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.
Councillors must put safety ahead of the motoring lobby by holding their nerve with the new 30km/h limit
THERE IS is almost nothing quite so pathetic as the sight and sound of public representatives buckling under pressure from powerful lobbies or vested interests. We are seeing more of this shameful spectacle, as the elected members of Dublin City Council reconsider the 30km/h city centre speed limit – an initiative less than a month old.
THE 30km/h speed limit that now applies to the core area of Dublin city centre has been interpreted by the Automobile Association (AA) and others as a punitive measure. In fact, however, it is part of a more general strategy to civilise the city, along with other initiatives such as the “bus gate” at College Green and the hugely successful Dublin Bikes scheme.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM over a dozen civic organisations have urged Dublin city councillors to maintain the 30km/h speed limit in the city centre.
Signatories of the open letter come from a wide range of bodies including the Children’s Rights Alliance, National Council for the Blind of Ireland, An Taisce, Dublin Cycling Campaign, pedestrian advocacy group Cosain, Friends of the Irish Environment as well as Dr Declan Bedford specialist in public health medicine and broadcaster Duncan Stewart.
The discussion surrounding the recently introduced 30Km/h speed zone in small parts of Dublin city centre have thrown up some myths. Each myth is busted below.
Madam, – There has been much ill-informed comment about the new 30km/h speed limit in Dublin city centre, with some people claiming “you could walk faster”, or (more realistically) that many cyclists go faster. The truth is that only the fittest cyclists will do 30km/h on the flat, and Usain Bolt’s world record 100m run was at a speed of 37.58km/h.
The vision in the National Cycle Policy Framework is that all streets need to be not just safe, but also provide an attractive cycle-friendly environment. It stresses that the most imporant measures to achieve this are not specific to cyclists, but general actions to calm traffic and reduce traffic levels. The 30 kmph zone and the successful HGV ban are excellent examples of this.
A SENIOR public health doctor has called on local authorities to consider introducing 30km/h speed limit zones in towns and villages in a bid to reduce deaths and injuries from crashes.
Dr Declan Bedford, acting director of public health with the HSE and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, said research from London showed the rationale for lower limits in built up areas was compelling.
Madam, – There has been much ill-informed comment about the new 30km/h speed limit in Dublin city centre, with some people claiming “you could walk faster”, or (more realistically) that many cyclists go faster. The truth is that only the fittest cyclists will do 30km/h on the flat, and Usain Bolt’s world record 100m run was at a speed of 37.58km/h.
