Most of the reason he mentioned apply to some cycle lanes here in the Netherlands, especially around old city centres where just like Ireland the cycle lanes were shoehorned into existing infrastructure, yet the people seem to manage
I don’t see why a law cant be brought in to make it mandatory where they are in place. If i drive my car in the wrong lane, anything that happens is my fault. Same with breaking red lights, pedestrian crossings etc. The industrial estate near where I work has a perfect lane, removed from the road which is rarely used, cyclists still on the main road.
There’s a 24 hour cycle lane near me that’s constantly filled with cars as there’s a shop nearby and zero enforcement of parking regulations. The council, at least trying something, decided to put up the plastic pole things in an effort to protect the most dodgy bit of the lane coming up to a sharp turn. The result was that cars now park right up to the start of the protected bit of the lane, meaning it’s incredibly difficult for cyclists to actually get into the lane as the entry is always blocked.
This is just one example, but I feel like it’s representative of why Irish cycling infrastructure is underused. There’s just no joined up planning and thinking, which leads to bad infrastructure that doesn’t solve any problems and leaves you in a position where you’re nearly as well off just staying on the road.
It should be pointed out that there are some good bits of cycling infrastructure in Dublin. Namely the grand canal segregated lane, the new bit following the royal canal, the Clontarf route out to Howth, and the coast route from Dun Laoghaire. And they’re always thronged with people cycling. But unless you have stuff like that where bikes are properly segregated from cars for a decent stretch its a wasted effort.
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Do people actually watch videos like this?
Most of the reason he mentioned apply to some cycle lanes here in the Netherlands, especially around old city centres where just like Ireland the cycle lanes were shoehorned into existing infrastructure, yet the people seem to manage
I don’t see why a law cant be brought in to make it mandatory where they are in place. If i drive my car in the wrong lane, anything that happens is my fault. Same with breaking red lights, pedestrian crossings etc. The industrial estate near where I work has a perfect lane, removed from the road which is rarely used, cyclists still on the main road.
There’s a 24 hour cycle lane near me that’s constantly filled with cars as there’s a shop nearby and zero enforcement of parking regulations. The council, at least trying something, decided to put up the plastic pole things in an effort to protect the most dodgy bit of the lane coming up to a sharp turn. The result was that cars now park right up to the start of the protected bit of the lane, meaning it’s incredibly difficult for cyclists to actually get into the lane as the entry is always blocked.
This is just one example, but I feel like it’s representative of why Irish cycling infrastructure is underused. There’s just no joined up planning and thinking, which leads to bad infrastructure that doesn’t solve any problems and leaves you in a position where you’re nearly as well off just staying on the road.
It should be pointed out that there are some good bits of cycling infrastructure in Dublin. Namely the grand canal segregated lane, the new bit following the royal canal, the Clontarf route out to Howth, and the coast route from Dun Laoghaire. And they’re always thronged with people cycling. But unless you have stuff like that where bikes are properly segregated from cars for a decent stretch its a wasted effort.