Dáil / Oireachtas Politicians Get on Their Bikes for National Bike Week
National Bike Week Event Date:Tuesday 16th May Time:1pm
Location: Front Gate / Kildare Street side of Leinster House, and along the cycle route
National Bike Week is well under way, with hundreds of events taking place all across the country between Saturday 13th May and Sunday 21st May.
There is literally ‘something for everyone’, on every day of the week, at a location near you – from fun cycles to film shows to bike repairs to adventure cycles and family events and festivals. Check out the National Bike Week 2023 website for full details.
But our Dáil / Oireachtas politicians are also showing the way and taking time out of their schedules to demonstrate the role of the bicycle in tackling climate change and making a difference in terms of our transport choices. On Tuesday 16th May at 1pm a range of our politicians from all party persuasions will get on their bikes, and cycle a circular route around the Leinster House complex (see poster route below).
This will be an opportunity to engage with politicians from all parties who are coming together to show how cycling is a key pillar of both our national transport and climate targets.
Cyclist.ie attended the National Sustainable Mobility Forum on 20 April (2023) in Athlone, Co. Westmeath organised by the Department of Transport.
Cyclist.ie was represented by our National Cycling Coordinator, Dr. Damien Ó Tuama, with Clara Clark from Cycling Without Age also there.
The purpose of the Forum was several fold: firstly to reflect on the key achievements of the first year of the Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP) such as the Pathfinder Programme; secondly, to facilitate the exchange of information between public, private, voluntary and industry representatives on sustainable mobility; and thirdly, to seek the insights of stakeholders on policy objectives such as road space reallocation, demand management, and shared mobility.
The event featured an introduction by Minister Eamon Ryan, a keynote presentation by Dr. Peter Lunn from the ESRI, and a panel discussion between key representatives in this area including the OECD and the National Youth Assembly on Climate. It was particularly refreshing to hear the views of Stephen Murnane from the Youth Assembly (pictured below with the mic) – the insights of this age cohort are not heard often enough in debates on what type of transport future we ought to have.
The Forum presented an important opportunity to re-articulate why investment in active travel makes so much sense, and to argue for reallocating road space away from private individualised motorised transport and over to public transport and cycling and walking.
We stressed the importance of bringing local authority staff and Councillors (and perhaps also other community leaders / influencers) on study visits both here and abroad, so as to experience new street layouts and transport networks etc., to meet their peers and to discuss their concerns. This spend is ‘small change’ in transport expenditure terms, but valuable in helping to change hearts and minds.
Clara made the point that in every town and village and on every street in cities, we need to replace one car parking space with a Sheffield rack with five stands – or replace two car parking spaces and you can have ten bikes and one cargo bike parking. This is a “Quick Win”, needs no legislation and can be done overnight. It ticks all the Active Travel boxes and re-enforces the visibility of cycling as a normal mode of transport for all ages & abilities. The cargo bike space will encourage more families to replace one car with a cargo bike, and shops can avail of the space for ‘last mile’ deliveries.
Clara also reiterated the point that cycle lanes and tracks need to be sufficiently wide to properly accommodate the Cycling Without Age trishaws (dimensions of 1.2m wide x 2m long); there are simply too many cycle facilities being built which are too narrow for non-standard bikes, including trikes, cargo bikes and mobility aids. It is also essential that the surfaces of cycle tracks are smooth – and are not dotted with sunken drain covers which can destabilise a person cycling along.
The Forum also provided a wonderful opportunity for delegates to take a look at the nearly completed Cycle / Pedestrian Bridge over the Shannon – as shown in the image at the top there (and thanks to Westmeath County Council for this photograph).
The bridge forms part of the Dublin to Galway leg of the longer EuroVelo #2 (the Capitals Route) which Cyclist.ie has been advocating for over many years through our membership of the European Cyclists’ Federation and of the EuroVelo Coordination Centre for Ireland. We look forward to seeing the bridge completed and opened in the near future.
There is a lot happening in County Meath on the cycling development front! Cyclist.ie was delighted to receive the update below from Navan Cycling Initiative who are doing sterling local campaigning work for the last few years.
