An atypical view of Mill Street during reconstruction works at 9:45am on a single morning at 9:45am but an actual picture as opposed to an AI generated or photoshopped one.
There have been a lot of complaints in recent weeks of congestion in Maynooth, especially at peak times. Most put the blame on Kildare County Council’s redesign of Mill Street and/or its construction. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but many of the comments are ill-informed.
In Maynooth town centre, traffic lanes carry up to nearly 20,000 vehicles per day, the majority of which are private cars. This is more than six times the threshold for a major road as defined under the Environmental Noise regulations. Congestion is caused by too many cars which is why Irish political parties and governments across the world (except in the USA) want to reduce private traffic in favour of more space-efficient and sustainable mobility. During the reconstruction of Mill Street, drivers of cars and other motorised vehicles continue to have use of two lanes as they had before and will have afterwards. Pedestrians, on the other hand, are often unable to use one side of the street, the temporary paths are often barely wide enough for two people to pass and the surface leaves a lot to be desired. As for cyclists, they are directed to dismount and push their vehicle.
Mill Street-Main Street Junction
Engineers can model how much space vehicles of different sizes and types need to manoeuvre around a corner or bend. If they haven’t modelled it, they should determine what is required before blindly butchering the newly constructed paths.
Drivers need time to get used to new layouts.
Tyre marks on kerbs are examples of bad driving and show that the kerb is doing what it is supposed to do – namely protect people on the footpath.
The width of junctions shouldn’t be decided by bad drivers.
Last week, watching traffic during the evening peak, for about 30 minutes, 150 vehicles turned left from Mill Street to Main Street. These included three buses, two of which were blocked from accessing the junction by car drivers wanting to turn right and one bus which was able to continue. While the two buses blocked about five cars each, 138 cars were able to get through. Many of the cars were only single occupancy compared to the buses that appeared to be carrying multiple passengers. So who is holding up who?
The junction can cope with a number of right turning cars but on a number of occasions when there were too many or when they were badly positioned, even cars had difficulty in getting past. In many urban areas, right hand turns are banned or restricted in the interest of traffic flow.
On some turns of the lights, traffic from Parson Street received a green light to continue to Main Street but ignored the Yellow Box. They stopped in the middle of the junction because the street ahead was already full. When the lights turned to green for left turning traffic from Mill Street, they were unable to proceed. This had nothing to do with the corner or narrowness of the street and everything to do with too many cars.
If two people want to pass through a doorway at the same time, one will wait while the other person passes through. If two large vehicles, one from Main Street and one from Mill Street can’t take a turn at the same time, a competent driver will do the same – give way to the first with a delay of about 10 seconds.
Width of Mill Street
I do not know what post construction width KCC has proposed for Mill Street but the full width will not be available during construction due to the need to protect construction staff.
There are 3m wide traffic lanes in New York which are wide enough for American traffic.
In Utrecht, a road has recently been reconstructed with two traffic lanes which are each 2.75m wide, admittedly with a 1m strip in between. The road was designed for cars, lorries and buses.
Waze’s Driver Satisfaction Index – which analyzes the driving experiences of 65 million monthly users in 38 countries and 235 cities across the globe – named the Netherlands as the most satisfying place in the world to drive in 2015 and 2016 so the provision of cycle facilities does not necessarily mean worse conditions for drivers.
Governments traditionally constructed wider roads. The excessive space can clearly be seen after a snowfall by the amount of road with undisturbed snow. Now, they construct narrower roads in order to reduce the speed of traffic and to decrease the number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities.
In north Kildare, the M6 Motorway is often congested with traffic stretching back to Maynooth and with a queue of cars from the intersection as far back as Taghadoe. There is congestion in both Celbridge and Leixlip although those towns have no current comparable works to Maynooth. Some of the comments on the Notice Boards refer to taking an hour to drive from one side of Maynooth to the other. We live in a democracy so people are free to continue to do that if they so wish. However, with the future development of housing and the resulting additional traffic as well as the need for parking, a one hour delay is going to become a lot more common unless there is significant take-up in active and sustainable travel. More people will choose walking and cycling as the active travel networks expands due to continuing political support. If not, the big losers will be drivers who have no choice but to drive.
Is the Railpark housing estate the worst place to live in Maynooth? (Spoiler: It isn’t.) Then why, at a number of public meetings during the summer, did some Maynooth residents imply a feature that is working well in Railpark would mean a host of problems if applied to other areas?
