Cycling and politics

Húrin

Hi, I am not trying to start any big political debates about the future of the country but I was wondering of the members of this forum:

Did the fact that you cycle influence your voting patterns?

For me, I would probably admit that it didn't greatly. I was unwilling to vote Green again in local elections, cycle-friendly as they are, but voted for other left-wing parties who would be also somewhat that way inclined. They have the bonus also of not being national government.

TinyExplosions

In a word, no.

Interesting point though, as other lifestyle choices I have would convince me to vote one way or another (or not at all), but not cycling -yet it's the one activity I do more than any other!

Lumen

No.

Jawgap

Kind of. I didn't vote Green this time more because of their association with FF than anything else, but I thought about it for a while.

Cycling aside, there were bigger fish to fry. I'd love to vote Green (and not just because they are pro-bike) but as far as I'm concerned their embrace with FF makes them unelectable.

I wouldn't go as far as saying I'd like to see them suffer the same fate as the PDs, but I hope the elections were a wake up call to them.

Sustainability, green technology, etc are all excellent notions but if you sit in a government that happily bails out the banks, but can't find a few pence to vaccinate our daughters against HPV while also trying to take medical cards off our parents and grandparents, you can't expect to do well in elections - good C2W scheme or not!

FrankGrimes

I didn't consciously consider policy on cycling in my voting decisions, but I would definitely have look positively on any party that actually delivers something that really benefits and encourages cycling in this country. Have seen a lot of talk followed by little or poor delivery. In the grander scheme of things though, it'd be a relatively minor factor in the decision making as I would put greater importance on economic policies and approach to broader public services etc.

Don't know why cycling should only be associated with left wing parties though?

ROK ON

No.

I generally vote for whom I think the best candidate is in local. In national I vote purely on the basis of the party/individual whose policies come close to my own belief. My biggest issue in this election is that no one, from any party, canvessed my vote. In my ward, I live in a pretty central location. Also, the calibre of candiates, especially at local election seems to be poor in terms of life experience - almost always from similar backgrounds (solicitors, teachers, trade unionist, publicans, estate agents).
I have to say though that I often find it very difficult, to agree with any politicians (and some of my friends are politicians), in that career politicians are not generally representative of their constituents.

I amlost exclusively vote on economic/social issues, not on the basis of my hobby. For example, under no circumstances would I vote for a party who gave everything that cyclists ever wanted (if there was such a thing), if I did not agree with their stance on fiscal policy for example. For me its always "the economy stupid".

RobFowl

I voted for Joe Corr (GP) locally mainly because of his efforts to open the parks here to cyclists.
In europe thought wasn't a factor

unionman

No. It has no bearing on how I vote.

Social and economic issues only. But then I am a member of a political party (Labour), so clearly biased.

@ROK ON, interesting observation about career politicians, I always find there is something of the 'other' about them too.

Captain Havoc

No

Jawgap

FrankGrimes wrote: »

I didn't consciously consider policy on cycling in my voting decisions, but I would definitely have look positively on any party that actually delivers something that really benefits and encourages cycling in this country. Have seen a lot of talk followed by little or poor delivery. In the grander scheme of things though, it'd be a relatively minor factor in the decision making as I would put greater importance on economic policies and approach to broader public services etc.

Don't know why cycling should only be associated with left wing parties though?

Because there's 9 million bicycles in Beijing!!!

ROK ON wrote: »

No.

I generally vote for whom I think the best candidate is in local. In national I vote purely on the basis of the party/individual whose policies come close to my own belief. My biggest issue in this election is that no one, from any party, canvessed my vote. In my ward, I live in a pretty central location. Also, the calibre of candiates, especially at local election seems to be poor in terms of life experience - almost always from similar backgrounds (solicitors, teachers, trade unionist, publicans, estate agents).
I have to say though that I often find it very difficult, to agree with any politicians (and some of my friends are politicians), in that career politicians are not generally representative of their constituents.

I amlost exclusively vote on economic/social issues, not on the basis of my hobby. For example, under no circumstances would I vote for a party who gave everything that cyclists ever wanted (if there was such a thing), if I did not agree with their stance on fiscal policy for example. For me its always "the economy stupid".

I think two trends were evident this time around - first a lot of parties went for youth for some reason - bit of a waste of time I felt as I'm not sure they could relate to the real world.

And also the number of solicitors and barristers running - evidence of the slowdown?? Things a bit quiet in the Law Library!!

