Irish Posts

Rise in Number of Children Walking / Cycling to School?

2 Comments

A recent report commissioned by the Irish Sports Council found that the number of children engaged in active travel to school ie walking or cycling has risen considerably since 2004. Apparently good news but a closer examination shows that the news is not as good as first seemed.

While there has been a significant increase in cycling and walking it will come as no surprise to cycling advocates to learn that all of the increase is in walking. Among secondary school pupils the number of cyclists has remained at the same level while among primary students the level of cycling has actually fallen. Continue reading Rise in Number of Children Walking / Cycling to School? →

Irish Posts

Commuting in Ireland 2011 Census

Leave a comment

Census 2011 Results: Profile 10 Door to Door – Commuting in Ireland – Report Highlights

Cyclist.ie 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
International Posts

Don’t Let the EU Parliament Ignore 100 Million Cyclists

Leave a comment

There are 35 million daily cyclists in Europe. There are more than 100 million Europeans that cycle regularly. Yet the European Institutions are failing to take cycling seriously as a mode of Transport.

Strategic EU documents keep failing to mention cycling and it is at risk of being sidelined by more powerful lobby interests.

It’s time for this to change.

Important budgets are being decided between now and 2014, and we want to stop this negative trend. It’s time for us to remind the European Parliament, a democratically elected body, that cyclists’ have a voice and a place in European policy.

By putting pressure on them, we make sure that cycling deserves recognition as an important mode of transport.

Action to Take: Send These MEPs An Email before Tuesday, December 18. We have prepared a draft statement, available here.

Please contact your country’s MEP from the Parliament’s Transport Committee. They can be found here

UK Posts

BBC1 programme manufactures conflict between road users

Leave a comment

Does the programme – War on Britain’s Roads – present an unbalanced and sensationalist view of conditions on the road network? If you think so, complain to the BBC setting out the ways in which you feel it has misrepresented the situation.

Read article

YouTube version of BBC programme

Cyclist.ie says: “The helmet-cam footage shows how most of the problems faced by cyclists on roads and streets happen at junctions (including roundabouts) and within the bus and cycle lane system simply because drivers won’t acknowledge that cyclists are entitled to be there and that our roads are a shared public space. Many drivers just don’t understand that they are not permitted to encroach into a cycle lane. The ‘dangerous overtaking’ traffic regulation is just not being detected or enforced by police services in these Islands. Drivers should not be overtaking cyclists unless they can give a space of about 1.5 metres. If traffic and road conditions don’t permit this clearance then don’t overtake; hold-back until it’s safe to overtake the rider.

Cyclists: NEVER “undertake” an HGV – i.e. go up the inside of one – it’s one of the single biggest causes of fatal accidents. Cyclist.ie also wants ALL HGV’s to have appropriate mirrors and for drivers to be appropriately trained – most of these types of accidents are preventable. See ~46 minutes into YouTube video.

Formerly Cyclist.ie