Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail

Isambard wrote: »

The Tarka Valley Railway , Devon UK being created alongside the Tarka Trail cyclepath. It can be done.


Before and after pictures

Are those pictures been taken in the same direction/perspective, where is the bridge in the top picture, but yes your point is well made, it is a pity Mayo County Council can't take this view for the proposed Velo-Rail section of the closed railway on the Western Rail Trail route 6km north and south of Kiltimagh. That's the project with no planning permission that has received a 500k bung from Minister Ring in three tranches of 200k, 100k and more recently another 200k.

Oh and don't you mean it the other way round, the trail is being created alongside the closed old railway not the railway being created alongside the trail, what came first as they say, the chicken or the egg.

westtip wrote: »

Are those pictures been taken in the same direction/perspective, where is the bridge in the top picture, but yes your point is well made, it is a pity Mayo County Council can't take this view for the proposed Velo-Rail section of the closed railway on the Western Rail Trail route 6km north and south of Kiltimagh. That's the project with no planning permission that has received a 500k bung from Minister Ring in three tranches of 200k, 100k and more recently another 200k.

Oh and don't you mean it the other way round, the trail is being created alongside the closed old railway not the railway being created alongside the trail, what came first as they say, the chicken or the egg.

the bridge is there is the trees, look properly. The railway is being created alongside the Tarka Trail, a cycle route along a former railway. I thought I said that.... taken from almost exactly the same spot.

Isambard wrote: »

the point is it is a cyclepath that is having a railway line re-instated.

Ah go away! Sure I thought that has never been done anywhere by anybody!

Re-instating railway lines on Greenways indeed!

Isambard wrote: »

I imagine it's only the bridges that are the pinch points, and there aren't that many of them on the WRC

And there's one less now at Turloughmore



(From Google Maps)

Isambard wrote: »

where's the pleasure in riding alongside traffic with the noise and the fumes? What about the danger from crossroads and people's drives? Parked vehicles blocking the cycle lane?

It's not about getting from A to B

fencing will sort the people parking on the cycle lane issue. apart from a few exceptions, i don't see leasure alone being enough to sustain a lot of cycle ways, which is why you need a commuter base as well, which is why the building alongside roads suggestion makes a lot of sense as it's where a lot of commuters will be traveling.
as i see it, cycling is a minority activity and will likely remain so, hence why if we are investing in the infrastructure we need to invest in infrastructure that will get the most users possible for the buck. so cycle ways along side roads, cycle ways in towns and cities, and cycle ways in areas that have things to genuinely attract people to those areas. i really think there are better projects to invest in then a greenway along the railway from galway to sligo. the dublin cycle network for a start.

Isambard wrote: »

oh come on, how many commuters are there going to be along the WRC who would use a bike?

exactly. which is why there are way way more deserving projects such as the dublin cycling network and others.

Isambard wrote: »

You can't fence miles of road off for cyclists, there are other users!

you obviously missed the proposal to build cycle ways alongside the roads, and then put up fences to stop people parking on the cycle ways. so no fencing off roads or depriving road users.

Isambard wrote: »

it's not about a cycling network for Dublin , it's about facilities for tourists, to attract new visitors into an area. I don't know if you don't get that or it just suits your agenda to ignore it.

Go visit somewhere like Dungarvan with plenty of cyclists and walkers in evidence and new businesses opening to cater for them. Then pop down to Rosslare and see the number of vehicles arriving with bikes aboard. It's a big potential growth area.It's got nothing to do with cycle lanes for urban cyclists.

it's about cycling infrastructure full stop. you need a few markets to make that infrastructure worth while.
cycling infrastructure just for tourists has as i see it, limited potential really, as there are only going to be a small number of areas where these tourists will want to go. that is why spending the funds on cycling infrastructure that will have a few markets is the best use of the funding.
the reason the Dungarvan greenway has had any success is because there is quite decent sceenery around the area. ultimately it does not prove that other similar projects will be successful. and really it's over all success should be judged on what happens long term rather then the short term. i really don't believe it is comparible to a cycle way through bland country side.

