Sandymount Strand cycleway

josip

Chuchote wrote: »

OK, am I right in thinking that the plan (if I'm understanding the map, it's not that clear to me) is for a boardwalk on the sea side of the railway line? That would be fine in terms of not disturbing the wild creatures of Booterstown and very pleasant to cycle, but as others have said, it could become dangerously slippery if it's wetted by spindrift or even waves during the equinoctal high tides?

or even by rain?

Carawaystick

I'd imagine a coating of antiskid would prevent loss of grip by pretty much anything short of a covering of seaweed or jellyfish

Seaswimmer

Chuchote wrote: »

OK, am I right in thinking that the plan (if I'm understanding the map, it's not that clear to me) is for a boardwalk on the sea side of the railway line? That would be fine in terms of not disturbing the wild creatures of Booterstown and very pleasant to cycle, but as others have said, it could become dangerously slippery if it's wetted by spindrift or even waves during the equinoctal high tides?

It looks to me as if that is not the preferred option. In the document it does say that this option was examined but the "emerging preferred option" is a 2 way cycleway along the Rock Road. Page 22/23 of the document seem to confirm this.

https://fe49d9ec8511d2dc0553-f8f415f...n_Document.pdf

So as nice as a boardwalk along the sea side of the Dart line may be it dosent look like its under consideration.

Mercian Pro

Chuchote wrote: »

OK, am I right in thinking that the plan (if I'm understanding the map, it's not that clear to me) is for a boardwalk on the sea side of the railway line? That would be fine in terms of not disturbing the wild creatures of Booterstown and very pleasant to cycle, but as others have said, it could become dangerously slippery if it's wetted by spindrift or even waves during the equinoctal high tides?

NO - there is no boardwalk proposed anywhere near Booterstown. There is a short section of boardwalk proposed at the Sandymount end of Strand Road but this is for pedestrians only.

ted1

Seaswimmer wrote: »

It looks to me as if that is not the preferred option. In the document it does say that this option was examined but the "emerging preferred option" is a 2 way cycleway along the Rock Road. Page 22/23 of the document seem to confirm this.

https://fe49d9ec8511d2dc0553-f8f415f...n_Document.pdf

So as nice as a boardwalk along the sea side of the Dart line may be it dosent look like its under consideration.

I think the Liffey route is going with option 5.....

Chuchote

ted1 wrote: »

I think the Liffey route is going with option 5.....

Which one is Option 5? I've lost count at this stage. Is that the one with the cycleway along the riverside?

ted1

Chuchote wrote: »

Which one is Option 5? I've lost count at this stage. Is that the one with the cycleway along the riverside?

I think it's the one with the cable car going over the Liffey !!! Simply highlighting that's it's not ajeays the top options they go with

PaulieC

Chuchote wrote: »

Is there any plan for a cycleway along Sandymount Strand to join up with the Dodder path at Ringsend on one end and the Blackrock Park path at Booterstown at the other?
This is one of the few places where experienced cyclists fairly often cycle on a pedestrian path, because the road is too scary - narrow and with heavy traffic.
The pedestrian path by the sea needs (imho) to be kept for walkers, because it's traditionally a place where people walk when they're very old and when they're recovering from operations and illness.
But there's plenty of room on the land side for a separated cycling path along the sea.
When you leave the sea at the Ringsend end, there's a horrible road where people head for the Port Tunnel in cars and trucks. And on the Booterstown end you have to navigate the nasty Merrion Road. It would be great to get a separate cycleway section along there.

I cycle from Ringsend to Leopardstown everyday along this road and have never had a problem, either on the "narrow with heavy traffic" Strand Road section or "navigating" the "nasty" Merrion road section. The cyclists I do see on the path are usually those with kids bringing them to school.

You can also avoid the "horrible" section going towards the east link by going through Ringsend. I'm not an experienced cyclist though, so could be wrong about the above...

It's good to see the new plans though, especially the proposal to remove the Merrion Gates. I can't see too many folks ho live up that end of the Strand Road objecting to that plan.

Mercian Pro

PaulieC wrote: »

I can't see too many folks ho live up that end of the Strand Road objecting to that plan.

O yeah?

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/dublin-4-residents-shocked-at-plan-to-fix-merrion-gates-bottleneck-1.2847434

Chuchote

Yup:

A Merrion Road homeowner, whose front garden would be more than halved by the scheme, said he was concerned his house would be rendered unsellable.
“It’s a massive shock. We knew nothing about this and already they have a preferred route.
“It’s going to affect me quite badly because it looks like they want 1.18 metres of the front garden which will make the parking space useless. This is a family home and people with families have cars.”

magicbastarder

to be fair, there is a point to be made about that. they should move quickly to a decision about whether to proceed; anyone who was thinking of selling their house in the area now has a valid concern that there's a huge amount of uncertainty, which would make their house a much less appealing prospect for a buyer.

