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Ireland, see also NI

Irish Posts

Asks for Local Elections Candidates

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Irish Cycling Campaign has compiled our Top Asks for Local Election 2024 Candidates – as presented below.

Firstly though, we are reminding LE candidates from all parties that cycling is one of our most democratic, affordable and accessible means of transport. Cycling is a reliable mode for people at all income levels, especially those who struggle with economic uncertainty and rising energy costs. Cycling gives people an opportunity to stay healthy, which in turn saves society many millions of Euro in healthcare costs. More people cycling means cleaner air, a more rapid decarbonisation of the transport sector, less congested streets, and safer neighbourhoods.

Additionally, it is crucial that at a central government level, at least 20% of capital transport spending must continue to go on active travel, and that the vast majority of the rest is spent on radically improving our public transport systems.  

At a local government level, these are our asks:

  1. Higher sustainable transport targets 
  2. Rapid advancement of Cycle Networks 
  3. Advancing School Streets and Safe Routes to School 
  4. Higher quality cycle facilities 
  5. Upskilling of Local Authority staff and Councillors 
  6. Default 30km/h speed limits in built-up areas
  7. Development plans to prioritise
    – Land use planning that prevents car-dependent sprawl
    – Proper permeability and connectivity
    – Mandatory bike parking at new developments 
    – Maximum, not minimum, numbers of car parking spaces
    – Encouraging car share 
  8. Plans below Development Plan level mirroring the above
  9. Supporting voices from cycling advocacy to be on Council Committees 
  10. Enforcement of illegal car parking dealt with effectively 
  11. Imaginative promotion of everyday cycling for multiple journey types
  12. Auditing and maintaining all sustainable transport facilities to high standards

Note:
(1) Local Groups within Irish Cycling Campaign will be adding bespoke local asks for local candidates to this list.
(2) An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland (https://www.antaisce.org/) also endorses our 12 listed asks.

A list with elaborated points can be read below. 

  1. Higher cycling, walking and public transport (modal share) targets – i.e. fewer journeys made by private motor cars (since EVs alone won’t bring us to the decarbonisation targets). 
  2. The implementation of the ‘Cycle Connects’ cycle networks and the metropolitan cycle network plans for Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Galway and the Greater Dublin Area. 
  3. Roll-out of school streets and Safe Routes to School interventions (including cycle parking). 
  4. Higher quality cycle facilities (i.e. not compromised at pinch points and junctions etc. and generally following the Cycle Design Manual) and smarter use of contra-flow and modal filters
  5. Upskilling of Local Authority staff and Councillors through CPD programmes and taking part in study trips to the Netherlands / Denmark, and attending the Velo-city conference, so that we end up with higher standards and better facilities etc. 
  6. Adoption of 30km/h default limits on built-up roads (to follow from new legislation)
  7. Development plan issues
    – Land use planning which encourages walking, cycling and public transport use and prevents car-dependent sprawl
    – Proper permeability and connectivity
    – Mandatory bike parking at new developments – apartments, shops, PT hubs / Higher Bike Parking standards (both numbers and quality of facilities) at various public locations (town centres, sports grounds, churches, gyms, hospitals, apartments etc.
    – Maximum, not minimum, numbers of car parking spaces (Cf. DHLG&H guidelines)
    – Encouraging car share (e.g. with dedicated car share spaces in new developments) 
  8. Plans below Development Plan level to mirror the above (e.g. Local Area Plans and Local Economic Community Plan (LECP))
  9. LE Candidates to support voices from cycling advocacy within council committees and structures (e.g. Strategic Policy Committees, Joint Policing Committees and Road Safety Working Together Groups)
  10. Enforcement of illegal car parking dealt with effectively (by a combination of Council wardens and contractors – plus An Garda Síochána) – and designing out possibilities for offending. 
  11. Imaginative and ongoing promotion of everyday cycling for multiple journey trips (just not commuting) and intermodal journeying (particularly bikes plus public transport)
  12. Auditing and maintaining all walking and cycling and public transport facilities to high standards. Ensure ongoing budgets for maintenance e.g. buying specific maintenance plant/ machines

    Note:
    Our 10 Asks ahead of General Election 2020 can be read here https://cyclist.ie/2020/10/cyclist-ie-10-asks-budget-2021/.

