The City Council and Dublin Cycling Campaign has acquired Free Parking for Bicycles in Drury Street Carpark since September 09 with the added benefit of CCTV Cameras. After I got my Organic Seed Potatoes in Mr Midletons Garden Shop on Mary Street I went up to Drury Street to see what it was like. There is not much uptake on the Bike Parking so far,there was 7 Bikes and mine made 8. I was there around last Week as well and the same amount of Bikes was Parked 7. So it seems only People who are going to be there all Day are only Parking there Bikes and all others preferring to Park nearest the Shops on Sth William Street or St Stephens Green. The Dublin City Council put in a 30KPH Limit in Dublins City Core on Sunday last. It is only in a small Central area of the City and the AA Motoring Organisation is losing its Rag over it saying it will hold up Motorists. Well Sod them they are always complaining,it is time to give the City back to the People like the Pedestrians and Cyclists make it safer. We could do with more Traffic free areas as well.Pic 1 On the way into the City on the Malahide Road.Pic 2Organic Seed Potatoes and Nuts for the Birdies.Pic 3Luciano Pavarotti's Hands Immortalised in Bronze set in the Pavement outside the Gaiety Theatre on Sth King Street with the other Great and the good he came he saw and he Conquered when he appeared on the Gaiety to Rapturous acclaim.Pic 4Parked Bikes on Mercer Street not far from Drury Street.Pic 5 Gaiety Theatre Sth King Street. Pic 6Unicycle performer with blazing Torches on Grafton Street.Pic 7 Sign advertising the Bike Parking outside Drury Street Carpark.Pic 8 Old Raleigh from the 1960ties.Pic 9 Two Pictures of Gerty Parked in Drury Stret Carpark. The only Negative thing I can say about the Carpark is there is always a horrible Stench of Petrol while I am in there,very Unhealthy Job for the Attendants. Great Idea the Bike Parking in Carparks,I hope they put more of them in the City. They took away Parking for 22 Cars and put in 162 Stands for Bikes,that is 162 less Cars in Dublin.
6 comments:
The bike parking looks quite nice. We have nothing like that here.
That's great to see even a small area to have lower speed limits. Far too many people would like to see speed limits raised here. The average speed limit on city roads are 50-kph.
Country/rural roads can get up to kph.
Usually it's the CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) that pushes for it also.
There is an awful lot of Opposition from the AA and Business Interests against this New Limit,it is by no means permanent yet. The Machinations of the Council moves slowly,we shall have to wait several Months to see whether it is Adopted.
On the other side of the Coin there are a lot of Organisations who are Screaming for it to be Kept, like the Pedestrians Association,The Council for the Blind, The Childrens Associations,as well as the Cyclists.
There is also the Metro Service that they Hope to Build Eventually,so whether they like it or not Traffic will not be able to come and go as freely in the Future as they used to do. There will be Constraints put on them in Dublin and also other Parts of the Country.
The Government and the City Council wants to Introduce a Bicycle Infrastructure and Public Transport to get People out of their Cars,to cut down on Obesity and improve our Carbon Footprint. We can be Fined if we do not get our Emissions down.
This Recession is slowing things down,but they are progressing bit by bit. It will never be as good as the Netherlands but hopefully better than Britain who are very Car Dependent.
I tend to find that if your not some sort of auto group, your considered a "fringe group" here.
Whenever a pedestrian, cyclist or group for the disable put forth suggestions to help make cities better, they are always ignored and "high costs" are the reason.
Although I don't live there, I follow what goes on in Toronto. They are going to be electing a new mayor in a few months.
One of the candidates will remove all bike lanes on major road ways and plans on halting any new transit programs.
IF he gets in, Toronto will become one of the most unlivable cities in the world...Or at least it will feel like it.
The Authorities like to Spend 100dreds of Million's on Road Infrastructure but begrudge spending a few Million on Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure. Cycling Infrastructure is very Cheap and once it is in place it cost Nothing to maintain it. whereas Motor Traffic constantly Damages the Road as well as Kills People.
The more the Cyclist's regard the Road's as Safe,the more People will Cycle. This will cut down on Expensive Health Care due to Heart Attacks and Diabetes because of Obesity due to lack of Exercise.
If more People Cycle it will leave more space on the Road for those who use a Car especially for long distance Driving.
I think most Canadians have picked up the bad Habits of their Neighbour the US,although admittedly it can get extremely Cold in Canada. However I would feel Safer on a Bike than trying to drive in the Freezing Snow and Ice.
Although we have some Politicians that like to Promote Motor Traffic it would never get as bad as some Cities in Canada,even they recognise that Cars cannot be allowed to Dominate. But they still begrudge any meaningful improvements until they reason it will not infringe to much on Traffic.
A lot of arguments and bickering goes on and some Councillors who are for some improvements are forced to Watered things down.This 30KPH that was brought in will be argued over for several Months and if they succeed at chipping away the Support for it and also if the Business Community brings in an Injunction against it it could be Dropped.
I believe around 70% of Canadian are now considered overweight. The obesity rate in children has never been higher.
Why people are not promoting or encouraging the use of bikes is beyond me.
I don't think there is any doubt that we in Canada pick up a lot of bad habits from the US.
Cities such as Toronto and Vancouver are perfect for year round cycling.
Vancouver doesn't get any colder the 0 though gets a fair amount of rain during the winter.
Toronto does get snow, but usually just slightly more then Copenhagen.
The main issue with winter riding in Toronto is the lack of clearing bike lanes.
The Council does not clear the Cycle Lanes or Pathways here when it Snows,but it rarely Snows here and they are just not used to it.
We have had a very Cold Winter this Year however and Snow for over two Weeks,but still a lot were Cycling. It was safer Cycling than Walking or even Driving.
We have People in Ireland who are Obese now and all the Ailments associated with it and it causes a big Drain on the Health Services. So it is an advantage to the Government to make the Citizens fitter and the easiest way is to Bike your way to Health.
Post a Comment