We've already too many second rate teachers and solicitors involved in running the country we'd be mad to vote more in.

In the locals I went with Labour guy because I met him twice and he was pretty good and on the ball. Followed that up with a few independents.

In the Europeans, Labour again and FG - wish I still lived in Dublin so I could've voted for Joe Higgins - I wouldn't have much time for his ideology but he does seem to be one of the few politicians with some integrity. The Dail is a much poorer place without him.

Chips Lovell

Not really. I select candidates based on a whole bunch of issues and cycling policy would be low enough down the list. Wouldn't give someone my vote on the basis of their cycling policy alone. For example, the Shinners could have the best policy in the world but they wouldn't get a vote from me.

ROK ON wrote: »

My biggest issue in this election is that no one, from any party, canvessed my vote.

Same here. Not one person knocked on our door. No one did for Lisbon or the last general either.

pburns

No, but I wouldn't vote Green anyway. It is mainly suburban middle class who voted for these jokers 'cos they swallowed all their BS.

What I'm really looking for in a politican is someone with life-experience outside politics. That's easier to find at local level that it is at national level even if some of the local guys wouldn't look out of place in Killanascully.

I have zero respect for the 'son/daughter-of', ex-GAA stars or worst of all 'career' politicans.
Ahern, Biffo, Harney, Lenihan etc. have never had proper, full-time Joe soap jobs AFAIK - that's why they so frustratingly out-of-touch...

And much as I like cycling I can't agree that it's the answer to our transport problems to the extent the green-tinged-excuse-for-a-government would have us believe. 10% of all trips to work to work to be made by bike within the next twelve years? On these roads , in this climate, outside the South Dublin environs the tree-huggers can't see beyond? Me hole :rolleyes:

blorg

It would be important to me, yes, especially in the local elections, and would certainly influence my vote.

@pburns- if you actually looked at the stats for commute distances 10% cycling to work is more than attainable. Other countries with just as bad weather certainly manage it.

Chips Lovell

pburns wrote: »

10% of all trips to work to work to be made by bike within the next twelve years? On these roads , in this climate, outside the South Dublin environs the tree-huggers can't see beyond? Me hole :rolleyes:

Actually, as a policy objective it's not unreasonable. I don't have the stats to hand at present, but most commutes are well within cycling distance. And the climate here is no worse than in many cities with far higher cycling populations. The barrier is mainly perception. People think that it's unsafe and that they'll always be getting wet.

DePurpereWolf

The problem is that cars are so damn comfortable.
You can say what you want, but driving a car is just sheer luxury. You do nothing, it's warm, dry and no wind. You can take everything with you, you can go really fast, and all the roads are flat. While driving you can have a nice conversation, even on the phone, or listen to the radio.

I don't believe there is really a way to get people out of their cars in masses, unless forbidding them to use a car for distances smaller than 8km.

I didn't vote

Jawgap

el tonto wrote: »

Actually, as a policy objective it's not unreasonable. I don't have the stats to hand at present, but most commutes are well within cycling distance. And the climate here is no worse than in many cities with far higher cycling populations. The barrier is mainly perception. People think that it's unsafe and that they'll always be getting wet.

Even without the stats there's plenty of anecdotal evidence to support your argument. Plenty of my colleagues have said to me "I'd love to cycle to work, but [insert one of the usual reasons]" or they think I'm "very brave for cycling in Dublin" - like it's downtown Baghdad and I'm cycling along with a US flag out the back of me!

DePurpereWolf wrote: »

The problem is that cars are so damn comfortable.
You can say what you want, but driving a car is just sheer luxury. You do nothing, it's warm, dry and no wind. You can take everything with you, you can go really fast, and all the roads are flat. While driving you can have a nice conversation, even on the phone, or listen to the radio.

I don't believe there is really a way to get people out of their cars in masses, unless forbidding them to use a car for distances smaller than 8km.

I didn't vote

I like my car and sometimes on the chillier mornings it's the easier option. I use it with a guilt-free conscience! As for nice conversations, phone calls and radios - sure you can do all that on the bike too, it's just a pity there's nowhere for the travel mug!