New Greenway opens in Navan Work on the Navan section of the Boyne Valley to Lakelands County Greenway was completed last month. The new greenway, which runs for 30km from Navan to Kingscourt, has already been a great success in locations such as Castletown and Nobber, and the Navan end has already proven to be just as popular with a huge amount of people out enjoying it.
At Navan Cycling Initiative, we have raised concerns about the lack of connectivity from the greenway trailhead to Navan town centre, and recently met with our local Active Travel team in Meath County Council to discuss the issue. Navan is in a fortunate position in that it will soon have not one but two top-class greenways (the other being the Boyne Greenway, which is still in the early planning stages), which will be fantastic for the town, but it is vital these greenways are properly connected with safe active travel infrastructure.
Navan schemes Elsewhere in Navan, there are several cycle schemes ongoing in various planning stages (from concept to detailed design), with dedicated cycle lanes planned on the Dublin Road, the Kells Road, and the Trim Road, to name a few. See the table further below listing the schemes. These have been in planning for a number of years, having gone through the laborious Part 8 planning process, but Navan as a town is primed and ready to embrace active travel and become a cycle-friendly town. We are expecting the roll out of a new bike renting scheme (including e-bikes and cargo bikes!) over the summer, which will only get more and more people out cycling.
County Meath There are also a number of schemes underway across County Meath. In Ashbourne, construction on the R135 Cycle Network, linking Ashbourne town centre to the Pillo Hotel roundabout, is expected to be complete by late summer. Other schemes being progressed include the Ratoath Pedestrian & Cycling Scheme, which is hoped to begin construction this year, and the Dunboyne to Clonee Pedestrian and Cycle Network, which is in the early planning stages. Meath was also successful in securing six new Safe Routes to School programmes, in various locations across the county, which will hopefully all be completed this year.
Cyclist.ie welcomes updates from any of our approx. 35 member groups on what is happening in their own district or county. If you would like to post an update on the website, just drop a line to our National Cycling Coordinator here.
2023 is a super exciting year for Cyclist.ie as we see our campaigning work from over the years really bearing fruit with new cycling infrastructure appearing countrywide – and with more and more people taking to the bike.
We are also entering an exciting new chapter of our journey as we enhance our ways of working and the numbers of volunteers we have on board.
We are also looking to expand our paid professional staff complement and, to this end, we are now refreshing and expanding our Income Generation Action Group.
We are very keen to bring into that group members of our network with expertise in the whole domain of business development and fundraising. We particularly welcome contact from those with successful experiences with making funding applications to statutory bodies and/or philanthropic organisations – and/or with knowledge of CSR / Corporate Social Responsibility schemes.
The next six months are critical to secure funding to support the growth of cycling advocacy. If you have expertise in these areas, your work will ensure the viability of our organisation into the future.
This year I was fortunate to be able to attend the ECF AGM as the representative of Cyclist.ie. It took place on 31 March and 01 April 2023.
After my two days at the ECF AGM in Brussels, I better understand the role of this umbrella group and our place within it. I learnt lots, gathered stories and ideas for change. I saw things differently. I listened. I was proud of Ireland. And I drank some great beer.
Some key take-aways from my experience include the following:
There is, rightly, both much confusion and quiet excitement about the forthcoming Cycling Declaration(s), the EU Cycling Strategy, and the potential European Year of Cycling in 2024.
Developments are well worth following as these strategies / declarations etc. have the potential to bring about greater emphasis, greater political will and more funding for cycling.
The ECF has influenced the need for and wording of many of these strategies and declarations either directly and indirectly – highlighting their key role at the European level.
Building on ECF’s open letter at COP26, which was signed by 350+ organisations and managed to secure a last minute addition acknowledging the need for a wider system transformation, last year’s COP27 saw ECF presenting an open letter calling for more investment in walking and cycling to tackle the climate emergency. 400+ organisations from 73 countries signed it – including Cyclist.ie (see our article on this from Nov 2022 here).
As a result of the COP26 open letter, ECF alongside Walk21 and other organisations co-founded PATH – Partnership of Active Travel and Health. This global coalition calls on governments to make a real commitment to and greater investment in walking and cycling as key solutions to climate, health and equity solutions. It also provides expertise that makes the case and can be a useful resource.
There was a useful workshop on the ECF re-branding and a panel discussion on membership – both of which are pertinent for us as we embark on our own re-branding and membership recruitment drive.
