We regret that due to technical difficulties and a lack of resources (it happens in all voluntary groups from time to time) -this site has not been updated for some time. We are pleased to announce that we have solved the problems and that the site will be updated regularly from now on. The many supporters will be pleased to know that activity in support of the project has continued and that significant progress has been made. We would hope to be able to report on that in the near future.

On 16th May 2006 the Dublin Regional Authority adopted the WSP report on the S2S project. The entire 22kms has been studied and the environmental and other issues have been identified. A preferred route and alternatives have been proposed and a preliminary estimate has been made of the cost of completing the first phase of the project. This phase is to complete those sections of the route where no promenade or cycleway now exist. At the same meeting of the authority, the Members, who are drawn from the elected Councillors of the 4 Dublin authorities, voted to get each of its members to include the S2S project in its political party’s manifesto. The completion of the report and its adoption by the authorities now opens up the way for the project to proceed to the next stage, which includes detailed design and full environmental impact studies. The process will also involve discussions with the stakeholders, including local communities and residents living near the route. It is estimated that the entire of Phase 1 could be completed in less than 4 years, if it is started immediately.
The full report can be obtained from the Dublin Regional Authority and will be available on their website very soon.

We are delighted to learn that Dublin City Council has invited proposals for the feasibility study and environmental assessment for a section of the project. This is the first such decision by a Local Authority in relation to the promenade and cycleway and is hugely significant. The full text of the advertisement can be seen here . The following is an abstract from the public notice:

“The proposed promenade and cycleway is located on the seaward side of James Larkin Road between the North Bull Island Causeway and the Wooden Bridge at Dollymount, North Dublin. The proposed width is 8 metres and the project extent is approximately 2 kilometres. The scope of the services required include a Feasibility Study and, if the scheme is found to be feasible, a Preliminary Design is to be carried out. The scope of the Feasibility Study will involve a detailed examination of existing data, selection of feasible options after detailed environmental and statutory aspects have been assessed and the determination of cost estimates for these feasible options.”

A new milestone in the campaign was reached today (12th Nov) when the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern T.D. and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. Dick Roche T.D. announced their commitment to promote and support the proposal to upgrade and join up various existing sections of promenade and cycleways to form a continuous route around the 22kms seafront of Dublin Bay.
The announcement was made in a press briefing and photo call on the seafront at Clontarf. This is seen as a huge boost to the campaign and follows meetings between members of the group and the Taoiseach and the Minister. A full copy of the press release can be found here.

The S2S e-mail has had copies of lots of messages welcoming the announcement by the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment , Heritage and Local Government, of Government support for the S2S project, including this message to the Taoiseach and the Minister from Eric Conroy, Hon. Treasurer, An Taisce (and ardent cyclist!):
“I am very pleased that the government has agreed to support the cycling route around Dublin Bay. It is a very exciting venture and should be a great environmentally-friendly amenity for the people of Dublin and beyond. Well done,”
The text of many of the messages of support for the project can be checked at the support page.

Following the announcement of Government support for the S2S Project in late 2006, the then Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche TD. formed a working group with representatives of the Department of the Environment, Dublin City and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and the Dublin Transportation Office. Acting through Dublin City Council and DunLaoghaire Rathdown County Council, the working group arranged for more detailed studies to be undertaken of the Project. For more details follow this link.

On the 22nd November 2008, Tom Leahy, Executive Manager (Engineering) Dublin City Council, made a presentation of the latest plans for the S2S project to a meeting of the Dublin Bay Task Force. The presentation gives a first glimpse of the ideas for the S2S North section based on the proposals prepared by Roughan and O’Donovan, Engineers. It contains some very exciting ideas which would provide a world class promenade and cycleway while at the same time protecting the sensitive environment. The full presentation can be seen at the following link: http://www.dra.ie/documents/T_Leahy_Sutton2Sandycove22Nov.pdf

Please note that this document is approximately 3Mb and may take a few minutes to download. It is worth it!

The Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, T.D., accompanied by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Eamon Ryan, T.D. today launched “Smarter Travel – A Sustainable Transport Future”. This is Government’s action plan to free our towns and cities from choking traffic congestion, slash CO2 emissions and help car based commuters to leave their cars at home.

Smarter Travel – A Sustainable Transport Future sets out measures so that by 2020 we can have thousands more people walking, cycling, using public transport and leaving their cars at home. With this action plan Government aims to change the transport mix in Ireland so that by 2020 car share of total commutes drop from the current 65% to 45%. This will involve new ways of approaching many aspects of policy making in Ireland. It affects how we plan our schools and school curricula, influences where we develop residential areas and centres of employment in the future, opens up social and employment opportunities for people who experience reduced mobility and returns urban spaces to people rather than cars. the Government’s commitment to the S2S project is reconfirmed in Action 15:

“Recently the Government has announced a benefit-in-kind tax incentive to encourage cycle commuting as well as investment in cycle route maintenance and the proposed Sutton to Sandycove cycle route. The Government have also carried out research on best practice for cycling and has published a strategy for developing cycle tourism.”
The full text of “Smarter Travel” can be found at the following link www.transport.ie/upload/general/Smarter_Travel_5_feb_2009.pdf

Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, T.D. and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Eamon Ryan, TD.

On Wednesday 4th February 2009, Dublin City Council officials presented their plans for the S2S route to a meeting of the City Councillors. Follow this link to see a report of the proposals that was published in the Irish Times of 13th February 2009.

The Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, T.D. has done it again and given a further significant boost to the project in his announcement of the new national cycle policy framework. The full policy can be accessed here: http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/11387-0.pdf

The relevant section states:
2.10 Sutton to Sandycove Scheme –
We will complete the Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) cycleway /promenade. This 22km continuous facility will act as a commuting route as well as a world class recreational and tourist route. It will be a flagship project for the capital.