The meetings were called to discuss the impact of proposals in the Maynooth and Environs Local Area Plan 2025-29. The Local Area Plan (LAP) covers a broad range of issues related to the future development of Maynooth. It includes proposals that are designed to contribute to Ireland meeting its commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. However, many of the discussions focused on pedestrian and cycling permeability – the retrofitting of active travel access through existing adjacent developments, mainly housing estates.
One such proposal linked the Kilcock Road and Crewhill — a new high-density development to the north-west of the town via Maynooth University and the unconnected residential estates of Moyglare Abbey and Moyglare Village.
It was claimed that retrofitting an active travel access would lead to increased anti-social behaviour and increased littering. One attendee quoted an unnamed member of the Garda Síochána who had warned that opening up estates would lead to increased crime. It was claimed that a direct link between Moyglare Abbey and the university would lead to Moyglare Abbey turning into a car park for students. But no such link was even proposed in the LAP. Concerns were also expressed that the openings would be so wide that cars would also be able to use them and that drivers would not see cyclists at a junction due to inadequate sightlines. (For clarity – cars will not be able to use the access points.)
This proposal was designed to provide an alternative to Moyglare Road where, at peak times, there is heavy congestion on crowded footpaths, and many secondary school students cycle on the road instead of an adjacent shared path. At school closing time, traffic queues stretch to nearly a kilometre from the Kilcock Road junction to beyond the GAA clubhouse. It was pointed out that improving permeability would be good for health by reducing air and noise pollution. The high level of traffic congestion would also be reduced, but the mood of the majority who attended the meeting was to oppose the permeability links regardless of any benefits that they might bring.
The irony is that Maynooth residents don’t have to go too far to see good examples of active travel permeability. Most of the estates off the Straffan Road are permeable. On the west side, Kingsbry, Beaufield and Greenfield estates are linked. Parson Hall and Ashleigh are also linked. On the east side, Railpark estate is particularly good as it is linked to both Rockfield and Parklands, as well as having a pedestrian link to the Straffan Road.
If the fears expressed by Moyglare residents are valid, Railpark must be the worst place to live in Maynooth. In fact, it is estates like Moyglare Abbey and Moyglare Hall that are badly designed in regard to mobility. So, the LAP presents a rare opportunity to mitigate the poor outcomes of past planning decisions.
Public consultations are an important part of local democracy. However, democracy is not just about the number of submissions for and against a scheme. The proposal to provide greater permeability and increase active travel has implications for climate change and road safety as well as health in Maynooth. This concerns all the people of Maynooth and not just those who reside close to the proposed openings. The provision of permeability links is a very modest proposal to reduce our carbon emissions.
The backdrop to this includes Ireland still recovering from one of its most severe storms that was linked to two deaths, other European countries suffering extreme climate events involving multiple fatalities, and 2024 was confirmed as the warmest year on record globally. It’s also at a time when the consensus between Europe and the USA on climate is under threat like never before.
Given that the addition of a “relatively” small number of people cycling and walking provokes such opposition from people who are opposed to change and happy with the current status quo, then what will happen when people are asked to make major changes to their lifestyle?
In a recent appeal against a refusal for a proposed wind farm in Laois, the High Court stated that “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes to all aspects of society and the economy” and “an immediate end to business as usual” by consenting authorities is required to cut greenhouse gas emissions and ensure planetary survival.
Maynooth University is an important institution in the town. It is one of the Irish universities that is noted for research on climate change and lecturers there collaborate with their international colleagues. It is disappointing that the university authorities did not consider the LAP important enough to make a submission. It is particularly disappointing as the university is also the biggest single generator of traffic in the town.
Ireland was fortunate to rely on expert medical advice during the Covid epidemic rather than on non-experts. Expert advice on the LAP from the university authorities could have reassured a lot of people who are fearful of or opposed to change.
Local councillors are responsible for approving Local Area Plans, and while they have a responsibility to represent the views of the public, they also have a responsibility to show leadership. Central government ministers and their departments primarily fund local government. Central government also sets down national policies so their views cannot be ignored by local government.
Prior to Christmas 2024, in their submission of amendments to the Draft LAP, the Office of the Planning Regulator, which reviews the performance of planning authorities, recommended that all the permeability links deleted by councillors be reinstated. However, on February 17th, at the meeting of the municipal district on the LAP, councillors voted to proceed with deleting 12 of the 34 walking links and 1 of the 3 cycle links that had been proposed to be abandoned.
With only five years until the next local government elections and one year after that to the 2030 target of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions, the decisions of current councils nationwide will decide where Ireland will stand by the key target date. Kildare is just the latest council to demonstrate the disconnect between government policy and the actions of local councillors. Many groups and individuals will be watching to see how this saga plays out.
