Meanwhile on the Roads...

I've had really bad luck with submissions to my local council on active travel schemes. They never seem to take cyclist submissions into account, but do sometimes take motorists - which is doubly frustrating.

SDCC have just finished yet another awful piece of active travel infrastructure on killininny road, that's actively useless while making cycling on the road more dangerous. Ignored all submissions on it.

Referring to the TII design doc (https://www.tii.ie/media/2lalnbms/dn-geo-03047-03.pdf) send the details of the schemes deviations from standard to both the TII and more importantly the NTA. Point out that this is a STANDARD not a guideline - it is something they MUST follow rather than just a useful reference to assist them.

Ask both TII and NTA if a formal departure from standards was approved in this scheme. Also ask to see the road safety assessment which should have been conducted after the scheme. If you have any good local councillors (don't pick ones who just do the "culture wars" thing) send them the details and get them to ask questions. Also TD's can sometimes take interest in things like this and can send the question for you, but better to start with councillors.

There's a new bike lane going in on the N24 roundabout about 3km east of Junction 10 on the M8.

Lovely protected separated lane, until it gets to the busy local road L3109 serving Fethard, where it abruptly ends short of the junction.

This retarded idea of bike lanes running to the side of our major roads needs to killed. Typically these will be exposed as fcuk, will be horrendous at every major junction and horrible to ride.

Whatever about by passes around out towns and the like, if linking up our towns we need a bit of imagination and use our local road network it. Promote it, get it signposted properly, and strictly enforce the 60km/h speed limit using whatever is needed with fixed, average speed cameras etc.

With ebikes, even non cyclist will handle the less even elevation profiles typical of our local roads.

My favourite (not) is this delight on the N25/N11 roundabout at Wexford. Bear in mind this is the meeting point for ALL traffic coming to/from Rosslare Port:

The lane on the left is technically a bike lane and its use is encouraged by this 5h!tshow about a kilometer before with traffic moving usually well in excess of the speed limit:

Fancy going north on the N11? Continue to the roundabout and the "bike lane" just chucks you straight onto a pinchpoint that's usually high speed bumper to bumper:

What's hilarious is that scheme overall expects you to cross a busy road (twice) and then sends you into a weighbridge only to emerge out of a hedge on a sideroad here:

Not only was someone paid to come up with this, multiple levels of authority would have signed off on it.

This is a good one I use a couple of times a week. All going well, you've cycled straight up past the Omni and are still alive, you've done well, now just follow this cyclepath straight out into motor traffic that's just starting accelerate up to next set of traffic lights.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3936843,-6.2458579,3a,75y,2.28h,60.62t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1snFl_MbzSvzCf1W10A8JNHA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D29.37796974822013%26panoid%3DnFl_MbzSvzCf1W10A8JNHA%26yaw%3D2.2820340962820183!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Hell, get past that minor inconveniance and we'll give you three lanes to chose from as you approach said lights and if you somehow manage to pass that test and make it to next set of lights after and you fancy turning right towards Coolock… at this stage you probably think it's just safer to drive.

the Drumcondra road northbound is a piece of cake when compared to Santry…other than that bridge after Fagan pub of course which is an actual death trap

Galway too.

Driving i often end in a lane that just changes