Royal Canal Tow Path

daymobrew

From 28 October to February 2014 the Royal Canal tow path is closed from 12th Lock to 10th Lock (Ashtown) in order to upgrade the tow path to cycle path standard by Fingal County Council.

I have asked Waterways Ireland for specifics - I want to see if any of the suggestions I made in my submission (in response to the Public Consultation) have been taken on board.

d15ude

daymobrew wrote: »

... in order to upgrade the tow path to cycle path standard

sounds good!

amdublin

Am I right in thinking (from what I can see on the train) that some home owners have extended their back gardens right out to the canal?

amdublin

amdublin wrote: »

Am I right in thinking (from what I can see on the train) that some home owners have extended their back gardens right out to the canal?

Would that even be legal? I thought the side of the canal are public walkways?

daymobrew

Deleted User wrote: »

Would that even be legal? I thought the side of the canal are public walkways?

No it wasn't legal but no one stopped them and now they can claim squatter's rights.

Recently someone who used to live along Roselawn Road (some of their back gardens back onto the canal) said that, on moving in, she was told to extend her garden to take the unused canal bank.

I am not sure there ever was a tow path on the northern side of the canal on that stretch.

ThisRegard

amdublin wrote: »

Am I right in thinking (from what I can see on the train) that some home owners have extended their back gardens right out to the canal?

Deleted User wrote: »

Would that even be legal? I thought the side of the canal are public walkways?

A good few have done so between the 12th Lock and Coolmine, but I always thought the majority of the space was their property anyway. I must admit to being envious at times when running by as some have decking and BBQ areas just at the waters edge. Although I don't think it's much skin off the publics nose, whatever about the rights and wrongs, as there's no pathway of any sort on the side of the canal anyway that they'd encroach upon.

daymobrew

ThisRegard wrote: »

Although I don't think it's much skin of the publics nose, whatever about the rights and wrongs, as there's no pathway of any sort on the side of the canal anyway that they'd encroach upon.

For this stretch (Castleknock to Coolmine) it is a problem as the current towpath on the southern side is too narrow (with the train track on one side) to make a cycle track. The (encroached) northern side does not have the trail line issue and there is (was) plenty of space for a cycle track.

ThisRegard

Yes, the current one is very narrow, hard to see how they'll go about improving it in certain places without building the bank up. Was there ever a public through way on the other side at that point ?

daymobrew

ThisRegard wrote: »

Yes, the current one is very narrow, hard to see how they'll go about improving it in certain places without building the bank up.

I suggested a boardwalk type expansion, like done on Liffey bank between Capel Street bridge and O'Connell Street bridge.

ThisRegard wrote: »

Was there ever a public through way on the other side at that point ?

I don't know.

DublinDilbert

ThisRegard wrote: »

Yes, the current one is very narrow, hard to see how they'll go about improving it in certain places without building the bank up. Was there ever a public through way on the other side at that point ?

There is an access point to the north side, there's like a steel barrier across it, just on the LHS as you go over the bridge. I think I read somewhere that there was a tow path on that side, I'm wondering was it mentioned in relation to when a canal boat sunk along there and quite a few people died.

I saw the sign on Saturday saying the 12th to 10th locks are closed, are they upgrading that path to be similar to that between the 10th and 8th locks? I like running along that stretch, so its a bit of a pain its closed.

DublinDilbert

Looks like some fairly heavy machinery on the tow path between 12 and 10th locks this morning. It was visible from the auburn ave / navan road junction, just perched up on the hill beside the disused river-road bridge.

Anyone find out what they are doing? Nice new tow/cycle path?

daymobrew

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Anyone find out what they are doing? Nice new tow/cycle path?

The answer is in the first post of this thread.

daymobrew

daymobrew wrote: »

I am not sure there ever was a tow path on the northern side of the canal on that stretch.

I rang Waterways Ireland and was told that there was never a tow path on the northern side of the canal on that stretch (between Castleknock and Coolmine train stations), just unused 'scrub area'.

moxin

The bit between the back of the newish Phoenix Park railway station and the level crossing at Ashtown is like a mud track and quite narrow in places. Good to see the upgrade as plenty of land available, hopefully some shrubbery cut down also to make it feel safer.

ThisRegard

That part is in quite a good state I thought, I don't recall it being narrow.

moxin

ThisRegard wrote: »

That part is in quite a good state I thought, I don't recall it being narrow.

Its definitely narrow like an obstacle course when it rains

Mr Jinx

Iv taken to running up the canal from dublin 1, however with the works going on I can only run as far as ashtown station, where is the nearest place to get access again the the canal path after the works?

daymobrew

Mr Jinx wrote: »

Iv taken to running up the canal from dublin 1, however with the works going on I can only run as far as ashtown station, where is the nearest place to get access again the the canal path after the works?

12th Lock.
You can go up to the Navan Road and cross over. There you join the path/cycle track that ends at the petrol station at Russell Park. Then it is footpath to the pedestrian bridge over the M50.

Here it is mapped out: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6151696

Seoda1

I met one of the lads who was working on the upgrade and he said they were upgrading the path,,putting in the cycle path, installing CCTV cameras and public lighting for night time so it should be great when completed. I don't think it's finished yet though!

ongarboy

Seoda1 wrote: »

I met one of the lads who was working on the upgrade and he said they were upgrading the path,,putting in the cycle path, installing CCTV cameras and public lighting for night time so it should be great when completed. I don't think it's finished yet though!

I noticed street lighting being erected the other day from the train alright! A fair bit of work looked to be done yet though. I wish Coolmine to Clonsilla was also worked on as that was always the least pedestrian friendly.

Gaspode

More lights, just what we need. Wildlife along the canal will certainly suffer if the lights are left on all night.

daymobrew

Gaspode wrote: »

More lights, just what we need. Wildlife along the canal will certainly suffer if the lights are left on all night.

The EIA (Environmental Impact Study said:

Lighting design will be sympathetic to the presence of bats and include measures to prevent light overspill. Bat boxes will be placed in suitable locations as advised by a qualified ecologist at the detailed design stage.

Gaspode

Here's hoping they follow through on that.

fasterbetter

hi,

I had a look at the works at the weekend. Zero progress visible in the last 2 weeks. this job must have broken some records at this stage for moving at a snails pace...originally supposed to take 4 months (Nov - feb) Now looking more like 7\8 months?

I can understand delays with the electrics and the CCTV but they havnt moved an inch on laying the tarmac in a fortnight either..

Meanwhile a large number of people are unable to use a key amenity.

It looks almost like the contractors have downed tools?

fasterbetter

AlanG

A lot of builders and contractors have taken the last two weeks off so that may explain it.

muckwarrior

Ran down this at the weekend. No visible progress made in weeks now. It's starting to take the piss.

strangel00p

I would advise residents or anyone affected by this poorly managed project to start sending complaints to Fingal county council as this is really taking the pi$$.

The more people who complain using the link below the quicker it will be fixed.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/customer-service/contact-us/

daymobrew

strangel00p wrote: »

I would advise residents or anyone affected by this poorly managed project to start sending complaints to Fingal county council as this is really taking the pi$$.

The more people who complain using the link below the quicker it will be fixed.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/customer-service/contact-us/

I filled in the form and rang and left a message with Operations early Thursday morning. No responses yet.

strangel00p

daymobrew wrote: »

I filled in the form and rang and left a message with Operations early Thursday morning. No responses yet.

Fair play to you, I've done the same. The more complaints they receive the quicker it will be sorted.

muckwarrior

I sent a mail to waterways Ireland and got a response today saying to contact Fingal council as it was being managed by them. I guess I'll send them one too.

Larbre34

strangel00p wrote: »

Fair play to you, I've done the same. The more complaints they receive the quicker it will be sorted.

Absolutely not the case. Its as easy to ignore 50 complaints as 5. The Councillors are in silly season before the election, so unless it something they can do for you in short order to guarantee a vote, theyll ignore it too as irrelevant.

strangel00p

Larbre34 wrote: »

Absolutely not the case. Its as easy to ignore 50 complaints as 5. The Councillors are in silly season before the election, so unless it something they can do for you in short order to guarantee a vote, theyll ignore it too as irrelevant.

I take your point but as with everything in life, if you don't get up and speak up then I guarantee you nothing will happen. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and all that.

daymobrew

Larbre34 wrote: »

Absolutely not the case. Its as easy to ignore 50 complaints as 5. The Councillors are in silly season before the election, so unless it something they can do for you in short order to guarantee a vote, theyll ignore it too as irrelevant.

