[Article] Audit of bus and cycle lanes in Dublin and nearby towns

Victor

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/0227/1172185173934.html

Audit of bus and cycle lanes in Dublin and nearby towns
Fiona Gartland

The Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) is to carry out an audit of
cycle and bus lanes in the Greater Dublin Area and surrounding towns.

The audit will include networks in Wicklow town, Arklow, Naas, Navan,
Athy, Drogheda and Trim.

The DTO has advertised for companies across Europe to tender for the
contract.

Along with collecting details on the position and number of cycle
tracks and bus lanes, the successful consultants will be required to
collect information on parking next to the lanes, traffic signals and
notable hazards and features.

Some 4,500km of road will be studied as part of the audit, including
an estimated 250km of cycle lanes and 170km of bus lanes.

In its tender documents the DTO said the estimated lengths were only
guide figures, and the true lengths may be substantially more.

The information collected will be used to create an inventory of cycle
and bus lane facilities in the Greater Dublin Area, and will be held
by the DTO in an electronic database.

It will be used to assist in identifying areas for improvement and for
new cycle and bus network measures.

The DTO has said it would maintain the database, and local authorities
and other implementing agencies would provide it with information
updates.

A spokeswoman said the audit would map exactly where the tracks and
lanes were with a view to producing public literature.

"They will also check the condition of the cycle lanes so that the
relevant local authorities can be contacted and the repairs carried
out where required.

"The cycle tracks can be patchy; we want to make sure we have a total
map of where they are. We are looking at it with a view to what can be
done to improve facilities for cyclists in the GDA and to encourage
cycling."

The closing date for tenders is March 9th.
© 2007 The Irish Times

spacetweek

I think it's pretty ridiculous that the building of cycle tracks in Dublin has been so haphazard that they need to do a physical survey just to find out where exactly they are.

Hopefully they'll start doing the hard bits, like where the road is narrow, along the quays, beside heavy traffic, etc.

Seth Brundle

Im confused (again).
They want to review "an estimated 250km of cycle lanes and 170km of bus lanes" (but no mention of other road uses) yet "some 4,500km of road will be studied as part of the audit".
Something doesn't quite add up!

Zoney

kbannon wrote:

Im confused (again).
They want to review "an estimated 250km of cycle lanes and 170km of bus lanes" (but no mention of other road uses) yet "some 4,500km of road will be studied as part of the audit".
Something doesn't quite add up!

Sounds like it's about finding places that would benefit from even just short new bits of cycle-lane; i.e. what areas are *most* death-trap like for cyclists at present. Reasonably sensible to use such information rather than picking a particular street or road at random when funding is available for installing a new cycle lane.

Of course, whether this will actually work is another question, but best not to be too cynical.

cyclopath2001

I think this is an acknowledgment that the councils, having been paid to provide cycle facilities have failed to keep proper records.

This was noticed some years ago by the C&AG when the DTO was itself unable to provide evidence of how money allocated for cycle facilities had been spent.

It remains to be seen if this will lead to any action will be taken against councils who have ignored obligations concerning financial accountability, markings, minimum width and signage.