Little changes we can make to normalise cycling and encourage its uptake

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119913749#Comment_119913749

So you saw him a long way off but also didn't see him the last minute.

There's no need to defend something that happened only in your head.

Maybe you should wear a camera....

if we saw him from a long way off why did he startle us.

We jumped out of his way and I hurt my knee.

It wouldnt be possible for me to care less whether you believe me or not, your pal Andrew also accused me of lying.

If it makes you feel better to scoff at me then be my guest.

But then when you produce statistics showing low levels of injuries reported by people who have been injured by cyclists, well lets say those statistics mean nothing at all.

Flinty997

This started off as being almost mowed down. Basically nothing happened.

Now magically an injury has appeared from not being mowed down.

Was he near or far away or just very small.

https://youtu.be/MMiKyfd6hA0

I'd say what startled you was walking up.

Now if you had camera....

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119913535#Comment_119913535

What were you doing all dressed in black and with no lights? Surely you should be taking responsibility for your own safety by wearing hivis and a head torch?

monument

Ok, everyone:

Back on topic, or I’ll start infracting and then banning people.

— moderator

Flinty997

Some projects...

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/1017/1329646-ireland-transport/

Thelonious Monk

lads would you stop engaging this clown?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119913836#Comment_119913836

i suppose I will get an infraction from responding to your goading childish behaviour.

Have you a comphrehension difficulty, He cycled at speed towards us in dark clothing and didnt ring a bell, we were looking at the christmas lights so werent aware of him and no while I wasnt wearing a vest but was dressed in a light covered coat. I didnt say he mowed us down, again, can you not read whats posted. I said I moved quickly out of his way and hurt my knee which is dodgy anyway,hence the reason I take care when Im out and about.

My friend actually said did he even have a light on the bike and I said no, of course not, par for the course with cyclists like that.He probably had a cameras stashed somewhere on his body so he could post stuff up about motorists.

Now I will take Thelonious advice and stop responding to clowns/trolls or whatever is the adjective of the day when one wants to shut others up.

Flinty997

Some more initiatives that might improve cycling...

https://irishcycle.com/2022/10/16/dublin-city-to-look-at-increasing-quality-and-visual-attractiveness-of-quick-build-cycle-routes-as-switches-into-next-gear/

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/pedestrian-rules-road-you-not-25524717?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915522#Comment_119915522

Can you post up rules of the road for cyclists.

I see cycling advocates telling other cyclists to cycle two abreast on roads but in the pedestrian rules you linked two pedestrians should not walk two abreast.

Flinty997

Another interesting development in the stand road saga.

https://irishcycle.com/2022/11/24/armageddon-forecast-of-traffic-chaos-when-strand-road-made-one-way-hasnt-happened-claims-residents/

Be interesting to see how this develops. It will have implications for similar restrictions in the future.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915665#Comment_119915665

Posted in another thread,

I drove on Strand Road on sunday early afternoon and the traffic going Southbound was gridlocked,it was being diverted down narrow residential roads effectively locking residents into their houses. I passed so many Uk reg cars, presumably they came off the ferry, how they were supposed to get through that gridlock was beyond me.

I returned via Ringsend at about 8 PM and all the traffic heading for Strand Road was diverted through narrow roads eventually ending up in Sandymount village which was like a carpark,just unreal. There were people getting out of taxis in the middle of the road as no point in sitting there paying and getting nowhere.

These people need to take a reality check, Sandymount Strand carries thousands of cars in both directions everyday and there is no where for this traffic to go without destroying other peoples environment.

I live on a very busy road too,nothing I would like better than to close it off for me and my neighbours,must find a journalist to write an article for me.

I am sure the people of East Wall live with very loud traffic too, pity they dont have contacts in the media/legal profession to make a case for them too.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915692#Comment_119915692

How will your moan about traffic congestion (of which you were part of) help encourage people to cycle?

Im not moaning, its a part of life but closing off roads that carry thousands of cars just because well heeled residents dont like the noise wont help anyone but them.

It will bring all that traffic onto small local roads which means they will be dangerous to walk and cycle on and dangerous for children playing.

snowstorm445

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119882264#Comment_119882264

Average rainfall isn't a very helpful statistic in this situation. You could have heavier rainfall all at once vs rain spread out across the year. In terms of actual rainy days in a single year, Dublin has about the same as Copenhagen at 190 days a year, and Cork is about the same as Amsterdam, 210 a year.

Point being that both countries have very similar damp climates (and often much colder than ours in the winter) yet they are probably the biggest bike users in Europe.

Flinty997

Pretty much none of what you said is true.

If you restrict drivers many will go somewhere else or switch to another mode of transport. They'll choose the route of least resistance.

Which is why one cycle lane or a car free zone generally leads to other positive improvements.

