Bicycles, Phoenix Park and traffic

KevRossi · 11-05-2020 1:08pm #1

Maybe I'm missing something, but does anyone know where you can park a bike in the Phoenix Park? There doesn't seem to be any bike stands that I can see.

I was there on Saturday and was asked not to lock it to the railings/fence. When I asked if there was a dedicated bike parking place, the ranger just said: "Don't lock it to the railings." He seemed stressed so I just left it at that.

I know there's parking outside the main entrance beside the Criminal Courts, but is there one inside?

buffalo · 11-05-2020 1:26pm

KevRossi wrote: »

Maybe I'm missing something, but does anyone know where you can park a bike in the Phoenix Park? There doesn't seem to be any bike stands that I can see.

I was there on Saturday and was asked not to lock it to the railings/fence. When I asked if there was a dedicated bike parking place, the ranger just said: "Don't lock it to the railings." He seemed stressed so I just left it at that.

I know there's parking outside the main entrance beside the Criminal Courts, but is there one inside?

There are some good and some bad racks at the visitor centre at Ashtown Castle. Other than that, I don't know of any. Might be some at the Zoo?

Stark · 11-05-2020 1:28pm

Some good ones (proper sheffield stand type) at the visitor centre.

They installed some recently outside Garda HQ though I think they're the ****ty ones that only allow you to lock your wheel to the rack so you have the pleasure of coming home to a wheel and no frame or a buckled wheel.

KevRossi · 11-05-2020 8:08pm

Was up there again today.

Only racks are at Ashtown Castle, no idea when this is locked. No racks at the Zoo, Papal Cross or the main entrances.

It's all a bit bizarre for a major park.

Stark · 11-05-2020 10:03pm

Obviously you're supposed to drive to the Park, not cycle there :pac:

ozzy jr · 11-05-2020 11:29pm

Might be worthy of a separate thread, but how great it is at the moment to cycle around the park with very little traffic and no parking on the main road.

On Saturday it was packed with people of all ages on bikes. The cycle paths were still full of walkers but they weren't needed as the roads were free.

Wouldn't it be great if they closed the park to traffic at weekends. Unlikely I know with the zoo being there, but if they just opened Chesterfield avenue and left the rest car free, it would be a great start.

Hurrache · 12-05-2020 9:02am

Very great. You could have permanent farmers market type food areas, activity centres, all sorts and the place would be great. Regular visitors will know already how busy the cafes at the visitors centre and boat house are, and they're at the same end of the park.

https://twitter.com/AnTaisce/status/1260074506019901440

KevRossi · 12-05-2020 9:43am

Yeah, it's something to work towards. I agree that only Chesterfield should be open for cars, with access only to OSI, St Mary's etc. It's a bit mad at the moment where cars get so much space.

This is a great example; road is full of bikes and people at the moment, but ordinarily pedestrians haven't the space to pass each other safely. https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.348267,-6.3143946,3a,75y,197.56h,73.54t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sa5jvcPPWhkkwdZw0yf_kpQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Da5jvcPPWhkkwdZw0yf_kpQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D40.24991%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

500 bike stands dotted around the place would be nice too.

tomasrojo · 12-05-2020 9:55am

KevRossi wrote: »

Was up there again today.

Only racks are at Ashtown Castle, no idea when this is locked. No racks at the Zoo, Papal Cross or the main entrances.

It's all a bit bizarre for a major park.

Are there any by the playground that's down the escarpment from Infirmary Road?

KevRossi · 12-05-2020 10:09am

tomasrojo wrote: »

Are there any by the playground that's down the escarpment from Infirmary Road?

No idea, but looking at Street View the answer seems to be no. If you are going there, there's plenty of space to lock a bike to the railings: https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3514345,-6.2984133,3a,75y,94.16h,80.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKGZqOp6ulLF0-HwYiHmZHQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

tomasrojo · 12-05-2020 10:27am

Yeah, I don't recall there being bike parking there, which just shows how odd the parking provisions is in the park. It's pretty standard to have bike parking beside a playground.

Hurrache · 12-05-2020 10:28am

It's not as popular as the one at the castle, you'll see bikes all over the place at that one.

Mercian Pro · 12-05-2020 12:16pm

OPW seem to have a very mixed view on cycling in the Park. On the positive side, there is the bike-hire facility and they have put in quite a network of cycle paths but on the negative, other than on Chesterfield Avenue, they don't join up and I have never seen park rangers tell pedestrians to get off them. They have also refused permission for any competitive cycling events but regularly allow jogging and running events that divert motor traffic onto the cycle-friendly perimeter roads.

