Maynooth Cycling Campaign

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Maynooth Cycling Campaign

• Mike McKillen
• Chairman 2008-09
• Dublin Cycling Campaign www.dublincycling.ie

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• Key Issues for Commuting or Utility Cyclists
• The bikes is a vehicle and the rider is a driver,
  in law.
• We are traffic - not pedestrians on wheels!
• Rules of Road apply to us too! These Rules
  require urgent revision to emphasise the
  potential vulnerability of the rider in traffic.
• Cycling infrastructure is mostly sub-standard and
  unsafe due to engineers deliberately ignoring
  published design guidance.
• Bus lane narrow widths the big issue in Dublin.
  Most less than 4.5 m wide

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Dangerous Overtaking traffic law offence not
being enforced by Garda SI No. 182 of 1997 s.
10. (1) A driver shall not overtake, or attempt
to overtake, if to do so would endanger, or cause
inconvenience to, any other person. (2) A driver
shall not overtake, or attempt to overtake,
unless the roadway ahead of the driver ( a ) is
free from approaching traffic, pedestrians and
any obstruction, and ( b ) is sufficiently long
and wide to permit the overtaking to be completed
without danger or inconvenience to other traffic
or pedestrians. The offence carries a 2 penalty
point charge and 80 fixed fine.
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• Training and Testing
• Cycle-craft skills needed in order to safely ride
  in traffic.
• Cyclists require training and instruction in
  cycle-craft
• Road positioning, commanding vehicle lane, ride
  predictably, etc.
• Drivers of mpvs require driving instruction and
  testing regime to deal with safer interaction
  with cyclists. Use of driving simulators needed.
• HGV driver instruction and testing regimes must
  be enhanced and on-road vehicle and driver
  standards enforcement stepped up

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• Road Surfaces
• Road surface standards hazardous for cyclists.
• Road openings highly problematic done by
  telcos, Bord Gais, ESB, CoCos, developers, etc.
• Temporary fill banned but not enforced.
• Cover plates required to be rebated flush with
  road surface not done!
• Temporary fill abandoned for months and becomes
  rutted
• Each CoCo has Road Works Control Manual enforce
  provisions!

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• Cycling-Hostile Infrastructure
• Proliferation of multi-lane one-way streets
• Proliferation of multi-lane urban roundabouts
• Proliferation of gyratories St. Stephens
  Green, Beresford Place/Custom House,
  Westmoreland/DOlier Streets, etc.
• High speed slip-left turns
• Cycle lanes marked on inside of left-turn only
  lanes
• Absence of ASLs or not deep enough (5 m is
  standard)
• Absence of cycle-priority green phase to signal
  sets

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• Speed Limits
• Urban speed limits should be reduced to 30 kph
• Enforcement inadequate Deterrence inadequate -
  penalties at 80 too low in 2008 values
• Vehicle free-speeds too high. Buses, coaches and
  HGVs main culprits.
• Buses, coaches and HGVs main killers of cyclists
  in urban areas

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• Green Field Developments
• Housing and commercial developments take place in
  green-field sites with unimproved rural roads and
  other infrastructure
• Very cycling-hostile
• Failure to link planning and development controls
  to transport and travel issues

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• Composition of National Vehicle Fleet
• With wealth has come a marked increase in number
  of private and goods vehicles on roads
• Larger sizes predominate this means wider bodied
  so you get squeezed in sub-standard width lanes
• SUVs account for 10 of private fleet
• SUV-/van-type taxis now 10 of taxi fleet
• HGV is 3.1 m across wing mirrors
• Dublin Bus is 3.1 m across wing mirrors
• Proliferation of tubular steel bull bars these
  are banned by EU

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• Cyclists Dont Need Cycle Lanes/Tracks!
• They need safer roads
• They demand that drivers interact safely with
  them in traffic recognising their vulnerability
• A re-balancing of the forces present on roads is
  required. Sustainability in transport and travel
  requires that the bike be promoted as a mode of
  travel for journeys up to 10 km.
• Key metric will be the number of children cycling
  to school.