Carawaystick

Yet a lot of the value to the house on Merrion road is due to the infrastructure provided already....

PaulieC

Mercian Pro wrote: »

O yeah?

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/dublin-4-residents-shocked-at-plan-to-fix-merrion-gates-bottleneck-1.2847434

I mean the end that will be made a cul-de-sac as a result of the implementation of this plan. The gates will be gone and no traffic outside their doors anymore.

buffalo

Deedsie wrote: »

I think it would be a good idea for people here to make your views known through the consultation process - submissions close on the 16th Dec 2016.

I have read a lot of people saying the cycling/pedestrian underpass section of the project to be cut to save money. I think this would ruin many aspects of the project.

It'd be quite amusing for a "cycling" project to have the cycling aspect cut.

Seaswimmer

Deedsie wrote: »

I think it would be a good idea for people here to make your views known through the consultation process - submissions close on the 16th Dec 2016.

I have read a lot of people saying the cycling/pedestrian underpass section of the project to be cut to save money. I think this would ruin many aspects of the project.

I couldn't see them making pedestrians in particular walk a considerable way off their route just to get to a bus stop on Merrion Road for example or down to the shop at Texaco.

Also it would completely throw out the preferred option in the design document.

But stranger things have happened.

Mercian Pro

Just a reminder that the deadline for submissions on the Sandymount to Seapoint cycleway is Friday next. The S2S group, who have been campaigning for this for fifteen years, has produced an interesting briefing document on the history of the project and on the pros and cons of the current proposals. It's on http://s2s.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/161124-S2S-Briefing-Paper-Nov-2016..pdf

Mercian Pro

Deedsie wrote: »

Is there any date we might hear some news on the Merrion Gates proposal?

I think one of the reports on the opening of the Dollymount part of S2S mentioned two months. Hopefully they will rethink the Merrion Road section and go back to making it a coastal route.

Chuchote

Mercian Pro wrote: »

I think one of the reports on the opening of the Dollymount part of S2S mentioned two months. Hopefully they will rethink the Merrion Road section and go back to making it a coastal route.

Build a tunnel for the motorcars.

Mercian Pro

Yet another reason why the S2S should follow the coastline and not the Merrion Road:
http://irishcycle.com/2018/03/05/stand-alone-coastal-walls-needed-to-protect-dart-line-if-dublin-bay-greenway-put-inland/

Thanks to the Green Party was highlighting it and to Cian Ginty of IrishCycle.com for spreading the word.

Mercian Pro

Latest news from the S2S lobby group:

"S2S – New Plans Proposed
Following a meeting between The National Transport Authority (NTA) and Councillors from Dublin City Council, (DCC) and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council (DLRCC), agreement has been reached on a new approach to advance the S2S project. This would complete two further sections on the seafront; one between Irishtown and Merrion Gates and the other between Blackrock and Seapoint and is an exciting prospect for supporters of the S2S. See More here:
http://s2s.ie/s2s-new-plans-proposed-may-2018/ "

While it is still proposed to have the section of the S2S between Merrion Gates and Booterstown running alongside the busy with Rock Road, the other proposals are definitely steps in the right direction and will hopefully happen soon.

Together with significant progress on the Royal Canal Greenway and a much improved design for the Fairview to the Quays route, things are looking up.

Rechuchote

Would it be worth people going and talking to the local pearl-clutchers to persuade them that we're not the grinning monsters they envisage? Any local meetings coming up?

I see they want "a new cycleway and walkway". This trend in Dublin planning is the influence of the Northern Ireland group Sustrans, who imagine that it will proved "mutual respect" between people cycling and walking - all very well when you're a healthy young Sustrans engineer who can leap agilely out of the way of a 12-year-old on a bike, but not so nice when you're 70 and fat with a gammy knee.

silverharp

I live in Sandymount and would love this, I remember quizzing a Green that was going door to door years back and he seemed to be hedging his bets playing the environmental angle. Ideally I'd like to see the sea front extended the full length of the Strand road , it would double as flood prevention anyway, alos put in a proper cycle path. As it was especially when the kids were younger we would cycle on the main path as the road is not suitable for kids on bikes so I'd imagine it would be popular with families.

loyatemu

definitely looks to be an improvement on what was previously proposed, with the obvious exception of at the Merrion Gates. If they can get on with providing a cycleway on Strand Road that would be great as it's a real pain to cycle down at the moment.

Mercian Pro

Probably best to resurrect this thread than start another one.

Looks like DCC are following the lead of DLR and making Strand Road one-way in order to provide a two-way cycle lane. It's to be for a six month trial period but has to go through a consultation process first. It will be a huge improvement on the present arrangement that makes no provision for cycling whatsoever.

