Galway Cycling Campaign News

Mr. Paul Gillen of WHB health promotion services has confirmed that the WHB is to provide a grant of EU 5,000 in suppport of the Faster by Bike in Galway project. The GCC committee wish to record their sincere thanks for the Western Health Board’s generous support. Initially, part of the funds will be use to expand the project in Galway city. However, subject to final approval by Galway County Council, the remainder of the funds are to be held aside for use in the county towns of Galway. Initial negiotiations have been started with the council's Loughrea regional office. It is hoped that this is merely the first of many co-operative projects between the Galway Cycling Campaign and the regional health agencies. Mr Gillen has indicated a desire on the part of the WHB to take a regional approach to cycling promotion. Cyclists from the Roscommon and Mayo areas who would like to expand the scheme to their areas should get in touch with the GCC and can expect every assistance from ourselves and the Western Health Board

10/10/04 Galway cyclists welcome amendments to city development plan

Cross party support crucial to essential changes

The Galway Cycling Campaign have expressed delight with the amendments made to the City Development Plan during the debates at city hall over the past two weeks. On Sunday night, last minute amendments, such as replacing cycle lanes with hard-shoulder markings more suitable for Galway's roads, were carried. Other key improvements made included an acknowledgement that roundabouts pose difficulties for pedestrians and cyclists and provision for two-way access for cyclists on one-way streets. In future, where planners propose to omit cycle parking from new developments this will have to be referred back to the planning SPC of Galway City Council for approval. The city council also adopted wording acknowledging that providing off-road cycle paths is not an alternative to adapting the existing road network for cyclists' use.

"Cross party support was vital in getting these changes made. We appreciate the fact that councillors were working together for the benefit of city cyclists. It is heartening to see that councillors can put aside differences for the benefit of ordinary city residents." noted campaign PRO Alan Burke. "These amendments should see a marked improvement in cycling conditions and a corresponding increase in the numbers of cyclists" he continued.

During the course of the Development Plan discussions, councillors from Labour, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, the Progressive Democrats and Sinn Fein all successfully proposed pro-cycling amendments to the city plan. -.

Highly Recomended: Full report on how the the councillors voted and the obstructive tactics of the city officials.

October 2004 Western Health Board express interest in backing signs project

Another contact made at the National Obesity Task Force event in September also came to frutition in October. Following from contacts made with Jacky Jones, the Western Health Board Health-Promotion chief, an approach was made with regards to seeking additional financial backing for the Faster by bike in Galway signs project. Paul Gillen of the WHB health promotion services has indicated that suppport might be available and discussions are taking place

5/10/04 Seminar on Safe Cycling Techiques at NUI, Galway

A contact made at the National Obesity Task Force event in September came to frutition on Tuesday 5th October when the GCC held a seminar on the "ABCs of Cycling in Galway" in Darcy-Thompson Theatre, NUI, Galway. The event was arranged in co-operation with Ms Cindy Dring of the Health Promotion office of NUI, Galway and was open to the public. The object which was to provide tips and tricks for bicycle users in city traffic with topics such as.

Legal environment: Rights and obligations
The benefits of cycling.
How to recognise and avoid dangerous situations - what accident analysis tells us about the risks and what tactics are suggested.
Choosing your routes - the route there is not always the best route back. (Also sneaky Galway shortcuts!)

Unfortunately, the unexpected intervention of the City Development Plan issue meant that it was impossible to properly advertise or promote the event beforehand either within the University or on a more public basis. There were also clashes with several other events. This resulted in a low attendance most of whom were already cycling activists. The event was therefore co-opted into a discussion of the city plan issues. However, it is hoped to try a similar event again in the very near future. Hopefully in conjunction with better resourced promotional effort and in co-operation with other agencies such as the Health Board..

October 2004 GCC redoubles lobbying effort over cyclist-hostile draft city plan

The issue of the "cyclist hostile" draft city development plan remerged at the begnining of October. In 2003 the GCC had made a comprehensive Submission on the Draft City Plan. In January 2004, the GCC was shown a pre-draft copy of the new city plan that was being circulated to councillors. As with the existing 1999 plan, the transport section contained no reference to the main concerns cyclists have been raising over the last two decades regarding road designs/traffic management in the city. Regarding roundabouts, the only evidence of any issue was a reference to the possiblility of providing "crossing facilities" for cyclists at some locations. This strongly suggests that the Roads Department plan to stick to their established "get off and walk" model of providing for cyclists. In an attempt to head the city officials "off at the pass" a series of proposed amendments to the wording to development plan were drafted. GCC activists then began a direct lobbying campaign either phoning or physically meeting city councillors on a cross party basis and seeking sponsors for the proposed amendments. Key issues identified included securing the use of hard shoulders and wide kerb lanes on arterial roads, securing the deletion of references to cycle lanes and cycleways running along roads and securing the deletion of references to cycle networks and any other "motorist centric" concepts. While potential allies were found in all the political groupings, City Mayor Catherine Connolly , a cyclist herself, gave her full support to GCC efforts and offered very useful advice on wording and other issues.

