Cycle protest in dublin city centre

lightspeed

http://www.dublincycling.ie/events/cycle-protest-allocate4cycling

"Dublin Cycling Campaign is calling on everyone who uses a bike in Dublin - for transportation or for leisure - to join our protest on Wednesday 22nd February to send a loud-and-clear message to the Minister that he needs to recognise that the status quo is not good enough - cycling needs proper funding to make it safer and to enable Dublin to reach its potential as a world class cycling city."

Among the worst things about driving in city centre dublin is the cyclists. I f**king hate cyclists.

Im not sure what good could come from this protest?

is it even possible to make city centre more accessible for cyclists than it currently is ?

me_irl

Will they be stopping at red lights?

corner of hells

Will there be naked lady cyclists ?

Stars and Stripes

Maybe pedestrians, car drivers, van drivers, lorry's, bus's or anyone else should be holding a counter demo to make Dublin city center a safe place FROM CYCLISTS from riding on the foot path, going up the wrong way on a one way street, ignore the lights as pedestrians have the green to cross, going up on the inside regardless as a bus or lorry is turning. IMBECILES :mad:

Phoebas

Thanks for the heads up OP.

We should be actively discouraging private motorists from driving in the city centre and encouraging public transport, cyclists and pedestrians.

andekwarhola

I'm going to bring in a huge placard that says BUT, BUT MOTORISTS...

Noddyholder

This going to be a great thread for the weekend :-)

ED E

lightspeed wrote: »

is it even possible to make city centre more accessible for cyclists than it currently is ?

Transforming cycle lanes back into cycle lanes from parking spaces would be a start.

Mrs OBumble

Phoebas wrote: »

Thanks for the heads up OP.

We should be actively discouraging private motorists from driving in the city centre and encouraging public transport, cyclists and pedestrians.

Four wheels bad, two wheels good?

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

amcalester

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Four wheels bad, two wheels good?

That seems to be it.

Transgressions by all road users bar cyclists seem be to ignored on these threads yet all cyclists are lambasted because some break red lights.

Seth Brundle

Can I summarise the next 47 pages of posts?

A: I hate cyclists in their lycra using up my roadspace whilst going slow.
B: yeah me too
C: But we're entitled to be there.
A: Use the cycle lanes then you tosser
C: They're crap and dangerous
So is cycling on the road
E: Lycra
A: You've no right to be there because you don't pay road tax
F: I drive as well as cyxle so I pay my road tax
G: *motor tax
E: Lycra
...

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Stheno

kbannon wrote: »

Can I summarise the next 47 pages of posts?

A: I hate cyclists in their lycra using up my roadspace whilst going slow.
B: yeah me too
C: But we're entitled to be there.
A: Use the cycle lanes then you tosser
C: They're crap and dangerous
So is cycling on the road
E: Lycra
A: You've no right to be there because you don't pay road tax
F: I drive as well as cyxle so I pay my road tax
G: *motor tax
E: Lycra
...

You forgot "fat middle aged blokes bulging out of their Lycra" :pac:

amcalester

Patww79 wrote: »

What are they protesting? The whole setup in this country bends over backwards for the nuisances

Do you honestly think that?

Try using a cycle lane that takes you inside left turning vehicles, or lanes that stop and disappear for no reason.

micar

me_irl wrote: »

Will they be stopping at red lights?

Yeah.....cos motorists don't break red light, always use their indicators, always observe, never use bus lanes when not allowed , never Park in cycle lanes and never pass dangerously close past cyclists, never under take cyclists, never pull into the path of a cyclist coming in the opposite direction when turning right, pull across the path of a cyclist when turning left.

How about you get/borrow a bike, have a spin through the city centre and experience the sh1t cyclists have to put with.

Kurtosis

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Four wheels bad, two wheels good?

Poster mentioned public transport too, four wheels can be good. It's the abundance of single occupancy cars, particularly being used for short journeys, that could be reduced to improve traffic congestion in our cities.

