Dublin Cycling Campaign welcomes some aspects of the latest proposals for CBC10 Tallaght to Terenure but we have serious concerns about many of the junction designs.

The key points of our submission are outlined below. We encourage cyclists to make their own submission. The deadline is 16 December and details of how to make a submission are available here.

With respect to the latest changes we welcome the following:

• The continuous junction design on the inbound bi-directional cycle-lane of the R137 cycle tracks.

However, we still have some serious reservations about these junction designs.

• At the Spawell junction, cyclists cannot turn right anywhere, and only inbound cyclists can even continue straight. Asking cyclists to cycle on the footpath and cross at the pedestrian crossing is unsafe and unreasonably inconvenient.
• We are still concerned that this design will result in unreasonable wait times for people cycling. At present, pedestrians and cyclists are expected to wait 30+ seconds for each crossing, and we fear that the new design will exacerbate this problem. One solution to this issue would be to retain the roundabout, but install grade segregation for people cycling and walking. With such high traffic volumes and speeds, and a large amount of space, this is a worthwhile proposal.
• There are major safety issues at the Old Bridge Road junction. It is good to see corner kerbs being proposed, but these are much too small to ensure that cyclists have a safe space to wait. In particular, cyclists turning right onto Cypress Grove Road don’t seem to have anywhere to wait at all. It is clear that Old Bridge Road and Cypress Grove Road are not wide enough for the number of lanes proposed. Reducing both to a single lane in each direction would make space for a much safer junction design.
• Both the Spawell and Old Bridge junctions are important connections for the population of the Firhouse—Bohernabreena LEA (which includes Knocklyon and Ballycullen). This is a population of 34,202 that effectively would have poor connection to the new improved cycling infrastructure on CBC 10 on which they rely on as a primary route into the city centre and connecting villages.
• At the Springfield Avenue junction we are disappointed to note that the Dutch design principle from Templeogue Road to Springfield Avenue has now been removed. We would like to propose that the true Dutch (or cyclops) design be reinstated for all intersections as the necessary space is available.

• As previously stated we recognise that the bus gate on Templeogue Road will significantly improve the safety and comfort of cyclists by reducing traffic volumes and speeds through this pinch point. We reiterate that due to the absence of a cycle path on this stretch of road, it is important that this bus gate is retained and not time-plated.

• It is disappointing to note that our concerns about the minor junction treatment. At some of these junctions, cyclists on the main road are expected to yield to traffic on the minor road. At others, the cycle path becomes a footpath/shared space before and after the junction for no obvious reason. It is important that these minor junctions are standardised, with clearly marked priority for people cycling and walking. The best way to achieve this is with a continuous footpath made from the same material as the rest of the footpath. Where possible, the cycle path should be set back from the road in order to make cyclists more visible.

We reiterate our disappointment that the SDCC Templeogue Village Initiative is now progressing. The far superior Village proposal shared at the community forum in September 2019 has never been brought for true public consultation.