Current Dublin to Swords cycle route

monument

I went out an photographed the current Dublin to Swords cycle route (no known plans to fix it in part or full). Have not got full comments on what's wrong in all the photos but it's clear enough in most and all are geo tagged.

Dublin to Swords

Swords to Dublin*

It's in a right state.

No matter what talk there may be at national or local level of promoting cycling this is the picture from the ground.

Loads good examples of placing cyclists on what are footpaths with extremely poor results -- slowing down cyclists and/or increasing danger, increasing crossings, increasing interaction with pedestrians in unsuitable spaces, poor maintenance, cycle tracks ending for no reason with no ramp back down to the road, poor grade on/off footpaths, poor angle on/off footpath, marking missing, made up once off design.

Lots of use of the pedestrian / cyclist sign and the bus lane without bike signs which are not currently in traffic legislation. Ie these are non-legal signs. Mandatory use likely does not apply? Also lots of examples where bus lanes are not wide enough for cyclists and a bus/taxi. And, for good measure, a few examples of cycle lanes right beside loading / parking bays.

It cross Dublin City Council / Fingal County Council borders -- given that both councils make most of the same mess-ups, it's fair enough to say around half way.

While the route may not be ideal for everybody and not suitable or seen as too long for many the whole way, there's large areas of employment and housing well within cycling distance for even somebody who is unfit. Airside in Swords to Northwood is about 5.5km. Santry to Northwood is only 6km. Swords Village to the Airport is only 4km. The Airport to Whitehall is 5km, and the Airport to parts of Drumcondra is only 6 or 7km. There's loads of areas that this makes up part of the route to DCU. It's main route into and out of the city from Drumcondra, Whitehall, parts of Beaumont, Santry, parts of North Wood etc.

* The return into the city journey does not seem as bad in general, but I missed a few things as it was getting late, dark and the camera was nearly dead too.

Doctor Bob

I spotted these pics today as I was looking for the courts photo. Nice work.

I know the route from occasionally taking the 41C to the back of Swords, and I've often paid attention to the state of the cycle facilities from the upper deck of the bus. The design isn't great; the maintenance is atrocious.

It must be pretty frustrating for the DAA, which is doing some good work in promoting cycling among its staff- for example, they have a company bike scheme for short hops around the airport. Pity that the LAs can't get their acts together to make the surrounding roads more bike-friendly for staff that want to cycle to work, not just in work.

Not to mention tourists who arrive in by plane with their bikes for a cycle holiday. In fact, the entire road network around the airport is poxy for cycling. "Welcome to Dublin! Enjoy your stay. Mind how you go on the roads now, to be sure to be sure, begorrah, etc."

Jawgap

Nice bit of work - well done.

I cycle that route all the time and I wish they'd just clean the roads a bit more often and fill in some of the larger potholes.

I don't tend to follow the cycle lane as it is quite dangerous in spots and playing "pedestrian slalom" loses its appeal quite quickly.

Hope something can be done about it because as you point out the amount of residential development along the route and the proximity to the city centre could make it very viable in cycling terms.

alentejo

Good work in taking time out to take photos. Cycled this last year and was amazed on how dreadful this is.

It annoys me that DCC is seem to be on the side of cyclists by interducing 30 KM zones yet they allow that dangerous cycle route on one of the main routes out of Dublin.

Shame on Dublin City Council

monument

There's quite a few pics, so, here's some highlights:

From Swords:


Ok, taking cyclists out of a roundabout (which are not seen as cyclist friendly) could be seen as nobel, but...


Poor ramp on for anything but a mountain bike.


Extremely poor crossing at the roundabout, looks to be just painted on to a ped crossing of a poor design to start with.


Half way across and again poor design. Hard and slow to get cross at at kind of peek time.


And just after the roundabout, here's an extremely poor ramp back on to the road. Poor maintenance before it, but it's mainly poor due to design. Goes against best practice in even old Irish design standards. Dangerous angle, slows cyclists etc.