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2020/0924/1167238-cycleway-dublin/

https://irishcycle.com/2022/08/30/stop-denying-it-in-the-last-two-decades-literally-48-of-cars-evaporated-from-dublin-city-centres-streets-at-peak-times/

Flinty997

Sandymount has traffic problems for decades even when there were no restrictions.

https://dublininquirer.com/2018/03/28/after-25-years-of-asking-councillors-hope-for-traffic-plan-for-sandymount-green

Someone living in an area should have priority over someone who only passes through it.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915957#Comment_119915957

A wet day is great for cycling. The traffic is grid locked and you just cycle past it all.

patrickbrophy18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119909614#Comment_119909614

I was merely responding to the level of grand standing which yourself and some other posters here have about where people should live which is completely out of touch considering the on going property crisis. If I had the money, I would live in the most central house in suburbia with all the public transport, best cycling facilities and amenities at my door step.

However, the reality is that the average joe cannot afford this luxury due the huge expenses. So, they have "no choice" but to relocate to the sticks. As always, the level of maturity is at an all time low while the level of sanctimony is through the roof.

Back to the topic at hand. If we really want to encourage cycling, we need to throw out the DMURS and the NCM. Both documents peddle this romantic notion of a perfectly harmonious balance with all road users sharing less space due to a sense of place.

They are kind of like a socialists guide to road design where in the only way it perceives acceptance of pedestrians and cyclists is if they are at the center of motorists attention. In reality, this creates a claustrophobic domain. The public realm shouldn't have the different road user groups right on top of one another.

Both manuals also appear to demonise proper segregation methods like barriers because pedestrians and cyclists will feel marginalised. Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians should have designated spaces and not be allowed encroach on each other.

Ideally, the only places they should interact with each other is at designated crossing points and other junctions, not the unpredictable paradigm that we have at present. The road network should behave like a well oiled machine and less like a disfunctional mess. Leave pedestrianisation to streets with shops and businesses along their entire length that would benefit from it.

Also, we need to streamline traffic light obedience to all road user groups and not just motorists. Seriously, what is the point on pedestrian lights if no one obeys them. Let the traffic signals determine when it is or is not safe to go. None of this open to interpretation nonsense. Bottom line, the promotion of cycling shouldn't pave the way for double standards.

Now, I still acknowledge how much more dangerous it is for motorists to blatently sail through red lights given the very real possibility of fatal collisions where cameras and number plate recognition systems could be built in to penalize them. I also realize and see plenty of motorists doing this regularly.

Now, the offering for cyclists still has massive room for improvement alright given the half assed nature of cycle infrastructure as alluded to by Andrew a few pages back. Having a cycle lane coming to an abrupt end for parking spaces and the like is just asking for trouble.

The classic painted-on variety of cycle lane is particularly out-dated. Grade separation is the way to go with the Dutch and Danish being experts at this and should be a benchmark. The DMURS and NCM are a far cry from this benchmark. They are kind of like the diet version of the Dutch and Danish approach given their harsh tight junction recommendations and staggered road aligments unsuitable for larger vehicles.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119918370#Comment_119918370

There's no "grandstanding" in simply pointing out if you organise society around needing a car, you'll always need a car, and it creates a car centric mindset.

Its thread about encouraging cycling. Posting about why you have to buy a gaff down in the sticks and cyclist should follow the same rules as cars so as not to upset motorists has nothing to do with that.

I don't cycle everywhere. I drive a lot. That doesn't prevent me from seeing the problems with our mindset around cars and thus cycling. Any sort of consideration for cycling meets so much resistance.

magicbastarder

was it this thread where i read that what was clarified in the highway code in the UK recently is already law in ireland; that someone travelling along a footpath on a 'main' road, has priority over a motorist when crossing a side road?

e.g. if i am crossing the side road, a motorist waiting to turn off the main road onto that side road must yield to me?

reason i ask is, if that is the case for pedestrians, how does that work then for off-road cycle paths which signal to the cyclist that they must yield right of way when crossing the side road?

Flinty997

No idea. Like to read it if you find it though.

I'm not sure how much of the signage they use is technically correct legally. There was debate about this in old threads.

brianc89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915692#Comment_119915692

The answer there is to stop cars commuting THROUGH the city. They should be forced to take the Port Tunnel and M50.

Seriously, you just don't get it. Modern cities need to stop cars commuting THROUGH them. Absolutely fine if you need to take your car locally.

brianc89

And people seriously question the need for bollards. This is at the junction of Drumcondra Road and Botanic Avenue (Fagans pub) during morning rush hour.

Note there is a side road less than 100m before this which is very wide and has plenty of space for a truck to unload.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119920190#Comment_119920190

it was this comment (in the 'global cities reducing car access' thread).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119906644#Comment_119906644

if that's the case, the vast majority of off-road cycle paths violate the law/regs/whatever.

Spook_ie

..

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119920280#Comment_119920280

Both the side roads (Botanic Avenue and Hollybank Road ) have a 3.5t weight limit on them.

brianc89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119920783#Comment_119920783

Here's the top of Botanic Avenue. A large loading bay within 50m of where the truck "parked" and there is more than enough room to maneuver on that street. The 3.5t limit is aimed at stopping through flow of trucks.

buffalo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119919820#Comment_119919820

It's because cyclists aren't pedestrians. :) I'll see if I can confirm the law later.

buffalo

294/1964

22. (2) A driver approaching a road junction shall yield the right of way to another vehicle which has commenced to turn or cross at the junction in accordance with these bye-laws, and to a pedestrian who has commenced to cross at the junction in accordance with these bye-laws.