It was also great to see Ireland almost at the top of a cycling leader board! The image below shows the total annual investment in cycling per capita (in Euro per capita) – Ireland is second from the right behind Flanders and ahead of Norway, the Netherlands and Germany. We just need to help ensure that level of investment continues and results in quality infrastructure that has the potential to cater for real journeys.
I’m also pleased to report that Dr. Damien Ó Tuama, Cyclist.ie’s National Cycling Coordinator, was elected by members to sit on the ECF Nominations Committee.
I would highly recommend attending an ECF AGM.
The 2024 edition will take place in Zagreb, Croatia – get your names down quick!
Cyclist.ie now has 35 member groups and our network of volunteers is growing rapidly. For many years, our groups have participated in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in our cities, towns and smaller villages. This goes way back to the mid/late 1990s when Dublin Cycling Campaign first took to the streets in Dublin’s parade. In this article, we give a little flavour of how our groups brought bicycles into the parade countrywide – from Clonakilty to Connemara and across to the capital.
Dublin Cycling Campaign (DCC) had a fabulous “Bikes and Biodiversity” themed presence, created by our Artistic Director, Donna Cooney, and supported by designer and DCC member Phil Murray and a wider team of coordinators and volunteers. Almost 100 participants took part including many kids on bikes and lots of non-standard cycles.
See the web article Dublin Cycling Campaign web article here for more on the Dublin cycling presence – plus some photos below. A recording of the Dublin parade can be seen on YouTube at this link with Dublin Cycling Campaign’s float viewable from 2hr 1min to 2hr 3min.
Deputy Ivana Bacik and Cllr Donna Conney in the middle of the space! Photo credit (c) Norma Burke. Gettting ready to start! Photo credit (c) Norma Burke. Dublin Cycling Campaign at O’Connell Bridge – Photo credit (c) Norma Burke. Members of Dublin Cycling Campaign and Bloomin Crumlin en route from Bangor Circle in Crumlin to the city centre!
Skerries Cycling Initiative Skerries had Active Travel as the theme of this year’s parade. The town is awaiting the publication of the draft Active Travel Strategy (for the town) and wanted to reflect the wider active travel needs of the coastal settlement. As well as standard bicycles, this year’s parade featured two white horses, a currach, recumbent bikes and a trishaw – and lots of walkers and dancers!
Gort Cycle Trails The lovely poster, produced by Gort Cycle Trails for the parade, is just below and is followed by a photo of Katleen Bell Bonjean from the local group.
CycleSense Skibbereen Cycle Sense joined the Skibbereen St Patrick’s Parade for the first time. Volunteers, cycle instructors and members of our Cycle Bus took part. They adorned our bikes with Doves and peace signs for the All Nations theme. They took their cargo bike, flat wheelbase trailer and butcher’s bike and finally got to use their slogan “Keep Skibbereen Wheely Safe!”.
Connemara Greenway Alliance Great to see the float below and the promotion of the campaign to develop the full greenway from Galway out to Oughterard and beyond!
Rothar Rogues (Durrow, Co Laois) Members of the “Rothar Rogues” (A Men’s Shed on Wheels) on the Pedal Vintage float at the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Durrow Co. Laois can be seen below. The “Rothar Rogues” are a group of healthy, retired men who meet each week for a leisure cycle and coffee; interspersed with banter, lies and jokes, with the occasional, serious intervention of poetry and prose.
Republic of Bike (Cork) The Republic of Bike (RoB) took part in the Cork St. Patrick’s Day Parade as part of the Cork Environmental Forum (CEF) group. For the second year running, they collaborated with the CEF and the Cork Community Bikes. RoB brought a bit of disco fever to the parade with their flagship event, the Bike Bop, taking centre stage. The group contained bikes of all shapes and sizes and they were very well received by the crowd. Great fun was had by all and it was a very positive experience for all involved!
A snap of the group from the parade Facebook page
The group before take-off!
