Minister for Commuter Transport announces 4 million

galwaycyclist

http://www.transport.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=369

Posting this here as it ties in with the recent discussions on why cyclists don't use cycle lanes.

Over 330 jobs created with 25 person-years of employment for sustainable travel projects
Mr Alan Kelly T.D. Minister for Public and Commuter Transport, today (11 July) announced the release of €4million worth of funding for sustainable travel projects outside the Greater Dublin Area as part of the Jobs Initiative Smarter Travel Funding Package. In the region of 330 additional jobs will be created or as much as 25 person years of employment providing some small stimulus to the local economy.

“These jobs would not be here without a change of Government,” said Minister Kelly. “Hopefully this will get people off the dole, improve our transport and tourism potential and result in money being spent in our regional high streets. It is not a full solution but will provide some help to our non-urban areas,”

“Job creation is a key priority. In the transport area, a key priority is to deliver a sustainable travel future. Today’s funding package delivers on these priorities in local communities right around the country.
“This €4 million allocation is in addition to €10 million worth of jobs intensive sustainable travel projects which have already been announced for the Greater Dublin Area and the regional cities.”

Among the projects which were nominated by the local authorities concerned and have been selected for funding by Minister Kelly are –

Cavan – provision of cycle lanes and cycle parking in Cavan town plus cycle parking in 9 other towns (to be selected by County Council);

Donegal – provision / upgrading of footpaths / cycle paths / traffic calming measures in various locations including Gweedore, Buncrana, Ballybofey,

Fintown, Glencolmcille, Letterkenny, Milford, Donegal Town, Muff and Rathmelton;

Limerick and North Tipperary – provision of 54 km of marked cycle track on hard shoulder of R.445 between Nenagh and Limerick

Waterford – provision of walking and cycling path in Dungarvan.

The other successful counties are – Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan, Offaly, Sligo, South Tipperary, Roscommon, Westmeath and Wexford.

galwaycyclist

Unfortunately the initial knee jerk reaction is that some of this looks like a highly questionable use of public money.

In particular, experience suggests that the proposal to replace 54 km of hard shoulder on the R445 with marked cycle track will result in a reduction in service for cyclists, with serviceable hard shoulder replaced by poorly maintained or effectively unmaintainable cycle tracks.

The design standards announced for Cavan town also look deficient with a cycle lane width of only 1.5m. (This is likely to give cyclists reduced clearance from passing cars than if there was nothing there at all)

Cookie_Monster

wtf does "as much as 25 person years of employment" mean

galwaycyclist wrote: »

In particular, experience suggests that the proposal to replace 54 km of hard shoulder on the R445 with marked cycle track will result in a reduction in service for cyclists, with serviceable hard shoulder replaced by poorly maintained or effectively unmaintainable cycle tracks.

yep, that jumped out at me straight away as stupid for that exact reason

schemingbohemia

presumably all the cycle lanes will have to be designed to take account of the new cycle manual from the NTA?
http://www.cyclemanual.ie/

With regard to 25 years employment, it's quite simple, multiply the amount of man hours on the project by amount of employees and this will give a total which when divided by the number of annual hours of 1 person will give a number of years, presumably 25 in this case.

galwaycyclist

schemingbohemia wrote: »

presumably all the cycle lanes will have to be designed to take account of the new cycle manual from the NTA?
http://www.cyclemanual.ie/

With regard to 25 years employment, it's quite simple, multiply the amount of man hours on the project by amount of employees and this will give a total which when divided by the number of annual hours of 1 person will give a number of years, presumably 25 in this case.

I quote from the source you cited (Please note this is not an endorsement of the cycle manual nor an expression of any confidence in the NTA in matters related to the design of public roads)

A poor quality cycle route will generally have a much greater impact on cyclists than a poor road will have on motorists. Due to the position of cyclists on roads, the edge of the road requires more attention and possible maintenance than the central part of the carriageway.

The target Quality of Service will only be met with continued and effective inspection and maintenance.

Under the 1993 Roads Act (Section 13, Part 2), local authorities have an obligation to maintain public roads. The maintenance of cycle ways and cycle tracks falls within this remit.

The "design" is irrelevant. If you mark a cycle lane in the space normally occupied by the hard shoulder of a rural road you have created a space that is no longer swept by passing motor vehicles. Therefore, taking account of typical Irish local authority budgets, you have created a space that is no longer maintained. You have made the road worse for cyclists.

L1011

Cycle paths in Fintown, Muff, Ramelton? Ffs. Spend the entire lot on cycle paths in the few sizeable towns where they might make a difference (Donegal, Letterkenny, Dungloe, Stranorlar, Ballybofey, Ballyshannon, Bundoran and Buncrana) not on villages.

If they want to reduce car dependence, doing work there - particularly on, say, providing decent cycling facilties for a KM or so out the main roads out of the towns to catch one-off housing - will get far better benefits.

The villages need an upgraded bus service - the car dependence there is on getting to the bigger towns for shopping, day to day stuff is probably already done on foot if the distance would be cycleable.

AlekSmart

I wonder how many of these would €4 Million purchase......

http://www.pedibus.co.uk/pedibus.html

We've a bit more recessing to do yet !!!

Capt'n Midnight

AlekSmart wrote: »

I wonder how many of these would €4 Million purchase......

http://www.pedibus.co.uk/pedibus.html

We've a bit more recessing to do yet !!!

A cruising speed of 8.5km/hr with a peak speed of 12km/hr gets everyone around quickly and efficiently. so not much use outside of rush hour traffic then

mikemac

Maybe the new junior minister was going all out to get something for Tipp North, any project will do once his area is included

Limerick and North Tipperary – provision of 54 km of marked cycle track on hard shoulder of R.445 between Nenagh and Limerick

It's a hard shoulder. 54km sounds about right distance for doing both sides from outside Nenagh to Annacotty before Castletroy.

The hard shoulder is not in good shape but certainly good enough to cycle.
And once it gets marked you just know Tipp North and Limerick will neglect it.

I'm thinking if Alan Kelly was from another area he would have moved this project to wherever he was based

DWCommuter

Nothing really changes, does it? However continue talking lads.

mgmt

They'd be better off spending the money on improving the path along the canals. Putting cycle markers on hard shoulders is dumb.

1huge1

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

wtf does "as much as 25 person years of employment" mean

I guess it means it would take 1 person 25 years to do the job alone.

AngryLips

The most shocking thing about this press release is the stunning revelation that we have a Minister for Public and Commuter Transport.

FFS, the DOT isn't exactly a large Government department with a justifiable need for junior ministers. And with the RPA, NRA, NTA, CIE et al it sounds like most of the Department's work is outsourced anyway.

paddycomeback

Amongst the schemes is 200k for a footbridge and boardwalk in Longford. I asked the Town Council about it and they told me it "is in doubt". One of the stipulations is that the money has to be spent this year (2011) so all these councils will have to get a move on if any of these projects are to become reality.

n97 mini

If they want to reduce car dependence they need to introduce and enforce planning laws that don't allow people to build houses where these is absolutely no public transport.