Cycleways, cyclepaths, good 'uns and bad 'uns . . .

Hamsterchops

Must complement the designers and builders of the cycleway from Glasthule, through Dun Laoghaire out to Blackrock, and beyond . . . .

It's a good 'un, so Big thumbs up & Bravo!

Conversely, don't know what to make of the cycleway on Bray seafront which (according to my sister) was 99% full of pedestrians this weekend, so they all cycled on the road beside the cars, as it was impossible to cycle on the cycleway :cool:

Not sure if Bray is meant to be a proper cycleway though? more like a pedestrian walkway with the option of bicycles (when there's no pedestrians)?

So I won't call it a bad 'un as I guess it's not a proper cycleway, but what are your experiences with different cycleways and paths?

Good 'uns and bad 'uns.

bazermc

I heard the one in Sandymount is fantastic. Oh wait.................

Hamsterchops

Residents are up up in arms, right.

Tombo2001

A really really good one locally to me - and very seldom talked about - is Tolka Valley.

Its about 4k long and runs along the river Tolka, not right beside it all the way, but close to it.

It then joins up (more or less) with the canal at Ashtown.

So for example you could jump on the Canal Path at Blanch, and cycle all the way to the end of that path, coming out at Botanic Gardens (more or or less).

Its a really nice one for kids as its undulating and winds around.

There are a few small issues with it - by far the biggest of which is that there is a big old dual carriageway cutting through it at one point, so you have to go out on to the road, find a level crossing and rejoin.

Another issue - is that you would never know walking past the very modest and quite concealed entrance (from the Dual Carriageway) that it was the entrance to one of the best cycle paths in Dublin.

I can only put this down to the difference between being in Finglas and being somewhere like Clontarf or Dun Laoghaire.

magicbastarder

you can actually go under that road you mention. it's not very inviting looking though.

Tombo2001

magicbastarder wrote: »

you can actually go under that road you mention. it's not very inviting looking though.

I meant the Dual Carriageway at Finglas - so that it joins up with the path that comes out at Addision - its another 800m of path. Not cycle path per se, but still off road ....

99% sure you can only go under that in waders.....

magicbastarder

aha, gotcha.

Tombo2001

Must say it to the local councillors though.

One of the issues I sometimes think with cycle paths is that they dont go anywhere.

If you are with kids, its not much good if you have a few hundred yards of cycle path, then a busy road, then a bit more cycle path, then a bit more busy road and so on.

Griffith Avenue at the moment is a great example of this. 1500 metres of excellent cycle path, but doesnt particularly bring you from one destination to another destination.....apart from schools obviously.

But in terms of bringing the kids out on the bike - Castleknock/ Blanch all the way to the Botanic Gardens on 95% off road cycle path is a good day out that probably a lot of people dont know about.

The 'dream' would be if it also connected up with the Phoenix Park - there is no way at present you would bring kids through the roundabout at Ashtown.

magicbastarder

Tombo2001 wrote: »

One of the issues I sometimes think with cycle paths is that they dont go anywhere.

the best example of all that i can think of off the top of my head is the one between the western end of the runway at dublin airport, that goes about halfway from there to kilshane cross. it's 700m of cycle path many kilometres from any other cycle path.

De Bhál

as mentioned above Tolka Valley cycle path near Finglas Glasnevin area
I use it regularly, it's a lovely path along a nice stretch of the Tolka river.

The big issue with this path is to travel it's full length from the finglas road to Ashtown you must manoeuvre your bike through three sets of kissing gates.
pain in the hole when you have a family all having to dismount to get through.

This is the path entrance at the Glasnevin end

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3771198,-6.2874265,3a,75y,256.82h,77.05t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s8yLxFzQGicN1NRlLCyYEKw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D8yLxFzQGicN1NRlLCyYEKw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D40.086166%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

RobertFoster

That's one of my main issues with tracks in Ireland too. There's new ones being built along with other construction work all the time but they're usually disconnected. They just end* or begin poorly.