Image credit: Julien Douvier

International Posts, Irish Posts

Erasmus+ trip to Poland – Seeking Irish Cycling Campaign Ambassadors

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Irish Cycling Campaign is part of a truly inspiring European Commission funded Erasmus+ project with themes of cycling promotion, social inclusion, intergenerational relationships and climate action. We reported recently on the three fantastic Erasmus+ “Learning, Teaching and Training” (LTT) trips we took part in in 2023 – as per this article.

The next LTT will take place in Wodzislaw Slaski, a city in the south of Poland (pictured below), from Thursday 13 to Tuesday 18 June 2024 with a wonderfully diverse programme of activities planned by the local partner organisation, Zespół Szkół Ponadpodstawowych. Irish Cycling Campaign is now looking for ambassadors to represent us on the trip. Broadly, we are looking to form a small team (of around 4 or 5 persons) which will bring some new faces and some consistency to the project, and we invite active members of Irish Cycling Campaign to apply to attend. The full costs of travel, accommodation, meals and activities are covered under the project fund. 

We are asking you to send us a one page letter (say, 400 words max) explaining why you would like to apply to represent Irish Cycling Campaign at this international LTT. We particularly welcome applications from (i) members of Irish Cycling Campaign’s Local Groups that have not yet taken part in the LTTs to date, and (ii) those in the 18-30 cohort (since Erasmus+ projects have a particular focus on younger adults) – but, as you’ll read further below, we are also happy to receive applications from members of Local Groups that have already been involved and from members of all ages. 

Please send your letter to [email protected] by latest 31 March 2024 (11.59pm!). Applications will be assessed by a team comprising members of the Irish Cycling Campaign Executive Committee and other members of our team who have been involved in the project to date. The criteria for assessing applications are set out in Appendix I below, and please note that these should guide you as you prepare your letter of application. The plan is for applications to be assessed and for successful candidates to be contacted in early April with a view to booking travel arrangements at the soonest possible date thereafter so as to keep costs down.  Note that we will also be exploring rail and sail options, and encouraging overland travel for this trip, so as to minimise flying and carbon emissions.

If you have any questions on any of the above, please email [email protected] ASAP (and ideally by latest Fri 22 March) and we will respond to all queries as promptly as possible.   

Many thanks.
The Irish Cycling Campaign Executive Committee 


Appendix I – Criteria for Assessing Applications for Partaking in the “Learning, Teaching and Training” (LTT) trip to Wodzislaw Slaski in Poland as an Ambassador for Irish Cycling Campaign  

CriterionDetailsMarks
1Member of Irish Cycling CampaignPlease confirm that you are a member of Irish Cycling Campaign – you can join here if you are not already a member / if your membership has lapsed. 

And please include a copy of a short email from your Local Group Chairperson / Coordinator (or the Chair of the national Executive Committee) in which they confirm they support your application for being an ambassador for Irish Cycling Campaign on the LTT. 		Mandatory
2Active in your local groupPlease describe in your letter of application what you have been active in within your own cycle campaigning / advocacy Local Group, particularly over the last year. Extra marks for those who have been on the organising / Executive Committee of the Local Group and/or of Irish Cycling Campaign.35
3Enthusiasm, experience working with younger groups and broader skills!The Erasmus+ trips are very much convivial gatherings of diverse people, brought together under common themes.

If you are especially sociable / easy to get along with, or perhaps you play an instrument or sing a song or do a dance, or have experience working with younger groups (maybe in outdoor settings), please let us know in your application!

These softer ‘people skills’ are valued a lot in this project where it’s all about nurturing exchange between diverse groups.		35
4Younger adults Erasmus+ focuses particularly on the youth and younger adults (see here), so we are especially keen that within the Irish Cycling Campaign delegation we have at least some members who are under 30 years of age. Let us know if you are under 30 (but also 18 years or over) – while noting that people of all ages are very welcome to apply! We are aiming to have a mixture of ages representing us. 10
5Language SkillsThere are partners on the project from Spain, Portugal and Poland so it would be advantageous if you have (even basic) conversational Spanish, Portuguese or Polish. Please let us know in your application. 10
6Organised / Can help out with some basic adminBesides the trip itself, there is a certain amount of basic administrative work required to help to manage the project  – plus a need to post an informative web article on the trip afterwards (see the link provided in the very first paragraph above on this). Let us know in your letter of application if you are prepared to help out with this. You will receive guidance and training on this as needed / appropriate.10
Additional Criterion to be used in assessing all applications collectively, after the initial individual assessment has been completed
7DiversityFor this project, we are keen for the Irish Cycling Campaign delegation to be diverse in every sense of the term. We are especially keen to have a good spread of active members of our network from all around the country, both urban and rural, with a good gender balance and mix of backgrounds. Do please tell us a bit about yourself in your application! 
Irish Posts

Engineers Ireland support the push for sustainable transport

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There was a very heartening event last week.