Yes to be honest. I think having cycling mentioned as a priority for any party would make me consider voting for them more. But I usually vote for the individual more than the party, so it depends.

ednwireland

Jawgap wrote: »

it's just a pity there's nowhere for the travel mug!

jaw gap you need http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GKPV5C?ie=UTF8&tag=planninababys-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001GKPV5C

and no cycling policies didnt influence the way i voted but mainly cos the mainstream parties (even the greens) dont have any its all lip service anyway, politicians promise the earth and deliver less than nothing. tell you the truth i think we'd be better with anarchy sometimes at least you wouldnt expect anything. all politicians want power at any cost and none care about people.

rflynnr

I didn't vote (out of country) but I'm sufficiently smallminded to allow something as narrow as a party's transport policy to at least influence my voting preference. However, this would be in the context of a broadly environmentally conscious personal outlook rather than a cycling-specific one. Thus my gradual acquisition of five bikes has almost largely driven by a desire to avoid the answering "car" to the question "how do I deal with my latest getting me/stuff from a to b?" (Hence my bikes includes a commuter/hybrid, folder and cargobike: the road bike's just for fun.)

From a similar perspective, I would generally regard negatively political parties which continued to pursue capital-intensive, large-scale motorway-building projects during a recession or which, tacitly or otherwise, encouraged the development of new terminal developments at Irish airports (or indeed which supported the building of entirely new airports).

I would support parties which produced specific policies aimed at encouraging less car use (carbon tax, toll on entering city centre locations etc.).

However the OP's original question does prompts me to consider exactly what kind of specific pro-cycling policies would need to be put before me before I would consider them as a basis for choosing one party over another. Two spring to mind:

1. Ending mandatory cycle lanes (already in the pipeline I gather though I haven't seen any firm dates for bringing a bill to the Dail).

2. Establishing Dutch-style automatic priority for vulnerable road users (i.e. cyclists), so that in the event of a 50:50 priority call between a car and bike at a junction, bikes were assumed to have priority. (I imagine this would have less immediate impact on the roads than in the courts but you've got to start somewhere.)

There must be others though. Anyone?

Chips Lovell

rflynnr wrote: »

1. Ending mandatory cycle lanes (already in the pipeline I gather though I haven't seen any firm dates for bringing a bill to the Dail).

It doesn't require a bill, since its a statutory instrument that needs to be changed. Just the minister's signature really.

rflynnr wrote: »

There must be others though. Anyone?

Decent road surfaces.

ROK ON

rflynnr wrote: »

There must be others though. Anyone?

Direction from the Minister of Justice to the Garda Commissioner to the Garda, that zero tolerance be shown in realtion to road traffic offenses, hell even a determined effort to enforce the road taraffic laws would be a start.
Gardai are far more likely IMO, to spend time checking tax/insurance, than actually policing the roads for road traffic offenses. Rant over.

DePurpereWolf

If I'd get 10 cents for each illegally parked car I see on each commute, I didn't have to go to work anymore.

If I'd get a euro for each car that runs a red light, I'd be rich.

petethedrummer

DePurpereWolf wrote: »

If I'd get 10 cents for each illegally parked car I see on each commute, I didn't have to go to work anymore.

If I'd get a euro for each car that runs a red light, I'd be rich.

You could take a camera with you, print the pictures and mail them to the Gardai.

Would that mean you're a snitch or responsible citizen?

The_Claw

el tonto wrote: »

Not really. I select candidates based on a whole bunch of issues and cycling policy would be low enough down the list. Wouldn't give someone my vote on the basis of their cycling policy alone. For example, the Shinners could have the best policy in the world but they wouldn't get a vote from me.



Same here. Not one person knocked on our door. No one did for Lisbon or the last general either.

Jeez, guys, count your blessings. I was overrun with them. Unless you relish getting into an argument with a stranger on your doorstep, it's no fun.

cyclopath2001

Húrin wrote: »

I was unwilling to vote Green again in local elections, cycle-friendly as they are,.

The Greens are not cycle-friendly, they just use cycling as an image thing. If anything they damage the image of cyclists by associating them with Fianna Fail.

ROK ON

The_Claw wrote: »

Jeez, guys, count your blessings. I was overrun with them. Unless you relish getting into an argument with a stranger on your doorstep, it's no fun.

I would like nothing else other than arguing with complete strangers on my doorstep. But then again, I'm a crank.

Chips Lovell

The_Claw wrote: »

Unless you relish getting into an argument with a stranger on your doorstep...

I do, as it happens.

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

The Greens are not cycle-friendly, they just use cycling as an image thing. If anything they damage the image of cyclists by associating them with Fianna Fail.

