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

The first actual construction since the project was first proposed in 2001.  Congratulations and thanks to Dublin City Council, the Department of Transport and Tourism and the National Transport Authority for this major step forward.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment

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

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

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

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.

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.

For anyone interested in the S2S project, the debate at the June meeting of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council meeting is a must see.   There were excellent contributions from ten Councillors (all supporting the project and a response from the Manager explaining why there has been no progress with it.  For anyone who made a submission in relation to the Blackrock Area Plan, or is just interested in the project, it will be particularly interesting. 

The video recording of the meeting  can be found at the following address:

 http://www.dlrcoco.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/106207

Scroll down to about 2.12.00 (2 hours and 12 minutes into the meeting)  to see the full S2S debate from the beginning.

Just at the moment when Dublin City Council announce they are to proceed with the last remaining section of the S2S project on the Seafront at Dollymount in the North Dublin Bay,  Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) has announced that it plans to abandon the seafront location for the S2S in the South Dublin Bay.  It now plans to “re-route” it away from the seafront into Blackrock Park and on to the Merrion Road.  The new policy is set out in Section 9 of the recently published Draft Blackrock Local Area Plan.  If implemented, there will be no seafront walkway or cycleway between Sandymount and Dun Laoghaire.

Of the total 22 kms around Dublin Bay only 4 Kms is now missing on the available seafront and it is this section that DLRCC proposes to abandon. It is simply incredible that a vision which has such public support and in which so much time, effort and public money has been invested by the Department of Transport Trade and Tourism, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and the Dublin Transport Authority, the Dublin Regional Authority and (in former times) by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, can be destroyed by the actions of the officials in one local authority.  It should be noted that the majority of the Councillors in Dun Laoghaire have consistently supported the S2S project.

The “likely negative impact on the local habitats” is given as the reason for abandoning the seafront location and the re-routing of it into Blackrock Park (and then onto the Merrion Road).  Note that it is the “likely” impact on which the decision is made.  While it is acknowledged that The National Parks and Wildlife Service have expressed concern about the proposal, the process by which developments are determined to be acceptable or not, is clearly set out in the Habitats Directives. It requires a study called an Appropriate Assessment to be undertaken by the relevant Local Authority before a decision can be made as to whether a proposal can or cannot proceed.  No such Appropriate Assessment has been made by DLRCC and furthermore the Council officials have made it clear that they have no intention of undertaking one.  Instead, they rely on their judgement that the process is unlikely to succeed and therefore not worth starting.  Thus DLRCC is not only denying the community the right to have the matter formally assessed in accordance with the legislation, the Council has prejudged the outcome of such a study, significantly damaging the possibility of the matter receiving an impartial hearing.

What is even more frustrating in all of this is that DLRCC could just go ahead and do what they are proposing to upgrade the existing cycleway in Blackrock Park and around the Dart Station without any reference to the S2S project in the draft Blackrock Local Area Plan.  The fact that they have not done so but instead have stated that they are re-routing the S2S project inland, leads one to believe that their intention is not so much focussed on creating new facilities as stopping the S2S being completed on the seafront.  Adoption of the plan as drafted will prevent others who still believe in the vision and would wish to continue to seek solutions to the issues from doing so, destroying the hopes and aspirations other Government agencies and Local Authorities with a direct interest in the S2S project as well as the thousands of citizens who wish to see the S2S project proceed.

The S2S group has made a detailed submission to DLRCC in relation to the matter, a copy of which can be found here.

Any member of the public may make submissions to the Council and we earnestly request all those who feel strongly about the matter to do so. The closing date for submissions is the 20^th June 2013. Submissions and observations may be made in one of the following ways:-

1.Write to:

Senior Executive Officer,
Planning and Enterprise Department,
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council,
County Hall,
Marine Road,
Dun Laoghaire.

2.Email to:

blackrocklap@dlrcoco.ie

Note:

• Children, or groups or associations representing the interests of children, are entitled to make submissions or observations. (How many parents wish to allow their children to cycle on the Merrion Road?)
• All submissions and observations should include your name and a contact address and where relevant, details of any organisation, community group or company etc., which you represent.
• Please make your submission by one medium only, i.e. hard copy or e-mail.

Supporters who wish to contact us in connection with the issue may do so by e-mail to support@s2s.ie

Michael