*This one now links to the Baldoyle/Portmarnock greenway. Is there some grand scheme that they'll all link up eventually?

magicbastarder

or this one - northbound on the swords road - just evaporates:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.377319,-6.2485693,3a,75y,1.12h,80.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s53-2Hbwvuqv4d3INA00YgQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

and then picks up again with an undished six inch - oblique - kerb to mount, with (irony of ironies) a sign in the way marking the bus and cycle lane beside it:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3779439,-6.2479895,3a,75y,348.19h,76.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQSyoNLy6q08QqUypIv4LoA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Weepsie

Got well used to Tolka valley when I lived in Ashington and OH lived in Glasnevin. It's very handy and should be more popular. There's a very short but very nice little climb from the cycle path up to the football pitch at one point too. Like 200-300metres but at 10% or so.

De Bhál

magicbastarder wrote: »

or this one - northbound on the swords road - just evaporates:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.377319,-6.2485693,3a,75y,1.12h,80.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s53-2Hbwvuqv4d3INA00YgQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

and then picks up again with an undished six inch - oblique - kerb to mount, with (irony of ironies) a sign in the way marking the bus and cycle lane beside it:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3779439,-6.2479895,3a,75y,348.19h,76.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQSyoNLy6q08QqUypIv4LoA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

that cycle path is really just to get cyclists off that stretch of road and how pedestrians and cyclists mingle the council don't really care as long as you're not in the bus lane.

In saying that I rarely cycle on the road there and just keep to the footpath, just not worth the close passes from busses endangering your life.

Seth Brundle

Further on out the Swords Rd, a friend that I hadn't chatted with in a few months recently told me that he was out on the cycle path doing the perimiter of the airport when he smacked into a bus stop opposite Alsaa at about 25km/h. Apparently both he and the pole are still damaged from the impact (it happened around Christmas).
My point being that far too many cycle paths have poles of some sort in them. Cycle paths traditionally were not designed for cyclists nor had they any design input from cyclists. The primary objective of cycle paths was to remove obstacles from the road.

Weepsie

De Bhál wrote: »

that cycle path is really just to get cyclists off that stretch of road and how pedestrians and cyclists mingle the council don't really care as long as you're not in the bus lane.

In saying that I rarely cycle on the road there and just keep to the footpath, just not worth the close passes from busses endangering your life.

Never had a problem with busses there. Had a d*ckhead Garda in an unmarked car take exception to me using the road though and an arsehole who kept cutting into the lane as far back as Drumcondra, but they then got caught by a sound Garda up the road who was also interested in hearing they'd been on their phone only a moment earlier too.

Tombo2001

De Bhál wrote: »

as mentioned above Tolka Valley cycle path near Finglas Glasnevin area
I use it regularly, it's a lovely path along a nice stretch of the Tolka river.

The big issue with this path is to travel it's full length from the old finglas road to Ashtown you must manoeuvre your bike through three sets of kissing gates.
pain in the hole when you have a family all having to dismount to get through.

This is the path entrance at the Glasnevin end

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3771198,-6.2874265,3a,75y,256.82h,77.05t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s8yLxFzQGicN1NRlLCyYEKw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D8yLxFzQGicN1NRlLCyYEKw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D40.086166%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

From street level, particularly if you are driving through - it looks just like continuous railing.

That photo is a bit misleading as its taken from a height.

CapnHex

Works ongoing in Sandyford on a cycle path from Beacon Hotel to Kilgobbin Road, through an interchange for the M50. Looks like 5 sets of crossing lights to negotiate the interchange. I don’t cycle that route normally, but I’ll check it out when it’s finished.

Mercian Pro

Where to begin?
Coming back from the mountains yesterday I spotted a decent looking segregated cycle path on Wyckham Way heading towards the Dundrum Bypass. Just as it turned the corner it transformed into a grass margin with a lamp standard in the middle of it.
On the R132 opposite the airport there is a fine cycleway interrupted by two busy left turns. At each of these you are expected to swing to the left, stop at a pedestrian crossing and try to see around the corner if any traffic is coming. Like most cyclists, I use the bus lane instead and join the cycleway at the ALSAA junction instead.
There is another even more dangerous version of this on the East Wall Road/Alexandra Road junction and I keep expecting to hear reports of a serious collision there.
I could go on ....