Established professional body Engineers Ireland hosted a progressive, forward-looking conference aimed at informing their members – civil and structural engineers especially – about Ireland’s current surge towards more sustainable, healthy transport.

(Below) Can Ginty compares modal share over distance in Netherlands

While the provision of safe, segregated infrastructure is definitely an engineering problem, Ireland faces several other barriers in reducing car dependence and GHG emissions from transport. It was great to see presentations on policy, on transport funding, and on simply walking.

It was really inspiring and encouraging to see everyone from Finola O’Driscoll of the NTA through experts Professor Brian Caulfield and Dr. Lorraine d’Arcy, and even Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, to outstanding cycling advocate Cian Ginty all agreeing on how we need to shift modes of transport to healthier, cleaner, cheaper forms.

Denise Keogan gave the Department of Transport’s overview – to halve CO2 emissions by 2030 (compared to 2018 levels) we’ll need to double active travel rates. Progress is good but, according to Prof. Caulfield of TCD, our focus on electric cars is misplaced and we need to ramp up efforts dramatically if we’re to get near our targets.

(Above) Denise Keogan outlines Government policies

A few of the highlights we took away were… 

• 50% GHG reduction by 2030 is a big … big ask. But we’re making real progress: Rural Link is only one of several strong initiatives

• Gender audits should be part of every plan and proposal

• Cycle parking in train stations is way cheaper than giving space for bikes on trains (lesson from the Netherlands)

• 35% of road GHG’s is from National roads

• Cycling will only do the ‘heavy lifting’ of modal shift in denser, urban areas

• Donald Shoup’s seminal resaerch on parking is worth a read. 

International Posts, Irish Posts

Irish Cycling Campaign Erasmus+ Project in 2024

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Irish Cycling Campaign, formerly Cyclist.ie, is really delighted to be part of the Erasmus+ Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action project.

It commenced in late 2022, and then in 2023 there were three most enjoyable “Learning, Teaching and Training Trips” run by the partner organisations. Each of these trips left warm and lasting impressions on all of our members who took part in them. The engagements with the other six partners have been rich and educational in the full meaning of the word. Our reports on these can be read here:

And in this 20 second video, produced by Rory Maguire from the Navan Cycling Initiative group of Irish Cycling Campaign, a lovely flavour is given of the Azambuja trip:

For 2024, we are looking forward to two further “Learning, Teaching and Training trips”. These will be to:

  • Wodzislaw Slaski, a city in the south of Poland not far from the Czech Republic border. Scheduled for mid June, details to be made available to Irish Cycling Campaign members soon. 
  • Dublin in October (Thu 10 to Tue 15 Oct). A working group within Irish Cycling Campaign, including many members of Local Group Dublin Cycling Campaign, has already started to consider the different activities that might be stitched into this trip.

You can read more about Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action on the dedicated project website:

https://www.erasmuscyclingschools.com/

International Posts, Irish Posts

Minister for Transport meets Navan Cycling Initiative

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Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan attended Meath County Council earlier today (Fri 23 February 2024) to launch the Council’s Climate Action Plan and to speak with councillors. 

Members of Navan Cycling Initiative were delighted that, in the midst of all the PR, he took some time to speak with the campaigners about cycling in Navan – how was it, does it feel safe, is it getting better?

According to Dave Anderson from Navan Cycling Initiative, who is also a member of the Irish Cycling Campaign Executive Committee –

“We’ve spent much of the active travel budget so far on design and paperwork. Now we need construction and concrete. This is starting to happen, with the Trim Road project. This needs to continue, and our councillors need to step up and ensure it happens at pace.”

The full story can be read at https://navancycling.ie/yes-minister/.  

EU Posts, International Posts, Irish Posts

Inexplicable Bikes-Not-On-Ferries Policy Highlighted

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Elaine Baker from the Cycling Cloughjordan group in County Tipperary is taking a stand about the issue of Irish Ferries not allowing push bikes on the Pembroke to Rosslare ferry, despite allowing motorbikes and motorized vehicles on board. Cycling Cloughjordan is part of the Irish Cycling Campaign organisation. 

