A NEW study of 2,000 commuters, commissioned by Dublin City Council, shows that more and better cycle lanes – not shared with buses – will be needed to get people back on their bikes. Read more – Irish Times – FRANK McDONALD, Environment Editor
Most arguments against bike lanes are absurd. Consider this: we have wide roads everywhere to accommodate cars, most of which carry only one person. On either side of many of those roads, we have pedestrian sidewalks. In most large urban areas, we also have bus lanes and transit systems such as subways and rapid transit. When cyclists ride on roads, drivers often get annoyed. If they ride on sidewalks, pedestrians rightly get angry. Full article
OPINION: IRELAND HAS been good in achieving firsts in the area of public health. We were the first to introduce a full workplace smoking ban, and first in various quality-of-life indices. However, we seem to be on the road to a less welcome first: we are second only to the UK in having the fattest people in Europe.
Riding in an assertive position in the middle of the lane is recommended as safe practice in certain situations – but it can provoke hostile reactions from other road users