Their recent draft development plan made virtually no mention of cycling despite the fact that it is a hugely popular activity with both leisure and sports cyclists making good use of a fantastic amenity.

checky88 · 12-05-2020 2:20pm

Im nearly sure that there is sheffield bike stands at the bottom of the kyber beside Magazine Fort no?

magicbastarder · 12-05-2020 2:23pm

Mercian Pro wrote: »

They have also refused permission for any competitive cycling events

any reason given? insurance?

buffalo · 12-05-2020 2:39pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

any reason given? insurance?

There was an Orwell race there in May 2017, and National Champs was going to be held there (until Joe Biden showed up), so I think a blanket statement that the OPW refuse permission isn't accurate. Plenty of duathlons too which include cycling.

beauf · 12-05-2020 3:35pm

Does the Tour De France count?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCJidqzlA1c

There should be a cafe, toilets and bike air and repair facilities in the park. Handy for all cyclists be they leisure riders and commuters and kids.

OPW has strange ideas all the time. They'd ban people if they could.

Seth Brundle · 12-05-2020 8:26pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

any reason given? insurance?

Doubtful given that the only reason motor racing stopped there was due to a lack of sponsorship (AFAIK).

Pa ElGrande · 12-05-2020 10:08pm

KevRossi wrote: »

Maybe I'm missing something, but does anyone know where you can park a bike in the Phoenix Park? There doesn't seem to be any bike stands that I can see.
. .. .

Since it was a nice evening I took my fixie for a spin around the park to find out.
There are Sheffield stands located at

Note: Some of the google maps photos were taken before the Sheffield stands were put in.

There are no bike stands or rails near the Papal Cross. There are rails near the Arás and the Furry Glen and most entrances. I do see bikes locked to the rails at times but in places where they don't obstruct footpaths or crossings which I imagine would be the rangers primary concern not creating hazards and minimise abandoned bikes and locks.

beauf · 12-05-2020 11:51pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Doubtful given that the only reason motor racing stopped there was due to a lack of sponsorship (AFAIK).

Was a bit tight for motor racing. Especially once they put in those roundabouts pretty much blocked most of the viable circuits for racing. You'd think they didn't want racing in the park.

Weepsie · 13-05-2020 12:19am

beauf wrote: »

Does the Tour De France count?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCJidqzlA1c

There should be a cafe, toilets and bike air and repair facilities in the park. Handy for all cyclists be they leisure riders and commuters and kids.

OPW has strange ideas all the time. They'd ban people if they could.

There are 3 cafes in the park. Well 2 plus Farmleigh

Seth Brundle · 13-05-2020 12:45am

beauf wrote: »

Was a bit tight for motor racing. Especially once they put in those roundabouts pretty much blocked most of the viable circuits for racing. You'd think they didn't want racing in the park.

The roundabouts shouldn't be too much of an issue except for drivers who keep going straight!
Most drivers would have been aiming for the apex so should have been on the other side of the road to the roundabout.

I marshalled there several times in a past life (in my orange overalls). Most drivers would make the corner grand. Mind you, some managed to hit the stumps of the gas lamps on the grass.on Chesterfield Ave (the lights themselves were removed but the concrete stump was left and covered with sandbags)

beauf · 13-05-2020 1:22am

Well I think they use them as an excuse not to have them.

https://phoenixparkmotorraces.ie/racing-tracks/

Mercian Pro · 13-05-2020 10:22am

buffalo wrote: »

There was an Orwell race there in May 2017, and National Champs was going to be held there (until Joe Biden showed up), so I think a blanket statement that the OPW refuse permission isn't accurate. Plenty of duathlons too which include cycling.

Apologies - I wasn't aware of the Orwell race in 2017. From looking into it, they seem to have been in negotiation with OPW for some time with a view to resurrecting the regular racing that took place in the distant past. When they agreed to host the National Championship in 2016, they got permission to use the Park but, as you say, that was scuppered by Joe Biden and Kilcullen became the venue. I think the solitary race the following year may have been in part compensation for this.

Like many other followers of the Velominati here, I don't regard cycling interrupted by a run (and/or a swim) as a cycle 😊

Mercian Pro · 14-05-2020 8:00pm

Spotted the 4 Sheffield stands near the Magazine Fort this morning. They are located beside the bollards at the car park near the bottom of the Khyber Road and painted dark green to blend in with the landscape! Some cyclists must have found them as there were three bikes there.

Stark · 14-05-2020 8:09pm

Gutted to hear that it will be business as usual traffic wise in the Park from Monday

Mercian Pro · 14-05-2020 8:32pm

Stark wrote: »

Gutted to hear that it will be business as usual traffic wise in the Park from Monday

Where was that announced? It's been brilliant up there recently on the perimeter roads with no traffic. Pedestrians have gotten used to using the cyclepath near the Ashtown Gate with nearly all cyclists using the road so that could interesting on Monday.

Stark · 14-05-2020 8:34pm

https://twitter.com/dublincommuters/status/1260988624130191360?s=12

Carawaystick · 14-05-2020 8:41pm

Weepsie wrote: »

There are 3 cafes in the park. Well 2 plus Farmleigh

Plus another 3 in the Zoo

KevRossi · 14-05-2020 8:50pm

Looks like they'll be opening the other perimeter gates from June 8th.

They should open the following for cars and leave the rest; they need to learn from the experiences of the past 7 weeks:

1. Chesterfield Ave, with access to car parks at Papal Cross, Dublin Zoo, Visitor Centre and OSI
2. Access at Chapelizod Rd. for St. Mary's Hospital
3. Access at Islandbridge for parking beside Magazine Fort

Anything else would be madness on their part, if they cannot see that the park is so much better with most of the the roads closed to cars then I have no hope for them.

https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2020/0514/1138463-phoenix-park/

Temporary safety measures are being introduced in Dublin's Phoenix Park from next Monday in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensure social distancing can be maintained.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) said the use of the park as a recreational space has significantly increased in recent weeks.

In a statement, the OPW said that current cycling and pedestrian usage "has raised significant new road safety issues not experienced before to this extent and these will be exacerbated with the reintroduction of vehicles" into the park.

It said the measures being introduced "aim to provide the public with a safe place to practice social distancing from each other while they walk, run, exercise and travel by bike and adhere to the two metre (distance) rule".

The OPW said the measures are being introduced in consultation with gardaí.

The temporary measures being introduced include the following:

Provision of cocooning space at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre walled garden from 10am to 1pm daily
Provision of priority cocooning car parking at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre for those cocooning and using the walled garden
Repurposing of a portion of the North Road from the Cabra Gate to Garda Headquarters as a 2m-wide footpath
Instillation of one-way cycle lanes on the hard shoulder of Chesterfield Avenue to facilitate social distancing
Conversion of the current cycle lanes adjacent to Chesterfield Avenue into pedestrian footpaths
Opening of car parks at 10am daily from the 18 May in line with Phase One of the Government's road map
Dedicated parking areas for those taking early morning exercise
Prioritisation of car parking for Dublin Zoo patrons in conjunction with their phased reopening
Introduction of pedestrianised and leisure cycle shared space on Kyber Road
Reopening of the perimeter vehicular gates at 10am daily from 8 June in line with Phase Two of the road map
The OPW said the measure will be regularly reviewed in line with HSE guidelines and Government advice.

Mercian Pro · 14-05-2020 9:01pm

OPW's new measures in response to increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians:

"The temporary measures being introduced include the following:

Provision of cocooning space at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre walled garden from 10am to 1pm daily
Provision of priority cocooning car parking at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre for those cocooning and using the walled garden
Repurposing of a portion of the North Road from the Cabra Gate to Garda Headquarters as a 2m-wide footpath
Instillation of one-way cycle lanes on the hard shoulder of Chesterfield Avenue to facilitate social distancing
Conversion of the current cycle lanes adjacent to Chesterfield Avenue into pedestrian footpaths
Opening of car parks at 10am daily from the 18 May in line with Phase One of the Government's road map
Dedicated parking areas for those taking early morning exercise
Prioritisation of car parking for Dublin Zoo patrons in conjunction with their phased reopening
Introduction of pedestrianised and leisure cycle shared space on Kyber Road
Reopening of the perimeter vehicular gates at 10am daily from 8 June in line with Phase Two of the road map"

So essentially cyclists are being moved off the dedicated cycle paths on Chesterfield Avenue and on to the hard shoulder. The North Road already has a one-way cycle lane heading west so is this going to be the new 2m footpath? The Khyber Road shared space has been there for ages. Thankfully this all to happen by the 8th June according to OPW although RTE mention next Monday!

Bicycles, Phoenix Park and traffic

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