The Dublin Cycling Campaign is an independent, voluntary lobby group that has been working to improve the city for all cyclists for over a decade and a half.
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2007-10-16 EastLink Signage Submission
Dublin Cycling Campaign sent the letter below to National Toll Road regarding the provision of signage asking cyclists to dismount while crossing the EastLink Bridge.
October 16th 2007
Kyran Hurley, Managing Director, National Toll Roads,
12 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24
Re: East-Link bridge
Dear Kyran,
With an active membership of several hundred, the Dublin Cycling Campaign is the largest cycling-advocacy group in Ireland. We maintain close contact with print and broadcast media, all Dublin area local authorities, the Department of Transport, and bodies such as the Dublin Transport Office and the Railway Procurement Agency. We are involved in Dublin and national issues relating to commuting cyclists since the early 1990’s.
For reduction of traffic congestion and improvement of public health, the promotion of cycling is a stated policy of Dublin City Council, the Department of Health, and the Department of Transport.
I write with regard to the management of East-Link Bridge in Dublin. The bridge operators, National Toll Roads, have posted signs on both banks of the bridge saying, ‘CYCLISTS ARE REQUESTED TO DISMOUNT AND WALK BICYCLES ACROSS EAST-LINK BRIDGE VIA THE FOOTPATH.’ As you might imagine these signs, having no legal status, are an annoyance to, and are ignored by, most cyclists. They are also, however, a source of possible accident and injury, which is the reason for my letter today. The accompanying photos show the footpaths in both directions are unsafe and inconvenient to walk a bike. The north-bound path is blocked by a metal barrier; that south-bound is accessed from an unsafe roundabout.
The carriageway width on East-Link is inadequate for safe overtaking of cyclists by either cars or trucks, and there is a solid white centre-line all the way across. Good road-use practice in such cases (e.g. UK National Training (Cyclist) Standards; Royal Society for Prevention of Accident’s ‘Guidelines and Cycle Training Instructor’s Manual’ et al.) states that, rather than attempting to overtake, a motorist must slow and remain behind a cyclist for the length of inadequate lane width. For a very short distance, such as across the East-Link bridge, this is obviously the safest way of bikes and vehicles sharing road space. Indeed, when driving my car across East-Link this is the approach I myself adopt to cyclists and I find no excessive delay or inconvenience results, and the feeling of safety is increased.
Cyclists are an important population among Dublin’s road users; as you should know, a cyclist is defined in the law as a vehicle, whether mounted on the bike or walking: civic and national legislation and policy prohibits them being bullied off public road space in the manner attempted by these ridiculous, dangerous and unlawful signs.
Thus the Campaign demands that the signs be removed, or re-worded as follows, as a matter of urgency:‘DANGER - NARROW CARRIAGEWAY - NO OVERTAKING OF CYCLISTS – MOTORISTS MUST YIELD TO CYCLISTS ON BRIDGE’. I am sure that, on reflection, you will agree that this is the responsible course of action for your company.
Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss,
Will Andrews (minutes secretary).
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