In her series of video blog posts, filmed on Sat 17 to Sun 18 February 2024, she tracks her experience of trying to bring her folding bicycle on board the service from Pembroke having been visiting friends in South Wales, with a view to sailing into Rosslare and then travelling on back home to County Tipperary. 

In this first video, filmed en route by bus to Pembroke, she explains her rationale for wanting to take the direct ferry to Rosslare – and thus avoiding the much more carbon intensive mode of flying. 

In the next video, she reports on the refusal of the company to let her on board with her bicycle – despite there being no good reason for the rule itself.

In the third third video here, filmed at 2.30am on a wet morning, she elaborates on the absence of any logic in allowing motorbikes on board the ferry but not allowing bikes without motors on board. Despite spending several hours at the ferry port talking to many different staff members, she was offered no sensible reason for why push bikes were not allowed on the ferry. 

And in this forth video, filmed with the early morning birds audible in the background and after she was asked by staff to leave the dark and fairly desolate area, she observes the ferry she was supposed to be on leaving the ferry port with motorbikes on board. 

At the time of posting this article here, Elaine was en route to Holyhead in North Wales – which is quite a circuitous route by train from Pembroke. 

Two updates further on Elaine’s journey – video #5 here and video #6 here, both from Holyhead port at around 5.30pm and 6pm respectively. In these videos (screen shot below), Elaine highlights that one of the two sailings from Holyhead around 8pm / 8.30pm would be taking foot passengers and cyclists, whereas the other one wouldn’t be.

At the time of updating this article (8.30pm on Sunday night), Elaine should have left Holyhead and be en route to Dublin Port…… after a very long and circuitous journey. 

Elaine  and Irish Cycling Campaign would like to make it a condition of the licences issued to ferry companies that any ferry which carries passengers who travel with a car or motorcycle should also be mandated to carry people on bikes and foot passengers. They can put limits on the total number of passengers of course and the total weight / size of vehicles, but they should not be allowed to carry larger vehicles but not the smaller ones.

Irish Cycling Campaign is fully behind Elaine’s activism on this issue. If we want to encourage less carbon intensive travel and therefore less flying, it should be safe, easy and permissible to take bikes on ferries and to continue journeys by bike and rail, or bike and bus.

We will add further updates to this story in due course. 

More at:

https://www.facebook.com/cyclingcloughjordan/

Irish Posts

Call for Members to Stand for Election to the Board

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Call for members to stand for election to the Board of Directors / Trustees of the Irish Cycling Campaign

What is the Board?
The Irish Cycling Campaign is both a Company Limited by Guarantee and a Registered Charity.  The Board of Directors/Trustees is the grouping of people who are responsible for governing the organisation. The Board does not play an active role in campaigning and other day-to-day issues, but retains oversight and deals with matters relating to legal and regulatory compliance, risk management, financial control, internal policy development, staffing, and so on.  After years of dedicated service, some of our Board members have decided to step down, and we are now looking to fill up to 6 vacancies.

What is expected of Board members?

  • Strongly supporting our vision, mission and strategic aims
  • Always acting appropriately and in the best interests of our organisation
  • Preparing for, attending and participating fully in meetings of the Board, which are generally held online during the evening at least every 2 months
  • Actively contributing to the work of the Board and following through on actions agreed to
  • Time commitment: a couple of hours a week over a 3-year term (ideally)

What kind of people are you looking for?

  • Adults of any age and from any background
  • Based anywhere in Ireland, with a particular desire currently for people outside of Dublin
  • Having a commitment to good governance
  • Holding a variety of skill-sets that might include: charity governance, HR, law, finance, fundraising, organisational development, etc
  • We are definitely on the look-out for a new Treasurer
  • You preferably cycle but do you NOT need to have been involved in cycle campaigning previously

What would I get out of it?

  • Doing something practical to combat the climate, health, congestion, road safety and associated crises
  • Gaining satisfaction from being involved in an organisation that is a leader in cycling development and is at an exciting juncture
  • Being part of a friendly, hardworking team of other volunteers
  • A chance to share your skills and learn some new ones along the way

I might potentially be interested; what do I do?
If you want to find out more, you can contact our Chair Mairead Forsythe for an informal chat.  If you are ready to throw your hat in the ring, please complete this nomination form by 15 February 2024.  We are very much looking forward to hearing from you!