Royal Canal Greenway

Maynooth Cycling Campaign is disappointed at the lack of conditions attached to the approval of the Part 8 Report for Royal Canal Greenway between Maynooth and Dublin. This was a lost opportunity of providing a good quality greenway as opposed to a mediocre one – one which will compares unfavourably with the Waterford Greenway now under construction. The area engineer reportedly gave an undertaking to councillors that he would fully address the concerns of Maynooth Cycling Campaign. He hasn’t.

There were five pro-cycling submissions – one was an internal submission, one was from a prescribed body and three were from the general public. A number of secondary issues were raised but there were two primary issues which were common to all five submissions – surfacing and width.

In response to surfacing, the Kildare County Council’s consultant is alleged to have come out against the use of a bituminous surface. It is noted that the Consultant is employed by the officials and future work is dependent on his relationship with the same officials but in an earlier report on surfacing options, the same consultant concluded

It  is  recommended  to  provide  a  bituminous  surface  on  the  full  length  of  the  Galway  to  Dublin Greenway for reasons of quality, comfort, safety, reduced maintenance and better whole life costs.

The consultant also pointed out that a dust surface would not attract foreign visitors. Waterways Ireland claims to require a dust surface in rural areas for environmental and ecological reasons. However Waterways Ireland is happy to provide a bituminous surface for motorised traffic on some rural parts of the canal – it only develops environmental and ecological concerns where cyclists are involved.

The reasons for rejecting widening of the path are equally disingenuous. Maynooth Cycling Campaign  accepts that it is not feasible to widen the greenway everywhere but it does not accept the starting point of Kildare County Council which is that it cannot be widened anywhere. Kildare County Council proposes a greenway 2.5m wide in parts – one to be shared with pedestrians. Conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians are common on such towpaths across the UK. The way to eliminate such conflicts is to follow international best practice (in so far as is feasible) such as from Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark where inter urban routes for cyclists are 4m wide.

We had also raised the following issues with councillors which we considered pertinent  to any decision on the project: 

• Why a (50%) more expensive dust surface should be preferred rather than a cheaper and maintenance-free blacktopped surface?
• Who pays for the additional maintenance?
• Why was there no cost benefit analysis of the scheme on the Royal Canal

None of these points  were addressed in the Part 8 report.

Kildare County Council has been ‘promoting’ cycling for nearly twenty years and over most of that time the level of cycling has declined. A recent report into the outcome for cycling of the Smarter Travel Towns by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport found that the level of cycling increased by 0.2% per year.  With the proposed low quality greenway, the level of cycling in Kildare is unlikely to increase.

A more comprehensive report on the proposals for Royal Canal will shortly be available on our website.

EPA Consultation on Air Pollution Monitoring

The EPA recently released a report on the Ireland’s Environment: An Assessment 2016 which estimates that there are 1200 premature deaths annually resulting from air pollution and follows the UK government losing a case in the courts over its failure to tackle air pollution. While the concern is mainly in relation to Irish cities, the EPA proposes to introduce a national air pollution monitoring programme which includes Celbridge, Leixlip, Naas and Newbridge. Maynooth Cycling Campaign  has proposed that monitoring should also include Maynooth because of the high levels of traffic congestion here.

Netflix – Bikes vs Cars

One of the  films currently on offer to Netflix subscribers is  Bikes vs Cars. This is a documentary film about the struggle to provide cycle facilities in the Americas and while the situation in North and South America is different from that in Europe, there are many similarities. Well worth a watch!

Maynooth Cycling Campaign is a non-party political cycling advocacy group. Further information on meetings and  activities is available on our website. We are affiliated to Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cyclist Advocacy Network and through it to the European Cycling Federation.

CALL FOR KCC TO ALLOCATE €3M FOR CYCLING

In line with Cyclist.ie (the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network), Maynooth Cycling Campaign has called on Kildare County Council to allocate 10% or €3 million of its transport budget for cycling in the 2017 budget. This expenditure equates to €10 per person per year which is approximately half of what is spent in the Netherlands but which is broadly in agreement with the recommendations of two recent Westminster reports. The increased funding is required in order to progress towards achieving the government target of 10% commuting by bicycle by 2020.

