Dublin Cycling Campaign welcomes City Council’s decision to increase space for walking & cycling

Dublin Cycling Campaign welcomes today’s announcement by Dublin City Council that it will reallocate road space in certain locations across the city to accommodate physical distancing by people travelling on foot and by bike.

There has been growing pressure on the Council to provide more space for pedestrians and cyclists, with narrow footpaths, as well as queues for essential shops, forcing people to step onto the road to maintain the required 2-metre physical distancing measures. People on bikes have also been forced to cycle closer to the centre of the road to maintain physical distancing from pedestrians.

Earlier today Owen Keegan, Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, announced a range of measures that will be undertaken to increase space for pedestrians and cyclists in specific areas, including Ranelagh, Rathmines, Stoneybatter, Dorset Street and Capel Street. There will also be a counter flow cycle lane installed on Nassau Street.

“We’re happy to see these measures introduced and thank the city council for taking this issue seriously,” said Kevin Baker, chairperson Dublin Cycling Campaign. “Motor traffic is greatly reduced at the moment, while demand for space on footpaths and cycle lanes has increased dramatically, so it makes sense to reallocate some road space for use by people who are walking and cycling.”

“Many of the people who are cycling in the city right now are essential workers getting to and from their place of work,” says Louise Williams, vice chairperson of Dublin Cycling Campaign. “These people are quite rightly being hailed as heroes and our authorities should be doing everything they can to keep them safe on their commutes.”

There has been cross-party political support for this issue, with councillors from various parties and different parts of the city making representations to the council executive. Some of those councillors welcomed today’s announcement:

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“Our public health officials are telling us that social distancing measures will remain in place, in some form or other, until there is a vaccine for Coronavirus,” says Mr. Baker. “If this is the case then we will need to increase the space available to pedestrians and cyclists across the city, not just in specific areas. The City Council needs to be proactive on this and not give the virus any opportunity to spread within the community.”

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For further details, please contact:

Kevin Baker, Chairperson | kevinb@dublincycling.com | +353831497474

Louise Williams, Vice-Chairperson | louisew@dublincycling.com | +353876226111

Kieran Ryan, Communications Coordinator | comms@dublincycling.com | +353879359205