Dublin Cycling Campaign tweetz:

Dublin has made it into the top three cities worldwide for traffic congestion! 🙌 Here’s another reminder that there are very few places inside the M50 that are more than a 30-minute cycle from the city centre. #BetterByBike

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71 thoughts on “On Yer Bike

  1. Nigel

    I’m particularly impressed by the sea-bikes out in Dublin Bay. What are they commuting to, a lighthouse?

    1. Jean Jose Garcia Molina

      Some people work over there. It’s based on distance and the average speed of an average rider. It varies.
      For people not comfortable using a bike there is also other options as:
      Electric Scooters
      Electric Skateboards
      Electric Unicycles
      They aren’t legal yet, but many people as using them taking the risk of being stopped by Garda.
      If anyone is considering that option, feel free to ask for advice to the eRide Community on the WhatsApp Group.
      If you know someone with an eScooter they will also be happy to find out about eRide.ie, the chat and group ride events.

          1. Nigel

            Me? I’d sell a kidney for a good electric bike. Not necessarily MY kidney, but, y’know, a handy one.

  2. A Person

    Shurly lots of congestion is caused by people commuting outside the M50.? Not everyone can live within 30 minutes cycle of their work place. Dublin Cycling need some PR skills.

    1. Slightly Bemused

      That was my thought. I live an hour and a bit’s bus journey from the city centre, just outside the Pale. but I share a bus with people going further out. So for them, it is 4 hours each day,

      however, it does say traffic jams, rather than just commuting, and I really do not know how they would measure that. I imagine it includes the regular hold ups on the M50, N4 and N7, to name a few, not to mention the joys of the Chapelizod bypass of a Friday afternoon :)

      1. Rob_G

        Think how quickly the buses would fly along on the final leg of the journey if more of the people living within the M50 cycled into work, instead of travelling around in their own personal 3-piece suite?

    2. Nigel

      More people cycling on better infratructure within the M50 would reduce congestion for those outside, There’s only so much biycles do to alleviate the consequences of urban sprawl and bad planning. That’s more of a public transport issue.

      1. postmanpat

        The cycling infrastructure is fine. How good does it have to be get before people stop making excuses? Should I stop cycling until the infrastructure improves? The usual blame the government first/take personal responsibility second.

        1. Nigel

          If it’s not good enough to get more people cycling on it, then it’s not good enough yet.

        2. Gavin

          Fine??? Seriously, where it is in place on my route it’s either unusable due to potholes or it’s lethal as cars are in it or don’t see it….paint on The road is not infrastructure.

        3. Stan

          No it isn’t. I was in a small city in Spain last week, and saw more segregated cycling infrastructure than in all of Dublin. And Spain isn’t even one of those places you think of as been especially bicycle focussed.

    3. George

      If you live outside the M50 you have to drive all the way to your workplace’s underground carpark, do you?

      1. Slightly Bemused

        Some of us use busses, and they are always full. That is 80 fewer cars on the road every half hour. And no need to use up space for a carpark, either.

        1. George

          I was try to reply to the person talking about people outside the M50 and suggesting they have to drive. My point is you only have to drive from your house to a public transport option or car park within cycling distance not door to door.

          1. A Person

            George that’s entirely my point. Not everyone lives within the M50. Not everyone works in the city centre. To show that map is nonsense. We need a proper all encompassing transport system rather then simply stating that everyone can cycle. Dublin Cycling (and why only Dublin?) is purely single dimensional in this regard. Let me guess, you are a member?

          2. George

            Dublin Cycling Campaign is just an unpaid group of people who live in Dublin advocating for better cycling infrastructure. No I am not a member and I don’t know any of them either.

            Your expectations of such a group seems very high. What are you doing yourself to solve all transport problems in all parts of the country? That seems to be your expectation for them. Dublin cycling is “single dimension” because it is a group with the purpose of people promoting cycling in Dublin. It is not the NTA.

            The map isn’t nonsense it makes a very simple point and does it well. Not everyone commutes from the outskirts to the city but the majority of Dublin commuters do. For people commuting in other directions within Dublin the map still gives a general indication of cycle times from the scale.

          3. A Person

            Can’t reply to your comments below. Dublin Cycling are advocating for cyclists only. A proper city should function for all commuters users. That is my point. Not just cyclists living in Clontarf working in the city centre. The map is nonsense, as to suggest that most commuters in Dublin commute to the city centre.

          4. Ciuncainteach

            ‘Dublin Cycling are advocating for cyclists only’

            Astute point, A Person. I would go further, and say that they are advocating primarily on behalf of cyclists in Dublin.

          5. George

            The map isn’t nonsense. Able bodied people can cycle to the city centre from anywhere highlighted. Clontarf is only 5km from city centre, I live 10km outside the city and cycle everyday.

            Criticising the Dublin Cycling Campaign for campaigning for cycling in Dublin is like criticising water for being wet.

