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Dublin cyclists protest 6-year closure of off-road cycle route during metro works

Popular commuting and leisure route The Royal Canal Greenway will be shut due to MetroLink works

Cycling campaigners in Dublin are protesting against a planned six-year closure of a popular off-road commuting and leisure cycling route while a metro line is built – and insist that it will be possible to provide a safe, traffic-free alternative while the works take place.

Under current proposals from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority, the Royal Canal Greenway would be closed between Broombridge railway station in Glasnevin and Cross Guns Bridge in Phibsborough, reports Dublin People.

The stretch in question of the Royal Canal Greenway, which forms part of a 144-kilometre national trail, is around 2 kilometres long and is seen by campaigners as a essential traffic-free artery for people commuting on two wheels into the city centre, as well as for leisure riders.

 “The Royal Canal Greenway is one of the few safe and traffic free cycle routes in the city,” said Paul Corcoran, chair of the Dublin Cycling Campaign.

“It is a vital corridor for commuter cyclists in the north and west of the city, as well as a family-friendly amenity.

“Options exist that would maintain the walking and cycle route during construction,” he added.

As things stand, no alternative routes have been provided for pedestrians or cyclists, but campaigners insist that a temporary bridge across the canal would enable people to continue their journeys on the southern towpath while works are undertaken on the other side.

Colm Ryder, chair of national campaign group Cyclist,ie warned that “there is a real risk” that the MetroLink works could lead to a repeat of the Irish capital’s last major infrastructure project, the Luas Cross City tram system.

“Luas Cross City made cycling more dangerous in the city centre, despite numerous promises from transport authorities that it would improve cycle infrastructure.”

Dublin Cycling Campaign, which last week called for better cycling infrastructure as it held a protest involving 100 cyclists outside the building housing the Dáil, the lower house of the Irish parliament, put forward its plans for alternative routes in its response to a consultation that closes this week on the TramLink project.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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hagenorden | 4 years ago
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The Dublin part of the Royal Canal is a great aminity. But the stretch from Lexlip to Cloondara (about 130 km) is an absolutely beautiful cycle route. One of Irelands hidden gems. Would be a great ride from Reading!

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ktache | 4 years ago
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I was intruiged that the republican Irish would still be calling the canal the royal canal, nothing on wikipedia on this, but I did discover that it marks the last section of the EuroVelo 2 route that links Moscow with Dublin, and in fact passes through Reading, and I had been using a small stretch of it for my commute for many years.

You would hope that they might think about cyclists when undertaking major infrastructure works...

Yeah, I know, they didn't even consider cyclists in Reading whilst building the new cycle/pedestrian bridge over the Thames.  Or walkers, who let's face it have to put in far more effort and time.

 

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