Do you agree or disagree with the cycle campaigns?

monument

Here's a question from the discussion el tonto and galwaycyclist are having, although (as they have already diverted the cycle lane thread into a tangent which may never stop,) I'm creating a new thread on this...

el tonto wrote: »

So people aren't getting involved because they are too lazy and too tight fisted? Are you sure about that? Maybe, just maybe, they aren't getting involved because they don't agree with everything these lobby groups are promoting? Or maybe they choose to lobby public officials in a different way?

So, do you generally agree or disagree with the cycle campaigns? Why?

We're talking about Dublin Cycle Campaign, Galway Cycle Campaign, Cyclist.ie etc.

Chips Lovell

monument wrote: »

as they have already diverted the cycle lane thread into a tangent which may never stop

Actually, I probably should hive off that element of the thread into a new one.


Poll might work on this thread too?

monument

el tonto wrote: »

Poll might work on this thread too?

Yes, maybe a good idea. But the why is the most interesting part.

Do people just like to lobby directly to councillors etc them self when needed? I think we see a lot of that here on some issues.

niceonetom

I'm against calls for "more cycle lanes" as local authorities are so piss poor at providing lanes that are usable and instead provide "solutions" that are worse than the original "problem". In this respect some cycling activism is actually directly counter to my best interests, though not deliberately.

Generally the type of people who turn up to complain about things are not the most representative of whatever community they claim to represent - they're usually just really into complaining. It's a hobby I suppose, but I prefer cycling.

There's probably a gag around here somewhere that riffs of the word "crank".

petethedrummer

Having been to a couple of Dublin Cycling Campaign meetings I'm almost in total agreement with their objectives.

From what I could gather they don't seem to be overly keen on segregated cycle lanes. I'm not either. But take the view that if the councils persist with them then they should be of a reasonable standard.

Being the son of a local politician I have seen many a crank in action over the years. The Dublin Cycs are not like this. They seem an intelligent, friendly and reasonable bunch of people. For example the Goverment Cycling framework. Instead of trying to nitpick and find the one or two possible flaws within the document they are getting behind it and are lobbying the govt/councils to implement it.

Lumen

I am too suspicious of lobbyists to support them, and too "reasonable" to lobby directly.

For the most part I am perfectly happy with the status quo.

George Bernard Shaw wrote:

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

Chips Lovell

The public policy changes I feel are necessary could really be summed up by four or five bullet points.

There would be some crossover between my own position and that of lobby groups, but I'd be reluctant to join a group that subscribes to a whole other laundry list of issues. Cyclist.ie's policy document published a couple of years ago is a case in point. I read the lot and my head was melted by the end. I've zero interest in fiddling around with roundabouts or junction designs and what not.

My preference would be to either lobby TDs or local authorities myself or in conjunction with other cyclists I know.

tomasrojo

I've never joined any of the campaigns, but I think it's about time I at least made a financial contribution. I actually like most of what Cyclist.ie has had to say, and I admire the amount of time and work they've put in, unpaid.

I was under the impression a few years ago that they supported the infrastructure that was being built, which left me feeling uncharitable towards them, but I seem to have been in error on that. Their position of the hierarchy of provision (with cycle tracks being last on the list) accords with my view of the subject.