Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority have signalled their intention to substantially ramp up cycle lanes and curb the space available on roads for motorists.
The council and NTA said they have identified 80 major projects across the city which will provide a more sustainable walk-wheel-cycle network.
Coordinated by the Active Travel Programme Office, it is envisaged that the Active Travel Network will grow from its existing 10km to a connected network of 310km across the city.
The Active Travel Programme Office is responsible for the delivery of 210km, while BusConnects will provide the additional 90km.
When complete, 95% of people in the city will be within 400m of an active travel route, according to the council.
In Association with
Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy, a Green Party councillor, said: “Works to be undertaken will necessitate the reallocation of overall road space. This additional space will enable the provision of widened footpaths and segregated cycling lanes alongside cycle parking, raised pedestrian crossings, and reduced road widths at crossing points.
“Extensive greening works will also be undertaken, with new trees planted and green areas created to promote social interaction and biodiversity.”
NTA CEO Anne Graham added: “This network forms the backbone of the NTA’s CycleConnects Dublin plan which prioritises the core cycling network for delivery over the next 3 years to create a connected network in the city, allowing the people of the city and visitors to cycle safely in the city."
Commercial opportunities
The network programme will present excellent commercial opportunities for contractors.
Clonmel Enterprises Ltd, which is undertaking the Clontarf to City Centre Cycle & Bus Priority Project, booked a net profit of €5.1m in the year to January 2021, up from €3.1m the previous year.
The Naas company’s four directors shared €1.5m in remuneration and €650,000 in pension contributions.
The C2CC project will provide segregated cycling facilities and bus priority infrastructure along a 2.7km route that extends from Clontarf Road at the junction with Alfie Byrne Road, to Amiens Street at the junction with Talbot Street.
The other current Active Travel Network projects in construction are South Grand Canal cycle safety Improvements, Herbert Park to Donnybrook (Dodder Greenway), and Belmayne Main Street and Belmayne Avenue.
The council said that nine permanent schemes are also in the design phase, and the design of interim measures for a further 13 projects are currently in progress.
Also looming large on the northside of the city is the North Circular Road project.
The route has been split into zones and priority has been given to Zone 1 on Seville Place, and Zones 2 and 3 from Amiens St junction to Dorset St junction.
The council’s aim is to commence works on these zones in 2024 as works on the Clontarf to City Centre project are finishing.
Interim protected cycle-path measures are proposed for a 1 kilometre section of the North Circular Road from the junction with Dorset Street to the junction with Amiens Street.
In 2023, there will also be interim measures on some sections of the North Circular Road, where cycle lanes are in place but where segregation is not provided.
Improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists are also planned with the upgrade of the junction at Old Cabra Road / North Circular Road/ Prussia Street (Hanlon’s Corner junction).
