Cycling in Dublin

the dee wrote: »

Since I started cycling I have realised that Dublin is a lot drier than I thought. In the past 6 months, there have been about 7 days that I had to leave the bike behind because of rain. (this morning included).

You're right, it is a lot drier.

People think it is wetter because they haven't examined the data objectively.
If someone sitting at the window in their office sees it rain during the day they'll probably mark that day down as a rainy day. What that evaluation doesn't show is that it's quite likely that it wasn't raining during the commute, so, from a cyclist's point of view, it was a dry day.

Del2005 wrote:

But, and here's a BIG generalisation

Generalisations. How could you go wrong.

In some places the cycle lanes are pretty good (conveniently 90% of my commute has cycle lanes). And the poster above who said it doesn't rain all the time is quite correct - the weather doesn't usually prevent cycling.

However, the amount of broken glass on the streets makes cycling a worse option than it should be.. I haven't bothered to fix the bicycle since the last time I cycled over some ignorant idiot's broken bottles of beer.

jman0 wrote: »

And yet, all of the pedestrian fatalities involve collisions with motorists.
Not sure about pedestrian injury but, where there's smoke there's fire...

Where's your proof?

There are at least 2 threads on here where people have been killed by cyclists. And I never said anything about fatalities.

BoatMad wrote: »

I remove all cycle lanes, complete waste of time, Dublin Co Co was actually asked to stop implementing them until they actually ascertained how many people where using them, its a frightful waste of effort for a tiny group of people

Obvious troll is obvious.

you need to understand the difference between objection and trolling

I think a small number of proper segregated lanes should be built and then monitored for usage. I would then form a long term plan based on this analysis and the feedback from user groups

The current process just like bus lanes is being carried out merely to be seen to be politically correct. Bus lanes are an extremely inefficent use of valuable road space and essentially markedly decrease the carrying capcity of a road. Cycle lanes taken from conventional roads are similar.

Calling someone a troll is a feeble excuse not to engage in the debate

There's a thread on the bus lanes thing here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055214215

As for the cycle lanes, they take up feck all road space and people tend to drive on them anyway, so I don't see how they're decreasing the carrying capacity of the road. If anything, they're increasing it as the road can now carry a car and a bike as opposed to just a car, effectively doubling the capacity as most cars have just one occupant.

Any comments would be a big help and if you could answer the following questions that would be even better:

Do you cycle to work/school? If not why not? Yip

How far do you live from work/school? 2k

Would you cycle if you could bring your bike on the bus/DART/Luas to shorten your trip? n/a

If safer cycle lanes were introduced would you be more inclined to cycle? More of my friends would. For your project, look at the new segragated cycle lane on the southbound side of O'Connell st, at the bridge end. There will be another lane like that going in contra-flow across the front of the Rotunda (Parnell Square South) so that we can cycle straight from Cinemax to Asiatown without going around the square.

The key problem and obstacle putting people off cycling in Dublin is the danger. There are hardly any routes through town that don't involve a few shonky bits where there is no space for bikes and some idiot driver trying to push past. There are no joined up routes for bikes, just patches of lane where they have the space. Add that to zombie pedestrians (partic at night) that think it's safe to just stroll out on to the road without looking when they don't hear a car and well it's all a bit hairy.

I've had a good few spills, nothing serious and all except one time it was someone else's fault. Each time I've taken the hit myself instead of crashing into the idiot - but next time... hmmm I dunno.

I wonder why more cycle lanes cannot be carved out of mostly unused suburban pathways and the generally unkempt grassy verges. People do block them by walking along them with double prams, or whatever, pretending they are not there, but where they exist but they make life easier. Also they are less likely to have every bit of glass and other assorted road crap on them. The minister must be smoking something strong if he thinks Dublin is flat.