Dr Crayfish

I cycle in and out of city centre every day. It's not a city made for cyclists at all, it's a battle for space on the road. You often have to swing around massive pot holes on places like Pearse St, only seeing them at the last minute and this can be dangerous with traffic behind you. I break red lights when it's safe to do so, like turning left at a junction, or an unoccupied pedestrian crossing. I usually have a look around to make sure there are no Garda cars around, as once or twice they've given out to me!
Recently a guy walked in front of me while I was cycling down Westland row, in between traffic from the other side of a bus and I crashed into him. He tried to blame me as I was driving in traffic! No one was really hurt luckily.
So all in all, it's not that nice in the city centre, but it's still the quickest and cheapest way in and out of work for me. I see other cyclists going f*cking ape sh*t when a car makes a mistake or pulls in front of them, like they have a chip on their shoulder. It happens to me regularly but I don't really blame the drivers, I blame the ridiculous amount of cars in the city centre and the terrible infrastructure for cyclists. There's no point getting worked up over it. Commuting by bike for probably 15 years or so in Dublin and never had an accident, touch wood! I cycled for years in London and I even found there less dangerous!

Phoebas

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Four wheels bad, two wheels good?

It's not about the number of wheels; it's about the most efficient use of limited bandwidth.

amcalester

Patww79 wrote: »

You should see yer man above about getting one of those BUT BUT MOTORISTS signs.

Apparently once you have one then you can break any laws you like on a bike.

No need, I won't be there.

I think you'll find that cyclists are supposed to obey the laws, some chose not to though and unfortunately there is very little enforcement so they get away with it.

Stars and Stripes

ED E wrote: »

Transforming cycle lanes back into cycle lanes from parking spaces would be a start.

Do you know the parking hours in Ranelagh ? Bet you didn't know if a bicycle lane is marked in broken lines it can also be used by motorbikes and scooters, it's only the solid lines that are for cyclists depending on local parking times etc

RasTa

20 euro monthly congestion charge should be implemented. Nobody bar buses or taxis should be driving in the city centre.

Dr Crayfish

RasTa wrote: »

20 euro monthly congestion charge should be implemented. Nobody bar buses or taxis should be driving in the city centre.

But will I still be allowed cycle around city centre??

NegativeCreep

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I cycle in and out of city centre every day. It's not a city made for cyclists at all, it's a battle for space on the road. You often have to swing around massive pot holes on places like Pearse St, only seeing them at the last minute and this can be dangerous with traffic behind you. I break red lights when it's safe to do so, like turning left at a junction, or an unoccupied pedestrian crossing. I usually have a look around to make sure there are no Garda cars around, as once or twice they've given out to me!
Recently a guy walked in front of me while I was cycling down Westland row, in between traffic from the other side of a bus and I crashed into him. He tried to blame me as I was driving in traffic! No one was really hurt luckily.
So all in all, it's not that nice in the city centre, but it's still the quickest and cheapest way in and out of work for me. I see other cyclists going f*cking ape sh*t when a car makes a mistake or pulls in front of them, like they have a chip on their shoulder. It happens to me regularly but I don't really blame the drivers, I blame the ridiculous amount of cars in the city centre and the terrible infrastructure for cyclists. There's no point getting worked up over it. Commuting by bike for probably 15 years or so in Dublin and never had an accident, touch wood! I cycled for years in London and I even found there less dangerous!

Do you expect them not to give out to you?

You're on the road so need to abide the rules of the road. Cars can't break a red light even if they think it might be safe to do so and neither can you.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Dr Crayfish

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Do you expect them not to give out to you?

You're on the road so need to abide the rules of the road. Cars can't break a red light even if they think it might be safe to do so and neither can you.

They give out to me if they see me, that's why I make sure the Garda aren't around. I can break red lights! I've been doing it for 15 years so clearly I don't need to abide by the rules of the road! I don't really care what motorists think of this, I'm not causing any harm.

suicide_circus

The ham-fisted way in which some cycle lanes have been haphazardly crowbared into unsuitable and dangerous locations just to satisfy a particular social ethos does a disservice to cyclists and society at large. Cycle lanes don't work everywhere and that's OK.

amcalester

Patww79 wrote: »

Is your beer or your restaurant food going to be delivered by bus then?

I'd rather just space things out better by banning cyclists from the city. They serve no purpose and are just a hazard to all.

Space things out better by cramming more cars in?

Stupid suggestion.

Dr Crayfish

Anyway, I've no interest in protests. Someone handed me a flyer on Amiens st lately for this as I was stopping for the lights, which was actually kind of hazardous as he was standing in the bike lane!
I guess they want better bike lanes etc? This is Ireland, it doesn't have a cycling culture, and it wont change any time soon. So I just make sure I get in and out safe and do my own thing. I wish them all the best though.