The background to the call is that cycling continues to get the crumbs at the table when it comes to overall national transport spend. Of the €10B (billion) allocated for transport investment in the Capital Investment Plan for 2016-2021, active travel (encompassing walking, cycling and other such measures) is allocated just €100M (million) – i.e. approx €17M per annum for each of the six years. That means that cycling is to receive approx 0.5% (half of one percent!) of the transport pie at a time when nationally cyclist fatalities in Ireland have been increasing as well as levels of obesity, pollution and congestion.

STRAFFAN ROAD

 As everyone knows, contractors for Kildare County Council have been carrying out works on the Straffan Road and in order to provide space to operate, traffic has been temporarily restricted to two lanes in parts. Despite the works, residents in adjacent housing estates have been able to get in and out of their estates with relatively little trouble at peak time. This is in marked contrast to the forecasts of gridlock by politicians and residents in response to the proposal to permanently reallocate the turn right lanes for the benefit of pedestrians, cyclists and environmental improvements. In such controversial situations, international practice is often to trial new traffic management proposals before deciding in favour or against but at the time Kildare County Council rejected this option. Now we are having that trial and seeing that the reallocation of space was both realistic and feasible.

MOYGADDY OUTER ORBITAL ROUTE

Meath County Council is still assessing the submissions for the Moygaddy Outer Orbital Route including one from Maynooth Cycling Campaign. The most important issue from our point of view was the proposed inadequate / substandard separation of the cycle track from the road.

We also sought a difference in height between the footpath and cycle track in line with best Irish and international practice and  filtered permeability so that the existing road would not be used for rat running, in other words use of the existing road would be prioritised for pedestrians and cyclists.

Maynooth Cycling Campaign is a non-party political cycling advocacy group. Its aims are to promote cycling as a healthy leisure pursuit and as a safe, enjoyable and efficient mode of transport for everyone in the Maynooth area.

It is affiliated to Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cyclist Advocacy Network and through it to the European Cycling Federation.

Celbridge Road Cycling Facilities

In the June issue of the Maynooth Newsletter, there were details of a Municipal District meeting at which Cllr. John McGinley raised the issue of lack of cycling facilities on the Celbridge Road. The issue had been raised in the context of the National Transport Authority providing funding for the extension of a footpath between the Maynooth Educate Together School and Rockfield estate. The response of the Area Engineer was that “Unfortunately there is insufficient space for a cycle path”.

Of course, it is incorrect to state that there is insufficient space. There are no people who have to be uprooted from their homes. There are no buildings that have to be demolished. There is, as far as we are aware, no rare plant or animal that will become extinct as a result. As can be seen from the photograph, there is ample space for a high quality facility except for a short section close to the Straffan Road. So why does the Council give this response?

Government policy has been to favour increased cycling for some twenty years. It originated in the early 1990s in the aftermath of the Taoiseach John Bruton being stuck in a traffic jam on Pearse Street and since then all political parties have supported increased cycling. This promotion was reinforced in 2009 when the government published the National Cycle Policy Framework and adopted a national target of 10% commuting by bicycle to school and work by 2020.  In practice though, while cycling has increased in Dublin City, in Kildare it remains less than 2%.

In the early 2000s when Kildare County Council granted planning permission for Gaelscoil Uí Fhiaich on the Celbridge Road, no cycle facilities were provided. Some ten years later, when permission was given for the second school, Maynooth Educate Together, no cycle facilities were provided either despite the objectives of the Kildare County Development Plan to promote cycling and Safer Routes to School. The latest version of the development plan, the Draft Kildare County Development Plan 2017-23 includes a list of proposed key cycle projects but there is no mention of the Celbridge Road. So nearly twenty five years after the first school opened, Kildare County Council still has no plans for cycle facilities on the Celbridge Road. Does this matter? Yes if you want to encourage young people to have a more active lifestyle. Yes if you are concerned about the loss of children’s’ independent mobility. Yes, if you want to decrease traffic congestion in Maynooth. Yes if you are concerned about child obesity. Yes if you want a high quality environment. Yes, if you want a more active and vibrant community.

One definition of ‘unfortunate’ is ‘not favoured by fortune or luck’. One thing is quite certain – luck has nothing to do the lack of cycle facilities in Maynooth  – it is due to decisions by officials who ignore political policies and targets and to a lesser extent elected politicians who do not hold officials to account. Kildare County Council bears most of the blame for the lack of proper planning of the Celbridge Road but the National Transport Authority is also to blame for ignoring the needs of cyclists.