Isambard wrote: »

that's the offical WoT line alright.

i wouldn't know given i haven't anything to do with them. nor do i care what their official lines may be tbh.

Isambard wrote: »

The fact is the countryside of Ireland in all it's forms is very attractive. There are people who have drained their own bogs , for instance, who revel in visiting Ireland's. The joys of the bland countryside would be the peace and quiet and the flora and flora. There's loads to see when you pass though at a slow pace and look around you.

I don't think you understand what people want, they don't all want diddyeye music and Guinness.

the thing is what they want and so much more is already available with the infrastructure to cater to them to boot. i'm not sure what somewhere like tuam etc has got to offer that waterford and dungarven haven't got?

end of the road wrote: »

i wouldn't know given i haven't anything to do with them. nor do i care what their official lines may be tbh.



the thing is what they want and so much more is already available with the infrastructure to cater to them to boot. i'm not sure what somewhere like tuam etc has got to offer that waterford and dungarven haven't got?

Its all about having long distance routes that are interconnected, it doesn't have to be stunning scenery every inch of the way, its about people getting on bike in Dublin and say I am going to cycle at a leisurely pace to lets say Achill, via the Dublin Galway greenway turn north at Athenry and turn west to connect with the great western Greenway lets say at Swinford. It could become something that becomes our own camino like a right of passage, meet people along the way, stop in hotels, hostels, campsites and guest houses. Eat frugally eat luxuriously, picnic or restaurant, cafe or pub, or bring your own camping cooker. It will appeal to so many ages, it is such an opportunity that is not being grasped. do it at 16 or 86.....do it alone, do it with a partner, do it with a family. It truly has universal appeal.

I'm not a cyclist, in fact i'm a rail fan, but I can see the attraction for doing what westtip describes.

Tourism is one of the few areas we have where there can be real growth, real jobs for a quite small investment.

This rail line is dead and has little prospect of revival, so let's make use of a State asset. Make provision to replace the rail line alongside a greenway by all means, but lets get on with it.

end of the road wrote: »

the thing is what they want and so much more is already available with the infrastructure to cater to them to boot. i'm not sure what somewhere like tuam etc has got to offer that waterford and dungarven haven't got?

That's almost exactly the argument put forward by some of the Waterford Councillors who opposed the greenway there, suggesting that nobody would want to come to Kilmacthomas when there was already a greenway in Mayo and when there was no scenery in Waterford! A quarter of a million people thought differently in the first year of operation, and those nine 'anti' councillors are very silent about their opposition now.
Their other arguments, about rural crime and tipping of rubbish haven't turned out to be true either, but maybe they'll admit how wrong they got it all, one of these days.

+1 to the last several posts pointing out the need for networked greenways The fact that scenery isn't the only attraction and that greenways are a wind for tourism. Agree with all that but there's a further point, locals need somewhere safe to walk/cycle. Road cyclists especially if they're in a club and this cycle in groups tend to be happy to use roads to cycle on (though I daresay they'd like conditions to be better) since they can travel at speed. However, tens of thousands of other people need safe segregated walking and cycling infrastructure.

We cycled from Mullingar to Enfield today on the Royal Canal Greenway and in spite of, some rough surfaces, annoying gates and lack of benches for a break, it was a joy. One section is parallel to the N4 and there you were aware of traffic noise but the sections away from traffic were so peaceful. You can chat to your companion or think your own thoughts, watch the herons or the fishermen ad greet other walkers/cyclists. We met lots of dog-walkers, fewer cyclists but these included 3 lots of parent-child combinations. I have the impression most people we met were locals. They like people in Tuam, Athenry, Collooney , wherever need Greenways all the time , not jsut when thy go on their holidays to Waterford or Westport.

Had to do last 5 km on the R148 as canal path not accessible from Fureys pub onwards. The contrast was total, great there was a hard shoulder but the noise and speed of constant traffic meant it was an exercise in endurance rather than the pleasure the rest had been.

Another point re the "needed more in Dublin" argument; couldn't agree more re Dub and every urban area but with <2% of transport budget currently allocated to cycling I think we can have both.