Seth Brundle

RasTa wrote: »

20 euro monthly congestion charge should be implemented. Nobody bar buses or taxis should be driving in the city centre.

What makes a taxi wandering around the city less congestive than a regular motorist?

RasTa

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

what sort of waffle is that. No your beer can be delivered by couriers or pay the charge.

Add motorbikes and cyclists to the waivers.

R.D. aka MR.D

Until there is better enforcement and the money to pay people to enforce existing laws then there is not going to be a solution that keeps everyone happy.

My husband commutes every single day by bike and he and others like him generally aren't the problem. It's the bastards who are cycling on footpaths and ignoring basic rules of the road that are creating problems.

Another issue that causes problems is the lack of proper consideration of pedestrians and giving motorists the priority. I live next to a fairly main road in the city centre. It takes about 5 mins for the one pedestrian crossing light to change. The result? People crossing the road when ever and where ever they want and I honestly don't blame them. In other countries, there are pedestrian bridges etc to prevent this but I'd imagine one reason these aren't common in the city centre is anti-social behaviour and lo and behold we come back to enforcement.

What we all need to do as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists is to demand more resources for the Gards. Of course other things would need to be done in tandem such as better planning and education for people who even want to touch a Dublin bike.

RasTa

kbannon wrote: »

What makes a taxi wandering around the city less congestive than a regular motorist?

think about how stupid that question is

suicide_circus

I wonder do the cycle couriers in Dublin city ever get stopped by the gardai? Their behaviour is generally outrageous.

Dr Crayfish

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

Until there is better enforcement and the money to pay people to enforce existing laws then there is not going to be a solution that keeps everyone happy.

My husband commutes every single day by bike and he and others like him generally aren't the problem. It's the bastards who are cycling on footpaths and ignoring basic rules of the road that are creating problems.

Another issue that causes problems is the lack of proper consideration of pedestrians and giving motorists the priority. I live next to a fairly main road in the city centre. It takes about 5 mins for the one pedestrian crossing light to change. The result? People crossing the road when ever and where ever they want and I honestly don't blame them. In other countries, there are pedestrian bridges etc to prevent this but I'd imagine one reason these aren't common in the city centre is anti-social behaviour and lo and behold we come back to enforcement.

What we all need to do as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists is to demand more resources for the Gards. Of course other things would need to be done in tandem such as better planning and education for people who even want to touch a Dublin bike.

So you break the rules on a bike you're a bastard, but break the rules as a pedestrian and you honestly don't blame them? I can't understand why cyclists annoy people so much, I kind of like it though as a cyclist!

weldoninhio

The setup of Dublin City Centre is not conducive to cycling. The streets are narrow and there isn't enough room for cycle lanes on them. It's a hard fact that cyclists need to get into their heads. Unless we start knocking down buildings and moving them back 5 foot on either side of the road it'll never be a cycling city.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

KungPao

Kill them all and let god sort them out.

amcalester

weldoninhio wrote: »

The setup of Dublin City Centre is not conducive to cycling. The streets are narrow and there isn't enough room for cycle lanes on them. It's a hard fact that cyclists need to get into their heads. Unless we start knocking down buildings and moving them back 5 foot on either side of the road it'll never be a cycling city.

No reason not to have cycle superhighway like they do in London.

Proper well maintained routes along roads like the N11, Navan Road, along the canals etc would make a huge difference to both motorists and cyclists.

Seth Brundle

RasTa wrote: »

kbannon wrote: »

What makes a taxi wandering around the city less congestive than a regular motorist?

think about how stupid that question is

Enlighten me please rather than give an insulting response

Graces7

Demos, marches, protests are the new Irish hobby. What they do at the weekend...

WHat I am asking is what the protocol is when in a city you have to drive across a cycle lane to get to the shopping centre ...

R.D. aka MR.D

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

So you break the rules on a bike you're a bastard, but break the rules as a pedestrian and you honestly don't blame them? I can't understand why cyclists annoy people so much, I kind of like it though as a cyclist!

I don't blame cyclists for breaking red lights especially when motorists are aggressive a lot of the time and don't give you time to get going when the light changes. I do blame cyclists when they are cycling on the footpath when there is a perfectly good road right beside it and there are two other cyclists using that road properly clearly in view.

