Sustainable transport

penexpers

Did anyone read the cycling section of "2020 Vision - Sustainable Travel and Transport"? It makes some interesting points

The Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) estimates that 21% of
car commuters would consider cycling to work. The main
reasons for car commuters not cycling to work include a
preference to drive (24%), too dangerous because of traffic
(21%), too lazy/strenuous (20%), poor weather conditions
(19%), and distance to travel (16%). The main initiatives that The DTO has set an overall objective to increase the
proportion of short trips (up to 6km) made by bicycle from
4% to 30% by 2016 with trips to places of education and
commuting trips of up to 10km particularly targeted as
suitable for cycling. Promotion of cycling as a mode of travel
in urban areas and identification of barriers to cycling as a
means to commuting is essential to ensuring an increased
modal share of cycling. Safety for cyclists is perceived to be a
major barrier. Indeed, pedal cyclists accounted for 3% of all
road fatalities in 2005, of which 60% occurred in rural areas.

The Department of Transport, under the auspices of the DTO,
is engaged at present in a review of the current manual on
provision of cycling facilities titled the “Provision of Cycle
Facilities – National Manual for Urban Areas”. This sets out
comprehensive guidance on the design and provision of cycle
facilities. In addition, the provisions in the road traffic
regulations with regard to the use of cycle tracks and cycle
track signage are being looked at in conjunction with this
design and standards review. Furthermore, in November 2007,
the Department commissioned research on best practice in the
preparation of a national cycling policy. There are also
proposals for facilities such as the Sutton to Sandycove coastal
cycle path or the Galway promenade, which are vital to
promote cycling and walking in an urban environment.

If some of this comes across as serious policy, it has the potential to be a very good thing.

Bicyclegadabout

Looks interesting, but of course, that's very braod. Have you got a link to the full report? I have to keep my bitter angriness in reserve till I read the whole thing

penexpers

Full doc is here

http://www.sustainabletravel.ie/download/1/874_2020_STTPC_DoT.pdf

Incidentally, they are looking to Copenhagen as a model. Copenhagen is an excellent city for cycling, so it's a good model to go on.

Raam

It's good to see proposals like that.
I hope they include a resurfacing of the Howth Road in any work they do. It's brutal.

Slice

Did anyone give any feedback?

Here's my feedback regarding cycling in the city from my own experience;

- Cycling in Dublin city centre is particularly unpleasant with cross city journeys hard to navigate.
- Insufficient places in Dublin city centre to park a bike.
- Bike ranks are not safe enough. Bike ranks need better security measures such as CCTV.
- More bike ranks are needed at bus stops and major public transport hubs.
- There is insufficient cyclist-specific signage on roads making junctions difficult to navigate.
- One way streets (most common in the city centre and perhaps a big reason why the city centre is so difficult to navigate) are a deterrent to cyclists.
- One way streets that allow for two way cycle traffic such as St Andrews Street leading onto South William Street are not common enough and not sufficiently signposted.
- Dedicated cycle paths are often used as parking spaces (See the Canal Road and Grove Road), forcing cyclist traffic and vehicular traffic together.
- Apart from the Stillorgan dual-carriageway I cannot think of any thoroughfares with fully segregated cycle lanes. O’Connell Street could have had dedicated and fully segregated cycle lanes during it’s redevelopment but this was not done. Neither is the newly redeveloped O’Connell street easy to use for a cyclist as it is.

Slice

By the way - here is where you can make a submission online;

http://www.sustainabletransport.ie/make-a-submission#title

BeerNut

This is the bit that bugs me:

The Department of Transport, under the auspices of the DTO, is engaged at present in a review of the current manual on provision of cycling facilities titled the “Provision of Cycle Facilities – National Manual for Urban Areas”.

I bet you they don't have guidance manuals in Denmark; I bet you they have laws. Stuff like road layouts, traffic light sequencing, bike lanes and so on need to be governed centrally, by law, by the government. Publishing pointers for local government and not doing anything when they make a balls of it is how we got where we are today.

"Will this red light go green or flashing amber? Now, which UDC area am I in..?"

niceonetom

Slice wrote: »

By the way - here is where you can make a submission online;

http://www.sustainabletransport.ie/make-a-submission#title

thanks for that link.

instead i wrote my suggestions down on some post-it notes and then flushed them down the toilet because i think that that is more likely to influence future decision making at the legislative level necessary to bring about real change.

i jest.

Slice

Well you gotta be in it to win it, but good luck with the toilet idea - let us know how that works out for you

Johnny Jukebox

The DTO have missed out my #1 reason not to cycle to work which is the complete absence of facilities for cyclists at my place of employment. This is in stark contrast with the 100+ car park places, all of which attract an annual rent. So, no secure lock up for my bike, no changing facilitities, no lockers, no drying room and no showers all equal no fun.

IMHO, there is a legislative requirement for something akin to the workplace smoking ban which would compel employers to provide a minimum set of facilitities proportional to the number of cyclists.

On a broader note, the FF inspired planning/development fiasco of placing this generation of commuters 30+ miles from their place of employment has effectively eliminated them from any possibility of ever cycling to work.

Victor Meldrew

Johnny Jukebox wrote: »

The DTO have missed out my #1 reason not to cycle to work which is the complete absence of facilities for cyclists at my place of employment. This is in stark contrast with the 100+ car park places, all of which attract an annual rent. So, no secure lock up for my bike, no changing facilitities, no lockers, no drying room and no showers all equal no fun.

IMHO, there is a legislative requirement for something akin to the workplace smoking ban which would compel employers to provide a minimum set of facilitities proportional to the number of cyclists.

On a broader note, the FF inspired planning/development fiasco of placing this generation of commuters 30+ miles from their place of employment has effectively eliminated them from any possibility of ever cycling to work.

That's it in a nutshell for anyone within a "cyclable" distance. If you cycled 40 mins in and out each day you would be fit and healthy, less likely to smoke and less of a burden on the health system. the 30+ miles issue will also seriously destroy marriages and relationships with kids as well. but once FF line their pockets....:mad: