Could a cycling revolution be on the cards for Waterford city?

Cabaal

http://irishcycle.com/2016/01/23/could-a-cycling-revolution-be-on-the-cards-for-waterford-city/

Waterford City and County Council have put forward and passed plans — under the banner Waterford City Centre Urban Renewal Scheme — which will change the city dramatically. Certain routes will change and areas in the city centre will be pedestrianised. At least some of this is now funded as part of an announcement by the Department of Transport last week.

Some interesting and downright progress changes (by Irish standards), Waterford is relatively compact and most people living within the city or close enough should really be encourage to cycle as its better for them and the city.

I cycled to/from work in Waterford for 10 years, but I always thought it odd so few cycled so would be great to see this change.

barneystinson

Cabaal wrote: »

http://irishcycle.com/2016/01/23/could-a-cycling-revolution-be-on-the-cards-for-waterford-city/



Some interesting and downright progress changes (by Irish standards), Waterford is relatively compact and most people living within the city or close enough should really be encourage to cycle as its better for them and the city.

I cycled to/from work in Waterford for 10 years, but I always thought it odd so few cycled so would be great to see this change.

I'm delighted it suited you to cycle to and from work for 10 years, but there's huge numbers of people for whom it would simply not be feasible.

F#$king cyclists...

Wanderer78

cycling revolution! not a chance! nice to see theres a bit more infrastructure going into place though. the deise greenway will do wonders for the town when its complete. the views are fantastic along its route

robtri

interesting, I hope to god that cyclists are NOT allowed in pedestrians area's....

i do find it funny that a lot of Waterford people are confused by roudabouts... and they want them to negoiate junctions like this!!!!

shockwave

Billy McCarthys phone lines will be in meltdown when work on this starts

danjo-xx

Can't see investing so much in cycle lanes would give much of a return v the amount of people that will use them.

Would certainly welcome more one way streets, why traffic going up O'Connell street is given 'priority' over buses crossing the street amazes me.:rolleyes:

KingBrian2

It would be wonderful to see it happen. As the locals are likely to protest due to the motorists having their say on the issue it will not pass.

LeinsterDub

robtri wrote: »

interesting, I hope to god that cyclists are NOT allowed in pedestrians area's....

Yeah I hate to see the total lack of issues that would create. Best ban pedestrians too for there own good

KingBrian2

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Yeah I hate to see the total lack of issues that would create. Best ban pedestrians too for there own good

Pedestrians are their own worst enemies. Walking around, jaywalking, loitering and being a general nuisance. No respect for the traffic light. Tighter measures for those miscreants that abuse their rights. Maybe that's the secret to the crime and vandalism problems we have in Ireland.

AdMMM

barneystinson wrote: »

I'm delighted it suited you to cycle to and from work for 10 years, but there's huge numbers of people for whom it would simply not be feasible.

F#$king cyclists...

Why would it be infeasible?

CatFromHue

Cycling in Waterford is currently for the brave and the fit,

Fit maybe but brave no.

I used to cycle to work in Waterford, and out in the countryside for pleasure rides, and did notice that there weren't that many other cyclists. I don't think this is to do with the infrastructure though so I'm not sure if all these changes will make any difference.

There does seem to be bit of hyperbole in the article too as I never found cycling in the city dangerous.

In general I'm not a huge fan of off road cycle lanes either as in urban areas you tend to get alot of peole walking on them so they're difficult to use and the street cleaners can't get up on them so they tend to be dirty/full of glass.

Taxburden carrier

Another reason to avoid the town centre

barneystinson

AdMMM wrote: »

Why would it be infeasible?

Because of other commitments on their time, or logistics, like having kids to get to school(s).

Or because they don't have facilities to get showered / changed at work, or to store their bike conveniently and securely.

Or because they have stuff to lug to and/or from work with them.

Or because their job may sometimes requires them to have the use of their car.

Not rocket science.

Cabaal

barneystinson wrote: »

Because of other commitments on their time, or logistics, like having kids to get to school(s).

Or because they don't have facilities to get showered / changed at work, or to store their bike conveniently and securely.

Or because they have stuff to lug to and/or from work with them.

Or because their job may sometimes requires them to have the use of their car.

Not rocket science.

Change happens over time, more people cycling the more workplaces and councils will improve facilities.

You can't just magic everything into existence overnight, as such things need to start somewhere and that begins with the council improving the cycle network.

Sure cycling isn't suitable for everybody, but for a large amount of people attending school, college and work cycling is a feasible option if they just bothered their arse.

Before you suggest weather is also a factor I'd like to point out that rainfall wise it rains more in Amsterdam then it does in Dublin, yet somehow they magically manage to make use of bikes year around...


Another factor in Ireland is most people choose unsuitable bikes to cycle,

Avg choice for a bike in Ireland:


Avg choice for bike in Amsterdam


They might not look as "cool" but they are practical as hell and I can honestly say I never saw any mountain bikes when I was last in Amsterdam.