 Road Safety Issues

Two other items of interest appeared in the Newsletter under the Community Council Notes. The first concerned children not using the footpath at Rail Park and walking on the road instead. It is human nature for pedestrians to take a direct path to their destination. If they have to divert from their direct path to access a footpath, then the footpath has been constructed in the wrong place and this should be corrected.

As for the statement that someone is going to die because a vulnerable road chooses to use the road, if the road is so dangerous, where do you recommend that children ride their bikes to school? Where do you recommend that adults cycle?  No pedestrian (normally) dies because of walking. They die because the driver of a motorised vehicle chooses to travel at an inappropriate speed and strikes a pedestrian with their vehicle. Rather than criticising children for walking, the Community Council should be singing their praises and calling on motorists to slow down and take more care around vulnerable road users.

The Notes also stated that the schools on the Celbridge Road have a ‘good’ delivery and pick up system. The schools have a system which is designed around and normalises travel by car, which discriminates against people walking and cycling and which accepts cars parking on the footpath in front of a school. Rather than a ‘good’ system, many people would consider such a system ‘broken’.

In relation to the second item – bike parking at the crossing on the Straffan Road being an obstruction and a danger, while this could be construed as a nuisance, It is hard to see what the danger is unless it falls over when a pedestrian is passing. Rather than a traffic warden, the simple solution is more cycle parking. It is hoped that similar concerns will be expressed at the much greater danger arising from vehicles parking on footpaths and cycle lanes – a custom which is endemic in Maynooth.

Maynooth Cycling Campaign is a non-party political cycling advocacy group. Its aims are to promote cycling as a healthy leisure pursuit and as a safe, enjoyable and efficient mode of transport for everyone in the Maynooth area.

It is affiliated to Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cyclist Advocacy Network and through it to the European Cycling Federation.

Opinion piece by LW

The Old Rail Trail is a greenway which runs from Mullingar to Athlone. I recently cycled the section from Mullingar to Moate which is a distance of 30 kilometres.

The journey commenced at Mullingar Railway Station. It is located in the centre of the town, has car parking, toilets and across the road there are signs which indicates what direction to follow. The signs however were filthy – they was a heavy covering of moss which indicates that proper maintenance procedures have still to be put in place. Almost immediately, there was a second sign on the towpath telling cyclists to dismount. Not a good start!

The first section is within the town and follows the Royal Canal. Although the towpath is intended for use by both pedestrians and cyclists, it is very narrow. In some places, space is constrained with no scope to widen it. In other places though, there is space to widen the path to at least minimum standards. On the plus side, it has a tarmac surface.

After a kilometer or so from the station, the path splits. The right leg continues along the Royal Canal towards Longford while the left leg marks the start of the Old Rail Trail proper. The Old Rail Trail as the name implies follows the line of a disused railway from Mullingar to Athlone. It forms part of the Dublin Galway Greenway and is also part of EuroVelo 2 and the National Cycle Network. It was opened by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny last October so it will be six months or so before we get an indication of its popularity but the feeling so far is that it will be very popular.

On the day in question we did not pass a lot of users although there had been more in the morning but the day was chilly and I have no doubt that there will be many more when the weather improves. The other feature of the users is that there were more cyclists than walkers. This is hardly surprising as it is a characteristic of many greenways although from from the lack of consideration of cyclists’ needs, you would think that the reverse was true.

The path is 3m wide with a smooth, machine laid, tarmac surface. The original rails for the railway run alongside for most of the way. The trail is made up of fairly long straights which is somewhat boring but some sections are in a cutting which limits the views although providing some shelter while other parts are on an embankment which allow cyclists to view the pretty Westmeath countryside but are more exposed.

While there are a number of distance signposts, it would be nice if there were a few more along the route. This is not a serious problem as a smart phone or bike computer will keep track of progress. There was only one major intermediate stopping point at Castletown Geoghegan. However although the village was marked by a pretty signal box and railway station, the village itself was three kilometers away so I doubt that many cyclists and even less walkers will divert  there.

When we reached Moate, we were ready for some food so fortunately there was a good selection in the town. A number of premises have placed advertisement signs at the end of the greenway. We selected one premises and had a hot snack which was very welcome before setting off on the return journey.