Details here: https://irishcycle.com/2020/08/21/breaking-first-look-at-the-proposed-coastal-two-way-cycle-path-in-dublins-sandymount/

Mercian Pro

There seem to be two on-line petitions on the go with the "anti" one slightly ahead in terms of signatures.

If you support the proposed change, you might sign the "pro" one at https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/trial-strand-road-one-way-and-close-off-road-running-for-local-residents-without-delay

Update: DCC have started their consultation on the cycle route. As there is bound to be a fair bit of local opposition, the more support this gets from cyclists, the better the chances are for it being implimented. A few lines supporting the plan should only take a couple of minutes using this link https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/strand-road-trial-cycle-route/

DavyD_83

My friend just shared the below survey raised to gather reactions to the Sandymount plan.
Seems to be driven by the 'pearl clutchers' as mentioned above and being distributed mostly to the naysayers in the hope of consolidating negative opinions.

Feel free to drop by and leave your honest, positive or negative feedback.
It's only a 3 question survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9RVW88R

Peregrine

This is the official DCC consultation: https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/strand-road-trial-cycle-route/

It's only three questions long. If you don't have any objections or suggestions then just answer no to all three. It takes 30 seconds. Please fill it out and get others to do the same.

Seaswimmer

Some interesting responses to the survey on the Strand road cycle lane.Initiated by by James Geoghegan FG councillor for that area. He dosent seem to have an agenda one way or the other so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. At least he is showing an interest and getting involved in the debate (disclaimer: I have no party allegiance!!)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/stories/SM-M39RMGKY/

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lqkyaz5jgk...ents.xlsx?dl=0

I did take issue with him on his main finding (in red below) for those opposed to the proposal. From reading the comments the main concern is from motorists and residents not being able to travel in the manner they are used to and being inconvenienced by potential diversions. I don't have a problem with that but don't try and dress it up as concern for more vulnerable road users. I didn't see any comments outlining concern for peds/cyclists from the diverted traffic.

however in his email reply he did part with one interesting bit of info he "discovered".

What has struck me from when this proposal arrived to present day is that in all of the feedback I have received, I have had very very small levels of opposition from residents who actually live on the Strand Road itself (comparatively speaking) where it is acknowledged that the biggest changes for motorists would be on that road.

Extract below.

623 people responded to the survey, 90% of whom answered that they were residents of Sandymount.

For those who were opposed to the proposal, the principal concern is that existing pedestrians and cyclists in the Sandymount area would be badly impacted by an increase in traffic congestion diverted from the Strand Road.

For those who were in favour of the proposal, it was strongly felt that it would ensure safe cycling in the Sandymount area as well as reducing the presence of HGV trucks on the Strand Road.

Both those in favour and against this specific proposal, almost unanimously, indicated support in their comments for a segregated cycle lane in some form to be built along the Strand Road.

All councillors in the South East Area have a remote meeting with the head of Transport and Traffic in Dublin City Council on Tuesday morning at 11am on the proposal and I will be sending the findings of the survey and all comments provided in advance of that meeting.

I will email you further information following that meeting and please don’t hesitate to contact me in the meantime.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr James Geoghegan

Truthvader

Mercian Pro wrote: »

There seem to be two on-line petitions on the go with the "anti" one slightly ahead in terms of signatures.

If you support the proposed change, you might sign the "pro" one at https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/trial-strand-road-one-way-and-close-off-road-running-for-local-residents-without-delay

Update: DCC have started their consultation on the cycle route. As there is bound to be a fair bit of local opposition, the more support this gets from cyclists, the better the chances are for it being implimented. A few lines supporting the plan should only take a couple of minutes using this link https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/strand-road-trial-cycle-route/

More Green Party / bicycle loon stuff IMO. I wouldn't bother petitioning or submitting anything. If it causes traffic chaos they will do it regardless. Plenty of room on the sea side of merrion strand for cycleway but determined to "get" drivers by making it one way. Where is all the bridge and tunnel crowd going to go? Shelbourne Road is already deliberately jammed with an altered light sequence at Haddington Road/ Bath Avenue. Will be at a standstill when the Merrion Strand traffic is forced onto it

buffalo

Truthvader wrote: »

More Green Party / bicycle loon stuff IMO. I wouldn't bother petitioning or submitting anything. If it causes traffic chaos they will do it regardless. Plenty of room on the sea side of merrion strand for cycleway but determined to "get" drivers by making it one way. Where is all the bridge and tunnel crowd going to go? Shelbourne Road is already deliberately jammed with an altered light sequence at Haddington Road/ Bath Avenue. Will be at a standstill when the Merrion Strand traffic is forced onto it

It's going to mostly disappear as people move to bikes because there's a nice cycleway or get the train because they have to face the traffic congestion caused by private motor traffic. See https://www.dublininquirer.com/2017/05/17/david-so-where-will-all-the-city-centre-traffic-go