Maynooth Cycling Campaign In what was almost a photo finish, Maynooth Cycling Campaign finally took delivery of its own Cycling Without Age trishaw just three days before St. Patrick’s Day. They are looking forward to working with St. John of God in demonstrating Cycling for All in a practical way by offering cycle rides to people who are unable to cycle on their own for various different (health) reasons. Maynooth Cycling Campaign thanks in particular Kildare Sports Partnership as well as Kildare County Council and Healthy Ireland for their assistance. The project would not have been a success without their support.
A delegation from Cyclist.ie was delighted to meet with An Garda Síochána Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman and her staff earlier today (Wed 5th April 2023) in Dublin. Assistant Commissioner Hilman’s area of responsibility is Roads Policing and Community Engagement, so there was plenty for us to discuss.
The Cyclist.ie delegation comprised Neasa Bheilbigh (Chairperson of Cyclist.ie), Dave Tobin (Vice-Chair), Conor Cahill (Dublin Cycling Campaign) and Dr. Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator with Cyclist.ie and An Taisce), while the AGS team comprised the Assistant Commissioner, Jane Humphries (Chief Superintendent in the National Roads Policing Bureau), and Sergeant Sinéad Downey. All are pictured below (bar Sergeant Downey).
Overall it was extremely valuable for Cyclist.ie to be able to share some of our members’ experiences of road danger issues such as close overtaking, illegal car parking on footpaths, and speeding which, collectively, lead to so many people not feeling safe cycling in Ireland – as reported, for example, by The Journal in this article (from 2018). We also began to discuss some of the interventions, policies and enforcement practices advanced in other jurisdictions where cycling levels are much higher and where more children travel to and from school on their own due to better quality infrastructure and enforcement practices.
Additionally, we stressed how much the wider public benefits from more and more people cycling even if an individual does not cycle him or herself – with the benefits accruing from improved air quality, reduced congestion and less noise pollution. And at a population level, we know that physical activity like walking and cycling has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease as well as cancer, and is recognised as having a positive effect on managing conditions like depression and Parkinson’s – as set out by the Irish Heart Foundation here.
We wish to thank the Assistant Commissioner and her team for their time in meeting with Cyclist.ie and we look forward to continuing the conversations in the near future. Ultimately we look forward to helping to improve walking and cycling conditions for the benefit of everyone who currently cycles and those who would love to cycle but are dissuaded by the existing hostile conditions felt on streets and roads in communities and neighbourhoods throughout the country.
We note here that this meeting with AGS follows on from a recent constructive meeting with senior personnel in the Road Safety Authority on the topic of cyclist safety. These engagements with state bodies are part of a wider suite of work, with much of it carried out behind the scenes, conducted by Cyclist.ie – all with the aim of “celebrating, advocating for, encouraging and enabling everyday cycling as a means of travel and as a way to secure many health, societal, economic and environmental gains, as well as it being an enjoyable activity in its own right” as per our mission statement.
Cyclist.ie is incredibly excited to have been contacted by REVERB, an environmental organization based in the US that works on music tours like The Lumineers, Billie Eilish, The 1975, and many more.
REVERB is partnering with the band Paramore on their tour of Ireland and the UK. The band is a supporter of environmental and social causes, and it is hosting a space in its Action Village that is reserved for local organizations to engage with fans about their work and mission. The Action Village will be inside the venue concourse and will be active from the time doors open until Paramore takes the stage.
Cyclist.ie has been invited to host a space at their upcoming fully sold out show on Thursday, April 13 in the 3Arena (the old Point Depot!) and we will be receiving two passes for tabling staff to watch Paramore perform.
We are offering one or else two lucky members of Cyclist.ie an opportunity to attend the show and to help us out at our space at the venue to talk to fans about the amazing work we do to make everyday cycling safe and easy and normal! We will have our Cyclist.ie / Dublin Cycling Campaign banners and flyers and display stands with us on the day (and possibly also our festival cargo bike if we can get it into the venue!).
We would like to offer the ticket(s) to the biggest fan(s) of Paramore out there who are also committed cycling activists and who would love the opportunity to chat to many other Paramore fans at the gig!!
If you fit the description here, please drop a line to Damien Ó Tuama, our National Cycling Coordinator setting out your rock credentials and letting us know why you would love to come along. Deadline for contacting us is Monday 03 April.