This article was edited post publishing to correct an error in the numbers of links for abandonment.
The submission below was forwarded to Kildare County Council in early December.
SUMMARY
Maynooth Cycling Campaign supports the retention of all of the removed permeability and cycling measures on the grounds that their deletion is contrary to government policy on climate, health and road safety.
We support the retention of all of the permeability and cycling measures. There are plenty of existing examples of permeability in Maynooth. While some are not so good in terms of width, most permeability links are good to very good and are positive features for the residential estates in question.
Although not explicitly appearing in the LAP, the LAP references the targets for future modes of travel in the Maynooth & Environs Area Based Transport Assessment. Unfortunately these do not make mathematical sense given that the totals sum up in excess of 100%. Best national and international practice is that they amount to 100% and if one mode of travel increases in percentage, another mode must decrease by an equivalent amount. Targets at a micro level (at town level) rather than at national level must be included in the LAP in order to allow government to monitor and report progress on an annual basis.
The proposed deletion of the permeability measures will make it more difficult to achieve any target of increased active travel.
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Maynooth Cycling Campaign suggests that Kildare County Council could have done much more to prepare local people for the prospect of increased permeability as it failed to make the case for their inclusion in advance of the publication of the Local Area Plan.
Although child safety was cited as a reason by residents and parents opposed to some of the permeability measures, international experience shows that dedicated cycling and walking linkages promote child safety by keeping them away from busy roads and intersections.
OPPOSITION TO CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE
Maynooth has a track record of opposition to proposed cycle infrastructure, especially where it involves reallocation of space from cars. This was the case
On the Straffan Road when officials proposed to remove the turn right turning lane into residential estates.
On Carton Avenue when officials proposed to turn the footpath into a shared path.
On Parsons Street when it was proposed to trial the restriction of motorised traffic to flow in one direction.
Albert Einstein is reputed to have said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Kildare County Council should have learnt from these episodes that residents, especially drivers, would not meekly accept its plans for active travel without any opposition.
Kildare County Council should also have learnt from the report Active travel infrastructure design and implementation: Insights from behavioral science by the ESRI in conjunction with Fingal County Council. The report looked at the results of 180 international active travel schemes. There was lots of opposition to the schemes initially with people expecting negative effects on traffic and local businesses. The experience internationally, however, is that when implemented, active travel schemes were positively received. Most business owners associate car drivers with bigger spending. However, while active travellers spend less money per visit to local businesses, they visit businesses more often and so end up spending more.
How to allay fears? Everyone is subject to inherent bias. People make a judgment on something based on their beliefs or previous experience. Few people though have experience of the wider benefits of increased cycling but most feel that they will be disadvantaged by it. The researchers also found a second bias – the primary effect bias. Primary effect bias is where If a person’s initial reaction to a proposal is negative, it is then very difficult to get them to change their mind. Most people do not like change and fear the worst of change in their circumstances. When change is implemented, people find that it is not as bad as feared.
To overcome bias resulting in opposition to their proposals, Kildare County Council must do more to make the positive case for change. In particular, there has never been any attempt to summarise the transport strategy Maynooth & Environs Area Based Transport Assessment into a document which is circulated to every home in Maynooth and which explains in plain terms what is planned for the community, why it is necessary and what are the impacts both good and bad.
This submission concerns four areas – Targets for Travel Modes and three areas where the deletion of permeability and cycling measures are not in accordance with government strategies and policies, namely in the areas of Climate Action, Health and Road Safety.
TARGETS FOR TRAVEL MODES
The LAP does not include any targets for different modes of travel. Instead it references the targets set out in the Maynooth & Environs Area Based Transport Assessment (and the County Development Plan). See copy of Table 2-1 from the Assessment.
Table 2-1 Journeys to Work Share Targets to County Kildare in draft CDP
The Assessment includes existing modal splits for transport and as well as future targets. If a mode of transport increases, another mode or modes must reduce by an equivalent amount in order for all modes to sum up to 100%. Targets should be challenging and achievable but the future targets make no sense as they amount to more than 100%. See Table 2-1 above from the Assessment. This is not in line with best practice either nationally or internationally. Targets at a micro level (at town level) must be included in the LAP in order to allow government to monitor and report progress on an annual basis. Regardless of the future targets, the deletion of permeability measures will make achieving them even more difficult.
