Dublin Cycling Campaign Conference Friday 22nd June 2012

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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The Dublin Cycling Campaign is hosting an international conference on


Growing Cycling Participation and Closing the Gender Gap


Some of the speakers include



  • Tom O'Mahony, Secretary, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
  • Kevin Mayne, Development Director, European Cyclists’ Federation
  • Heather Boyle, Cycling Ireland
  • Anne Bedos, Social Entrepreneur, Rothar
  • Mary Russell, Travel Writer
  • Damien Ó Tuama, Transport Researcher / Events Director, Dublin Cycling Campaign
The full list is at http://www.dublincycling.ie/conference2012
 
Apparently only one in four of the cyclists in Dublin are women and this gender gap is unique to Dublin.

More Irish girls drive to secondary school than cycle.

It is a big issue, although I am not sure I could spend a day discussing it.

I might make the early morning session

9.20 Leo Varadkar The government's plans for everyday cycling
9.40 Ciaran Cuffe Living cities and the role of cycling
10 Damien O'Tuama Recreating Dublin's cycling culture
10.20 Ann Bedos Promoting social inclusion through cycling


Brendan
 
Will they have a section about people walking in cycle paths or worse allowing their small children to walk in them or (worse again), people who trail their dogs leash across the cycle path?
I find it safer to cycle on the road most of the time.
 
Purple said:
Will they have a section about people walking in cycle paths or worse allowing their small children to walk in them or (worse again), people who trail their dogs leash across the cycle path?
I find it safer to cycle on the road most of the time.
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You must have experienced cycling through the Phoenix Park!
 
gianni said:
You must have experienced cycling through the Phoenix Park!
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I have experience cycling all over Dublin and I hate cycle paths that are part of a footpath. They are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. I don’t use them; I feel safer on the road.
The issue of people reversing out of their driveway is also an issue. It’s not the motorists fault; they can’t see until their car is nearly out and by then it’s in the cycle path. If I’m cycling at 50Kmph neither party has enough time to react.
 
The issue of people reversing out of their driveway is also an issue. It’s not the motorists fault;
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Is it not illegal to reverse onto a main road? If there is a cycle path outside your house, you should reverse into your driveway, and drive out.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Is it not illegal to reverse onto a main road? If there is a cycle path outside your house, you should reverse into your driveway, and drive out.
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When the cycle path is on the footpath then the driver is not reversing onto the main road. It's not realistic to expect people to reverse into their driveway in all circumstances anyway, if they did they’d be reversing across the cycle path.
A good example of this is the upper part of the Grange road, approaching St. Enda’s Park, in Rathfarnham.
 
Most of Dublin cycle paths are crumbling from whatever that red stuff they use. It's the same stuff they use on ramps on roads and they are cracking up within a few months. I use the roads for this reason when I can. At least they haven't infected the new lanes down the canal with this stuff, yet.
 
Occasionally, when I see one of those digital signs which measure your speed, I try to break the limit on the bicycle to see if I can do it. On a normal hill, it would be difficult to do 50km even on a very good bike with a very fit cyclist. It should be possible on a very steep hill, but it would be very dangerous to do in a city environment.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Occasionally, when I see one of those digital signs which measure your speed, I try to break the limit on the bicycle to see if I can do it. On a normal hill, it would be difficult to do 50km even on a very good bike with a very fit cyclist. It should be possible on a very steep hill, but it would be very dangerous to do in a city environment.
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Ok, that's a different argument (but the speed record for a cyclist is over 130Kmph. The fastest I've measured myself cycling at is 83Kmph but that was a good few years ago:))

Anyway, how about the same point as above but at 30Kmph?

I used to cycle into work. It was 15Km through the city centre. It took me 35-45 minutes depending on wind, traffic lights etc. That was an average speed of 20Kmph. Cycle lanes on the footpaths make that journey more dangerous.
 
Purple said:
...I hate cycle paths that are part of a footpath. They are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. I don’t use them; I feel safer on the road.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on that one. Those lanes make second class citizens (at best!) of cyclists, forcing them to stop/yield to all other traffic at every junction and entrance along the route, making any journey more dangerous due to potential conflicts* with others and the glass and other debris littering these paths (unlike the roads, these cycle paths are not regularly swept). It's also more tiring due to constant acceleration/braking.


*I've just read the Coillte Off-Road Cycling Strategy, lots of talk of conflict there!
 
I think theres a case to be made for different types of cyclist though. Commuters and fast commuters, then theres family kids and tourists just out for a fun. There's also cyclists who go too fast on inappropriate locations, where there's high volume of pedestrian traffic etc.

When making any sort of progress like commuting I prefer to be on the road though. A few places I think a marked lane on the road tends to keep it clear of cars, the Grand Canal for example. I don't mind the path in the phoenix park, but then I'm not going that quick. Its a flawed design though. Beware Ninja Joggers with dogs at night time.
 
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