This morning.
Salthill. Galway.
Via IrishCycle.com
14 city councillors in Galway are seeking to revoke their backing for the Salthill cycle path trial before the results of public consultation for the project has even been published.
The 6 month trial has received a funding allocation from the National Transport Authority and was expected to start in March.
The 14 councillors, however, this week signed a Standing Order 32 motion to revoke their motion made in September which called for the trial to go ahead. The move comes after public consultation, but before the results of the consultation has been published.
The motion is proposed by Cllr Peter Keane (Fianna Fáil) and co-signed by Cllr Imelda Byrne (Fianna Fáil), Cllr John Connolly (Fianna Fáil), Cllr Alan Cheevers (Fianna Fáil), Cllr Michael Crowe (Fianna Fáil), Cllr Mike Cubbard (Independent), Cllr Frank Fahy (Fine Gael), Cllr Clodagh Higgins (Fine Gael), Cllr Eddie Hoare (Fine Gael), Cllr Noel Larkin (Independent), Cllr Donal Lyons (Independent), Cllr Declan McDonnell (Independent), Cllr Níall McNelis (Labour Party), and Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Independent).
Meanwhile…
We’ve been here before and we’ve made good choices.
Fears of losing parking, businesses, one-way systems, emergency access.
Leaders then showed courage. Our generation now has a choice: more fear, or a better future.
Join us Sunday, 11.30am, for Salthill Temporary Cycleway. pic.twitter.com/XKVevHpaCe
— Galway Cycling Campaign (@GalwayCycling) February 9, 2022
Top pic: RTE
Maybe it’s time cyclists contributed like other road users to paying road tax
To be honest our roads are not wide enough to have pedestrian cycle bus and car lanes
As well as that they could provide more help for the weakest in our society by the extra revenue
Also it’s time road taxes were not centrally collected but a charge is levied in your local taxes
Replace the property tax with a system they use in france which the councils collect these taxes and it spends accordingly and it itemises the revenue on your rates bill so you know exactly where it goes
In other words these charges do not go down a big black hole which is the case here and the councils are properly funded and made accountable as if they waste the money then it sticks out like a sore thumb
1. There is no road tax
2. Most humans over the age of 21 who cycle are also humans who drive a car
3. those who cycle most of the time contribute by:-
(i) Reducing the number of cars on the road, thus decreasing journey time for those who have no other choice but to drive.
(II) Improving their own health,/reducing obesity thereby reducing the burden on the health service
(iii) Increasing social interactions in local communities thereby improving the real lived experience of people in communities
(iv) Reducing the amount of pollution/smoke/noise in communities making everywhere in our cities more pleasant and thereby reducing the amount of deaths caused by asthma/COPD
(v) Reducing carbon emissions for those who care about such things
Still does not alter the fact
Roads are having to be built to accommodate them so let them pay
There is no such thing as a free lunch
You have not addressed one single point I made. There are plenty of free lunches depending who you are in this country. If the full cost of driving was charged to the motorist, including the many billions spent on roads, as well as all the negative externalities created it would be a lot more expensive.
Overall those who cycle actually give back money to the exchequer as opposed to costing it money.
It would appear that you are incorrect in your assumptions.
@doughall “To be honest our roads are not wide enough to have pedestrian cycle bus and car lanes” – for the most part, I’d agree but have you seen how wide Salthill prom is? It’s no N11 but it’s meant to be a seaside village, not a traffic artery.
As regards cyclists contributing like other road users? You’re dead right. Lets tax everyone, the cyclists, the car drivers, the bus takers, the walkers, the scooters, the skateboarders, the wheelchair users…EVERYONE! And let’s not say you are one or the other, let’s make it easy and charge a person every time they try to move out of their house until they learn how to fly.
I’m being cheeky.. All very valid ideas regarding everyone helping contribute to infrastructure through sensible taxation strategy! But the ‘road tax’ (i.e motor tax) is about emissions, so the walkers & cyclists are actually already playing their part here.
Luckily though the taxation system of Ireland is not under discussion by Galway city council as it seems they have extreme difficulty in making a decision and find it even harder to stick to it.
Was in Salthill the other day and thought there is not enough parking for the tourists and apparently the plan for the cycle lanes includes taking away existing parking spaces
I assume this is one reason behind the objection to the Eamon Ryan project
We live in an age of the cyclist Nazi movement
Was in Dublin
I’m Dunlaoghaire and could not believe the pure anti car mentality of councils
Cycle lanes everywhere and traffic chaos as a result
“Cycle lanes everywhere” You are of course aware that cycle lanes barely make up 1% of the road network so your point is so utterly incorrect it is beyond belief. You are suffering from confirmation bias or else you are Councillor Mannix Flynn.
Selah.
Hi david, how nice to have you back again…