Author Archives: mcollins

Work Starts on Dollymount Section of S2S May 2015

The Irish Tomes reports today, 20th May, that construction of the €5 million“missing link” of the Dublin Bay cycle path is starting this week, more than a decade after planning of the route began. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/work-on-5m-clontarf-section-of-dublin-bay-cycle-path-starts-1.2218425

Councillors appoint members of S2S Joint Committee -Feb 2015

Councillors of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Dublin City Council have set up a Joint Committee to promote the S2S project. 

On their own initiative, the Councillors have completed the necessary procedures to establish a joint committee to co-ordinate their actions in support of the project. The move came with the support of all of the main political parties. The purpose of the committee is to co-ordinate the response of the Councillors to the new feasibility study of the project that is being undertaken on behalf of the National Transport Authority. The study is focussed on the missing section of the Sutton to Sandycove Promenade and Cycleway between Sandymount and Seapoint. It is expected that a draft report will be published for public consultation in March 2015.

The membership of the joint committee are as follows:

The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown members are:

Deirdre Donnelly              (Independent – Stillorgan)

Kate Feeney                      (Fianna Fáil – Blackrock)

Melissa Halpin                   (People before Profit – Dún Laoghaire)

Deirdre Kingston                (Labour – Blackrock)

Ossian Smyth                     (Green Party – Dún Laoghaire)

Barry Ward                         (Fine Gael – Blackrock)

The Dublin City members are:

Kieran Binchy                     (Fine Gael – Pembroke South-Dock)

Claire Byrne                        (Green Party  – Pembroke South-Dock)

Mannix Flynn                     (Independent  – Pembroke South-Dock)

Jane Horgan-Jones          (Labour – Clontarf)

Frank Kennedy                 (Fianna Fáil – Pembroke South-Dock)

The action by the Councillors is clear evidence of the strong support that continues to exist in the main political parties. It is to be hoped that members of the community who support this great project will indicate that to the Councillors.

S2S Admin Team

Renewed Prospects for S2S in 2015 – January 2015

Just when it appears that everyone in authority has forgotten about the Sutton to Sandycove Promenade and Cycleway, something unexpected happens.

The National Transport Authority with the support of Dublin City Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have recently appointed consulting engineers AECOM + Roughan & O’Donovan (AECOM-ROD) along with Scott Cawley (Ecology Consultants) to undertake a new design and environment scoping study of the the proposal. The study is focussed on the only remaining 4kms which is missing on the seafront in the South Dublin Bay. It covers approximately 1km at Sandymount to link Sean Moore Park with the promenade at the Beach Road and approximately 3km from Merrion Gates to Seapoint.

The appointments follow on the completion of a study and proposals by the NTA for the future development of a network of cycleways for the whole of the Greater Dublin Region which were published in 2013 (Draft Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan (NTA, 2013).  It identified a number of potential “Greenways”- routes that could be established in scenic or otherwise undeveloped areas and which could act as route for leisure as well as commuter cycling.  One such Greenway, known as the East Coast Trail is proposed to run along the coast from Drogheda to Arklow.  The section in Dublin Bay, coincides with the route of the S2S which was first put forward in 2001.

It is understood that the new study is already underway. It is expected that a draft will be published in March 2015 and members of the public will be invited to comment on the findings and recommendations.

In an unusual act of solidarity, Councillors from across the political spectrum in both Dublin City Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councils have agreed to form a joint committee to support the project.

This is a most exciting and welcome development. The issues, most particularly those to do with the designation of South Dublin Bay as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and an Area of Special Protection (SPA), remain to be resolved. The study now commissioned by the NTA however represents the best opportunity to find solutions that will allow this wonderful project to proceed and we should be grateful to the NTA for taking this initiative. There is little doubt that a positive outcome would be welcomed by the local communities and those citizens with an interest in promoting cycling and healthy living.

S2S Admin Team January 2015

National Bike Week Photocall Event in support of S2S. Booterstown Dart Station, Wednesday 18th June at 1.00pm. People, Families, Walkers and Cyclists, all Invited to Attend.

As part of National Bike Week and following on the recent Local Government elections, the event has been arranged to allow supporters of S2S to show their support for the project and to meet some of the newly elected councillors whose support is also needed to get the project going again.
Everyone is invited and asked to bring  friends and relatives. Come by Bike, Bus, Dart or Shanks Mare, whatever suits. As we do not have any tee-shirts with S2S branding, could we all wear one colour? Perhaps bright blue tee-shirts or tops would be nice? The S2S logo is blue, so blue would be good.

For further information contact:

Clara Clark – email: clara@claraclark.ie – mobile: 087 251 5439

or

Michael Collins – email: michael@S2S.ie –  mobile: 086 106 8200

S2S Support Team

Booterstown to Dun Laoghaire Cycle Route- May 2014

Finally, over ten years after Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council first adopted the S2S proposal and included it in its development plans, the first practical steps are being taken by the Council to upgrade the cycleway along a small but important section of the route. The section of cycleway that is proposed to be upgraded goes from the Martello Tower at Seapoint to Dun Laoghaire Harbour and is approximately 2 kms long.

