Thread by @galwaycyclist

Thread concerning some of the conduct of @GalwayCityCo in relation to active travel during the pandemic. Much will already have been made of the prominent failure of the city council executive to do much positive of note for adults on bicycles let alone children.

@Martina13499055 @CloHiggins @EddieHoareFG @paulinegalway @AlanCheeversFF @niallgalway @niall_mcnelis @PeterKeaneGAL @EamonRyan @catherinegalway @davidhealyv @ciarancannon @Cathmartingreen @ccferrie @cyclistie

As locals will be aware, Galway has ended up with a concentration of secondary schools on the west side of the River Corrib. Historically some of those schools had high cycling levels.

These cycling participation figures are from 1978.

Colaiste Iognaid (The Jes) 33%
St Josephs (The Bish) 24%
St Endas 22%
St Mary's 22%
Salerno 21%
Taylors Hill 14%

Galway remains one of the few places in Ireland where more secondary schoolgirls cycle than drive themselves in cars.

Due to one-way restrictions, as locals will know, the natural, safest route through the city centre for teenage cyclists is the Shop St/Mainguard St corridor.

The only obvious alternatives are 1) to cycle through the Docks using a hostile and dangerous multilane one-way system complete with nasty "handle bar height" guardrails at the edge of the road - a "wall of potential death" or 2) use the Salmon Weir bridge-a different challenge

This was pointed out to the city council and others by @GalwayCycling in 1999 when the Shop St corridor was pedestrianised in a way that was against established best practice both then and now.

The 2009 National Cycle Policy Framework acknowledges an argument for exemptions for cyclists with regards to pedestrian zones.

The 2011 Jacobs report on public bikeshare schemes also argued for providing cycling access through the pedestrian zone.

Assuming no parent would let their child use the Docks, these Google maps screenshots show the nature of the diversions needed to get to the Jesuit Secondary starting from William St

Via Shop street corridor 932m
Via Salmon Weir and Nuns Island 1440km

These Google maps screenshots show the nature of the diversions needed to get to the Bish Secondary in Nuns Island from William St.

Via Shop St 500m
Via Salmon Weir Bridge 833m

Up until July 2020 Shop St was still officially open as a cross city cycling route during delivery hours - which extended up until 10-10:30am

In June/July the City Council changed the delivery hours to end at 9am - it had been flagged to the City Council in advance via the Transport committee that this could have adverse implications for school travel.

But the City Council went one better - in July in actions that were presented with the Covid response, the City Council also imposed a complete ban on cycling through this corridor regardless of the time of day or delivery hours. This was done without any notice.

These are the signs that appeared they have the legal effect of creating permanent ban (24/7) on using these streets by bicycle - even for deliveries.

Even when the same streets are open to motorised traffic.

The Traffic Signs Manual States "It is strongly recommended that this sign should only be used where a separate cycle route has been specifically provided."

At the same that a permanent North-South ban was implemented - the City Council also erected signs creating a ban on people on bicycles going via Cross street to circulate the city centre in a South to North direction - other than during delivery hours.

Q: Was any of this "necessary" or imposed by legal requirements?
A: No. The Traffic Signs Manual provides a range of solutions that allow roads to be selectively closed to certain types of traffic but remain open for people on bikes or local access, public transport, taxis etc

So during the 2020 pandemic response, Galway City Council's only substantive act in relation to cycling was to permanently close an obvious and established safe route to school without providing any alternative routes - and to restrict an established route around the city core.

Finally the Galway City Council Mobility Team Progress Report Week Ending 24.07.2020 advises -

"Return To Education
The HSE COVID-19 [...] recommendations advise that walking/cycling to school should be encouraged as much as possible"

galwaycity.ie/uploads/downlo…

At this point I will stop.