May '99 - Text of Appeal to Garda Commisioner
Request for removal of "cycle lane" markings from roads in Galway City
|
May '99 - Text of Appeal to Garda CommisionerRequest for removal of "cycle lane" markings from roads in Galway City
|
|
6/5/99 Re: Request for Removal of Road Signs under Section 37 of the Road Traffic Act (7 of 1994): Cycle Path Structures in Galway City Mr. M.P. Byrne Garda Commissioner Dear Sir At certain locations in Galway City there are tarmac surfaced "footpath type" structures that abut the normal footpaths. At this time we are not clear what the legal status of these structures is, it has however been purported to us that they are cycle tracks. At certain locations they have been marked with "cycle lane" stencils and they have been referred to in official literature as "cycleways". Regardless of their actual status it is clear that it is intended that drivers of pedal cycles should infer them to be cycle tracks. As representatives of the adult everyday bicycle users of Galway City it is incumbent on us to investigate the likely consequences for our members of using such structures. The best available Irish report is that by D.F. Moore of An Foras Forbatha in 1975, "The Bicycle, a study of efficiency usage and safety." This study cites previous work that showed that where cycle tracks were used, junction accidents increased by 135%. Since junction accidents account for of the order of 70% of car/bicycle collisions such a figure should give immediate cause for concern. It is also of note that this study must have been available to the designers at the time that the Galway structures were built in the 1980's. There are in fact numerous studies available on the safety record of such structures. According to a report from California cyclists who use such structures are 1.8 times more likely to be hit by a car at each junction they meet (Wachtel 1994). From Germany it is reported that in the 1980's the Berlin Police conducted a study that showed that cyclists who use roads with cycle paths are four times more likely to be in a crash with proportionate increases seen in deaths and injuries (Franklin 1998). From the U.K. a study in Milton Keynes found that cyclists who use cycle paths have twice the accident rate of cyclists on collector roads and five times the rate of cyclists on the distributor roads. In fact in Milton Keynes in the last decade there have been 6 fatalities involving cycle path/footpath cyclists (all adults) versus one roadway fatality (a child) (MKCUG 1998). Similar results are reported from Denmark, Sweden and Austria. The German Federal Highways Institute has conducted a study that showed among other things that cyclists who use cycle tracks are twice as likely to be in collision with goods vehicles as cyclists who use roads (Schnull 1992). Such collisions are responsible for a disproportionate number of cyclist fatalities (UK DETR 1997). A brief review of the specific Galway City structures is attached. As part of our work in promoting road safety the GCC has been pressing for the removal or modification of such structures wherever they are found in our city. The Traffic and Parking Regulations According to Sub Article 14.3 (a) of the current Traffic and Parking Regulations "a pedal cycle must be driven on a cycle track where one is provided." The clear intent of this sub article is the coercion of cyclists into attempting to use these cycle path/ track structures, and thereby driving in a manner, that has been shown to carry increased risk of accident, injury and fatality. This is not a situation that can be seen as being either compatible with the common good or public safety. Under Section 37 of the Road Traffic Act (7 of 1994) you as Garda Commissioner have the power to request the removal of any road signs which might adversely affect the safety of road users. It is clear that under the current traffic and parking regulations the "cycle lane" markings referred to above must fall into this category. As a body charged with protecting the interests of cyclists we are obliged to ensure that the safety of cyclists is held paramount at all times. Accordingly on behalf of the Committee of the Galway Cycling Campaign we ask that you request Galway Corporation to remove all such "cycle lane" markings from any roads within the City. A similar approach has now been adopted in Germany where from the 1st of October last, local authorities have been required by law to remove any signage from cycle tracks that do not conform to strict Federal criteria (ADFC 1997). "Cycling Facilities" The best advice available on the use of so called "cycling facilities" is that any cyclist who encounters them should not feel in any way obliged to make use of them. This is a position that has been endorsed by the European Cyclists Federation and by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ECF 1991, Franklin 1997). Our recommendation to our own members is that they should exercise their own personal judgement in the light of this advice and the light of the known and obvious safety problems associated with cycle tracks, we feel we are vindicated in this by both the Roads Act and by the Constitution. The GCC is a body whose main aim is the promotion of road safety for cyclists and other road users. As part of our work we would like to make available to the public the best advice available on such matters. It is clear that in the context of the current regulations the presence in our city of any structures that might be represented to be cycle tracks would cause us serious problems in this work. The presence of any such cycle tracks in our city would obviously make it very difficult for us to promote safety without simultaneously being seen to advocate the wilful breaking of the traffic and parking regulations. This is especially ironic given that our promotion of safety is founded entirely on advocating the strict observance of the normal traffic regulations by all road users. . Yours sincerely References:
|