CLIMATE ACTION
Climate is one of the major threats to the future of Kildare, Ireland and the rest of the world. The Dáil formally recognised this threat when it declared a climate emergency in 2019. Kildare County Council also recognised the climate emergency in a vote by its elected members. The government, representing the people of Ireland, is legally committed to a 50% reduction in carbon emissions from the transport sector by 2030. The Climate Plan details a wide range of measures which includes a significant increase in the level of active travel and a consequent reduction in use of private cars.
In the 1970s, the Netherlands was the first country to explicitly attempt to decrease car use and to increase the level of cycling. The first two attempts to increase cycling had mixed results but didn’t lead to more cycling overall.
In 1979 Delft was the third city to try to increase cycling and the authorities there took a different and innovative area wide approach. The reason for this area-wide experiment was the increasing modal share of private motor traffic. The city already had an existing cycle network but Delft had noted that there were a lot of missing links. A consultant summarised the need for the Delft Cycle Plan as “The local government wished to increase the modal share of cycling!”. The two essential elements were they planned an area wide network and identified the missing links. This was the most successful plan to significantly increase the level of cycling and formed the model for other Dutch cities to follow for the next forty years.
Although considerably smaller than Delft, Maynooth has a rudimentary network with segregated or shared cycle infrastructure on the Straffan, Kilcock, Moyglare Roads and Mariavilla. Like Delft, residential estates in Maynooth do not generally require dedicated cycle facilities but if Kildare County Council is serious about significantly increasing the level of cycling in Maynooth, it must follow the best international practice in the Netherlands and address the lack of permeability.
The Climate Plans and associated documentation set out a comprehensive list of measures required to reduce carbon emissions. The Climate Plan 2024 Annex of Actions identified local authorities as having a key role in developing cycle infrastructure and achieving modal shift.
Climate Action Plan 2024
15.2.4 Shift 15.2.4.1
Active Travel Infrastructure and Accessibility Work Programme
The provision of safe and accessible walking and cycling infrastructure is key to encouraging modal shift away from private car use and towards walking and cycling. The role of local authorities in the development of active travel infrastructure cannot be overstated ….
While the use of private cars is not the only source of carbon emissions, it is a significant one. The widespread deletion of permeability measures by councillors is contrary to the government’s Climate Action Plans as it will have a negative impact on a proven strategy to increase the level of cycling.
In a recent interview on RTE, the Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council Marie Donnelly said that the main reason for Ireland not meeting its climate targets is due to transport, where emissions are “stubbornly high”.
The Climate Advisory Council has reported that Ireland is unlikely to achieve the required 50% reduction in emissions by 2030. It has also highlighted that emissions have continued to increase in 2023 rather than decrease. It warns that the cost of failing to meet Ireland 2030 climate targets could exceed €8 billion. This is the equivalent of more than 60% of the recent Apple windfall. As several countries like Ireland are unlikely to meet their emission target, it is likely that more countries will be chasing carbon credits than will be offering them. As a result, the cost of carbon credits could rise significantly.
To maximise reduction of carbon emissions, local authorities must offer the community an alternative mode of travel to the private car. As the inclusion of permeability measures is critical to the achievement of government targets, the permeability measures should be retained.
Furthermore, Kildare County Council selected Maynooth as its model Decarbonisation Zone. As one of approximately 26 Decarbonation Zones, Maynooth is intended to be a role model for other areas within the County and indeed within the country. Blocking the development of cycling and walking networks by the deletion of permeability links will impact on decarbonising elsewhere in Kildare and in the rest of the country and would be contrary to the demonstration of best Irish practice.
HEALTH
How active are Irish people? The National Survey of Lifestyles Attitudes and Nutrition (SLÁN 2007) showed that only 41% of Irish adults took part in moderate or strenuous physical activity for at least 20 minutes three or more times a week.
The Health Behaviours in School Children (HBSC, 2006) survey revealed that over half of primary school age children did not achieve the recommended level of physical activity. By 15 years of age, almost nine out of 10 girls and seven out of 10 boys don’t achieve the recommended level.
The cost of health care provision in Ireland due to physical inactivity is not available but on the basis of international research, physical inactivity has been estimated to cost about €150-300 per citizen per year. In a worst case scenario this could imply a cost in Ireland of approximately €1.5 billion per year. (WHO, 2006 Physical Activity and Health in Europe Evidence for Action)
A fundamental part of improving community health is ensuring that people are enabled to be more active. Sports clubs and gyms encourage mobility but large sections of the population do not take part in formal or informal forms of exercise. The countries which are most successful at encouraging mobility, build it into everyday movement by enabling active travel.
