The South Dublin branch of the Dublin Cycling Campaign has made a submission to South Dublin County Council on the planned development of the Dodder Greenway along Lower Dodder Road.

The deadline for submission is the 26 April 2021 and we would encourage anyone who uses this stretch of the Dodder for leisure activities to make a submission.

We warmly welcomes the proposed upgrade to the Dodder Greenway along Lower Dodder Road. There has been a huge increase in people using this stretch of the Dodder for walking, running, cycling, dog walking and bird-watching since lockdown, and this upgrade will help to ensure that this can continue in an enhanced environment post-lockdown.

We welcome in particular the following:

• The proposed 5m path width will help deal with congestion on this very busy walking and cycling route.
• The amendment to one-way vehicular traffic along with traffic-calming is welcomed and will restore some tranquility to an area frequented by nature-lovers.

However, we feel there are a few areas where the design could be improved.

Segregating Pedestrians and Cyclists

We question the wisdom of deciding not to segregate bicycle and pedestrian traffic on this path. As well as being a leisure facility, this is a commuting cycling route for those travelling to the city centre, and for students travelling to UCD. Shared paths do not serve either pedestrians or cyclists well and invariably lead to conflict and the potential for collisions.

Another concern is that the shared path will be used for short-term parking for drop offs and deliveries along the whole route. So it should be protected with a narrow, low height vegetated verge along its length where possible.

Drop-off Parking

The eastern end, near the footbridge to Orwell Park, is used by parents as a drop-off point for students attending the High School in Rathgar. While we hope that the enhanced walking and cycling facilities will encourage more students to walk or cycle, we recognise that a significant number of parents will continue to drive their children to school. Therefore we suggest that the walking/cycling path is moved closer to the river, and a small number of parking spaces provided, at this end.

Bicycle Parking and Benches

Cycle parking facilities (catering for cargo bikes, trikes, hand cycles and other adaptive cycles) at the western end of the road would cater to the needs of bird-watchers who frequent this exact spot. These visitors typically arrive by car (in order to transport camera equipment), so it makes sense to make the location convenient for their needs should they decide to cycle instead. We also think tThis would be a good opportunity for some public realm improvements, such as benches, along this section of the Dodder Greenway.