Are cycle lanes a total waste of money and space ...?

Millions of pounds have been spent putting cycle lanes down in towns and cities, but few cyclists are using them. During one morning’s driving around Dublin suburbs, we encountered only ONE cyclist actually riding in a cycle lane. He then dived straight across the road to turn right, instead of using the special cycle cross-lane further ahead of him, resulting in the squeal of brakes!

By law, cyclists do not have to use cycle lanes and anyway most prefer to use the road, often causing havoc weaving in and out of traffic.

It’s beyond me why these lanes are put along the sides of narrow roads which results in less space for two lanes of traffic. A good example is the road to the side of The Yellow House in Rathfarnham.

Often, there’s enough space along wide footpaths or green verges to accommodate them, leaving the road free for vehicles.

Since they are often used to park cars on, I don’t see the sense in having them. And if a cyclist has to go out on the road to avoid a car parked in a cycle lane, and is hit by a motorist, who is to blame? The motorist, of course!

When travelling down the main Ranelagh Road (above), there wasn’t a cyclist in sight, so why waste all that money putting them in? Take Milltown where they could have had two lanes eitherway and let the traffic flow. But no, they’ve put in a Ghost Island in the centre, a cycle lane at the side and a footpath. Why could they not have incorporated the cycle lane with the footpath. Who walks on a footpath in this particular area? Nobody. And one footpath was plenty, anyway. And why make them so wide? On Milltown Hill cars were parked along this narrow road, on footpaths, arrows, yellow boxes, making it more difficult for the motorist.

Engineers should remember that this is Ireland, not Holland or Copenhagen where thousands and thousands of cyclists swarm the streets every weekday to go to work.

©2001IrishCar.Com

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