Wow. It seems like only an eternity ago I said I'd start to write
about cycling in Cork and my Twitter bio doesn't lie when I say I'm a *cough
cough* 'slight' procrastinator.
This is a start anyway! So on Wednesday I ventured out for
my first cycle in quite a while on the old Railway Line to Passage West from
the city. It's a cycle I absolutely love and with scenery like this you can see why!
I was delighted to see a few changes
along the path mainly regarding parts repaved and a few signs up to remind
everyone using the path to watch out for everyone else.
However thanks to Twitter/ the Internet and some of the
people I've found, follow and try learn from, I've found myself being more
aware of the ‘where’ I cycle and ‘what’ I'm cycling on.
These are just some of my observations from that cycle.
Please feel free to comment or tweet me! I'd obviously really like to know what
others think.
Observation one - "Roads"
Firstly if you look at the following sign
you'd be forgiven for thinking you were approaching a main road and that
traffic will be speeding along the roads as they unfortunately tend to do:
However the cars are approaching via a 'road' that is coming via a car park and entering
residential apartments. Now normally a reduced speed limit sign is evident in
car parks but not here. Why?
This is a small clip of the crossing:
Surely in a
car park used mainly by people walking the old railway line, there should be
signs for the drivers entering or exiting the apartment complex to be aware of
children, dogs, cyclists and pedestrians? In my opinion the onus should be on
drivers to be aware since their vehicles can kill but also should this not be a
priority pedestrian zone? In my opinion this crossing should be giving right of
way to the pedestrianised users but all the signs are warning pedestrians and
cyclists. The onus is totally on pedestrians. Why?
The same again as you enter Passage West:
This is a car park but again - not one sign for drivers (who
in a matter of minutes will be pedestrians/cyclists after parking) to ask they
watch out for dogs, children, walkers, cyclists - nothing. Why? I find this
mentality of putting the onus on the most vulnerable to be quite perverse. I
mean when you look at the request made to the pedestrianised on this sign....
Add to the above the following:
I failed to notice the part where I'm supposed to share
paths with this:
But again - no signs up requesting the car owners to keep
the path clear for those it is solely intended for. A similar example when you
cycle from Ballincollig to the city or vice versa, (I don't have a picture
right now) pedestrians and cyclists are clearly warned to beware the residents
exiting their driveways. Again the implication here (feel free to disagree) is
that even on the paths we've been designated, the onus is still on us to beware
of cars and their drivers. How do you encourage the casual cyclist to enjoy a
commute to work if it's all *warning warning warning* signs and markings? There’s no sign telling the drivers
travelling down that part of the road at 100km/h that cars are exiting
driveways and to exercise caution.
I mean this is the attitude and philosophy of the Dutch:
"Cyclists are not dangerous; cars and car drivers are: so car drivers should
take the responsibility for avoiding collisions with cyclists. This implies
that car drivers are almost always liable when a collision with a bicycle
occurs and should adapt their speed when bicycles share the roads with
cyclists."
Long way to go here before we share that philosophy.
Observation Two: the terrible lack of observations!
To build a cycling mentality and nation, you need to put the
infrastructure in. 'Build it and they will come' (could be paraphrasing) is
what a group of people said in the 1970's in a now cycling pariah. The liars. I
mean, who were they to think they should plan for their country decades down
the line rather than the next election cycle? I mean the statistics prove they
built 'it' but the statistics also show.... hang on.... wait - 'they' did come?
Wow. It's like once there's safe infrastructure in place,
people will use bikes?
Anyway - I digress. The opportunity for an amazing
segregated cycling corridor from Monkstown via Rochestown/Douglas or the Railway
Line is huge. Put in something like the Green Wave from Copenhagen and you've
got a relaxed 20-30 minute commute. Go via the Railway Line and when you come
out in either Mahon or Centre Park Road - there's space for a two-way cycling
route. You could make Centre Park Road one way to cars and Monaghan Road a one
way for the opposite direction so you still have access to the businesses
there.
But you're prioritising cycling. Grand ideas? Sure. I am not a fan of the small
piecemeal bits that are currently happening. It's good to see but to engage
more people you need to offer cycling as an actual safe commuting tool. Not
something that once you get to the city center, you have a few lanes around the
place. Lots of people want to cycle - but what safe facilities do you have even
from Douglas? None. There's a lane but it's one cars and buses cut through on
the narrower parts of the road. And with infrastructure like this:
how
do first timers get the confidence to commute?
Anyway, these are just some initial thoughts on this, the slightly delayed project of mine!