I think most people can tell the difference between the Greens and Fianna Fail.

Junior

el tonto wrote: »

I think most people can tell the difference between the Greens and Fianna Fail.

It's the sandals, right ?

cyclopath2001

rflynnr wrote: »

1. Ending mandatory cycle lanes (already in the pipeline I gather though I haven't seen any firm dates for bringing a bill to the Dail).

If anyone told you a bill was needed, they were spoofing.

The 'cyclists must use cycle lanes' and the 'cars can park and drive in cycle lanes if the feel like it' rules are part of statutory instruments. They can be changed in the blink of any eye on the say-so of the relevant minister and there is no need for the new regulations to go before the Dail.

flickerx

I'd vote for anyone who made cycling the MAIN platform of their political party.

Something like the Bicycle Party, if it ever came along.

Hmm, of course, it would probably attract lefties - and then of course there would be the inevitable splits following a fractious AGM, into the Road Bike Party, Fixie Party, MTB Party, and so on, all out for each others blood rather than focusing on the real enemy (car drivers, in case you dont know by now).

Chips Lovell

flickerx wrote: »

...and then of course there would be the inevitable splits following a fractious AGM, into the Road Bike Party, Fixie Party, MTB Party, and so on, all out for each others blood rather than focusing on the real enemy (car drivers, in case you dont know by now).

Sounds just like Boards

Húrin

FrankGrimes wrote: »

Don't know why cycling should only be associated with left wing parties though?

It shouldn't be, given that motor congestion makes many places highly inefficient from an economic point of view. But the historic fact is that here and elsewhere in Europe, the most avidly pro-car parties have been on the right.

ednwireland wrote: »

jaw gap you need http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GKPV5C?ie=UTF8&tag=planninababys-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001GKPV5C

cool. Pretty silly price but it would be easy to make. I think I'll make some handlebars that are like a metre wide to fit all the accessories on.

pburns

rflynnr wrote: »

Establishing Dutch-style automatic priority for vulnerable road users (i.e. cyclists), so that in the event of a 50:50 priority call between a car and bike at a junction, bikes were assumed to have priority. (I imagine this would have less immediate impact on the roads than in the courts but you've got to start somewhere.)

So the cyclist has priority even if he's an idiot and rides under someone? Great...:rolleyes:

DePurpereWolf wrote: »

The problem is that cars are so damn comfortable.
You can say what you want, but driving a car is just sheer luxury. You do nothing, it's warm, dry and no wind. You can take everything with you, you can go really fast, and all the roads are flat. While driving you can have a nice conversation, even on the phone, or listen to the radio.

(And if it does I'm emigrating)

I don't believe there is really a way to get people out of their cars in masses, unless forbidding them to use a car for distances smaller than 8km.

+1
I like cars. In fact I have two (and ones a PFO gas-guzzling 4x4!)

I like cycling as recreation and if I lived in a city and it was the quickest way of getting to work I'd use a bike. Sometimes. Off-peak times, even in daytime, travelling in the city by car isn't so bad and you don't arrive drenched from either sweat or rain.

And I don't care what the stats say about the plan for 10% of all trips being achievable by bicycle.

I'm sure there's some bull**** way of spinning these figures to make it look achievable but really, in a sparsely populated country like Ireland, a country coming from ground zero in terms of biking culture:rolleyes:... Come on guys - get thee out of thy city-bound ivory towers and smell the coffee. Unless the economy completely goes down the ****er and people are so destitute that a bike is the only way around like the '50s that ain't gonna happen.

mmclo

I'm sure there's some bull**** way of spinning these figures to make it look achievable but really, in a sparsely populated country like Ireland, a country coming from ground zero in terms of biking culture:rolleyes:... Come on guys - get thee out of thy city-bound ivory towers and smell the coffee. Unless the economy completely goes down the ****er and people are so destitute that a bike is the only way around like the '50s that ain't gonna happen.

Naturally any growth in cycling will be predominantly urban and commuting related, the majority of Irelands population is urban and the majority of commuting journeys are under 10km

thebouldwhacker

Húrin wrote: »

Hi, I am not trying to start any big political debate

opps:D

Húrin wrote: »

Did the fact that you cycle influence your voting patterns?

why not, its as good an 'issue' as any to keep in mind when deciding who to vote for...

