Cycle lanes / paths and other interventions, but excluding Greenways
FAST CYCLING ROUTES, WHAT ARE THEY?
Fast cycling routes are “high standard bicycle paths reserved for cyclists for fast and direct commuting over long distances.”
The 5 widely agreed criteria for high-quality cycling infrastructure can be applied to fast cycle routes. These are: 1. Safety, 2. Coherence, 3. Directness, 4. Comfort, 5. Attractiveness.
Beyond that, additional commonly agreed criteria and characteristics do not exist yet as the concept of fast cycling routes is relatively new.
Paris is surging toward the front of the peloton of European cities racing for more bike- and pedestrian-friendly streets. Mayor Anne Hidalgo recently announced an ambitious plan to transform the historic city center into a “semi-pedestrianized” zone, where walking and biking will be encouraged, and automobile access will be limited to emergency vehicles, residents’ cars, and delivery trucks. Read article
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport could usefully reflect on this report when undertaking its review of the NCPF under way at present; the following is taken directly from the document:
In forming a partnership with government, we would expect local authorities to:
The Bicycle Strategy will be followed up by “a Bicycle Strategy Delivery Plan” which will outline specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound objectives, policies and actions.” Overall the draft Strategy includes some valuable points but we stressed in our submission that it is essential that the final Plan will include funding commitments as well. Otherwise the strategy is meaningless.
Some other key points we made were as follows:
Millions of euro in funding is to be spent improving accessibility between Kent Station and the city centre; construction on the project commenced summer 2014. Iarnród Éireann had been seeking to enhance the existing facilities at the Cork train station, with plans to develop the North Docks with an entrance building accessed from Horgan’s Quay. Now €2.9m in funding, administered by the National Transport Authority, is to be spent on the new entrance and bus, cycle and access arrangements to improve connections to the city. Read article
The CEO of Microsoft UK, Michel Van Der Bel, gave his support today to the Mayor of London’s ambitious plans to build two new Cycle Superhighways. He joins an extraordinary coalition of businesses urging Boris Johnson to build the routes.
Microsoft joins over 120 employers who have sent letters of support for the Cycle Superhighways – including RBS, Unilever, Orange, Deloitte, Coca-Cola, the Financial Times, and law firms Olswang,Allen & Overy, and Herbert Smith Freehills.
Read article, but there is also opposition
Could the same thing happen for Dublin’s Quays? – see also the latest in the Irish Times
Today the European Parliament has approved the new European Commission. ECF is particularly looking forward to working with Ms. Violeta Bulc, the new Commissioner for Transport. During her hearing in front of the European Parliament, Ms. Bulc stated that she loves nature and that she supports the polluter-pay and user-pay principles.
The European Cyclists’ Federation expects that the Slovenian Commissioner will soon present her vision on cycling as a means of transportation. Our organisation has also requested a personal meeting with the former Slovenian minister who will be in charge of transport in the EU for the next five years. Read article
Cyclist.ie has made contributions about everyday cycling strategy to the NI Assembly Regional Development sub-committee at Stormont as well as to NI Minister for DRD, Danny Kennedy MLA, and his officials.
Some members of Cyclist.ie will be attending at the public seminar on the Strategy on 16 October in Belfast.
In the ROI we are at the half-way stage with our NCPF (2009) which sets a target of 10% of everyday trips to be made by bike by 2020. The target is slipping away unless the government commits in the Budget next Tuesday to enhanced funding for cycling promotion and the establishment of a national Cycling Officer and a team of specialists based at DoTTAS to really drive the promotion of cycling for commuting for work and school, shopping, children socialising around their neighbourhoods, etc.
Prof Jan Gehl said Ireland and other former British colonies “have allowed traffic planners to exert undue influence, with silly ideas like every time a pedestrian approaches a crossing, they have to ‘apply’ to cross the street when it should be a human right”. Read article
