Doughiska road upgrade plans disregards cycling objectives, say residents

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Written by Marie Madden

Wednesday, 22 August 2007

Angry Doughiska residents have hit out at the proposed new design for the Doughiska Road upgrade, saying that it completely disregards specific objectives on cycling set out in the City Development Plan.

The provisions on safe cycling have been one of the main issues for the Residents Association and the Galway Cycling Campaign have also voiced their concerns about the project.

“There is supposed to be a provision of marked hard shoulders of minimum width of two metres where feasible, subject to Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DOEHLG) and NRA guidelines throughout the road network and the provision of same in relation to new road proposals such as the Doughiska Road,” explained Fearghal Wall, Chairperson of the Doughiska Residents Association.

“The plans displayed in City Hall showed no hard shoulders or cycleway. The definition of cycleway is very clearly set out in the 1993 Roads Act: a public road or proposed public road reserved for the exclusive use of pedal cyclists or pedal cyclists and pedestrians. The maps on display show no other roads or carriageways along the corridor in question. The proposed design contains features that blatantly conflict with best practice and with the requirements of public safety, particularly that of cyclists, pedestrians and public transport users. What the plans showed is a series of discontinuous cycle path/cycle track type structures running along either side of the existing roadway,” he continued.

The Doughiska Residents Association have previously endorsed the Galway Cycling Campaign’s submissions on the current City Development Plan, which has drawn attention to the serious negative safety implications of such a design, considering that junction collisions account for 75 per cent of car/bicycle collisions.

“The Galway Cycling campaign, which has conducted a site survey, has identified 61 problematic features between the Briar Hill Business Park and the crossroads at the eastern section on the map. On the north side, nine junctions and 14 car park entrances/driveways and on the south side nine junctions and 29 car park entrances/driveways. One of our particular concerns for road safety is the fact that in several locations, driveway and car park entrances are rendered blind junctions by high walls and/or hedges. Exiting motorists simply cannot see cyclists travelling at 20mph on the other side of the wall and vice versa. Based on the information to hand, the design flaws in the proposed scheme are so fundamental that they can only serve to raise serious reservations,” concluded Mr Wall.

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