The next airport roundabout is a very large junction, not suited at all to new cyclists. There seem to be some suggestion to for cyclists to cross at a ped crossing and use the poor two-way cycle track around this section. See the photos from Dublin for pictures of this.


Yield symbol on a cycle track on a straight main road, supposedly giving right-of-way to motorists turning left?


Cycle lane ends on footpath with no off-ramp.


Cycle lane painted right beside loading bay.


A quite good example of a pointless, meaningless cycle lane placed within a normal width traffic lane.



Contra flow to the left, but cycle lane ends with a kerb going straight on. Quite dangerous if you don't know the road and don't leave the cycle lane before this junction.

monument

From Dublin:


Traffic lane and cycle lane merge into the same space at a junction... and some great parking.


Parking allowed on a cycle track from 7am to 5pm. I guess nobody cycles this way in the morning.


Bus lane designed in recent years without room for a taxi or bus to be able to pass a cyclist within the lane. Hinders cyclists and public transport users and drivers.


Cycle lane right beside the loading bay. And on the same stretch you have a small cycle lane, even smaller usable space. Even smaller again if you were to keep to the law a cycle outside the faded double yellow lines.



SHARED SPACE DESIGN: Surface design pictured not used else where -- different colour, but no markings on the footpath. This increases conflict with pedestrians.

POOR ROUTING: As picture here, a yield sign for cyclists is placed just a few meters after cyclists enter onto the shared space -- this goes against rules of the road which states cyclist and pedestrians travelling along a main road have the right of way . Cyclists are also put up a hill while the bus lane is comparably level -- increasing effort level needed, which mostly hinders the old, and young. Also makes route far harder for new cyclists or those who are thinking about commuting.

Further to the above comment, you have five yield signs in the same distance that the bus lane to the left has none.


This sign is a fairly tale. There is no such sign in road traffic legislation.



And the ending of this off-road cycle track is the icing on the cake. Starting here... then you're directed on to a now unmarked footpath and...


...And then into a space buses zoom into.


Vandalism or done by the council? One way or another the sign is not right as mentioned above.


More non-legal signs trying to brush cyclists onto crap cycle tracks painted on footpaths.


Watch out for cars doors... and cars on part of the cycle lane.


Not putting cycle tracks on small footpaths which include bus stops may be a better idea?


Hmm...


Useless design and just as bad maintenance.


Poll!

mfdc

You missed the best bit - going south just at Northwood, the cycle lane goes up on a path, down a hill, and then right at the bottom it goes straight in to a bus stop. Full on stop with a shelter, there's very little space to go around behind (especially at prime commuting time as there's always a crowd of people waiting for the bus). I've been cycling this route to work daily for nearly 2 years and I've never seen anyone use that cycle lane, everyone (rightly!) stays on the road.

GlennaMaddy

mfdc wrote: »

You missed the best bit - going south just at Northwood, the cycle lane goes up on a path, down a hill, and then right at the bottom it goes straight in to a bus stop. Full on stop with a shelter, there's very little space to go around behind (especially at prime commuting time as there's always a crowd of people waiting for the bus). I've been cycling this route to work daily for nearly 2 years and I've never seen anyone use that cycle lane, everyone (rightly!) stays on the road.

If you were to pick the worst offender on this route, that would be it.
I've had taxi drivers beep at me for not taking that 'mandatory' cycle lane.

RobFowl

monument wrote: »

Cycle lane painted right beside loading bay.

Have to say thats not the first thing that I noticed in this pic....

markpb

mfdc wrote: »

You missed the best bit - going south just at Northwood, the cycle lane goes up on a path, down a hill, and then right at the bottom it goes straight in to a bus stop. Full on stop with a shelter

I think that's the same bus stop that has a pedestrian railing *right in front of it* forcing the buses to pull up either before or after the stop. Genius bit of work there.

monument

mfdc wrote: »

You missed the best bit - going south just at Northwood, the cycle lane goes up on a path, down a hill, and then right at the bottom it goes straight in to a bus stop. Full on stop with a shelter, there's very little space to go around behind (especially at prime commuting time as there's always a crowd of people waiting for the bus). I've been cycling this route to work daily for nearly 2 years and I've never seen anyone use that cycle lane, everyone (rightly!) stays on the road.