Cyclist.ie and its member groups were well represented at the “Accelerating Active Travel for 2030” Transport Forum held on Wed 22 March 2023 in the elegant Regent House in Trinity College Dublin. Our attendees included Mairéad Forsythe, Dr. Mike McKillen, Colm Ryder, Dr. Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator with An Taisce & Cyclist.ie), Conor Cahill, Una Morrison, Eric Conroy and David Timoney.
The overarching message from the event was that we are now, finally, beginning to make good progress in the development of our active travel infrastructure in Dublin City and other built-up areas, but we also need to ‘up our game’ over the coming years if we are to humanise our cities and decarbonise our transport systems.
A view of TCD’s Parliament Square from Regent House (Photo credit – Dr. Mike McKillen)
Joe Seymour from the National Transport Authority (NTA) argued that the 2022 Active Travel budget of €290M is being spent on increasingly better quality schemes. We are seeing the results with, for example, BusConnects schemes, which include significant cycling provision, the Fairview Public Realm / Bus Priority / Active Travel scheme, the Dodder Greenway Route, the 11km long D24 cycle route in Dublin, the Salmon Weir Bridge in Galway and the Bilberry to Rice Bridge link in Waterford. Challenges do remain however in dealing effectively with the many protests against change, and with the re-allocation of public road space.
One of Joe Seymour’s slides showing the steep increase in the NTA’s Active Travel budget over the last seven years.
Claire French, Senior Executive Engineer in Dublin City Council, provided an historical perspective on the subject. She emphasised how, initially, some of the public were apprehensive about schemes such as the pedestrianisation of Grafton Street (1970s – 80s), the banning of left-turn motor vehicles at the northern end of Dawson Street (early 2000s), the creation of the College Green Bus Gate (around 2010) and, most recently, the removal of motor vehicles from most of Capel Street. In all cases, these traffic management interventions / public realm schemes have improved public life and business activity in the city.
Further positive examples, which Dublin Cycling Campaign has strongly advocated for over the years, include the creation of the (still temporary and unfinished) Liffey Cycle Route measures, the contra-flow cycle facilities on Nassau Street, Parnell Square (East) and on Werburgh Street, and the filtered permeability schemes in Grangegorman and on Pigeon House Road. Claire acknowledged the need for the City Council to continue to improve in its processes of public consultation.
Dr. Robert Egan, Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, drew on the work of the late Prof. John Urry in his presentation – and, in particular, on his thinking around the creation of the ‘system of automobility’ and the discourses which have naturalised car-centric planning over the decades. As we seek to rapidly decarbonise our transport systems and revitalise and rehumanise our built up areas, we now need to marginalise automobility and centralise ‘velo-mobility’. Shaping the discourses through the media and in other ways is central to this mission. Robert’s comment that we are “currently cycling within a driving system” but need to change to “driving within a cycling (and public transport) system” struck a chord with the audience.
Martina Mullin, Operational Lead in Healthy Trinity, gave a terrific overview of the work that Trinity College has focused on so as to make bicycle journeys safe on and off-campus. Much of the latter efforts have focused on engagements with Dublin City Council and the NTA, so that there are safe routes for Trinity students and staff coming in from the suburbs and into the city centre. Much credit is due to Martina and her group on this work. TCD is concentrating on the routes to and from the main campus to its developing estate towards Ringsend, the Health Sciences at St. James’ Hospital and residences at Trinity Hall (Dartry). Both Dublin City Council and the NTA are aware of this requirement for safe segregated routes.
Finally, Willem Frederik Metzelaar from the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Urban Mobility, provided the European context, reminding us that 23% of the EU’s transport emissions come from the transport sector. Clearly, we need a new mobility paradigm in which active travel is front and centre. EIT are funding EU start-up businesses and promoting active travel through a variety of programs.
A lively Q&A session followed. One of the main points stressed by audience members was that there needs to much greater engagement from An Garda Síochána on the matter of traffic law enforcement – in particular in relation to illegal car parking on the cycle tracks which have been created specifically to make cycling safe and easier for those new to cycling (and those considering cycling) in the city.
Cyclist.ie and Dublin Cycling Campaign send its congratulations to Trinity College Dublin on running the event and we look forward to further engagements on the topics in the near future.