The proposal has been included as part of plan for an improvement in the cycle way from Booterstown to Dun Laoghaire. Details of the plan can be found on the Council’s website at http://www.dlrcoco.ie/media/media,10380,en.pdf . The Council have invited comments on the plan which should be sent to cycling@dlrcoco.ie or the main transportation section.
The improvement of the cycle network generally is to be supported and the proposal to put part of this route on the seafront at Seapoint is very much welcomed. The manner in which it is implemented is crucial and this will not become clear until the detailed design stage of the process is reached. The route has a number challenges:
• The start of the route is at Booterstown Dart Station beyond which cyclists will have to negotiate the Merrion Road.
• The section between Blackrock Park and Blackrock Dart Station is less than one meter wide and is shared with pedestrians. It is simply not viable as it stands.
• It is difficult to see how a segregated cycleway can be accommodated at Idrone Terrace without removing the existing parking facilities on one side of the road, which may be seen as detrimental to the commercial viability of Blackrock.
• The proposed section on Seapoint Avenue is part of the N31 serving Dun Laoghaire Harbour. It is narrow and carries high volumes of traffic, including large trucks and coaches accessing the Dun Laoghaire town centre and the ferry.
• The area around Seapoint Martello Tower incorporating the traditional bathing area and access to the foreshore has enormous potential as an amenity. The access to the existing cycleway at this point is very steep and the manner in which this is resolved and integrated into the existing landscape will be challenging.
• The section of the existing route alongside the Coal Harbour is a little more than 4 meters wide and currently has to cater for two way vehicle traffic, pedestrians and cyclists. It will need to be widened by means of an extended boardwalk.
• The change of level and the confluence of heavy traffic at the Coal Harbour Bridge make for a very unfriendly, if not unsafe, section for cyclists and pedestrians. The Council should be urged to utilize the disused section of railway track under the bridge to provide a level, segregated, section of cycleway and pedestrian route to resolve these issues.

Overall, it should also be remembered that this is a proposal to improve the cycle network only and does not therefore have any proposals to improve facilities for walkers who wish to enjoy the amenity of Dublin Bay, such as that provided by the Sutton to Sandycove Promenade and Cycleway. The difficulties inherent in providing level, traffic free cycleways on existing roads such as Seapoint Avenue and the Merrion Rd also reinforce the compelling case to for the S2S proposal. The point is made in the overall study of the cycle network in the County which rates the attractions of the S2S as “A1” whereas parts of this route are rated as “C”.
Overall the Council is to be commended for seeking to improve the cycle network and this proposal is welcome in that context. It should not however be seen as an alternative to the S2S project or used to divert efforts to promote that project which complete the 22 km long seafront cycleway and promenade around Dublin Bay.

Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan

 

Comprehensive Cycle Network Plan published 10/04/14

Plan to increase region’s cycle network 5-fold in length, to 2,840 kilometres

Ambition for cycle network in 2021 to carry as many commuters as now take the bus – a three-fold increase

The National Transport Authority has today (April, 10) published its Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan, which sets out a ten year strategy for Counties Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. The draft proposals were subject to a Public Consultation last September and October, which was advertised in the national media, and which resulted in 123 submissions from stakeholders and the general public.

The cycle network outlined in the Plan will treble the existing network in urban areas from 500 kilometres to 1,485 kilometres in length, and will provide over 1,300 kilometres of new connections between towns in the rural areas of the Greater Dublin Area. In all, a network of 2,840 kilometres is envisaged compared to today’s 500 kilometres. The planned network, which consists of primary and secondary routes as well as Greenway routes (through parks, along waterways etc), comprises a mix of cycle tracks and lanes, cycleways and infrastructure-free cycle routes in low traffic environments.

The urban network is intended to attract new cyclists, as well as catering for the increasing numbers of existing city-cyclists. In this regard, the network will be designed to the appropriate quality, with the busiest routes and sections having the highest Quality of Service. In some cases, this will involve re-visiting and upgrading the current provision for cyclists to a higher quality.

The network incorporates existing cycle routes such as the Grand Canal Cycle Scheme, but also proposes significant new routes, such as the off-road Dodder Route, connecting Tallaght to the South City Centre Business District.

The network has been devised following a comprehensive study of the location and condition of existing facilities, and of the patterns of travel shown in census data and household surveys. A special cycling demand model was created for the main urban area of Dublin to assess the future demand in the busiest areas.

Announcing the Plan, Gerry Murphy, Chief Executive of the National Transport Authority said: “There has been a significant increase in the number of people cycling in Dublin in the past few years. We want that to continue, and we have devised this integrated, long-term and diverse Plan to support that continued increase.

“With the bike-to-work scheme, the extension of Dublin Bikes, our own new Cycle Planner App and greater integration with bus, train stations and Luas stops, it is our vision to have as many people cycling into the city every morning in 2021 as currently take the bus. This is hugely ambitious but I believe it can be done.

