Worst cycle facilities in Ireland

stopped_clock

tomasrojo wrote: »

@stopped_clock, is it legally a cycle track (i.e. you can't legally use the road next to it)?

Does it have this sign?

Took me a while to check...

The signage is very odd on the Doughiska road. I may be wrong, but I'm sure that sign isn't there. There are yellow-backed diamond-shaped warning signs all over the place alright.

Bizarelly though, the "end of lane" signs are in place (this one:.)

72hundred

Jumpy wrote: »

Yes, but I dont have a photo. Try cycling through Dalys Cross between Limerick and Birdhill.

Its a dirt and gravel path with potholes and a cycle sign above it.

Haha, I remember that bit of road well! Used to cycle it loads summer 08.

tomasrojo

Not Ireland's worst facilities, but probably worth putting here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/nov/05/readers-worst-cycle-lanes

This probably sums up most local authorities' knowledge of cycling:

monument

I've added more photos to the flickr group... http://www.flickr.com/groups/dublincyclelanes/pool/

I was starting to take shots of full routes rather than single flaws, but I broke a gear cable while heading out towards Finglas and had to turn back. It's a good example of a route make unsafer and more inconvenient by poorly designed and maintained off road cycle tracks.

adamshred

monument wrote: »

I've added more photos to the flickr group... http://www.flickr.com/groups/dublincyclelanes/pool/

I was starting to take shots of full routes rather than single flaws, but I broke a gear cable while heading out towards Finglas and had to turn back. It's a good example of a route make unsafer and more inconvenient by poorly designed and maintained off road cycle tracks.

great compilation of photos. Infuriating to see how little care has gone into the construction of these lanes. DCC should take a leaf out of Berlin's book.

copacetic

tomasrojo wrote: »

It is that one. Sorry, should have said where it was. The reason I included it is because the facility makes no sense. The local authorities have conceded that the cyclist is supposed to dismount and walk to the pedestrian island if they want to go straight on (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=62253864&postcount=104).

A bump for this, I hated this design but the work they were doing over last few weeks is complete now and they have at least attempted to resolve the issues as the junction. They have built a hard island seperating the car parking from the start of the left turn filter and swung the cyclelane out onto the roadway across it with clear red lane all the way through the junction.

It's not perfect and it will be interesting to see what it's like when traffic is busy but they've certainly tried hard to sort it out

tomasrojo

Sounds better. Maybe I'll be out that way and check it out.

serendip

There's something odd about that photo ^^^^^.

There's an advance stop and an area for bikes to wait in the right-hand lane. You can see the bike painted on the road. How is a cyclist expected to get there with this layout?

rp

Is this the junction turning onto Drummartin, coming from Stillorgan direction?
I don't use the cycle path up to Sandyford, too many pedestrians, car doors being opened and broken glass from cars being broken into (got a puncture from that once); cars are mostly stopped at rush hour, so it safer to pass them out on the outside.

line6

tk max in limerick

fishfoodie

tomasrojo wrote: »

OMG that's brilliant !!

I think what the painter was trying to communicate, is that if you use this cycle lane, then this is what your bike will look like after the HGV has run over if

mambo

This "cycle lane" on Clontarf Road, Dublin is so badly faded you would think it's not a cycle lane at all:
http://g.co/maps/9hdy3
but there are Start and End blue signs for the cycle lane, so it actually is.

droidus

Not entirely a 'worst cycling facility', but the N2 from Phibsbrough to Finglas is a total nightmare. The speed limit is 60, so most people go 70. If you cycle on the (probably illegal) off road cycle path you get drivers right and left hooking you at junctions and at the entrances to the two garages along the route, you cycle on the road and you get homicidal bus drivers beeping you off the road and passing too close.

Ive conceded defeat and stay on the cycle path most of the way, and even then I had a coach pass within a couple of inches whilst crossing a junction in the on-road portion of the cycle path. Then there was the giant patch of demented tarmac from a road repair at the bottom of the hill that stretched across the cycle and bus lane which nearly knocked me off a couple of times and was left in that state for about 3 months.