Formal info on event: https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/events/event/transport-forum–accelerating-active-travel-for-2030.php
Míle bhuíochas do Siobhán Swift ón bhFeachas Rothaíochta Shligigh don alt seo a scríbh sí i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge! A version in English of Joan’s article can be read further below. A big thanks for the piece Joan. Maithiú!
Bhain Feachtas Rothaíochta Shligigh an-taitneamh as ár dturas dátheangach go Coill an Eanaigh (Hazelwood) le déanaí. Imeachta do Sheachtain na Gaeilge le Energia ab ea an turas agus táimíd fíorbhuíoch do Chonradh na Gaeilge as an maoiniú. Táimíd buíoch freisin do Beatrice Mac Donald, Cumann Oidhreachta Hazelwood, as eolas faoi stair Dimeine Hazelwood a chur ar fáil agus do Leabharlann Naisiúnta na hÉireann as cead a thabhairt dúinn grianghrafanna ón Lawrence Collection a úsáid i mbileog eolais.
Ghlach idir óg is aosta páirt sa turas. Bhí an rannpháirtí is óige ceithre mhí d’aois agus an duine is sine……bhuel, is binn béal ina thost! Bhí deis againn srachfhéachaint a chaitheamh ar Theach Hazelwood, teach a dhear an t-ailtire mór le rá Richard Cassells do Owen Wynne i 1731. Drioglann atá san áit seo anois agus tá an teach á athchoiriú. Thógamar sos ag suíomh fothrach an mhuilinn gaoithe a bhíodh ag soláthar uisce do Teach Hazelwood fadó agus bhí radharc álainn ar abhann na Garbhóige agus ar Ben Bulben.
Gemma Woods greets Mr. Yeats at Half Moon Bay
Ar aghaidh linn ansin go dtí an chéad stop eile ag Half Moon Bay, áit a bhfuil Loch Gile álainn leagtha amach romhat. Tá stop phointe don Yeats Trail anseo. Níl furmhór Bealach Yeats indéanta fós ar rothar toisc nach bhfuil na bóithre sábháilte go leor – ach lá éigin b;fhéidir……….. Bhí picnic beag ag na rannpháirtithe óga agus áthas ar na lachain go roinneadar leo é!
Stop amháin eile a bhí fágtha anois ag Bá Eanaigh, áit a mbíonn éin uisce ag soláthar bia. In aice na háite seo bí plandlann crann tráth agus cuireadh na síológa i bhforaoiseacha ar fud an IarTuairscirt.
Bhí sé in am ansin dul siar an bealach a thángamar ach an uair seo chasamar ar dheis ag Droichead Sheáin Uí Fhallúin, agus thugamar aghaidh ar Chaife Ripples in Óstán an Riverside áit a raibh caifé agus sconnaí reidh dúinn. Bhí ionadaithe ó Aonad Loch Gile a Comhairle Chontae Shligigh agus an Teachta Dála Frank Feighan ansin chun fáilte a chur romhainn.
An cheist is minicí a chuireadh orainn ag deireadh an imeachta……..Cathain a bheidh turas eile á eagrú agaibh. “Watch this space” mar a deirtear i mBearla!
Feachtas Rothaíochta Shligigh ag glacadh sos i Ripples!
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On Saturday the 4th of March, for Seachtain na Gaeilge, Sligo Cycling Campaign organised a very successful cycle outing to Hazelwood. The wood is named for Hazelwood House, a Palladian Mansion designed for Owen Wynne by Richard Cassells in 1731. The Irish name is not a translation of Hazelwood, but is rather Coill an Eanaigh, from the word Eanach – a marsh, remembered in the name Annagh Bay on Lough Gill.
Coillte are doing extensive restoration work to rid the wood of invasive species and restore its natural habitat. One restored section is not accessible by bicycle as it is an area of alluvial woodland, which again is a reminder of the original “eanach” or marsh. This area is open for walking.
Hazelwood is a popular recreation area with paths along woodland lake and river and stunning views of the surrounding hills. Point 7 of the newly developed Yeats Trail is located at Half Moon Bay, prompted no doubt by the opening lines of the poem, The Song of Wandering Aengus “I went out to the hazel wood……….” Coillte have recently opened a new section of wood which, once you have reached the wood, allows for an enjoyable circular cycle away from traffic.