That's how it used to work. Somebody who uses the bus stop likely complained (rightly so), so now a bit before the bus stop the cycle lane ends in the middle of the footpath:


Cycle lane ends on footpath with no off-ramp.

markpb wrote: »

I think that's the same bus stop that has a pedestrian railing *right in front of it* forcing the buses to pull up either before or after the stop. Genius bit of work there.

I think that might be the bus stop just a bit after this one, always notice it when cycling out there.

tomasrojo

I've seen northbound cyclists who eschew the (incorrectly signposted and therefore not mandatory for cyclists) cycle lane that starts here

be harrassed by buses in the bus lane subsequently. Not me yet, thankfully, but it's only a matter of time before one of the blue Air Coaches decides that he has to learn me to use substandard vertiginous facilities with incorrect signage and yield signs every hundred metres.

chakattack

I was out for a spin to balbriggan lately not really knowing my way....went too hard and didn't eat enough so I was tired and cranky on the way back towards town.

I went straight from blakes cross following signs for Dublin that had M1 and some regional road written on them figuring I could take the regional road. I ended up following a cycle on a footpath parallel to the M1 that ended abruptly with a ditch and no possible way forward. I had to track back about 2-3 k and find my way home via Malahide.

If you know where this is it would go perfectly with the rest of your pictures.

Thank you Fingal County Council for a fine cycling cul de sac. :rolleyes:

ChiGung

I'm disappointed but thankful for the info - I was building myself up to attempting the commute to work by bike. It's a serious cycle to town but the minimum I'd require is a safe cycle route, and those pictures just look scarey. If Fingal CoCo took this seriously I think they'd get a lot of people cycling.

But Bike into Car don't go.

It looks like I'll be sticking with the bus!

Inquitus

tomasrojo wrote: »

I've seen northbound cyclists who eschew the (incorrectly signposted and therefore not mandatory for cyclists) cycle lane that starts here

be harrassed by buses in the bus lane subsequently. Not me yet, thankfully, but it's only a matter of time before one of the blue Air Coaches decides that he has to learn me to use substandard vertiginous facilities with incorrect signage and yield signs every hundred metres.

This happened to me on a recent return trip from town, got abused by a Taxi Driver for not taking this rather cunningly hidden and rather useless cycle lane.

mfdc

ChiGung wrote: »

I'm disappointed but thankful for the info - I was building myself up to attempting the commute to work by bike. It's a serious cycle to town but the minimum I'd require is a safe cycle route, and those pictures just look scarey. If Fingal CoCo took this seriously I think they'd get a lot of people cycling.

But Bike into Car don't go.

It looks like I'll be sticking with the bus!

It's not that bad really. Sure it's miles from perfect, but it could be alot worse. The roads are wide and there's a bus lane pretty much the entire way. The only place I can think of offhand that puts you in with the traffic is the Airport roundabout. You could do far worse for a commute.

petethedrummer

Yeah, I've commuted to Swords myself, its grand. Those pictures shouldn't scare you off, they're just a critique of poor design and implementation.

Every single cycle lane in the country is poorly designed, so you can't say that this is route exceptionally dangerous or even above average. Anyway, cycling is getting safer. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056265563

Have a go at it some weekend, when you're not under any time pressure. A mate of mine who isn't a big cyclist just recently started commuting that way and he's getting on fine.

Inquitus

petethedrummer wrote: »

Yeah, I've commuted to Swords myself, its grand. Those pictures shouldn't scare you off, they're just a critique of poor design and implementation.

Every single cycle lane in the country is poorly designed, so you can't say that this is route exceptionally dangerous or even above average. Anyway, cycling is getting safer. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056265563

Have a go at it some weekend, when you're not under any time pressure. A mate of mine who isn't a big cyclist just recently started commuting that way and he's getting on fine.