    4. small ads

      Anyone with minimal fitness can stroll in on a bike in half an hour. It’s not exactly a huge effort! In fact, I have friends who can’t walk easily but cycle everywhere. And sure, “not everyone” – perhaps one person in 1,000 might need a special vehicle.

      But that doesn’t mean the hundreds of thousands of people sitting alone in their lonely two-ton-Tessies of cars, playing with their phones and feeding pollution into the air and gobbling up fossil fuel – it doesn’t mean they need to be in those cars.

      We could have a sane cycling infrastructure, we could have a healthy population, we could have a workable transit system. Companies and unions representing hundreds of thousands of working people have written to the Minister and Department of Transport asking for the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network to be built, through https://dublin.cyclingworks.org

      Why isn’t it being built now?

      1. Slightly Bemused

        “Anyone with minimal fitness can stroll in on a bike in half an hour”

        Nat always true.I have a serious balance issue on a bike, motorised or not, and the idea of being in among heavy traffic when I fear I might fall over more than suffices for my decision to use a bus. Frankly, cycling in Dublin terrifies me.

        1. Scundered

          Have you tried a tricycle? I know a fella who converts them into electric models, and is doing good trade to many elderly people who have same problem, giving them back their mobility and the light leg work helps their circulation.

        2. small ads

          Minimal fitness would include not having vertigo! Sorry for your trouble. Would you be the same with one of the electric scooters the Gardaí are making a collection of (when, inevitably, they are regulated and legalised)?

        3. Stan

          ” idea of being in among heavy traffic”
          Which is why we need segregated, wide, two way cycle paths

    5. LeopoldGloom

      100,000 journeys of less than 4km apparently. 20% of car journeys are apparently 2 km or less. The sheer volume of people who are living within 5km of work and drive is mind boggling.

      1. Spud

        Not just work… the roads were nearly empty this morning during peak time. Easter break shows up a lot – How our children get to school is a huge issue.

        1. Cian

          I agree that there is a problem with the way kids are dropped to school.

          However, there are a lot of people off work this week too – so there are fewer commuters as well as zero children. Small changes in numbers of cars makes a big difference to traffic.

      2. Rob_G

        Whack an extra 50c per litre on petrol and diesel, and spend the extra revenue on public transport and cycling infrastructure – we’d see a few fewer short journeys by car then.

  3. postmanpat

    Bike? But what if I didn’t take care of my body and now I’m too heavy to cycle? #sadfatsos

    1. Nigel

      Electirc bikes are coming on in leaps and bounds and it would help if people viewed cycling purely in terms of getting from A to B rather than intrinsically associated with a physical challenge to lose weight and get fit. Those may be side benefits but they’re not the primary purpose in commuting. Unfortunately electric bikes are a bit of an expensive risk in a city where it’s open season for bike thieves.

      1. pedeyw

        Any bike is a risk in a city full of bike thieves. Toe rags.The reason I went back to walking was because of the horror show that is the quays. I got frequently honked at for clearly signalling and moving into a lane so I could turn right.

        1. George

          I’ve had my bike for 5 years now. Lost a saddle once and a quick release wheel. It is a decent enough bike for commuting. RRP about 700 and I paid about half that. Many times I have left it on street locked over the weekend after getting locked myself on Friday night.

    1. Spaghetti Hoop

      +1
      That world index seems to be missing a big chunk of the world! It’s not as if the data isn’t available. Nairobi is way worse than any European city.

      1. Slightly Bemused

        I drove in Nairobi before I ever drove in Rome, reputed to have the worst traffic in Europe at the time. My friends were amazed that I was not fazed by the crazy Roman drivers. When asked why I was not worried, all I could say was ‘I survived Nairobi. This is nothing!’ :)

        1. Slightly Bemused

          I am not being smart, but in some cities in South Africa (Joburg, for instance) the biggest problem is not traffic congestion, but robberies when stopped in traffic. Always lock your doors (although not much use against a gun, I will admit).
          At least they were very ecumenical thieves. It mattered not the colour of your skin, only if it looked like you had something they wanted!

          1. Spaghetti Hoop

            Why not? African cities have road networks which accommodate commuters, goods, students, have city centre and ring road congestion, and have varied vehicle types. It doesn’t make sense to exclude them from global comparison – the data is available.

  4. Junkface

    Congratulations to successive Irish Governments who have ignored the need for an underground metro for 20 years, thanks to them we have made it into the top 3 for traffic congestion!

    1. A Person

      I totally agree. We are one of the few capital cities in Europe without an underground. The DART underground would have cost less than the children’s hospital. Its an absolute disgrace that you don’t have a leader in this country to push that through. Instead, we have nonsense bus and overground rail plans that will be over-ruled by local politicians to get elected. To say that bikes will solve it is rubbish. Go to Amsterdam. See how many people cycle vs the rail, bus, metro, tram. Those close to work cycle, those who are not get public transport. We have successive policy makers in this country who can’t see that. Dublin Cycling is not helping in this debate by useless maps showing commute to the centre only.lots of people do not work in the city centre.

