National Cycle Campaign

Galway Cycling Campaign proposals for national cyclists representative body Portarlington 8/2/03

"Irish Cyclists' Alliance": whose function is to defend and vindicate the common law right of Irish bicycle users to make safe and lawful use of public roads in a manner consistent with the standard rules of traffic. Membership is open to any group or individuals who agree with the core aims/policies.

Core aims.

1) Traffic Management

To bring about as national policy, the elimination of free flow arrangements from main roads in Irish towns. Including roundabouts, slip roads, left turn only lanes, free left turns, one way street systems and any other features which have as their goal the creation of unbroken streams of motorcars.

2) Roundabouts

Further to 1) a national program of remedial actions to tackle the issue of roundabouts in Irish towns with a view to the elimination of all large high capacity roundabouts, and the modification of any remaining roundabouts so as to reduce entry and exit speeds and reduce "flow". All remaining roundabouts to have signage advising motorists of the legal requirement to yield to circulating cyclists.

3) Speed Limits

3) The adoption of the standard Northern European hierarchy of speed limits with 20mph as the standard urban limit and with lower limits applied on residential streets and at large junctions.

4) Speed limit enforcement

Further to 3) enforcement of urban speed limits to be given absolute priority. Any institutional problems within Gardai to be circumvented by privatising detection services and putting out to tender to commercial entities who will use certified detection equipment. Such services then to made available to local communities who require speed enforcement service in their areas

5) Education:

Further to 4) national program of television advertisements/posters to explain why it is important to tackle urban speeding eg 20% less traffic during school term, motorists who chose to speed make it impossible for others to choose to walk or cycle, motorists who speed are merely lengthening queues at next traffic jam for no increase in journey time etc etc. etc..

6) Education: Rules of the Road

The immediate revision of the text the "Rules of the Road" so as to amalgamate advice on "driving the car" with those sections covering pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. In order to ensure the proper education of cyclists and motorists, RotR is to set out the standard principles of safe cycling as set out in texts such as "Cyclecraft: Skilled Cycling techniques for Adults".

7) Cycle tracks

The scrapping of the current cycle track regulations. The elimination and removal as national policy of roadside footpath-type "cycle facilities". Cycle lanes of substandard width to be removed. The declaration of remaining cycle lanes to be equivalent in law to "hard shoulders". Where cycle lanes are used instead of hard shoulders adjacent traffic lanes to marked with cycle logos to eliminate any idea that cycles are restricted to cycle lane portion of the carriageway.

8) Town Planning

To seek the commitment of Govt. as national policy, to a program of works to eliminate cul-de-sac based housing estate layouts. With a focus on creating a network of backstreet routes, closed to motor traffic but available for use by child cyclists and less confident adult cyclists.

9) Road Narrowings

The elimination of "village gateway schemes" on rural roads, the elimination of deliberately created pinch points of inappropriate lane width on all roads with speed limits in excess of 10mph.

10) Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV's)

Commitment to elimination of HGV's from roads with mixed traffic, ban on HGV movements during school travel hours 8:30 - 9:30am and 3:00-5:00pm. Commitment to bypassing of town and villages to eliminate through traffic. Seek an national policy of tackling unnecessary commercial vehicle movements such as by confronting and penalising "just in time" manufacturing/inventory management systems.

11) Funding

All the above to be funded by scrapping national motorway program in favour of national program designed to remedy damage caused by 20 years of inappropriate and self -defeating traffic management and town planning policies. Motorway program is a waste of money unless these issues are tackled first anyway. Motorway program is a waste of money.

The Galway Cycling Campaign can be contacted c/o the One World Centre, The Halls, Quay St, Galway