Mountain bikes suck to cycle on roads, they are bulky, heavy and not easy to cycle (effort wise) when compared to the avg bike in Amsterdam or a hybrid or road bike.

LeinsterDub

barneystinson wrote: »

Because of other commitments on their time, or logistics, like having kids to get to school(s).

Or because they don't have facilities to get showered / changed at work, or to store their bike conveniently and securely.

Or because they have stuff to lug to and/or from work with them.

Or because their job may sometimes requires them to have the use of their car.

Not rocket science.

No one is talking about forced cycling . If it doesn't suit you then don't do it but just because it's not feasible for some doesn't mean its not feasible for all

Tenzor07

21 primary schools, 9 secondary schools, and the WIT, how can there not be any cycling facilities to cater for the Students and staff, does everyone either drive or get driven to these places each and every morning?

Waterford city centre must be a slow moving car-park!

Cabaal

Tenzor07 wrote: »

21 primary schools, 9 secondary schools, and the WIT, how can there not be any cycling facilities to cater for the Students and staff, does everyone either drive or get driven to these places each and every morning?

Now now, you can't for a second suggest that the little darlings would walk or cycle to school??!? :P

Parents for some reason seems obsessed with trying to almost park in the classroom.

When I used to commute to work the one place I hated was the school up by Walsh Park, was almost every morning I'd have to brake suddenly and move out into the middle of the road to avoid being knocked down by some parent pulling out from the school without looking.

I eventually stopped traveling that route because of it and I used to go the Cork Road instead,

Chiparus

CatFromHue wrote: »

Fit maybe but brave no.

I used to cycle to work in Waterford, and out in the countryside for pleasure rides, and did notice that there weren't that many other cyclists. I don't think this is to do with the infrastructure though so I'm not sure if all these changes will make any difference.

There does seem to be bit of hyperbole in the article too as I never found cycling in the city dangerous.

In general I'm not a huge fan of off road cycle lanes either as in urban areas you tend to get alot of peole walking on them so they're difficult to use and the street cleaners can't get up on them so they tend to be dirty/full of glass.

Im not a fan of those either as they get full of debris and broken glass and the council don't clean them.
The council recently narrowed the road outside the whitfield clinic, filling in the hard shoulder , really dangerous for cyclists now as they are forced to share the narrowed road with HGVs etc.

wmpdd3

I cycled in Holland and Greater London and outside Limerick city. I would never dream of cycling in Waterford. I would have to go over the bridge, this looks to be the most dangerous part.

When the weather is better I walk to town.

I always though I would never drive me kids to school, but I have one attending a school 3 km away, one attending a specialist crèche 2 km in the other direction and I'm in college, 3 km in the other direction. I have no option, I have to drive.

I don't like the changes, but as it is I never go into town anyway, even slower moving traffic and more bikes wont change that....pity.

wmpdd3

I cycled in Holland and Greater London and outside Limerick city. I would never dream of cycling in Waterford. I would have to go over the bridge, this looks to be the most dangerous part.

When the weather is better I walk to town.

I always though I would never drive me kids to school, but I have one attending a school 3 km away, one attending a specialist crèche 2 km in the other direction and I'm in college, 3 km in the other direction. I have no option, I have to drive.

I don't like the changes, but as it is I never go into town anyway, even slower moving traffic and more bikes wont change that....pity.

schemingbohemia

Tenzor07 wrote: »

21 primary schools, 9 secondary schools, and the WIT, how can there not be any cycling facilities to cater for the Students and staff, does everyone either drive or get driven to these places each and every morning?

Waterford city centre must be a slow moving car-park!

According to the POWCAR 2011 (Place of Work Census of Anonymised Records) a whopping 104 students cycled to school in Waterford and environs.
It's even worse when you analyse the gender basis - 3 females (1 in primary, 2 in secondary) with another 14 in college, this is why cycling infrastructure needs to be put in place.

http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=CD010&PLanguage=0

fuzzy dunlop

AdMMM wrote: »

Why would it be infeasible?

It wouldn't. For those that it would it would be business as usual. For the vast majority it would be quite feasible. Have a look at the thread on the bicycle scheme for Waterford and you will see the the same bolloxology as to why that would not work either. Co-incidentally by some of the same posters. Its a case of we don't like it so it should not be.....

Cabaal

schemingbohemia wrote: »

According to the POWCAR 2011 (Place of Work Census of Anonymised Records) a whopping 104 students cycled to school in Waterford and environs.
It's even worse when you analyse the gender basis - 3 females (1 in primary, 2 in secondary) with another 14 in college, this is why cycling infrastructure needs to be put in place.

http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=CD010&PLanguage=0

Wow that's a scarily low number
No wounder obesity is so much of an issue when compared to the 1980's where school bike sheds were packed full of bikes at both secondary and primary level.

shockwave

Cabaal wrote: »

Wow that's a scarily low number
No wounder obesity is so much of an issue when compared to the 1980's where school bike sheds were packed full of bikes at both secondary and primary level.

Lots of schools have demolished the bike sheds due to nobody using them.