It needs a radical redesign if its ever going to be a safe route for cyclists. Its a miracle no-one has been killed there.

tomasrojo

Yes, I ended up on Finglas Road by accident one day. I was quite taken aback. I just used the road, and pulled over whenever a bus was approaching so they couldn't buzz me. Made sure I never took that wrong turn again. If I had to get to somewhere around there, I'd use an alternative route. (Though Finglas isn't blessed with copious access roads from the west.)

monument

The Finglas Road is up there as one of the worst major routes in Dublin.

droidus

It is by far the most direct route to Finglas though. Ive tried going down Mobhi road and/or up Botanic avenue. Its very congested, a steeper climb and it adds nearly 10 mins to the journey.

I think there could be a case to be made for simply banning cyclists from that stretch of the road as its basically seen by drivers as a run up the M50/North road. The alternative would be to narrow it and decrease the speed limit. Reasonable considering the increase in population and housing along the route, but it's never going to happen.

mambo

monument wrote: »

The Finglas Road is up there as one of the worst major routes in Dublin.

I just took a look at it on Google Streetview and soon came across this nice bit of parking: http://g.co/maps/d322c

droidus

Oh, and special mention goes to the muppet who habitually cycles the wrong way along the off road cycle path and then shouts at you for not getting out of his way. Ended up face to face with him last week and thought he was going to throw a punch!

droidus

mambo wrote: »

I just took a look at it on Google Streetview and soon came across this nice bit of parking: http://g.co/maps/d322c

Mustve been taken on a Sunday as thats when the cemetery is at its busiest.

This is standard: http://maps.google.com/?ll=53.373181,-6.284421&spn=0.001263,0.002511&t=m&layer=c&cbll=53.373107,-6.28431&panoid=B2zbxr0gYc39mIj7fCWzzw&cbp=12,295.44,,0,5.87&hnear=Dublin,+County+Dublin,+Ireland&z=19

tomasrojo

Interesting post about an objective method of determining whether a cycle route is in reality good enough to be classed as such.

http://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/the-case-for-minimum-standards/

I assume a lot of our national "cycle network" would disappear if put through this filter.

Iwannahurl

West side of Galway City. Same every day, not just on "National Cycle to School and Work Day".

Pinch Flat

Iwannahurl wrote: »

West side of Galway City. Same every day, not just on "National Cycle to School and Work Day".

Great the way a lot of motorists moan about cyclists not using cycle tracks where provided.

ted1

Iwannahurl wrote: »

West side of Galway City. Same every day, not just on "National Cycle to School and Work Day".

Tweet it to garda traffic and ask them to do something about it.

BoardsMember

Ranelagh in Dublin is a great example. By day, well some of the time, there's a cycle path. By night, ta-da, it's now all parking. Genius stuff.

Ole Rodrigo

There's just too many cars in Dublin.

HivemindXX

BoardsMember wrote: »

Ranelagh in Dublin is a great example. By day, well some of the time, there's a cycle path. By night, ta-da, it's now all parking. Genius stuff.

By night? By 6 o'clock surely. I used to commute through there every day and the clearway was always full of parked cars even though it was still active.

neris

Howth village if you can call a rutted, lifted, pot holed load of lumpy asphalt a facility and the decorative gaggle of orange cones thats been there for weeks all ads to the anticipation of finding out if god really does exist

Pinch Flat

ror_74 wrote: »

There's just too many cars in Dublin.

My neighbours moved out of a three bed semi across the road. Had a his and hers car. single girl bought the house. Rented out the rooms and between partners / visitors etc there can be 6 or 8 cars clogging up the estate. Blocking paths, roads. And that's just one house.

ted1

Stretch of cycle path between RTE and UCD flyover, both red surface coating and base layer worn away, storm drain at each drive way, pot holes , one of the busiest bus lane in dublin.

Ole Rodrigo

Pinch Flat wrote: »

My neighbours moved out of a three bed semi across the road. Had a his and hers car. single girl bought the house. Rented out the rooms and between partners / visitors etc there can be 6 or 8 cars clogging up the estate. Blocking paths, roads. And that's just one house.

That is fairly common.

My parents are retired and both have their own car, mostly because one likes to go the gardening center while the other likes to do the shopping.