I rang the council (not the councillors) again this morning. No response yet. Bad form but not unusual.

Pat Dunne

daymobrew wrote: »

I rang the council (not the councillors) again this morning. No response yet. Bad form but not unusual.

Phoning the Council or any public service body is a complete waste of time in my experience. Email and letters are the only form of correspondence that they reply to. You also have a written record of your correspondence to fall back on in the case of contradiction or dispute.

L1011

daymobrew wrote: »

No it wasn't legal but no one stopped them and now they can claim squatter's rights.

Time frame for adverse possession of state land is much longer than private land so unless the houses have been there for ages, they can't.

daymobrew

MYOB wrote: »

Time frame for adverse possession of state land is much longer than private land so unless the houses have been there for ages, they can't.

I would say that the houses on Roselawn Road are over 30 years old.

Pat Dunne

daymobrew wrote: »

I would say that the houses on Roselawn Road are over 30 years old.

Roselawn was built between 1971 & 1974, making it over 40 years old :eek:

daymobrew

I left 2 more messages this morning. The third time I left a message with a person. A short while later I got a call from Naomi Rooney (I think that she is or was the FCC Cycling Officer).

She told me the following:
* Targeted opening date is Friday 20 June.
* Currently waiting on ESB to install cables for lights and CCTV.
* Final surface will be done after this - so that heavy vehicles are not driving on the final surface.
* The contractor's completion date of end of February was very ambitious; FCC always planned for 30 weeks construction.

strangel00p

daymobrew wrote: »

I left 2 more messages this morning. The third time I left a message with a person. A short while later I got a call from Naomi Rooney (I think that she is or was the FCC Cycling Officer).

She told me the following:
* Targeted opening date is Friday 20 June.
* Currently waiting on ESB to install cables for lights and CCTV.
* Final surface will be done after this - so that heavy vehicles are not driving on the final surface.
* The contractor's completion date of end of February was very ambitious; FCC always planned for 30 weeks construction.

Fair play daymobrew, I received an email as well. It said mid June - depending on the ESB connection. I'm fairly sure I saw some workers at the Castleknock entrance yesterday - first bit of work I've seen in a long time.

There you go, who says complaining doesn't work.

daymobrew

strangel00p wrote: »

There you go, who says complaining doesn't work.

Complaining didn't get the info or move the project along. Persistence simply got the info.

retalivity

cycled (or attempted to) from ashtown to blanch via the canalpath on saturday, its fine from ashtown to navan road station but all lose chips then from there on to 12th lock. Possibly ok for mountain bikes or those with large wide tyres, not so for road bikes.

From what I understand the path past castleknock station is worse and there are no plans to upgrade this

ThisRegard

From Castleknock station to Porterstown gets into pretty poor condition when wet, it's very slippy and muddy.

Finglas Incubus

ThisRegard wrote: »

From Castleknock station to Porterstown gets into pretty poor condition when wet, it's very slippy and muddy.

Does anyone know if plans were mooted to upgrade this section? I suspect that there would be a bit of work involved due to the narrowness of the path and the potential for tree removal in places.

ThisRegard

I think someone did mention it would be upgraded at some stage. I personally like it as it is, a bit of wilderness in the heart of D15.

daymobrew

Last bit of Tarmac being laid at the moment. I am at 12th Lock and just talked to one of the guys working on the final surface.

strangel00p

daymobrew wrote: »

Last bit of Tarmac being laid at the moment. I am at 12th Lock and just talked to one of the guys working on the final surface.

Yes, just saw it. It looks finished to me but the barrier is still in place.

fasterbetter

power lights and cctv still to be done plus any markings they put down so Id say a while yet...

fasterbetter

sorry,,I'm just back and the lights have been installed..so getting there quickly now..

daymobrew

fasterbetter wrote: »

sorry,,I'm just back and the lights have been installed..so getting there quickly now..

A guy told me that the cables were nicked so maybe it's that the light poles are in but no cabling.

Seoda1

Walked between 11th and 12th this evening and it's nicely tarmac'd. Lights on poles, so looks good
for opening on Friday please God!

daymobrew

On Friday afternoon I did a tiny cycle from 12th Lock to the M50 Aquaduct. They were finishing installing railings on the canal edge. This is welcome as that section is the narrowest part. A cyclist overtaking a pedestrian at that point would otherwise be tricky.

Here is a photo of the railings: