Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

Tombo2001 · 14-10-2020 10:53AM

Related point was the woman giving out because she cant park outside the Educate Together 'because of the new bike path' .....(note, it was never legal to park there in the first place!!).

The Educate Together schools had a 'first come first serve' admissions policy, not sure if they still have.....but a consequence is that you could be living in Tallaght and enrol your kid in Glasnevin Educate Together.

For me, there is a lot to be said for the notion that if you have a local school, then thats where your kid should go.

A lot of people dont do that. They want the primary school 6 miles away because somehow its 'better' than the local school, which is usually a euphemism for more middle class.

Most people in Dublin have a local school that is within 20 minute walk or 10 minute cycle - they just dont use them. This creates an inordinate amount of car traffic.

On a more positive note - I was in Na Fianna yesterday and couldnt believe the amount of bikes in Scoil Caitriona - Caroline Conroy is a big local champion of the bike and directly campaigned for a large number of sheffield stands in the school, and they are full to the brim with bikes.

mr spuckler · 14-10-2020 10:56AM

Tell me how wrote: »

I'm just curious about this statement.
What sentence/punishment do you think would be appropriate in such an incident?

This was a 68 year old woman driving home from mass. I'm not excusing her, but it doesn't seem to compare to drink driving, joy riding, boy racer type incidents which we here about all too often.

The article doesn't suggest any obvious unacceptable behaviour other than incompetency.

Again, not trying to be argumentative here but should every RTA result in a custodial sentence?

She killed someone through her behaviour. I'd rank that right at the top of the list of unacceptable behaviours.

breezy1985 · 14-10-2020 11:03AM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Related point was the woman giving out because she cant park outside the Educate Together 'because of the new bike path' .....(note, it was never legal to park there in the first place!!).

The Educate Together schools had a 'first come first serve' admissions policy, not sure if they still have.....but a consequence is that you could be living in Tallaght and enrol your kid in Glasnevin Educate Together.

For me, there is a lot to be said for the notion that if you have a local school, then thats where your kid should go.

A lot of people dont do that. They want the primary school 6 miles away because somehow its 'better' than the local school, which is usually a euphemism for more middle class.

Most people in Dublin have a local school that is within 20 minute walk or 10 minute cycle - they just dont use them. This creates an inordinate amount of car traffic.

On a more positive note - I was in Na Fianna yesterday and couldnt believe the amount of bikes in Scoil Caitriona - Caroline Conroy is a big local champion of the bike and directly campaigned for a large number of sheffield stands in the school, and they are full to the brim with bikes.

I'm well sick of people complaining about school runs when it's actually down to them choosing to send the child half way across town.

Seth Brundle · 14-10-2020 11:06AM

https://twitter.com/DublinCommuters/status/1316298238950027265

Wildly Boaring · 14-10-2020 11:23AM

^^^^ FF councilor sees no issue. Tries to make out that resurfacing a bumpy road can benefit pedestrians

magicbastarder · 14-10-2020 11:27AM

DoraDelite wrote: »

One of the funniest comments was the lad giving out about the right turn only lane at where the garda station used to be, claiming he didn't know it was there even though it's been in place for 20 odd years at least Somehow that's credited to a cycle lane that doesn't exist yet :rolleyes:

it's kinda like my job. i make changes to systems which affect about 100,000 laptops and desktops. when we're asked do we tell the users about the changes, the most useful excuse not to is that they'll blame every single thing that's going wrong on their laptop, on the change, even if the issues predated the change by a significant period of time.

Tombo2001 · 14-10-2020 11:44AM

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

^^^^ FF councilor sees no issue. Tries to make out that resurfacing a bumpy road can benefit pedestrians

I will certainly be contacting same chap on the back of his comments....

The irony is that that a some solid potholes in the middle of the road will slow cars down.....which for cyclists .....aint a bad thing.

They've just resurfaced Iona Road near me. Guess what - cars are going faster.

The thing is - Fianna Fail had a very progressive cycling policy at the last election, but time and time again its contradicted by commentary from local FF councillors.

magicbastarder · 14-10-2020 11:55AM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Related point was the woman giving out because she cant park outside the Educate Together 'because of the new bike path' .....(note, it was never legal to park there in the first place!!).

speaking of that road, is there a name for that sort of design where a second road is built off and parallel to a larger road, completely exposed to the larger road, with houses along the other side? it seems a very inefficient use of space. not sure if i've seen it in newer developments though.

the one in question:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3791635,-6.2700843,3a,75y,328.98h,79.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0dnnecAcOHMJXgyM_HuU8w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

if you spin the camera 180 degrees, the school in question is visible. there's a load of cars parked in the 'off road' road, i wonder do people park and ride from there?

breezy1985 · 14-10-2020 12:01PM

In fairness the biggest intervention they could do for me on my commute is to resurface about 60% of my route. Especially the concrete section that's breaking up and has really dangerous lines of grass growing up through the joins

Tombo2001 · 14-10-2020 12:18PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

speaking of that road, is there a name for that sort of design where a second road is built off and parallel to a larger road, completely exposed to the larger road, with houses along the other side? it seems a very inefficient use of space. not sure if i've seen it in newer developments though.

the one in question:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3791635,-6.2700843,3a,75y,328.98h,79.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0dnnecAcOHMJXgyM_HuU8w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

if you spin the camera 180 degrees, the school in question is visible. there's a load of cars parked in the 'off road' road, i wonder do people park and ride from there?

Not sure what its called - the only other similar design I am aware of is the 17 shops in Cabra.

I live not to far away, with free parking outside the house.

Not uncommon at all for someone to park their car for 2 or 3 weeks outside the house - though less so now that people arent taking holidays abroad.

If you go to streets nearby like Cliftonville say, or Clonliffe (or indeed Griffith Avenue), long thoroughfares with free parking - you will see an occasional car that......I wont say its abandoned, as who knows.....but that have 06 Tax discs.

You can spot them a mile off by the dirt on the windscreens.

The wider point being that is possible to park a car for free on the street for a decade or more- and not use it - and yet people whinge when same space is allocated to a bike lane.

magicbastarder · 14-10-2020 12:26PM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Not sure what its called - the only other similar design I am aware of is the 17 shops in Cabra.

it can also be seen opposite the main entrance to DCU on collin's avenue.

what_traffic · 14-10-2020 02:24PM

Limerick City has an example of this on Brookville Avenue(near Thomand Park). Both sides of the road as well.
https://goo.gl/maps/kvBnAjYjzUPWQKhR9

breezy1985 · 14-10-2020 02:30PM

what_traffic wrote: »

Limerick City has an example of this on Brookville Avenue(near Thomand Park). Both sides of the road as well.
https://goo.gl/maps/kvBnAjYjzUPWQKhR9

That road is mapped for a cycle lane in some Limerick transport plan. It's such low hanging fruit I don't know why something hasn't been done. The main road is big enough for a cycle lane even without the side road or grass

magicbastarder · 14-10-2020 02:36PM

yep, same on the kylemore road in dublin. if i lived there, i'd be petitioning the council to grant me the excess road as a garden, so you'd have a huge garden.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3388239,-6.3480291,3a,75y,140.62h,85.85t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sd4eCvH5mMpssTqr1O29UsA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dd4eCvH5mMpssTqr1O29UsA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D170.6996%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Breezer · 14-10-2020 06:31PM

breezy1985 wrote: »

In fairness the biggest intervention they could do for me on my commute is to resurface about 60% of my route. Especially the concrete section that's breaking up and has really dangerous lines of grass growing up through the joins

They’re currently resurfacing Constitution Hill and have redone the lane markings. Now there’s a proper width cycle lane and one general traffic lane, instead of two general traffic lanes with a pothole-filled cycle lane shoved into half of one of them. It’s much better.

breezy1985 · 14-10-2020 08:46PM

Breezer wrote: »

They’re currently resurfacing Constitution Hill and have redone the lane markings. Now there’s a proper width cycle lane and one general traffic lane, instead of two general traffic lanes with a pothole-filled cycle lane shoved into half of one of them. It’s much better.

If they keep putting that red paint crap on all the cycle lanes they will be needing all that money for resurfacing in the future

Tell me how · 14-10-2020 08:49PM

what_traffic wrote: »

Limerick City has an example of this on Brookville Avenue(near Thomand Park). Both sides of the road as well.
https://goo.gl/maps/kvBnAjYjzUPWQKhR9

breezy1985 wrote: »

That road is mapped for a cycle lane in some Limerick transport plan. It's such low hanging fruit I don't know why something hasn't been done. The main road is big enough for a cycle lane even without the side road or grass

I hope they do it without removing the grass or trees, or limiting the amount they remove if they must do some

That road in springtime with daffodils is an impressive site and trees are just generally awesome.

breezy1985 · 14-10-2020 08:55PM

Tell me how wrote: »

I hope they do it without removing the grass or trees, or limiting the amount they remove if they must do some

That road in springtime with daffodils is an impressive site and trees are just generally awesome.

All it really needs is an entrance/exit either end of the side roads for the bikes and use it as a quietway and leave the main road as is

Tell me how · 14-10-2020 09:09PM

breezy1985 wrote: »

All it really needs is an entrance/exit either end of the side roads for the bikes and use it as a quietway and leave the main road as is

Agree.
As long as the tenants don't kick up over losing the ability to park cars on the street outside their houses as many do.

Google Maps Link

Type 17 · 15-10-2020 10:28AM

Tell me how wrote: »

Agree.
As long as the tenants don't kick up over losing the ability to park cars on the street outside their houses as many do.

Google Maps Link

There looks to be plenty of room for residents' parking and room for (careful) driving and cycling - perhaps the perfect place to introduce to Ireland a Fietsstraat (Dutch for Cycle Street, where "cars are guests").

Dyt5by3XQAAt55a?format=jpg

15-10-2020 10:45AM

Type 17 wrote: »

There looks to be plenty of room for residents' parking and room for (careful) driving and cycling - perhaps the perfect place to introduce to Ireland a Fietsstraat (Dutch for Cycle Street, where "cars are guests").

B-b-but road tax!

breezy1985 · 15-10-2020 11:18AM

Type 17 wrote: »

There looks to be plenty of room for residents' parking and room for (careful) driving and cycling - perhaps the perfect place to introduce to Ireland a Fietsstraat (Dutch for Cycle Street, where "cars are guests").

That's kinda what I was getting at. You wouldn't need a cycle lane because that road only has residential traffic whish is very little and going very slow.

JimmiesRustled · 15-10-2020 11:49AM

breezy1985 wrote: »

That's kinda what I was getting at. You wouldn't need a cycle lane because that road only has residential traffic whish is very little and going very slow.

I remember vaguely on one of the housing projects we were designing that there was an issue with both Irish Water and the local council as to the shared surface and material build up/colour. Generally there is a transition when entering a shared surface. Either through a change of colour or material. If I remember correctly Irish Water wouldn't allow their buried services within a new development under anything other than concrete. It was something to that effect anyway.

Macy0161 · 15-10-2020 11:51AM

Clonkeen Road is the same. Cycle path is on the main road though iirc.

Duckjob · 15-10-2020 11:59AM

Type 17 wrote: »

There looks to be plenty of room for residents' parking and room for (careful) driving and cycling - perhaps the perfect place to introduce to Ireland a Fietsstraat (Dutch for Cycle Street, where "cars are guests").

Prioritize cyclists ? Cars are guests on the streets they pay their road tax for ?

I'd say most Irish politicians would still sh*t themselves about triggering Joe and Mary Motorist with that sort of talk.

breezy1985 · 15-10-2020 12:37PM

Duckjob wrote: »

Prioritize cyclists ? Cars are guests on the streets they pay their road tax for ?

I'd say most Irish politicians would still sh*t themselves about triggering Joe and Mary Motorist with that sort of talk.

What does that actually mean though. Is it no overtaking bikes or something?

Grassey · 15-10-2020 02:27PM

breezy1985 wrote: »

That's kinda what I was getting at. You wouldn't need a cycle lane because that road only has residential traffic whish is very little and going very slow.

That's kinda like this spot https://www.google.ie/maps/place/53%C2%B016'45.2%22N+6%C2%B018'44.7%22W/@53.2792328,-6.3129542,173m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d53.2792319!4d-6.3124069

And I say kinda as the cycle lane just ends with no warning, then there is 15m of footpath before entering the estate, at which point the cyclelane resumes at the East side of Scholarstown Park.

The cylcle lane presumably is continues through the shared area until the next segregated bit on Ballyboden Way... or it could just be successive bad, non-connecting developments and I'm stretching

Grassey · 15-10-2020 03:04PM

breezy1985 wrote: »

What does that actually mean though. Is it no overtaking bikes or something?

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fietsstraat

Seems to just indicate low volume (car) roads that are largely cycle routes also

Tell me how · 15-10-2020 03:26PM

Type 17 wrote: »

There looks to be plenty of room for residents' parking and room for (careful) driving and cycling - perhaps the perfect place to introduce to Ireland a Fietsstraat (Dutch for Cycle Street, where "cars are guests").

Dont think there is that room on the road in question without removing the green area and trees.

I'd rather if that didn't have to happen.

Type 17 · 15-10-2020 03:45PM

Duckjob wrote: »

Prioritize cyclists ? Cars are guests on the streets they pay their road tax for ?

I'd say most Irish politicians would still sh*t themselves about triggering Joe and Mary Motorist with that sort of talk.

breezy1985 wrote: »

What does that actually mean though. Is it no overtaking bikes or something?

Grassey wrote: »

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fietsstraat

Seems to just indicate low volume (car) roads that are largely cycle routes also

The Fietsstraat is for roads where they would rather not have motor vehicles at all, but where access is still required (eg: service roads beside more busy routes and on residential routes only used for access to houses) - cars can drive on them, but the speed limit is 30km/h and cars are not allowed to overtake bikes. Parking is permitted in provided bays.
Here's 30-90 secs of a YouTube video showing the bike leaving a regular bike lane and entering a Fietsstraat (note the symbols changing on lower-left). There is plenty of room for cars and bikes, but the pink surface reminds car drivers that they are guests. Note that they are only used where access (rather than through-traffic) is required:
https://youtu.be/Tnw8_338MIg?t=392

Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

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