Is it compulsory for a cyclist use a cycle lane or a cycle path?

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Páid

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Páid said:
There is a legal obligation to use a cycle path where one is provided.
Click to expand...
* in some cases:

irishcycle .com/2025/03/10/compulsory-use-of-cycle-tracks-still-very-limit-confirms-department-of-transport-as-member-of-public-says-garda-sergeant-claimed-otherwise/
 
@Páid, as James points out this is not the case. Many cycle lanes, especially the ones which are just a marked line on a footpath, are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians alike. This is mainly due to the recklessness and stupidity of pedestrians (as I outlined above). If I'm cycling at 30Kmph in a cycle lane marked on the same plane as a footpath and I hit a child which their parent has allowed to walk in the cycle lane I could be seriously hurt (the child is the responsibility of the parent).
James399 said:
* in some cases:

irishcycle .com/2025/03/10/compulsory-use-of-cycle-tracks-still-very-limit-confirms-department-of-transport-as-member-of-public-says-garda-sergeant-claimed-otherwise/
Click to expand...
Link:
irishcycle.com

Compulsory use of cycle tracks still very limited, confirms Department of Transport as member of public says Garda Sergeant claimed otherwise

A vast majority of cycle tracks — the legal name for most bicycle infrastructure in Ireland, from painted cycle lanes to fully segregated cycle paths — are not compulsory to use, the De…
irishcycle.com irishcycle.com
 
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Technically it's not a cycle path
Páid said:
There is a legal obligation to use a cycle path where one is provided.
Click to expand...

That's not accurate.

irishcycle.com

Compulsory use of cycle tracks still very limited, confirms Department of Transport as member of public says Garda Sergeant claimed otherwise

A vast majority of cycle tracks — the legal name for most bicycle infrastructure in Ireland, from painted cycle lanes to fully segregated cycle paths — are not compulsory to use, the De…
irishcycle.com irishcycle.com
 
There is a reason cycle lanes cannot be always compulsory. Often they are unusable due to poor condition, there is an obstruction,or you need to make a manoeuvre that requires coming out of the lane..

Also such a rule encourages inexperienced cyclists to go inside of vehicles where it's dangerous to do so, rather than getting in lane with other traffic.

It also engenders aggressive behaviour from some motorists often who are ignorant of the rules or of cycling. Coming into lane can mitigate such tendencies, such as cutting off cyclists.
 
This is the wording from the 2018 S.I.

“(4)(a) A pedal cycle shall be driven on a cycle track that is on—

(i) a road,

(ii) a portion of a road, or

(iii) an area,

at the entrance to which traffic sign number RUS 021 (pedestrianised street or area) is provided.

(b) A pedal cycle shall be driven on a cycle track at the entrance to which traffic sign number RUS 059 (contra-flow cycle track) is provided and pedal cycles shall only be driven in the direction indicated by the contra-flow cycle track.”.
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I agree that if it's not a cycle track (i.e. just a path without the obligatory signs) then it's not mandatory. I would also agree that if the cycle track was unsafe to use because of it's condition or other obstacles (including people) that it would be common sense to avoid them.

How does the above wording not make it mandatory to use cycle tracks? They may be few and far between but they are still mandatory. I always took the word "shall" to mean that it must be done without exception.

The Dept. of Transport have a very poor record when it comes to mandatory cycle tracks. In 2012 they were going to remove the obligation to use them but decided against it at the last minute. They forgot to amend the explanatory note (which is just an explanatory note and is not enforceable) and this led to a lot of confusion over what was and what was not mandatory.

S.I. No. 332/2012 - Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012.

The electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB) comprises the Acts of the Oireachtas (Parliament), Statutory Instruments, Legislation Directory, Constitution and a limited number of pre-1922 Acts.
www.irishstatutebook.ie

This article is partly not accurate. Leo didn't remove the mandatory requirement in 2012.

irishcycle.com

Compulsory use of cycle tracks still very limited, confirms Department of Transport as member of public says Garda Sergeant claimed otherwise

A vast majority of cycle tracks — the legal name for most bicycle infrastructure in Ireland, from painted cycle lanes to fully segregated cycle paths — are not compulsory to use, the De…
irishcycle.com irishcycle.com

After years of the issue being mentioned in the Dail and elsewhere, finally, as transport minister in 2012, Leo Varadkar, removed the requirement to use any type of cycle track. But an apparent issue seemed to be discovered in 2015 and only became public in 2016. This was finally resolved after a review process by another legal change by then-Minister Shane Ross in 2018.
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I believe the legal term is "Dog's dinner".
 