Húrin

pburns wrote: »

I'm sure there's some bull**** way of spinning these figures to make it look achievable but really, in a sparsely populated country like Ireland, a country coming from ground zero in terms of biking culture:rolleyes:... Come on guys - get thee out of thy city-bound ivory towers and smell the coffee. Unless the economy completely goes down the ****er and people are so destitute that a bike is the only way around like the '50s that ain't gonna happen.

Get out of the past. Ireland is no longer an essentially rural country. I think that the main problem with Ireland is the accident of history that we didn't get infused with the Protestant work ethic that causes government efficiency. In other words, they'll take 100 years to build the infrastructure needed to encourage more cycling.

However, I wouldn't be so sure that the Irish will keep driving like we do now. The end of cheap petrol is, in historical terms, just around the corner.

rflynnr

The notion of automatic priority for bicycles is intended to provide a measure of protection for cyclists by making it crystal clear that in the event of a collision between a cyclist and motor vehicle, the default assumption is that the latter is at fault because they failed to observe the cyclist's priority. This should not be (and in the Netherlands is not) interpreted as meaning that cyclists have carte blanche to engage in actively dangerous behaviour.

As regards the blanket dismissal of the 10% figure, it's too simplistic (indeed it is to "spin a figure") to do so on the basis of low population density figures. Regardless of the fact that if you divide the overall population by the number of square kilometres in Ireland you get a low figures, it remains the case that the bulk of the population lives in urban areas and thus within cycling distance of work. In the Greater Dublin Area, for example, the average length of a commute by car in 2006 was 6.4 miles according to the DTO's Cycling Policy document (http://www.dto.ie/web2006/cyclepol.htm). If we accept that cycling 6.4 miles is not beyond the capacity of most people of a working age, is it really unrealistic to pursue a policy which would see a proportion of those car commuters shift to an alternative mode of transport?

Finally I'd accept the point about the weak bike culture in Ireland but I'd dispute that we are starting from zero. The fact is that Ireland had a much healthier daily use bike culture until relatively recently (i.e. until the 1960s) as a glance at any old photos of the Irish towns and cities will confirm. That culture has undeniably changed within the span of two generations. However, this raises the possibility that it can change again in an equally short span. To suggest otherwise is to suggest that Irish culture is now and forever wedded to the automobile: the experience of behavioural change in the wake of the smoking ban and even the plastic bag levy suggests to me that attitudes and behaviours can be radically altered.

flickerx

rflynnr wrote: »

To suggest otherwise is to suggest that Irish culture is now and forever wedded to the automobile: the experience of behavioural change in the wake of the smoking ban and even the plastic bag levy suggests to me that attitudes and behaviours can be radically altered.

I'd like to see the taxes on petrol increased for private cars so that it costs ten times what it does now - that'll get people out of their cars quick enough.

Lumen

Húrin wrote: »

I think that the main problem with Ireland is the accident of history that we didn't get infused with the Protestant work ethic that causes government efficiency.

I can absolutely assure you that government inefficiency is alive and well in the UK. They just have more money and a higher population density.

cyclopath2001

rflynnr wrote: »

The notion of automatic priority for bicycles is intended to provide a measure of protection for cyclists...

Wouldn't be a good start if cyclists had priority on cycle tracks?

pburns wrote:

Unless the economy completely goes down the ****er and people are so destitute that a bike is the only way around like the '50s that ain't gonna happen.

Our economy is inefficient because of the use of cars. Goods and services would flow much more freely if there were less space-wasting, single-occupant private commuters driving around in imported cars using imported fuel for no good economic reason.

Chips Lovell

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Wouldn't be a good start if cyclists had priority on cycle tracks?

Won't be an issue for too much longer now that they are scrapping the mandatory use law.

petethedrummer

I think anyone who wants to moan about the state of the nation/government needs to join a political party, pressure group or do some lobbying of their own.

Its easy to find out what goes on at council meetings these days and to write your own letter email if you agree or disagree with a motion. Here are Dublin City Council meetings for the last number of years for example. Some cycling issues were discussed in February and March, I didn't go back any further.

http://www.dublincity.ie/YourCouncil/CouncilMeetings/Pages/MeetingMinutes.aspx

The excuses of not having enough time or 'I pay my taxes, the country should be run right' are not good enough.

Edit: The meetings are open to the public also.

Come to a City Council Meeting

You are entitled to attend any council meeting. To gain access to a meeting, you need a ‘pass’. These passes are free of charge. To get a pass, contact your local public representative/councillor.

Press passes: Members of the press with a valid ‘Press Pass’ can attend Council meetings without contacting a councillor

ROK ON

flickerx wrote: »

I'd like to see the taxes on petrol increased for private cars so that it costs ten times what it does now - that'll get people out of their cars quick enough.

That may be your wish, but if that happened all other taxes would need to rise also.
Taxation policy exists in any state to raise taxes for Governments to spend (waste). When a tax authority imposes a tax, the ideal is that it raises revenue, while being only a marginal(If any) deterrant to stop people from doing the thing that is taxed (work/consumption/driving a car). If the tax deters too many people from (in this case driving), then the tax take actually falls and other taxes need to be raised.

Be careful what you wish for.

ROK ON

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Wouldn't be a good start if cyclists had priority on cycle tracks?

Our economy is inefficient because of the use of cars. Goods and services would flow much more freely if there were less space-wasting, single-occupant private commuters driving around in imported cars using imported fuel for no good economic reason.

Look, I dont own a car and never have. I have commuted by bike/public transport/shanks mare for my entire life. But your statement is bizarre IMO.

OUr economy is predominantly a service based/export economy, that is married to a public service that is massively over burdened in terms the cost of administration (they did have a son who was into a bit of building, but he is in hospital now). The amount of goods that actually move anywhere in Ireland is relatively small.

We are ineffiecient due to our high cost levels, not due to cars. Since the recession the issue of gridlock has all but disappeared in the major urban centres that I am familiar with. A lot of us love cycling, but that does not mean that all cars are bad. The roads are no longer jammed up with cars, far from it. Some mornings on my commute this year, cycling up the quays has been like cycling in a ghost town.

blorg

flickerx wrote: »

I'd like to see the taxes on petrol increased for private cars so that it costs ten times what it does now - that'll get people out of their cars quick enough.

That policy would cause a lot of congestion on the M1 I reckon

Jawgap

Here's my cycling wish list:

I'd like to see just some improvements in infra-structure - a few more roads with a decent surface all the way out to the edge, not just stopping where the cars don't go.

More road cleaning - particularly in winter.

One or two more longer distance cycling routes with no cars - some of the old rail lines that are disused could be converted quite easily at modest cost by using the old track bed. The canal tow-paths could also be improved to allow leisure cycling over longer distances.

Completion of the S2S bike route (enough talking about it!!!)

More cycle paths in the Phoenix Park and greater restrictions on cars.

I wouldn't be in favour of whacking up the tax on petrol because I don't think it's fair - long distance commuting is a fact of life in Ireland because of poor planning, poor housing policy and lack of public transport options. I don't think it will "force" people out of their cars because for most, especially out side Dublin and the other urban areas people have no choice but to use their cars.

But I would be on for squeezing road space in the city centres and giving much more of it to buses and bikes. Along with a few Park 'n' Rides that might help.

cyclopath2001

ROK ON wrote: »

We are ineffiecient due to our high cost levels, not due to cars. Since the recession the issue of gridlock has all but disappeared in the major urban centres that I am familiar with.

Then, now would be a good time to ban cars from cycle tracks and build some more dedicated cycling infrastructure?

Húrin

Lumen wrote: »

I can absolutely assure you that government inefficiency is alive and well in the UK. They just have more money and a higher population density.

Well the UK never really went Protestant. Unlike Scandinavia or the Netherlands (the countries I was thinking of), they didn't break from Catholicism for actual theological reasons, but because Henry wanted to nail Ann Boleyn.

blorg

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Then, now would be a good time to ban cars from cycle tracks and build some more dedicated cycling infrastructure?

Personally I don't believe in "cycling infrastructure" other than as something good for kids to get used to bikes on (although I think they need to get on the road soon enough.) I'm happy on the road and happy that the mandatory use requirement is being lifted (technically this will only make me legal, it won't influence my behaviour any.)

Captain Havoc

I used to live in Switzerland where most roads have cycle lane and there are some dedicated roads for bikes. Also on the trains there, you can bring your bike free of charge, all rail cars had a section for bikes/skies. Not as many potholes either, this country sucks when it comes to infrastructure, although I do appreciate the advances being made on our roads. I don't appreciate public transport at all, it's still poor, although this could be because I live in a little village called Kilkenny.

blorg

jerseyeire wrote: »

I live in a little village called Kilkenny.

That's outside Dublin, right?