access to a shopping centre and local schools.

I am also informed that members of An Garda Síochána enforce the law on pedal cycling at this location as part of their normal duties on an ongoing basis. Regular patrols are conducted in the area augmented by the Divisional Traffic Unit and where breaches of the road traffic legislation are detected, members of An Garda Síochána, depending on the circumstances, may deal with the incident by way of advice or caution or by initiating criminal proceedings. I am advised that community Garda plan to visit the local secondary school to advise students of their responsibilities under the Road Traffic Acts with the overall objective of increasing awareness and compliance and that the situation will be kept under review.

I should add, it seems to be a rehash of at least this question (in link) and possibly linked to his cycling grievances in the past... https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2014-07-01a.939&s=cycling+speaker%3A184#g940.q

Eamonnator · 01-10-2014 10:55pm

Empty cans make the most noise.

bazermc · 01-10-2014 11:31pm

monument wrote: »

The following is a written Dail question from Finian McGrath to the Minister for Justice re footpath cycling....

...Does anybody know exactly where this recurring problem area is?...

Yes, Kildare Street!

magicbastarder · 02-10-2014 9:30am

speaking of kildare street, is it true that the pedestrian crossing there is not on any sort of timer - as in the pedstrian light turns green instantly when you hit the button?

Fian · 02-10-2014 10:06am

magicbastarder wrote: »

speaking of kildare street, is it true that the pedestrian crossing there is not on any sort of timer - as in the pedstrian light turns green instantly when you hit the button?

Not instant. But I understand it is on an extremely short timer.

Jawgap · 02-10-2014 10:11am

Eamonnator wrote: »

Empty cans make the most noise.

How dare you, sir - HOW DARE YOU.........

Finian McGrath is acknowledged by friends, colleagues, enemies, and the media alike as being a man of integrity. His record as a member of Daíl Éireann, previously as a Dublin City Councillor and his voluntary work, all show him to be a genuine champion of social causes.

........it says so on his website (twice three times)

- so it must be true!

EDIT: three times

Jawgap · 02-10-2014 10:13am

magicbastarder wrote: »

speaking of kildare street, is it true that the pedestrian crossing there is not on any sort of timer - as in the pedstrian light turns green instantly when you hit the button?

Yes - according to Frank MacDonald (him of the Paper of Record) it's the only set of pedestrian lights in the city that is not on a timer.

CramCycle · 02-10-2014 10:25am

Jawgap wrote: »

Yes - according to Frank MacDonald (him of the Paper of Record) it's the only set of pedestrian lights in the city that is not on a timer.

There is also a switch in the Garda box to turn the lights for preference of cars leaving government buildings.

eeeee · 02-10-2014 10:46am

CramCycle wrote: »

There is also a switch in the Garda box to turn the lights for preference of cars leaving government buildings.

No way??!!

They do turn incredibly quickly after someone presses The button. They're mad quick though, I've think the shortest red light I have ever encountered.

Iwannahurl · 02-10-2014 10:48am

bazermc wrote: »

monument wrote: »

The following is a written Dail question from Finian McGrath to the Minister for Justice re footpath cycling....

...Does anybody know exactly where this recurring problem area is?...

Yes, Kildare Street!

And Phoenix Park.

Jawgap · 02-10-2014 10:57am

CramCycle wrote: »

There is also a switch in the Garda box to turn the lights for preference of cars leaving government buildings.

I think if I was the Guard there I wouldn't be able to resist flicking it from green to red to green to red just for the craic!

buffalo · 02-10-2014 11:04am

Iwannahurl wrote: »

And Phoenix Park.

So we write to Deputy McGrath about the recurring issue of walking on cyclepaths?

Buchaill_Mor · 02-10-2014 11:54am

buffalo wrote: »

So we write to Deputy McGrath about the recurring issue of walking on cyclepaths?

Along with people parking in them, motorcyclists using them, taxi drivers/bus drivers entering them when passing a right turning car.

How long could this list be?

Maybe Deputy McGrath only thinks in simple terms, one perpetrator at a time, or I won't be able to keep the lie, I mean, facts in my head.

spyderski · 02-10-2014 11:57am

magicbastarder wrote: »

speaking of kildare street, is it true that the pedestrian crossing there is not on any sort of timer - as in the pedstrian light turns green instantly when you hit the button?

Yep, It's so fast if you time your button push right you could cause a minor crash:D Fun times!!!!

Kaisr Sose · 02-10-2014 12:09pm

And what of the cycle lanes that have been placed on footpaths with both users supposed to share the same pathway? Eg. Stillorgan Road around Cornellscourt heading out from city.

buffalo · 02-10-2014 12:35pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Yes - according to Frank MacDonald (him of the Paper of Record) it's the only set of pedestrian lights in the city that is not on a timer.

I often thought a lazy one-man protest would be to just keep pressing that crossing button. From my casual observances, it doesn't seem to enforce a gap between pedestrian green lights, so you could cause a traffic jam on Kildare Street back to Nassau Street pretty swiftly.

Leroy42 · 02-10-2014 12:40pm

buffalo wrote: »

I often thought a lazy one-man protest would be to just keep pressing that crossing button. From my casual observances, it doesn't seem to enforce a gap between pedestrian green lights, so you could cause a traffic jam on Kildare Street back to Nassau Street pretty swiftly.

That, sir, is genius.

Evil genius, but genius none the less.

Can you send me some litreature on your policies and plans for the developement of your party

magicbastarder · 02-10-2014 2:56pm

i've tweeted the bould finian to ask what the 'details supplied' were in relation to the correspondence.

on_the_nickel · 02-10-2014 3:16pm

What's the problem with this?

Cycling on the footpath is illegal, and rightly so. If you do it, you deserve a fine, if you don't, this doesn't affect you?

CramCycle · 02-10-2014 3:32pm

on_the_nickel wrote: »

What's the problem with this?

Cycling on the footpath is illegal, and rightly so. If you do it, you deserve a fine, if you don't, this doesn't affect you?

I don't think many if any here have an issue with this or disagree with you, Finian McGrath seems to make a point of bringing up pointless anti cyclist rubbish from time to time. The law is there, while not heavily enforced, it is enforced when Gardai are present, this has been explained to Finian before, he decides to waste government time by bringing it up again.

Quite surprised he didn't have a list of unverified incidents of cyclists killing pedestrians along the seafront to justify his waste of time in the Dail.

If he had to do something intelligent like push FPNs through to save Garda and court time, then it would make sense. He prefers not too actually do anything other than heat up chambers with the hot air he puffs out rather than stand up and say right, FPNs, should have been in by now, where are they and give me a date for pushing them through.

Jawgap · 02-10-2014 3:43pm

on_the_nickel wrote: »

What's the problem with this?

Cycling on the footpath is illegal, and rightly so. If you do it, you deserve a fine, if you don't, this doesn't affect you?

Are you a lollipop lady ?

Buchaill_Mor · 02-10-2014 3:43pm

CramCycle wrote: »

The law is there, while not heavily enforced, it is enforced when Gardai are present, this has been explained to Finian before, he decides to waste government time by bringing it up again.

I wonder if I should send him the video of my 40 minute cycle home yesterday evening where I passed 28 moving cars where the driver was either texting or holding the phone while making a call?

I watched it back, and re counted them. I actually passed about 42 cars where the driver was using their phone, but the balance were stationary, so I suppose that does not count.

Carawaystick · 02-10-2014 3:49pm

There are lights on Aungier St which change at the press of a button, between the Swan and Whitefriars.

Takes about 30s to change again after the red person lights up

The lights at the Cusack Stand/Devitts pub on Camden st used to be like this too, until they were "fixed" about 10 years ago

CramCycle · 02-10-2014 3:56pm

Buchaill_Mor wrote: »

I wonder if I should send him the video of my 40 minute cycle home yesterday evening where I passed 28 moving cars where the driver was either texting or holding the phone while making a call?

I watched it back, and re counted them. I actually passed about 42 cars where the driver was using their phone, but the balance were stationary, so I suppose that does not count.

Since the increased fines for this, I seem to have noticed an increase in usage of mobile phones in the mornings. It's like the increase in fines were either a gauntlet thrown down or the average person who does this thinks a garda won't enforce it first time.

damon5 · 02-10-2014 4:24pm

on_the_nickel wrote: »

What's the problem with this?

Cycling on the footpath is illegal, and rightly so. If you do it, you deserve a fine, if you don't, this doesn't affect you?

Watched two gaurds yapping away walking side by side on the footpath on Talbot street and noticed this lad on a bike on the path cycling towards them,thought he,d defo be pulled up for doing so but no he just steers around them.Footpaths are for foot traffic unless a designated cycle track has been included on it but that in itself can be a danger to pedrestrians with cyclists coming from behind,.............especially when you hav,nt been born with eyes in the back of your head...

magicbastarder · 02-10-2014 4:55pm

Carawaystick wrote: »

There are lights on Aungier St which change at the press of a button, between the Swan and Whitefriars.

Takes about 30s to change again after the red person lights up

this is fairly normal if the lights are not part of a larger junction. the ones outside the dail do not have a 30s wait for repeat though.

on_the_nickel · 02-10-2014 5:27pm

Jawgap wrote: »

Are you a lollipop lady ?

No, but I've a pain in my hoop moving out of the way of grown men in bikes on the footpath when I'm bringing my kids to the shop. My wife runs a lot and is forever complaining about having to go on the road to avoid adults on bikes on the footpath.

And I've absolutely no basis for it, but I'm of the opinion men who cycle on the footpath are the same pricks who dangerously overtake people cycling on the road.

NormalBob Ubiquitypants · 02-10-2014 5:34pm

on_the_nickel wrote: »

And I've absolutely no basis for it, but I'm of the opinion men who cycle on the footpath are the same pricks who dangerously overtake people cycling on the road.

I have no data beyond empirical evidence, but it would appear that women also cycle bikes and drive cars. As shocking as this may seem, both genders have been accused of dangerous cycling/driving.

monument · 02-10-2014 6:56pm

on_the_nickel wrote: »

...And I've absolutely no basis for it, but I'm of the opinion men who cycle on the footpath are the same pricks who dangerously overtake people cycling on the road.

Maybe some are, but in my experance the typical adult who cycle on footpaths is more likely to be overly cautious and are overly cautious regardless of mode of travel.

bigar · 02-10-2014 7:12pm

damon5 wrote: »

Watched two gaurds yapping away walking side by side on the footpath on Talbot street and noticed this lad on a bike on the path cycling towards them,thought he,d defo be pulled up for doing so but no he just steers around them.Footpaths are for foot traffic unless a designated cycle track has been included on it but that in itself can be a danger to pedrestrians with cyclists coming from behind,.............especially when you hav,nt been born with eyes in the back of your head...

How peculiar, watched two gaurds yapping away walking side by side on the footpath on Talbot street and noticed a van parked on the path in front of them. They formed a single file and squeezed through the narrow space, without batting an eyelid.
Footpaths are for foot traffic unless a designated parking zone has been included on it but that in itself can be a danger to pedestrians as they may be forced walking on the road due to narrow footpaths and not seen by cars coming from behind,.............especially when you hav,nt been born with eyes in the back of your head.

Eamonnator · 02-10-2014 7:19pm

And not a guard in sight

Finian McGrath on cycling on footpaths again

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