I don't blame pedestrians for crossing the road when they have to walk 5 mins out of there way to get to the lights and wait another 5 mins for them to change. I do blame pedestrians when they wander out in the road for no reason or cross when they see a cyclist and expect them to stop.

As I said, my husband cycles 30km a day commuting so have no problem with cyclists but even he complains about the cyclists acting like idiots.
Just like when I'm driving, I wish there was somebody out there enforcing the rules that already exist. It's very frustrating to follow the rules and be endangered by idiots.

amcalester

Patww79 wrote: »

No. Make space for the cars.

How exactly? Dublin isn't exactly full of derelict sites to be used as roads/car parks.

Stupid suggestion.

KingBrian2

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

But will I still be allowed cycle around city centre??

It is too dangerous to cycle around the city centre with all the construction on the Luas work going on.

Dr Crayfish

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

I don't blame cyclists for breaking red lights especially when motorists are aggressive a lot of the time and don't give you time to get going when the light changes. I do blame cyclists when they are cycling on the footpath when there is a perfectly good road right beside it and there are two other cyclists using that road properly clearly in view.

I don't blame pedestrians for crossing the road when they have to walk 5 mins out of there way to get to the lights and wait another 5 mins for them to change. I do blame pedestrians when they wander out in the road for no reason or cross when they see a cyclist and expect them to stop.

As I said, my husband cycles 30km a day commuting so have no problem with cyclists but even he complains about the cyclists acting like idiots.

Ok, I don't really go up on paths much, sometimes you have no choice like opposite pearse st garda station. There is simply no room for bikes.
For the most part cyclists are grand though, I just think they bear the brunt of the ire of motorists a lot, probably because it's uncomfortable driving near cyclists, I say that as a sometimes motorist myself. Hard to overtake, unsure what to do, is how I feel around them. The roads here are terrible for cycling, but I still enjoy cycling in and out tbh.

Dr Crayfish

KingBrian2 wrote: »

It is too dangerous to cycle around the city centre with all the construction on the Luas work going on.

Not really, I have to go around pearse st, trinity, nassau st every day, and even with the works, it's nowhere near the worst part of the city for cycling. Going north out of town on Amiens st seems to be a hot bed for trouble, around busarus etc. The roads are very tight there and rammed with cars and busses.

Deagol

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Did it occur to you where these banned cyclists would go to? Would they stop going to work etc? No, they'd just end up in cars or there would need to be more buses etc to handle them therefore clogging up the streets. Would that really be the solution you think?

Andrewf20

I cycle regularly into the city and I honesty dont see what the is fuss about. I do a bit of mountain biking also so im guessing I have it in my psyche to watch out for dangers. You do need your wits about you.

Ive done a fair amount of travelling around the world and havent come across other citys that much better. Most are for the most part rammed with people, parks cars and traffic with a spinkle of bike lanes (like Dublin) where space is available for them.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Stop talking rubbish please.

The amount of cars with only one occupant going into the city is a disgrace.2 cars carry 2 people take up the same amount of space as a double decker bus that can carry around 80 passengers. It's a criminal waste of road space and every city in the country should be getting round to the idea of better public transport and less cars allowed into the city.It would be beneficial for everyone.Considering the damage to the environment cars cause we should be trying to reduce the amount of them on the roads.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

lightspeed wrote: »

Among the worst things about driving in city centre dublin is the cyclists. I f**king hate cyclists.

Im not sure what good could come from this protest?

is it even possible to make city centre more accessible for cyclists than it currently is ?

The point of the protest is in the article. More budget for cycling infrastructure.

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

Maybe pedestrians, car drivers, van drivers, lorry's, bus's or anyone else should be holding a counter demo to make Dublin city center a safe place FROM CYCLISTS from riding on the foot path, going up the wrong way on a one way street, ignore the lights as pedestrians have the green to cross, going up on the inside regardless as a bus or lorry is turning. IMBECILES :mad:

Not sure when the last time a cyclist crashed into a car killing everybody in the vehicle? There's also sufficient infrastructure for the road users you mentioned in your post. I would be in favor of moving a lot more budget towards public transport and very very little for private automobiles.

The op posted a protest which aims to improve infrastructure. In turn this should help alleviate the anger many motorists show towards cyclists.

RasTa

kbannon wrote: »

Enlighten me please rather than give an insulting response

I've no time for stupidity when it comes to this issue. Simply there are more car's than Taxi's. Sometimes a taxi will just sit at a rank.