In short, this represents a new transport network for the Greater Dublin Area, with a target in 2021 of 75,000 cycle users each morning, which is a three-fold increase in cycling over 2011 levels. In other words, the cycle network could carry as many commuters in the morning in 2021 as are now carried by bus.

This plan will inform the next decade of NTA investment in cycling across seven local authority areas in the region. It is the most comprehensive study of cycling needs ever carried out in Ireland and aims to satisfy the increasing demand for appropriate cycling routes. We will build on the resurgence in cycling by better meeting cyclists’ needs. ”

For full information see the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan on our website.

 http://www.nationaltransport.ie/news/comprehensive-cycle-network-plan-published-to-increase-regions-cycle-network-5-fold-in-length-to-2840-kilometres/

New Plan for Blackrock includes S2S on the Seafront- January 2014

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has announced  its intention to prepare a new Local Area Plan for Blackrock and is inviting interested parties to make suggestions or forward ideas in writing during the period  8th January, 2014 to  5th February, 2014 (inclusive). Details of the plan may be found at the following web address: http://www.dlrcoco.ie/newsevents/latestnews/title,10201,en.html

The Council started this process in back in May 2013 but had to abandon it and start all over again because of problems that arose with the administrative process.  In the new plan, the Council has adopted a less prescriptive approach generally and a different attitude to the Sutton to Sandycove Promenade and Cycleway.  Supporters will be pleased to hear that the threat to abandon the S2S in the 2013 plan is replaced in Section 2.11 of the 2014 Plan by the stated aim: – “To promote the development of the Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) Promenade and Cycleway.” It is shown clearly in the attached map on the seafront.  This is indeed a welcome change.

Much credit must go to those supporters who made submissions to DLRCC in May 2013 calling on the Council to change the policy and also to those Councillors who gallantly supported that call with great conviction and eloquence at the June 2013 Council debate. 

The new plan recognises the conflict that arises between the historic use of Dublin Bay as an amenity for the citizens with the recently proposed designation of the South Bay area by the National Parks and Wildlife Section as a habitat for birds. The plan asks the question- how can these be reconciled? Anyone with views on this should make a submission to the Council.

Just as we have been critical of the Council when it has failed to stand by its own commitments in the past or ignored the clear wishes of the community, we should now equally commend the Council for having the courage to change its policy and do the right thing.   

Submissions and observations may be made by email to the following address: blackrock2lap@dlrcoco.ie and should state your name, address, and where relevant, the body represented.

All other written submissions and observations should be marked for the attention of:

Director of Services,

Planning & Enterprise Department,

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council,

County Hall, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire,

Co. Dublin.

New Cycleway Plan for Greater Dublin Area – September 2013

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has published a draft Cycle Network Plan for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) It is the most ambitious and comprehensive study ever undertaken of the matter and covers an area from Arklow to Dundalk along the coast and inland as far as Portlaoise, Mullingar and Virginia.
The main objective for this plan stems from the National Cycle Policy Framework’s commitment to ensuring that 10% of all journeys by 2020 will be by bicycle. This follows a concerted attempt by all government bodies and organizations to ensure that cycling as a transport mode is supported, enhanced and exploited, in order to achieve strategic objectives and reach national goals.
Three classes of cycleway are envisaged:
• An Urban Cycle Network, these cater for the main cycle arteries within the city centre, link principle and local zones and cycle routes within the local zones.
• The Inter-urban Cycle Network, connecting the urban cycle network routes (Light Blue lines on maps);
• The Green Route Network (Greenways), these predominately along the tourist/recreation routes providing for both leisure and commuter cycling.   

Supporters of the Sutton to Sandycove Promenade and Cycleway will be pleased to know that it is included in the last of these categories as the central section of a Greenway that extends from Dundalk to Arklow, almost all of it along the coast. The proposed route for the S2S in the urban area is also on the coast from Sutton to Fairview and from Sandymount to Dun Laoghaire. Instead of continuing to Sandycove however, it diverts inland along the line of the Metals (the original Dalkey rail line) and into Dalkey Village. This makes it easier to get continuity south to Killiney and on to Bray and Arklow. The plan does not preclude a short extension from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Sandycove.

Unlike the recent proposal by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the clear objective of the NTA plan is to put the cycleway on the seafront outside the Dart Line. The initial environmental screening study notes however that there may be a conflict with the designation of South Dublin Bay as a Habitat for Birds and that a detailed Appropriate Assessment will be needed to finally ascertain whether it will be permitted in this location or not. This poses the biggest risk to the completion of the seafront promenade and cycleway as curreently envisaged.

Overall the plan is welcome and the Department of Transport and Tourism and the National Transport Authority should be commended for their work in preparing it. The next stage in the process will be of great significance in determining whether the S2S project will be completed or not.

The draft Plan and associated Strategic Environmental Assessment Report and Appropriate Assessment Reports can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.nationaltransport.ie/public-consultations/current/cycle-network/ 

Written submissions and observations can be submitted using the form on the opening page. All submissions must include the full name and address of the person making the submission and where relevant the name of the body or organization represented.
Closing date for all submissions in relation to all the relevant and supporting documents is Monday 14th October 2013 at 5pm.