Because what you quoted doesn't include "all" cycle lanes. It only includes those in signed pedestrian area or signed contra flows. As per the article.
 
Incidentally there is a contra flow sign at the other end of this route in the original article 058CL but it's meant to be at both ends and at regular intervals. Which it doesn't seem to be. At least when the photos were taken.

Though this ebike would seem (if the reports are correct) not allowed in it anyway even if legally registered and insured.
 
Cycle Track is mandatory (it has signage).
Cycle Path / Cycle Lane is not mandatory because it doesn't have the signage and doesn't come under the definition in the S.I.
 
You've lost me.

Just because a cycle track has signage doesn't make it mandatory. Not sure if you think they are.

"...vast majority of cycle tracks ... are not compulsory to use, the Department of Transport confirmed...."
 
Purple said:
It is against the law to cycle along a footpath. There's no circumstance where an adult should do so. Crossing a footpath in order to gain access is different, obviously.
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No point following the law like a lemming if the law makes no practical sense. Are you going to stop at a stuck on red light for hours until they send out a crew to fix it.

If the infrastructure was perfect you could follow the law perfectly. But it isn't. There are many places where theres shared paths or cycle paths joined by pavement or no access or exit except via pavement.

The usual facious argument is to dismount constantly. How about suggesting drivers push their cars through every second junction in the city. Better again take a lane of the cars and make it a bus/cycle lane.

Love the way the cycle lane vanishes for 40 feet at random on quays here.

www.google.ie

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Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.
www.google.ie www.google.ie
 
AlbacoreA said:
You've lost me.

Just because a cycle track has signage doesn't make it mandatory. Not sure if you think they are.

"...vast majority of cycle tracks ... are not compulsory to use, the Department of Transport confirmed...."
Click to expand...
Cycle tracks (as opposed to cycle paths or lanes) are defined in the legislation and are mandatory. There must be particular signs at the start and end of them.

Cycle paths and lanes (they are not defined in the legislation) are not mandatory. That article is not accurate in a number of places. The Dept. of Transport are the cause of all the confusion. I remember emailng them about the rules of the road in 2012 when it included a section about mandatory cycle lanes which was clearly incorrect but they refused to update it. I don't think any of the Ministers since have brought clarity to the situation.

I think everyone here would agree that the state of the cycle paths and lanes in this country are terrible both from design and maintenance points of view and this is why people object to using them.
 
Forget about lanes and paths.

Both the article and legislation quoted are correct. They both say the same thing.

Cycle Tracks are only mandatory in...

(A) RUS 201 pedestrian area
(B) RUS 059 (contra-flow cycle track)

That it. End of.
 
Cycle tracks are always mandatory - they are defined in the legislation.

Cycle lanes and paths are not mandatory.

We are all saying the same thing.
 
irishcycle.com really wouldn't be the most unbiased source but I think the law is ambiguous here. The problem being, if cycle lanes are not compulsory to use, why are we spending millions (and it is millions) building new ones?
There's cases where the cycle lane isn't great, but I use it anyway as a courtesy as I am likely (such as the steep hill in Drumcondra) to block buses carrying more than 1 passenger, but in other cases, as in the wreckage of legacy cycle lanes on the Swords Rd around Dardistown and the bit from main airport roundabout to Stockhole Lane roundabout, the lanes are in such a state of disrepair and so dangerous a design, that I cannot use them without putting myself and/or others at risk.
In general DLR have done a good job in designing lanes that are safe and easy to use, DCC not so good - so many convoluted and complicated designs that its unclear how to use them or even who has the right of way. Fingal are just basket case level of awful when it comes to design, except for the brilliant (and little known or used) tunnel system under the Donabate to M1 double roundabout that makes it possible to cycle on the old road or go to Donabate without having to go on the roundabout at all.
 
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