EOIN O'BRIEN, 'in the second of two articles on a cycling plan for cit , proposes ways through and around the troubled city traffic, for those who wou rd p edal.

. . A city cycle network',: .,'.- . . IF YOU have read the access to and from 'the city. I on' the Dodder, but. what an The view of the Dublin moun revious article you will have negotiated 10 road junctions along effective and picturesque way it, tains from this route is unique anc' Keen able to solve the conun- the route and these wuld be made would be of bnn ing the residents made it all worthwhile. of , ~al&e~.Sallynogpin, So much for the southside. If drums: "Tell me how to get safe with a system of cycle. - tralfic lights. , , Dun Lao ha~re, there were cycle lanes along thc from ' to Monkstewn. s lac frock, railway and seafront, the Dodder. without passing or and Merrion into and the Grand Canal and the Harcourr passed by a niotor car?"beinf an out of the city. Street line, most southside resi "How can one get from the. The people 'of . At Monkstown, Blackrock and dents could reach Kingsend is Custom I-louse to Blancllards- Caf~agh, , Booterstown the parklands to the safety and enjoyment. town in 30 minutes without Ba y ermot, , , left of the railway could accom- Now a lwk at the northsidc passing or being assed by a Crumlin, , . Dolph~ns modate a cycle lane without upset- possibilities. motor car?'.' A gP ance at the Barn, and Ranela h ting their amenity value, and after map provides the solution. I can enter the city along the banks Merrion Gates the cycle . lane The Royal Canal cycled, and walked these of the Grand Canal. It is possible could be run along the reclaimed to go as far as Ringsend, but there stretch at Sandyrnount and this One of the most surprising ant1 routes recently and was sur- are many points of entry to the could be continued into Ringsend. rewarding of my ex lorations wa: prised by tl~e ssibilities that There are 12 road junctions on the Royal canal! My prior city along this route. acquaintance with this waterwa) exist for a cycP" e network from At present there is a this 10 mile route along the metals and sea. , . was confined to brief si htings of the inner city to the outskirts. tarmadscam surface along most it from car or bus at ~hikboroor Moreover, each route has its! stretches of the' canal bank, and Drumcondra, and my memory of own unique beauty and charm. though the intersections with main Bray to 'the Green' these was none too pleasant. But roads are fre uent (16 between Over the years there have been it is a wonderful stretch of water. The Dodder way Cappagh and (knpnd) it would many sug estions for the restora- greatly surpassing the more ex Ix ssible to avo~dat least some posed Orand Canal, and equalled of tcse by brinpiing the cycle lane tion of tae old Harcourt Street It was many years since I had railway line. To restore it. as a only for beauty b the Dodder. been on the Dodder, and as I under the br~des, and cycle The residents of $;anchardstown, traflic lights mu18 be ereded. for cycle/ destrian route would cost , cycled along its banks I wished I very %le and would return to the , Ashtown (and indeed ' the remainder. had returned to this delightful people at least in part an amenity as far out as Lucan) Rnglas. river sooner. It is beautifully kept As with the Dodder the availabi' , Cabra, Phrbsborougli lity of both banks means that which should never have been by Dublin Corporation arid the abolished. The layin of a tarmac- and Drumwndra have at their banks have been landscaped pedestrian walks can be preser- doorsteps a most beautiful ved. At Kilmainham you cpn take adam surface for cy4bts would be imaginatively in many places. In a fraction of the cost of erecting a, amenity fmviding them with r fact, the amount of good work a route to the inner city by ready cyc e route to and from the that has been done in improving following the old canal extenpion road suitable for. motor transport which has been filled 4n but the and lightweight bridges would the park and river amenities replace the railwa bridges that citrcycled in ace and safer) yystretch that was once W. especially the Dodder and Royal have been removed: from ~lancbard$own to Dorset Ianal) throughout the c~t oes have a tarmacadam path tT' at Street, a distance of some seven could easily accommodate a cycle Were this restored as a cycle deserves comnient - the landl lane a very direct and pleasing miles in less than half an hour ant1 xaping and planting of many of lane with direct access to Thomas the only time I sighted the motor the areas through which I passed' Street. i