[Stollaire]

Originally Posted by RacoonQueen

I knew I was right about the no right turn. The same person insists that there must be a right turn at Harolds Cross and Charlemont Street, but, there isn't. Seems odd that they wouldn't allow cyclists to remain along the canal after they go round the harbour. Am I right thinking there is no way for the cyclist to legally go from the new cycle route onto the south side of the canal bank and continue along the good cycle lanes on that side without turning through some side streets to get back to the canal?

I'm planning on using the canal as my route to/from Howth on Friday, trying to sort it out in my head now.

There is no canal cycle path, or usable quiet road on the north side of the canal after Upper Clanbrassil St.
You'll have to box turn after the bridge, at the junction of Grove Rd and Parnell Rd. Contuine on up Parnell Rd and Dolphin Rd until you get to the luas track, there's a cycle lane beside that; joins onto the new Canal Track.

[Doctor Bob]

Originally Posted by RacoonQueen

I knew I was right about the no right turn. The same person insists that there must be a right turn at Harolds Cross and Charlemont Street, but, there isn't. Seems odd that they wouldn't allow cyclists to remain along the canal after they go round the harbour. Am I right thinking there is no way for the cyclist to legally go from the new cycle route onto the south side of the canal bank and continue along the good cycle lanes on that side without turning through some side streets to get back to the canal?

I'm planning on using the canal as my route to/from Howth on Friday, trying to sort it out in my head now.

The only currently legal option for getting from the western terminus of the canal track to the south side of the canal is via the streets of Portobello, then left onto Clanbrassil Street, over the bridge and a box turn onto the canal, as Stollaire says. If the box turn doesn't appeal, then you'd have to go right onto Clanbrassil, left onto SCR, left onto Donore Avenue, over the bridge and right onto Parnell Road. I think Sally's Bridge is the first bridge (from east to west) that allows right turns.

Alternatively, you could do the box turn from Richmond Street onto Grove Road, like so:



Or the more circuitous but definitely legal option below:



(Although the right-turn from Ranelagh Road to Price's Place [through the archway] is time limited- banned during rush hour [4pm to 7pm?], as far as I know.)

Of course, if you're willing to dismount and cross as a pedestrian at any of the bridges, your options are legion.

[RacoonQueen]

There is no canal cycle path, or usable quiet road on the north side of the canal after Upper Clanbrassil St.
You'll have to box turn after the bridge, at the junction of Grove Rd and Parnell Rd. Contuine on up Parnell Rd and Dolphin Rd until you get to the luas track, there's a cycle lane beside that; joins onto the new Canal Track.

I know, that was my point. There's two realatively new 'routes' but they don't exactly join up, which is a shame.

I just stayed on the cycle track on the south bank when I rejoined the canal from Haddington Road. There's no real issue with the cycle lanes on that side, they're in good nick and the motorists tend to be quite good with cyclists.

Crashed into those gates about three times when I was on the canal bank though. Still, big improvement from dismounting and lifting the bike over gates.

[Tails142]

Originally Posted by jameverywhere

even if this is true that the whole thing isn't safe, there ARE nice, safe sections like the phibsborough/drumcondra stretch. So, they should ditch the kissing gates for at least that stretch. Wheelchair users might want to see the swans as well, no?

In Phibsborough there's one annoying kissing gate that I practically have to lift the bike over. and the ones that you can cycle around, one of them would put a wheelchair user in the canal if they tried to go on the grass around it... only enough room for in-line wheels...

kissing gates are designed to let wheelchairs buggies and bikes through by moving into the gate area and changing it's position so you can move out the other side, granted it causes problems for bikes with panniers.

what do you think kissing gates are for if not to allow wheelchairs pass while preventing anything longer from passing through? I'm baffled

[tomasrojo]

Originally Posted by Tails142

kissing gates are designed to let wheelchairs buggies and bikes through by moving into the gate area and changing it's position so you can move out the other side, granted it causes problems for bikes with panniers.

what do you think kissing gates are for if not to allow wheelchairs pass while preventing anything longer from passing through? I'm baffled

The original purpose of kissing gates was to allow pedestrians through while keeping livestock on one side. It's a gate that pedestrians can't leave "open" by accident. Their use to frustrate motorcyclists is quite a recent one.

I don't know whether the gates in question in this thread block wheelchairs, but many kissing gates do, and even those that allow manual wheelchairs often block motorised wheelchairs.

Interesting article about Britain and kissing gates (and stiles):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...reach-Act.html

[Doctor Bob]

Originally Posted by Tails142

I'm baffled

How ironic!