Indeed, imho if commuting from Dublin to Swords you should simply cycle on the road and ignore the cycle lanes completely except for when they also coincidentally form part of the road.

tomasrojo

Inquitus wrote: »

This happened to me on a recent return trip from town, got abused by a Taxi Driver for not taking this rather cunningly hidden and rather useless cycle lane.

I now avoid this bit of road generally, and approach from the west, via Phibsborough and that warren of suburban streets with redbrick houses. You can emerge from Botanic Avenue nicely at the end of the "farcility" and can proceed while the main body of traffic back on Drumcondra Road Lower waits behind a red light. Gives you some time with less traffic to get over the bridge and onto the road after the Millmount pub where the lanes are wider.

tomasrojo

Inquitus wrote: »

Indeed, imho if commuting from Dublin to Swords you should simply cycle on the road and ignore the cycle lanes completely except for when they also coincidentally form part of the road.

As a precaution, I sometimes pull in and stop when buses are coming up behind and there is a cycle facility. I don't bother getting onto the facility, but if you pull up right beside the foot path the buses can't buzz you.

Tetanus

monument wrote: »

That's how it used to work. Somebody who uses the bus stop likely complained (rightly so), so now a bit before the bus stop the cycle lane ends in the middle of the footpath:


Cycle lane ends on footpath with no off-ramp.
.

This bus-stop now has path both in front and behind the shelter. The path behind the shelter is a newish addition -- which seems to be 'made' for cyclists to continue onto -- though no markings have yet been laid.....
Not excusing the poor layout....

Tetanus

monument wrote: »

From Dublin:



SHARED SPACE DESIGN: Surface design pictured not used else where -- different colour, but no markings on the footpath. This increases conflict with pedestrians.

POOR ROUTING: As picture here, a yield sign for cyclists is placed just a few meters after cyclists enter onto the shared space -- this goes against rules of the road which states cyclist and pedestrians travelling along a main road have the right of way . Cyclists are also put up a hill while the bus lane is comparably level -- increasing effort level needed, which mostly hinders the old, and young. Also makes route far harder for new cyclists or those who are thinking about commuting.

This section of the 'route' is a disaster!!! In addition to the negatives above -- cyclists also have to contend with pedestrians - many of whom don't even know their on a cyclepath (understandably).

By taking the 'path' -- you have to surrender right-of-way at three junctions - all of which are pretty 'blind' when on the path & at anything faster than walking speed. Motorists using these sideroads, often don't realise about the cycle track....

In addition - the topography of the 'path' serves to speed up ones approach to the 'blind' turns.... You have to know - and be reducing speed - to stay safe.... All this is a recipe for (probably relatively low speed!) disaster...

goldencleric

ah the all too familiar pain of cycling from Swords to the city. Nicely documented monument.

Conor1982

I can't agree more with Cian regarding the state of this route.

Not only is it very poorly designed and planned, it shows all the signs of having had ZERO maintenance and cleaning since it was first opened. The amount of debris that is on the cycle path is simply begging your bike to puncture and there are so many places where the cycle path simply vanishes, it makes for quite a hazardous journey.

Whilst I'm at it, has anyone been on the cycle route out along the coast to Howth summit lately? It's such a wonderful cycle route and those hills up to the Summit (both sides! Don't wimp out and only go up and back the south side of the Summit :eek: ). My one gripe is after the wooden bridge you are forced out onto the concrete road along by St. Anne's Park - be really careful as the tar grooves between the concrete are deep and just wide enough to allow your wheel to go in and before you know it you can be flipped off the bike. REALLY DANGEROUS! couldn't they just install a cycle boardwalk on the sea wall along that stretch - then they have a most wonderful cycle path from the East Wall all the way to Howth.

Now that Deputy Varadkar is Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport he has a chance of advancing three agenda items with one initiative - Maintain Our Cycle Paths

Lusk Doyle

Conor1982 wrote: »

Now that Deputy Varadkar is Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport he has a chance of advancing three agenda items with one initiative - Maintain Our Cycle Paths

Don't you read/listen to the news? There is no money

Edit: Unless you are/were a bank/failed politician