Journalism and cycling

I write to you in relation to Hugh Linehan’s article “Fairview trees row shows why Dublin remains a mess” (August 12th). He says some of the claims about the history of the trees are “dubious”. I would refer your writer to the front page of The Irish Times on October 31st, 1908, which devoted considerable column inches to the planting of the trees in Fairview, and clearly demonstrated their historical significance.

Regarding the claims of nimbyism, let’s make one thing clear: local residents want a cycle path built – just not the current design for one. The campaigners are aware of the facts, have studied the plans, consulted users and experts and submitted alternative design solutions. The issue local residents have is the poor consultation and engagement from council engineers responsible for this plan – and their refusal to integrate feedback from stakeholders into their final designs. If Dublin is a “bedraggled mess”, as Hugh Linehan claims, it is due to poor design and failure to integrate new infrastructure properly. This is exactly what campaigners, including myself, are opposing.

As a cyclist that commutes daily on this route, often with a young child, I want to see investment in safe cycling infrastructure – but not at the cost of destroying Fairview’s local environment and natural heritage.

Well said, Hugh Linehan. It’s time we had some reason in this debate.

The bicycle boom is causing problems in the German capital, as well. "There is a lack of space on the roads," says Burkhard Horn, a Berlin traffic planner. "The bike paths are too narrow. Sometimes 30, 40 people will be waiting at a traffic light." There have also been conflicts between fast and slow cyclists, because many bike paths -- especially older ones -- don't offer space for overtaking other bikers.

(snip)

In Berlin, the problem is slowly being resolved: The city is adding cycle lanes to existing road surfaces. But because money is scarce, there won't be a physical separation, such as a curb, as is customary in Denmark and Holland. The price for this is that cars continue to misuse bike lines as parking spaces.

But where this journey is headed is well known to Horn, the traffic planner: "We need to reallocate space for bicycles. That is inevitable. The space will be taken from cars."