means of access to and from the city would be available for the ' car was when I crossed the nine are a credit to the Corporation road junctions along the way. which all too often receives residents of Bray, Shankill,- ' , Sand ford, , , op robrium rather than praise. to ~ingsend r ox rock, Earrickmines, Phoenix Park ft is msible to c cle along aoatstown, Dundrum, . most o\ the ~odjerfrom The railwa Line from Dalkey to Churchtown, The Phoenix Park is ideal for Templeogue to Ringsend, and Lansdowne goad is aaaompanied cycling. A cycle lane wuld be Milltown. ,- and ' though at times the cyclist by a ublic pathwa (the property, Rathmines. provided alon side the main encroaches on the preserve of the. I bdfeve, of CI~which varies!. I walked the Harcourt Street centre road, andrwith a perimeter pedestrian it would be possible to greatly in its dimensions, surfacing route around the park would pro- utilise both banks of the river to' and inte 'ty. line from Milltown to Shankill. Unfortunately stretches of the line . vide access for residents ol give both cyclist and pedestrian AtfpEs it is in effect a have been sold and are now Ashtown. Castleknock, the pleasure of this river. A cycle roadway; in some areas it is a*. incorporated into gardens or .* , Palmerston and lane along the Dodder would give pedestrian walk; in others it is: developments. Other parts are" to the, upper the inhabitants of . overgrown, or has been taken From here it should be ~OSS#~~:O Firhouse, Kimniage, Templeogue, over for garden development by impassable, and at- places . possessive dogs reflect their . 'plan a link route (utilising the less- Rnthfarnham, , adjacent houses. There would be .used side streets that would brine Churchtown, Milltown owners' outlook on life and make). . greater problems in developing progress hazardous. cyclists to 0'& nnell Street or brook and ~allsbridhe,D:JzJii this route Uian those of the canals onwards to the Liey mouth tc join either the north or south city the Liffey mouth]' and both of many of the proposed routes. systems. Also the Grand Canal systems could be linktxl by a cycle Moreover if a route to Thomas Street wuld join ferry. available ams E?$z 7; this link route along the Lifey. , At present a pedestrian fe clist could pass from one side of operates between the North W% % city to the other without ~owthto tlie Quay and John Rogerson's, Quay and having to enter the congested city wntre. Not only would this permlt A pedestrian pathway bearin York Road on either, side of the frequent warnin to cyclists, an! mouth of the Dodder, from 7.30 in the commuting Dubliner to gain coinplete with Krriers to hasten the .morning until 6.30 in the access to the city, it would pro-, their downfall runs from Fairview evenrng, at the cost of 6p per vide a safe means for children to to the Bull Wall. There is ample' person. Unfortunately, this ferry travel to school, and would more- space here for a cycle path, wtuch is not designed for bicycles, but a' over serve as a tourist amenity. could be extended to Sutton to raft ferry which would serve both The costs of the system would provide a safe and pleasant means pedestrians nnd cyclisls would be be a fraction of providing for the of access to and from the city for an inexpensive and: worthwhile ,needs of the motorist, and the the residents of tiowth, Sutton, ex ansion of the existing service. environmental and health benefits , Kilbanack, , and if in addition the f(rry crossed resulting from ,a reduction in . Alternative1 it might the Dodder from York Road to motor car usage would more than he possible to run t&s route John Rogenon's ~uhycyclists justify the outlay. through the North Bull Island from the south seafront route and It would seem that the Ministers connecting this with the mainland the Dodder wuld reach O'Connell of the DC~artment of Finance. across the low waters at Sutton Street by wming direvtly up the Transport' and Power, the Strand. qua s. Environment and Health have 1iese proposed pi$s would good =use to sit down together give Dubbn city an ut~iue net- and make a seiious effort to pet Ferry system work of coonectin c)cqe lanes .the people cycling and walk~ng With the exception of the Har- which would allow t8e commuting rather 'than driving. A cycle net- court Street railway line route arid cyclist to reach the antre city work for the city would makea the Phoenix Park route, six of the from most suburban 'areas in very good start. proposed cyde paths terminate on peace and salety. An added incen- . . . . either the north or south side of tive to cycle would be the beauty