HSE and Healthy Ireland
The Health Service Executive (HSE) manages public health services in Ireland. One service, Healthy Ireland brings together stakeholders including government departments, public sector organisations, businesses, communities and individuals to improve health and wellbeing and reduce the risks posed to future generations.
Healthy Ireland’s Get Ireland Active! – National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland
The National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland sets out a strategy to reduce inactivity in communities. It states:
Promoting the use of the natural and built environment and promoting active transport are the most practical and sustainable ways to increase physical activity as part of everyday routine. The built environment is an important determinant of physical activity behaviour. The way the built environment is designed, planned and built can also act as a barrier to being active and can reinforce sedentary behaviour and car dependence. (My emphasis)
Action Area 4 deals with the Environment. It includes 7 actions, of which three list local authorities as the lead partner and a further two list local authorities as partners.
National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027
The National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027 highlights the Leading Role for Local Authorities:
Local Authorities are key stakeholders in the context of the public spaces which are widely used for sport and physical activity. They manage the public parks; they are responsible for the local road network;
For the above reasons, we believe that Local Authorities are well positioned to be charged within the policy with a formal leadership role in facilitating the drive towards greater participation at a local level throughout the population.
The development and evaluation of interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behaviour in children and adults is a priority.
There is a growing body of evidence linking sedentary behaviour with chronic disease morbidity and mortality in adults and preliminary evidence to suggest sedentary behaviour may also be a health risk in children and young people.
Healthy Kildare Plan 2022-26
One of the priorities of the Healthy Kildare Plan 2022-26 is Healthy Spaces and Places. The High Level Goals includes
Improve sustainability and longevity of programmes by encouraging active travel ………
Theme: Healthy Places and Environments
Strategic Objective 6: To support the development of new spaces, places and environments that promote positive Health and Wellbeing across Kildare
Key Action 6.3 To inform and support the development of greenways, cycleways and walkways across the County and promote sustainable transport
Successive health policies and strategies all stress the important role of local authorities in increasing community health through enabling active travel.
While elected councillors have a role in representing the views of the public (which councillors have done in relation to the issue of permeability in the Maynooth LAP,) councillors also have a responsibility in implementing central government policies as well as its own policies on health. As a result, the proposed permeability measures should be retained in the LAP.
ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY
After several years when Ireland improved road safety, the number of road fatalities increased significantly and is unlikely to achieve the European target of a 50% reduction in road fatalities by 2030 relative to the base year of 2019. Much of the existing cycle infrastructure is low quality. Moyglare Road shared path is not fit for purpose at peak times. Cyclists need more and better options to reduce the risk of collisions. Child safety was cited as a reason by some residents and parents opposed to the permeability measures. International experience shows the opposite. One of the drivers of change in the Netherlands in the 1970s was the scale of road fatalities. The deaths of over 400 children per annum gave rise to a widespread campaign “Stop de Kindermoord” or “Stop the Child Murder. The provision of permeability links in Maynooth would offer people – young and old – an alternative to roads with either low quality cycling infrastructure or with no dedicated infrastructure. The absence of such links will endanger an increased number of vulnerable road users.
Celbridge Road – our top priority is for the delivery of improved cycling and walking provision at Celbridge Road where two primary schools are located.
“Leprechaun” Climate Targets – for Kildare County Council to get rid of “Leprechaun” Climate Targets -targets which are unachievable as adding up the percentage modes of travel comes to 150% rather than 100% of journeys.
WHO’s H.E.A.T. tool – for Kildare County Council to introduce WHO’s H.E.A.T. tool to calculate the benefits of active travel schemes and to estimate reductions in carbon emissions as carried out in multiple countries.
Reporting of Committee Minutes – for Kildare County Council to publish draft minutes of SPC and Sustainable Transport Forum meetings within 2 weeks as opposed to the current practice of circulating them nearly three months after the meeting.
Kiss the Gates Goodbye – for Kildare County Council (1) to identify substandard accesses to greenways and other active travel routes which are barriers to entry by cyclists and mobility impaired people; and (2) to seek funding for their removal.
Safety Concerns at Moyglare Educational Campus – we support the concerns of the three school principals as detailed in their letter dated 21st April to Kildare County Council re taking in charge, pedestrian crossing, shared paths and Moyglare Road traffic calming.
FURTHER DETAILS
1. Celbridge Road
Celbridge Road forms part of the R405 regional road. Two primary schools open onto it – with more than 850 pupils attending Gaelscoil Uí Fhiaich and Maynooth Educate Together. Kildare County Council granted planning to them more than 20 years ago, yet planning permission was granted despite having no cycle facilities and substandard walking facilities. Kildare County Council proposed a scheme some three or four years ago – a design that we opposed on account of its very poor quality. The scheme has been redesigned but now has been held up for reasons of cost.