Type 17

East Wall Road, heading south towards the river - pole in centre of lane? Check; Grit and sh1te everywhere? Check; Shared with pedestrians? Check...



PS: Just how long has it been since it was swept? At least a year, IIRC.

magicbastarder

i remember that cycle lane after the late spring snow a few years back, you'd have been able to grow spuds in it.

Tombo2001

You forget to mention the HGVs speeding past a few cms from the pavement.

gavinoontheweb

CapnHex wrote: »

Works ongoing in Sandyford on a cycle path from Beacon Hotel to Kilgobbin Road, through an interchange for the M50. Looks like 5 sets of crossing lights to negotiate the interchange. I don’t cycle that route normally, but I’ll check it out when it’s finished.

A big job over the last few months and I doubt it will get much use at all. Celtic Tiger planners never envisaged cyclists using the roads around the Beacon and the M50.

The new infrastructure is car-first and will be largely un-used by people cycling due to the loss of priority. People who want to actually get where they're going in a timely manner will get abuse from drivers for being anywhere near that roundabout.

Type 17

Tombo2001 wrote: »

You forget to mention the HGVs speeding past a few cms from the pavement.

Not to mention how the potential conflict is handled* between cyclists and HGVs turning into and exiting Terminal 3 of Dublin port.

https://goo.gl/maps/HuCN7yJ83AjKMh5X7

*Spoiler: It's not handled in any meaningful way, see Streetview pic above.

sasal

I live beside this beaut:

https://twitter.com/IrishCycle/status/1125083536090857481

Type 17

There's going to be a lot more bad than good in this thread, but here's my favourite good (bit of) one - the section of the Sutton/Clontarf cycleway that passes along the front of St Annes Park. It's only about 900m long, but if all cycleways could be like this, things would be good - separated from the road and from the footpath, and wide enough for overtaking or two-abreast + 1, just a pity it's so short.

https://goo.gl/maps/bwVJjV6hSGkcggzY6

Seaswimmer

magicbastarder wrote: »

i remember that cycle lane after the late spring snow a few years back, you'd have been able to grow spuds in it.

That was probably around the same time that the local youths were tearing up big chunks of the red surface overlay and throwing them at the passing traffic.
You will notice that some sections have red overlay and others are just bare concrete!!

Wishbone Ash

Mercian Pro wrote: »

....There is another even more dangerous version of this on the East Wall Road/Alexandra Road junction and I keep expecting to hear reports of a serious collision there.
I could go on ....

That would be a horrible junction if used by 'ordinary' traffic but the fact that it's mainly trucks, makes it even worse. It's one of the few junctions where I don't be assertive and cross like a child. Designed for those who can see around corners.

(There's also a barrier free level crossing there but at least the train is escorted across by a banksman waving a flag!)

magicbastarder

that used to be on my commute - i never found that junction as bad as the right hand turn (southbound) from east wall road onto east wall road, if you follow me; you'd get truck drives - of big ones like 40 footers and dump trucks - coming from the port tunnel and driving through reds several seconds after they'd turned. i know you're meant to do it anyway, but definitely a junction you check the way is clear when you get a green.

Tombo2001

To go back to the OP - are there any other cycle paths worth mentioning.

The only ones I use with any frequency are (i) Clontarf/ Sutton (II) Tolka Valley (III) Canal from Des Kelly to Blanch and (IV) Phoenix Park circuit of the football grounds.

The one through NorthWall is kind of worth mentioning, its nice but not very long.

The one along the canal on the southside is OK, lots of traffic lights though.

Never been on the cycle paths in Dun Laoghaire or Baldoyle.....

Tombo2001

magicbastarder wrote: »

that used to be on my commute - i never found that junction as bad as the right hand turn (southbound) from east wall road onto east wall road, if you follow me; you'd get truck drives - of big ones like 40 footers and dump trucks - coming from the port tunnel and driving through reds several seconds after they'd turned. i know you're meant to do it anyway, but definitely a junction you check the way is clear when you get a green.

Is this the turn to take if you want to get to back entrance of East Point -in other words, if you dont take the turn you will end up in the port tunnel...?.

That is one of the hairiest cycles in Dublin. I would put it in the top two, alongside the Greenhills Road crossing the M50.