There were three main criticisms. First, there were a number of junctions where the greenway crossed a public road and inevitably traffic on the road had priority over bicycle traffic on the greenway. In places with a significant volume of fast traffic , this is understandable. However, there were two occasions where the traffic on the greenway was forced to give way to slow traffic or traffic serving single premises. It is disappointing that the designers did not prioritise greenway traffic over motorized traffic on these occasions as is normal on the continent.

The second issue was the form of barriers which took the form of a chicane. While this barrier  is wider that the barriers which Waterways Ireland generally install along canals, the opening of 1.2m is not as wide as best international practice width of 1.5m.

The third criticism is that while the greenway was 3m wide, there had been scope to provide 3.25 or 3.5m which would have made a first class greenway rather than a good one.

There is brochure on the Trail which is downloadable from the internet or which is available from premises along the route. The brochure refers to Mullingar being a “cycling hub”, presumably on the basis of the rural greenways. Whatever about these, Mullingar is a typically Irish county town. What cycle lanes it has are few in number and are low quality. They are generally outside the town centre and Westmeath County Council appears to have forgotten that cyclists need to have facilities in two directions as some uni-directional cycle lanes are on one side only. There was also not much sign of a “fine mesh” grid of cyclists so it was hardly surprising that there were few cyclists about.

When the Old Rail Trail was opened, Westmeath County Council was reported as having written to all the neighbouring cycling clubs informing them that the greenway was intended for leisure cycling and for families rather than racing clubs. It is somewhat bizarre that Westmeath County Council built a good quality facility that was designed as part of a national network for cycling but discouraged an important segment of Irish cyclists from using it.

Despite this, all in all it was a pleasant outing and one recommended.

Bikeweek

Bikeweek 2016 has come and gone. On Sunday 19th June due to bad weather, we were left with no choice but to put off the Family Cycle to Larchill. The Campaign will consider rescheduling it in July. Keep your eye on our website or Facebook page. The previous weekend, the weather for the Heritage Cycle was more favourable and a group enjoyed the cycle along  Arthur’s Way from Castletown to Oughterard.

Mullingar to Moate – the Old Rail Trail

For anyone planning a day out cycling all or part of the Old Rail Trail from Mullingar to Athlone, a review of the section from Mullingar to Moate can be found on our website at https://maynoothcyclingcampaign1.wordpress.com/ . The Old Rail Trail is part of the proposed Dublin-Galway EuroVelo Route which includes the Royal Canal between Leixlip and Westmeath.

Maynooth Outer Orbital Route

Maynooth Cycling Campaign is currently preparing a submission on the proposed Maynooth Outer Orbital Route. It turns out  that outer orbital route, rather than directing traffic away from proposed residential areas as is the norm for outer relief roads, will instead direct traffic adjacent to or through them. The result is that the Maynooth ring road will be more similar to the relief road in Clane rather than relief roads in Dunboyne or Enfield.

Appointment of  Prof Donal O’Shea as first Hon. President of Cyclist.ie.

Cyclist.ie recently announced the appointment of Prof Donal O’Shea as its first Hon. President. Prof O’Shea is a consultant endocrinologist specialising in obesity/overweight and is Chair of the Policy Group on Obesity at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He is also a member of the Government’s Healthy Ireland Council.

Prof O’Shea is delighted to accept this new role. “I am very pleased to take on a role as Hon. President with Cyclist.ie. The association promotes everyday cycling activity – and that’s the type of physical activity that makes a real difference at a population level over time.”

In welcoming his acceptance as Honorary President, Colm Ryder, Chairperson of Cyclist.ie stated “Cyclist.ie works across a number of Government Departments and agencies in promoting the message of the need for greater investment in regular daily physical activity. Ireland, like other European countries, needs to invest in quality, safe infrastructure to encourage people to ‘Get on your Bike’!”

Cycling Ireland and Cyclist.ie Form Strategic Partnership

Cycling Ireland and Cyclist.ie have come together to form a strategic partnership to promote and advocate for the development of cycling on the island of Ireland. With the numbers of people cycling at an all-time high, this synergy promises to be an exciting new project which will allow both bodies to advocate more effectively for cycling.

Maynooth Cycling Campaign is a non-party political cycling advocacy group. Its aims are to promote cycling as a healthy leisure pursuit and as a safe, enjoyable and efficient mode of transport for everyone in the Maynooth area.

It is affiliated to Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cyclist Advocacy Network and through it to the European Cycling Federation.