    2. Slightly Bemused

      I wholeheartedly agree! While I do not cycle for personal fear reasons, I do think much more could have been done by way of dedicated cycle routes, and improving public transport.

      Science is improving: bring on the public portal system!

  5. Joe

    Looks like a lot of Dublin within the M50 is within a 30 minute cycle going in that figure. Am I missing something?

    1. LeopoldGloom

      Blanchardstown is just beyond the m50. It’s a huge Suburb. It’s a 45 minute cycle in. It’s a 40-60 minute bus journey in. It can be a 60minute+ drive in.

      1. Rob_G

        Again – if people were discouraged from driving in in their cars, buses from Blanch/D15 would be able to make it into the city a lot quicker.

  6. Dr.Fart MD

    THE REAL PROBLEM HERE= lack of decentralisation. everything is focused on Dublin. If the gov. did any actual work and actually cared, they’d have put a few of the big tech giants further out, and built apartments in those areas. create new spots, build on other cities. decentralise. but theyre so dublin centric that everything is in and happens in dublin. we dont have a problem of too many people driving. do u really expect people living out by the red cow for example, to cycle to work in the city centre? in artic snow, horrendous rainfall and all other weather cycles we get. all the public transport is full in the rush hour before and after work, so its not that people arent using it. basically we have this tiny city that cant hold the sum of its (ever growing) population. and instead of realising what the real problem is, everyones pointing fingers at each other.

    1. LeopoldGloom

      We’ve had, what 2 weeks of snow in the last decade? The east coast doesn’t get that much rain either. It’s a bit of a myth.

    2. Rob_G

      The govt already provides incentives for companies to go outside of Dublin, but you can’t force tech companies to set up in Ballygobackwards.

      “we dont have a problem of too many people driving” – er we do, did you not see the graph?

      ” artic snow, horrendous rainfall and all other weather cycles we get” – completely detached from reality, from the prospective of someone who I’ll wager has never commuted by bicycle on this island.

      1. Spaghetti Hoop

        Rob, if one has ‘never commuted by bicycle on this island’ does that really mean they are detached from reality? Or is this a lycra-nomic assumption about commuters who don’t cycle?

        1. Ciuncainteach

          It maybe could have been phrased better Hoop, but he’s clearly specifically referring to the reality of commuter cycling that the good Doctor is assumed (‘I’ll wager’) to be detached from.

        2. Rob_G

          No, the detached from reality was prompted by the post-apocalyptic weather patterns experienced in the tiny micro-climate that follows Dr. Fart around.

          1. Ciuncainteach

            Apologies Rob!

            I do have a level of sympathy for the poor Doctor however, as he appears to be experiencing from localised acute climate breakdown himself.

      2. Ciuncainteach

        There’s a polite way to respond to that Rob without offending the fine people of Ballygobackwards.

    3. George

      The government doesn’t put private businesses where they want them. The businesses choose where they want to go and they choose Dublin more than other parts of the country because it is meets their needs better. There is a bigger existing talent pool in Dublin due to the high concentration of companies.

      Most of the staff of these companies want to live a city. These people have skills that are in demand and are prepared to consider working in other cities internationally so it is not Dublin vs other parts of the country it is Dublin vs Amsterdam, London, Copenhagen etc.

      The city has to provide for the needs of the people in it not to decide the people are in the wrong place.

  7. postmanpat

    excuses, excuses!!! Red Cow to O Connell street by bike is 28 minutes according google maps , so in reality its about 24 minutes. artic snow? When? horrendous rainfall? Again, when? rush hour weather is mild 98% of the year. a daily cyclist might get to work a bit wet 3 or 4 times in an entire year. Or wear gloves and wet pants, problem solved ( but ..but.. not solved by the government so it doesn’t count says all the fatty excuse makers)_ .”all other weather cycles” ??? you mean life in the outside world? gasp!!!! nature. no . no. no. get in out of that weather cycles, you’ll catch your death of fresh air out there!! Instead sit in a packed bus for 3 euro a trip that takes 3 times as long.

    1. Junkface

      Fair enough you are a hardy cycler, but there’s many people out there that can’t cycle very well, or maybe have an injury, or disability, or fear of exposure to road traffic, or nerves, or old age. That’s why sensible public transport for a highly populated (and growing) small city like Dublin is the best option. An underground Metro is the only sensible long term solution. Everything else is just faffing about with tax payers money, as in wasting it.

      1. SOQ

        An underground Metro is the only sensible long term solution.

        TII’s recruitment strategy is more connected that Irish Water these days, and that is saying something.

    2. Spaghetti Hoop

      Not everyone can cycle, postman pat, for a number of different reasons – and not because of the weather. I’m not the only one that wouldn’t commute by bike again after a nasty knock. People bring kids to creche or have post-work obligations, or extra luggage.

      How’s your red van?

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