Category Archives: Irish Posts
Ireland, see also NI
Submission to Road Safety Authority
Free bike passes for top delegates
Top brass European delegates will get free passes for Dublin’s rental bikes for travelling to major events during Ireland’s EU presidency.
Senior political figures like European Council president Herman Van Rompuy could be among those given the special offer, as the Government attempts to cut costs during its six-month term. Read more
Commuting in Ireland 2011 Census
Census 2011 Results: Profile 10 Door to Door – Commuting in Ireland – Report Highlights
Highlights of the highlights:
- Proportion of commuters driving, up to 69% in 2011 from 57% in 1981
- Number / proportion of commuters cycling, up ~10% from 2006, to ~40,000; most popular in Dublin / Galway (~6% / ~5%)
- Proportion of commuters walking, ~10%, at ~180,000; highest in Galway, also Dublin and Waterford, lower in rural areas; changes unstated
- Huge increase in car dependency among school and college students
Sponsors sought for national roll-out of bike-sharing scheme
The National Transport Authority intends to introduce public bike schemes in four regional cities by the second half of next year.
The NTA yesterday invited sponsorship applications for bike schemes in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Read article
Cyclist.ie asks: Why does it need a commercial sponsor? The obesity time-bomb lurking within the health system due to inactivity urgently requires a policy response that ensure that these schemes go ahead, with government funding if needed.
Report criticises €1.1bn taxpayer burden due to obesity epidemic
The obesity epidemic is costing the State over €1.1 billion in direct health costs and indirect costs such as absenteeism, according to a major new study to be published today. Read article
Ireland’s roads dangerous for children?
The Independent Child Death Review Group report uncovers high level of child fatalities attributable to Road Traffic Accidents
11 out of 68 non-natural child deaths known the HSE (and 3 out of 17 while in the care of the HSE) found to be attributable to Road Traffic Accidents
Cyclist.ie find this data scandalous but reject often-heard calls for children to be corralled away inside – childhood obesity is now a far higher risk; our streets must be made safer for all
Full report and relevant tables Continue reading Ireland’s roads dangerous for children?
Mammy State ruling is verging on the ridiculous
Just in case you thought that the Nanny State had gone away, think again.
In fact, make that the Mammy State, because nobody but a brooding, finger-wagging, cross Mammy could take exception to the vision of a Sound of Music-style family meandering through the woods on bicycles. The Mammy in question is the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland and the outrageous behaviour they espied consisted of a national press advertisement featuring a two adults and three children cycling on a lane-way through fields. Read article
Cyclists welcome rejection by An Board Pleanala of controversial Kerry N86 road design
Cyclists hail scrapping of NRA “fake greenway” scheme
Cyclist.ie, Ireland’s National Cycling Network and Lobby Group has welcomed An Bord Pleanala’s rejection of a controversial National Roads Authority (NRA) scheme for the N86 in the Dingle peninsula. The road upgrade scheme running from Camp to Dingle had attracted particular concern because the designers planned to co-locate a tourist cycling path directly beside high speed traffic for the entire length of the scheme (28km).
See also Irish Times article
Cyclists welcome changes to Traffic Regulations
Traffic law changes end a grave injustice say cyclists. Cyclists celebrate end of unfair traffic regulation.
Cyclist.ie, the network for all the cycling campaigns in Ireland, has welcomed the recent ending of the regulation requiring mandatory use of cycle tracks by cyclists. The removal of the obligation was long sought for and was included as Objective 15.4 of the Government’s National Cycle Policy Framework (April, 2009). The changes to the Traffic Regulations were released by the Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar TD in September and became law earlier this month. As acknowledged in the National Cycle Policy Framework, much of the cycling infrastructure constructed in Ireland is of a poor standard and can place cyclists in a dangerous position – such as inside turning HGVs.
Example of ill-designed cycle lane
Continue reading Cyclists welcome changes to Traffic Regulations