The EPA in their recent report on progress on meeting 2030 carbon reduction targets stated that even if everything proposed was actually carried out, Ireland’s emissions would still only reduce by 29% instead of 51%. The continuing failure to provide quality walking and cycling to school cannot be allowed to continue – Celbridge Road should be the number one active travel priority.
2. “Leprechaun” Climate Targets
As part of its action on Climate Change, the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029 gives most recent estimates of how Kildare people travel using different modes. It also includes a number of targets for future change in modes of travel.
The baseline figures for existing modes were derived from the Census 2016 results. The baseline figures and proposed targets are as follows:
Mode of Travel To Work
Baseline
Target
Walking
6%
10%
Cycling
1%
20%
Bus
5%
13%
Train
5%
14%
Car Share
4%
8%
Car
74%
50%
TOTAL
95%
115%
(Note – An estimated 4% of people were working from home giving a total of 99% with a 1% rounding error.)
Mode of Travel To Education
Baseline
Target
Walk
28%
50%
Cycling
2%
15%
Public Transport
20%
25%
Car
50%
40%
TOTAL
100%
130%
The baseline travel percentages are fine. They essentially add up to 100% for travel to work and 100% for travel to education. The Census gives the actual numbers so, if you want, you can combine the work and education numbers and calculate the overall percentages.
The problem is with the targets. At the draft stage of the County Development Plan, Maynooth Cycling Campaign thought that it was an error but after raising it for a second time, the Council stated that they should be
“…. aiming for as high as possible for the sustainable modes and less high for the unsustainable ones”.
This is true but the targets should also be “reasonable” and “achievable”. They should be challenging for those who have to achieve them but not something so unrealistic that those who have to achieve them, throw in the towel at the start. The key principle is that the total target percentages should add up to 100% so if you increase the percentage target for some modes of travel, you MUST decrease the percentage target for other modes of travel. The European Cyclists’ Federation which has more than 40 years of working for increased cycling has identified monitoring and reporting as a key requirement in effecting modal change. Adopting modal share percentages in excess of 100% makes no sense except as a “Get Out of Gaol” ticket for the future failure of KCC to deliver on the said targets. It will also impact unfavourably on Kildare’s contribution to the Irish government’s commitment of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.
Leprechaun economics was a term coined by Nobel winning economist Paul Krugman to describe the 26.3 per cent rise in Irish 2015 GDP, later revised to 34.4 per cent. The adoption of Leprechaun targets is related to Leprechaun economics in that both are factual but both have a tenuous link to reality.
3. WHO’s H.E.A.T. tool
The World Health Organisation (WHO) developed a spreadsheet to calculate the benefits of active travel schemes and to estimate reductions in carbon emissions.
In Kildare, there is rarely a measurement of existing levels of walking or cycling and no forecast for future use of proposed active travel infrastructure. As a result there is no benchmark to assess the success of a scheme or even to alert if levels of walking or cycling are reduced.
4. Reporting of Committee Minutes
After committees meetings of, for example, SPC and Sustainable Transport Forum, Kildare County Council circulates draft minutes some 10-12 weeks later to committee members for review, The minutes are then approved at the next meeting which often takes place 13 weeks after the previous one and may be uploaded to the Council website any time after that. Some minutes are uploaded quickly afterwards while others are not uploaded unless someone draws attention to their absence.
There is no good reason why draft minutes could not be uploaded to the Council website within 2 weeks of a meeting. The current practice is indicative that the meeting is a talking shop and one where no followup actions are required to be carried out as a matter of urgency.
5. Kiss the Gates Goodbye
Kildare County Council, unlike many other local authorities, has responsibility for very few roads or footways which contain barriers like kissing gates to active travel.
However as a Planning Authority, Kildare County Council has overseen and/or granted permission to Waterways Ireland for substandard accesses on and to the Royal and Grand Canals. In particular, there is a series of substandard accesses which are not to best international practice or meet Irish standards between Leixlip and Kilcock on the Royal Canal Greenway. Recent works on the Royal Canal at Louisa Bridge and on the Grand Canal at Sallins and elsewhere also ignore the advice by the Minister for Transport that accesses should be designed in line with the principles of universal access. The result is that Maynooth Cycling Campaign is unable to travel from Maynooth to Kilcock along the greenway with our Cycling Without Age trishaw.