22/09/04 "Car Free Day" brings additional funds for signs project

Shortly before car free day the Galway Cycling Campaign was informed that addtiional funding had been recieved to build on the the "Faster by Bike in Galway" signs project. This follows on from the May 2003 funding for the project. Like the 2003, the 2004 grant was obtained under the Environmental Partenership Fund (LA21) scheme where Galway City Council and the Department of the Envronment provide matching funds. The project builds on the very positive relationship with the City Council Environment department.

The 2003 grant was used to purchase and install 50 plastic "corriboard" signs at prominent traffic blackspots in the city. The signs gave indicative journey times for cycling to key city destinations. The times were all obtained by cycling at low speed in first gear and should be achievable by any reasonably fit adult. The object was adverise the fact that, for many short urban trips, the bicycle is frequently the fastest form of transport available. The signs have recieved much favouable comment. The expanded 2004 grant is to be used to replace the plastice signs with permanent metal versions.

3/09/03 GCC members attend Obesity Task Force consultation event

Cormac Lovett attended a National Consultation Event event which was held by the National Obesity taskforce in Dublin City University in September. GCC chair Shane Foran also attended in his capacity as a member of the Galway City Community Forum. Kirsten Doherty the author of the Dublin Cycling Campaign Submission also attended. The event was broken up into several sessions grouped under various themes The main focus for the GCC members was to pre-empt any simplistic or uninformed suggestions from the participants with regards to cycle promotion. As such the primary aim was to promote the "Road Danger Reduction" approach based on the creation of a pedestrian and cyclist-friendly environment and infrastructure. There were 5 sepreately themed workshops which ran concurrently so the delegates moved between these to get a flavour of the discussions.

The structure of the workshops did not allow detailed discussion of the infrastructural impediments to pedestrian and cyclist access however strenuous efforts were made to put the infrastructural deficits and other issues on the agenda.

By far the most useful outcome was the identification of potential allies for future alliances and co-operation. In particular, positive contact was made with the Western Health Board representative on the National Obesity Task Force and with the Health Promotion advisor from NUI, Galway. Informal discussions took place with regard to future co-operation.

7/06/04 Cycling groups make last minute submissions submisson to National Obesity Task Force

The last week has seen Irish Cycling Organisations involved in rushed, last minute efforts to make submissions to the National Task Force on Obesity, which had only defined a three-week window for public submissions. Despite the short notice, the Cork, Galway and Dublin Cycling Campaigns managed to make submissions. The groups highlight the proven health benefits of regular cycling – an actuarial cost benefit analysis of regular cycling has estimated that the lives saved/years gained through regular cycling may outweigh any lives/years lost by up to 20:1. The point is made that it is lack of exercise, rather than diet, that is the major cause of obesity. The submissions include a hierarchy of measures for creating a “cyclist-friendly” roads infrastructure including traffic reduction, traffic calming, junction treatments and road space reallocation. The cyclists argue that creating a cyclist-friendly infrastructure requires influencing the current “car-friendly” activities of the Departments of Transport and Environment.

Galway Obesity Submission (40.5k) Word format

Dublin Obesity Submission from DCC website

The three-week window did not provide enough time for an agreed national position paper on general cycling issues. However, as an interim step, the Irish Cycle Campaign has called on Department/Minister for Health to take a robust line against misleading claims about cycle-helmets. They argue that this is no different to taking robust positions regarding to false and untenable claims on behalf of other products. Recently cycling groups in both Ireland and the UK have been outraged by outlandish public claims about cycle helmets being made by interests associated with the car lobby. The cyclists have pointed out that cycling is not an especially "risky" activity, motorists and their passengers are more likely to suffer serious head injuries than cyclists. However there is widespread evidence that cycle-helmet promotion discourages significant numbers of people from cycling by giving the false impression that cycling is somehow less safe that other forms of transport. In particular, say the cyclists, the unfortunate promotion of cycle-helmets has the potential to seriously undermine efforts to promote physical activity, particularly among women and girls. According to recent census data, more teenage girls now drive theselves to school in cars than use bicycles.

ICC Submission (25k) Word Format

Story 1.

---------.

_---------.

----------