Kildare County Council should identify substandard accesses to greenways and other active travel routes which are barriers to entry by cyclists and mobility impaired people, and seek funding for their removal.
6. Safety Concerns at Moyglare Educational Campus
Kildare County Council should consider the concerns expressed by the school principals and propose how best to reduce the risk of harm to pupils. In our view, Kildare County Council’s choice of a shared path in a location with very high numbers of pedestrians was predictable – with pupils cycling on the road, pupils cycling on the footpath opposite intended for pedestrians only and pupils taking alternative on-road routes where possible. Cyclists, elderly pedestrians and disability groups dislike shared paths. In Denmark and the Netherlands, the authorities segregate pedestrians and cyclists because of the risk of a collision arising from the different speeds. If Kildare County Council wants to emulate the level of cycling in such countries, councillors should not approve such schemes except in exceptional circumstances. It is accepted that there are locations where there are no reasonable alternatives.
Waterways Ireland is in the process of revising its Byelaws. The previous ones were passed in 1988 more than 30 years ago so a revision has been long overdue. The proposed Byelaws are arranged in some 40 sections. Most of the changes affect the boating fraternity but buried deep in the document is a clause which is aimed at cyclists.
Under Section 35 Protection of biodiversity, water quality, heritage, environment and prohibited activities, Waterways Ireland includes subsection (10) Prohibited Activity on canal property. The subsection refers to bicycles and powered personal transporters in two clauses
(n) Exceed a speed of 15 kilometres per hour on any bicycle, tricycle or powered persontransporter while using any greenway.
Maynooth Cycling Campaign has no issue with the first subclause. However, we strongly oppose the proposal to introduce a speed limit for cyclists on any Greenway or Blueway under the control of Waterways Ireland.
The general design speed for greenways is 30 km/h (ref TII Rural Cycleway Design (2022).
A bicycle is not legally obliged to have a speedometer. Therefore there is no way for a cyclist to know if he or she is travelling above or below a specific speed.
The introduction of such a proposal would discourage cyclists from using a greenway or blueway, and cause them to divert them to trafficked roads. Introducing such a proposal at a time when road fatalities are increasing sharply is wholly irresponsible.
Extreme weather events are worsening as a result of climate change. The result of suppressing the number of cyclists using the greenways and blueways will be to make it harder to meet our international obligations to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
Internationally, many adult utility cyclists in urban areas travel in excess of 15 km/h. Imposing a limit of 15km/h for cyclists in rural areas in the vicinity of few other users is therefore ridiculous.
There is no speed limit on equivalent cycle facilities internationally. The introduction of such a speed limit would be to discourage international (as well as local) touring cyclists from using greenways along canals and waterways. This would reduce the potential financial benefits to adjacent businesses.
Waterways Ireland claims that the revisions were introduced following research and consultation with key stakeholders. Certainly Maynooth Cycling Campaign was not consulted and neither was our parent body Cyclist.ie who, for many years, has campaigned for development of the Royal Canal as part of the trans-national EuroVelo Route 02 the Capitals Route which runs from Moscow to Galway.
Waterways Ireland should be encouraging cyclists instead of discouraging them. Waterways Ireland is noted for an ambivalent attitude to cyclists. Cyclists are potentially a greater source of income than walkers or boaters on many waterways but Waterways Ireland want to provide low quality cycling infrastructure. This was demonstrated by their provision of kissing gates in the past. It is demonstrated by the large number of substandard gates provided between Leixlip and Kilcock. This has been repeated with the barriers on the Royal Canal at Louisa Bridge where the openings arer 1.3m and 1.0m. It is hardly rocket science. They just need to provide bollards at 1.5m spacing to enable all types of cycles but instead of learning from their mistakes, Waterways Ireland insist on repeating them.
The closing date for submissions on the ByeLaws was the 2nd October but Waterways Ireland has extended the date for submissions until 27th October so there is still time to make your views known. To be fair to them, Waterways Ireland has announced that they will be having discussions with Cyclist.ie.
(This article was taken from the European Commission website.)
EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK is the European Commission’s flagship awareness-raising campaign on sustainable urban mobility. It encourages behavioural change in favour of active mobility, public transport and other clean, intelligent transport solutions.
The main event takes place from 16-22 September this year, culminating in the popular Car-Free Day. Local authorities are encouraged to use the main week to try out innovative planning measures, promote new infrastructure and technologies, measure air quality, and get feedback from the public.
Towns and cities are able to register all of the activities they plan to carry out to celebrate the campaign, including: organising activities focused on sustainable mobility during the main event week, implementing one or more permanent transport measures throughout the year, and holding a ‘Car-Free-Day’. Participating towns and cities are strongly encouraged to implement all three activities!
With more towns and cities joining every year, and with its huge media appeal, the campaign is widely recognised as a driving force towards sustainable urban mobility in Europe and beyond. In Ireland, the Dublin local authorities and Cork are participating. Kildare??? Eh, no…..
Maynooth Community Council working in partnership with Kildare County Council invite you to a great day out, the “Picnic in the Park”, on June 18th-there will be good food, ice cream, face painting, nature walks and various acts. Community groups will have their stalls for you to chat to them about all the wonderful and diverse activities that take place in our town.
With the focus this year is on sustainability and climate action, the event has a serious side and officials from the Climate Action Section will be present. With our interest in the the promotion of cycling as part of decarbonisation of transport, Maynooth Cycling Campaign will be there so if you are passing, why not drop in for a chat and find out our plans fpr the future.
NOTE : The FILM NIGHT has beed postponed until SUNDAY
Kildare County Council has organised a number of events in the county to celebrate Bike Week 2023. Maynooth Cycling Campaign wishes to support Kildare County Council in its efforts to promote cycling in the county and has organised a number of additional events. The programme is as follows .
On-street parking may be a given for cars, but for bikes, it is not an option due to the threat of theft. Most homeowners will wheel their bikes around through the side gate for storage in a locked shed, but what are residents in terraced houses or apartments with perhaps shared or first floor entrances to do? The answer is either to store the bicycles in the house, wheel them through living areas or lock them to an outside railing and hope for the best.
For the recreational weekend cyclist, wheeling a very light bike through the house is not a problem, but for commuting cyclists, perhaps with multiple bikes for the school run, this is not feasible to do twice a day.
One solution that has been rolled out by Dublin City Council and more recently by Waterford Council are bike hangers (which are also known as bike bunkers). These hangers are designed to fit in a parking space, have space for eight bikes, and enclose bikes in a lockable hood to allow access to only those with a key.
A solution for Maynooth?
In Maynooth, most housing estates do come with side access, but there are a few areas of terraced housing and high density apartments that this solution is tailor made for. Maynooth Cycling Campaign have approached Councillors with a proposal for a trial installation at Leinster Cottages, just behind the Main Street, with the Councillors and area engineer responding positively with possibly the main barrier being the administrative burden.
There are other bicycle storage solutions in Maynooth at both Tesco and the train station; the one at Tesco is operated by a private company and so is pay by the hour, so unsuitable for long term habitual storage. The train station lockers are based on a similar model. Both of these models allot a large enclosed storage area for a single bicycle tenant, and so are aimed at the owners of expensive bicycles, as the alternative of chaining the bicycle to a rack is riskier but free of charge. They are not a suitable model for households which may have multiple kids bikes and need to store overnight, every night.
Maynooth Cycling Campaign are currently looking for other suitable locations around the town with terraced houses or apartments without street access to a garden. If you have need for a bike hanger and think that there is a suitable location near you, please let us know at maynoothcycling@gmail.com.
Maynooth Cycling Campaign welcomes Kildare County Council’s (KCC) recent upgrade of cycle facilities on the Meadowbrook Link Road. This will allow cyclists to proceed from Meadowbrook Road to the Straffan Road junction off road instead of being unceremoniously dumped onto the road halfway along.
The existing width of cycle track on the Meadowbrook Link Road is 1.5m. While the Council maintained that width where space was limited, Maynooth Cycling welcomes that where space was available the Council increased the effective width to 2m. However, it was noted that the Council omitted to provide a kerb on the road side of the cycle track with the result that the quality of workmanship is poor in places. It was also noted that the original 1.5m width has been reduced to 1.4m due to the encroachment of grass. It would have been nice had the Council took the opportunity to cut back the grass.
It is regrettable that the Council maintained the shared path at the Straffan Road junction. Shared paths are opposed by both cyclists and pedestrian groups due to potential conflicts. Designs in Dublin, which now allow Dutch style protected junctions and separate path for pedestrians and cyclists, are long overdue in Kildare.
The Council also wasted an opportunity to do anything about the poor quality of the workmanship on the cycle track at the entrance to Hayfield Estate. Maynooth Cycling Campaign has complained about the flooding after every shower of rain but the Council failed to do anything about it. The Council’s response was to the effect that repair works are required but there are no plans for the Council to do anything soon. The bigger question is why was the developer allowed to leave it in a substandard state.
Maynooth Cycling Campaign 