Thread by @NiallQuinnLK73

I'm not sure is this the same petition on behalf of "the silent majority" seeking to remove the #cyclelane on Shannon bridge that struggled to 100 signatures. This has about 370 now. Following a complaint that the lanes are causing congestion in the afternoons I took a look 1/9

https://twitter.com/poneill2018/status/1303944665239113728

at times mentioned. I'm either very lucky or the complaint is overstated. Here's the return leg. Happy to have another go (as timetable allows) at other times on weekdays if complainants want to suggest. Have to see a guy out that way -about a bike as it happens. 2/9

@LimerickCouncil this is one of the few truly progressive pieces of infrastructure ye've installed in the city. Ye could fix the connection to the roundabout with paint and a few bollards to make a basic Dutch Roundabout which would be safer for all users. 3/ 9

It is pleasing to read, in the comments on this petition, repeated demands for construction of an alternative crossing of whatever sort for cyclists -new bridge, retrofit boardwalk, whatever. It's as much a pity they weren't making such calls before the lane was allocated 4/9

to cycling as it is a certainty such calls would evaporate if the lane was reallocated to motorists (-a good % of whom were using it to make dodgy 370 degree turns onto Dock Road) just as we've seen with motoring lobbyists in the Ballinacurra Road/SCR area whose concerns 5/9

about their anecdotal grannies inability to cross Ballinacurra Road (which still has Zero of the 6 or 7 pedestrian priority crossings it should have) due to cruel @LimerickCouncil covid mobility measures. Those concerns were evidently assuaged as soon as they got back 6/9

their rat-run down the SCR. Anyway, as to the bridge -the lane stays. It's not perfect but it'll do for now. Though I'm sure there's no shortage of right-wing and populist politicians burning the ear off people in city hall to get it reallocated back to motorists. 7/9

That footage was Friday btw (datestamped anyway). I've similar from Thursday in the oven. Here's a panorama taken on the bridge on Wednesday. The sky even stayed up! I'll be making more such videos and posting them of course. 8/9

Data should trump bluster, sensationalism and presumed entitlement. 9/9 @Limerick_Leader @limerickpost @CyclingBusLmk @LimerickCouncil @LKCommuters @Live95fmNews @rtenews

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Starting to feel a bit like Ahab looking for his whale, I modified my times a bit today to see if there was anything to claims made on social media it isn't just in morning rush hour that #Limerick Shannon Bridge #Cycle lane is causing* congestion. Condell Rd from Westfields. +1/

and heading back to the northside. The guy on the bike in front of me maybe had a better idea for getting onto the lane. Stayed on roundabout then pulled hairpin turn into it?. Anyway -still no congestion to see. (*by the by cars cause congestion -not cyclists or cycle lanes) +2/

Coming right up -two more boring videos from a world big enough for coke and pepsi. Didn't start the cam til Westfields again as all that passed me from Clonmacken 🔄 was 10 cars, 3 vans and 10-wheeler full of scrap metal. Oh and a close shave with a Coach. Some whoosh! +3/

Heading back to the northside. I've encountered more traffic on dodgems. Tried the 'stay on and hairpin turn' method to get onto the lane this evening. Difficult to handsignal your intent just and lane would want to be clear. Its inelligant and needs tidying that way. +4/

Cycled in morning rush hour this morning. Will post vid tomorrow. It takes a motor vehicle under 17 mins to get from Clonmacken to Dock Rd before 9am. So if Shannon Bridge cyclelane was reallocated to motorists it would, by their own (bollocks?)logic, save them maybe 8 mins.

So yesterday morning Wed 16th I cycled Condell Rd from Clonmacken to check out the tailbacks being attributed/blamed upon a few hundred meters of #cycle lane on Shannon Bridge, #Limerick and encountered -surprise, surprise -morning rush hour traffic. Cycling along videoing 6+/

vehicles seemed kind of pointless so at the end of the queue I chose a ‘mark’ -a white van (I know there’s loads) –the one with the trailer and am keeping pace with this vehicle to the other side of the Shannon Bridge. I don’t stalk it –I just keep it in sight and catch . 7+/

up periodically. I started video just after Clonmacken roundabout. (Have to go 5x to get it into 2min vid for twitter). At a point after Barringtons Pier lights we encounter beginning of tailback and the white van w/trailer (WVWT hereafter). Shown roughly here on map. 8+/

Vid Pt 1 of 2 here. The WVWT passes me at 08:46:22 and I catch up with it at 08:48.02. It took me 3.5mins to cycle from Clonmacken to this point which means it likely took him under a minute and he's been probably idling/shuffling 20-30 secs. 9+/

With apolgies for the shakey video -it is again running at 5x normal speed which accentuates the 'handlebar wobble' factor. But you can see the traffics progress. You may or may not notice that at times either side of the Fernbank lights -I'm struggling to keep up. 10+/

You'll then see that at 09:03:55 the WVWT clears the zebra crossing on the town side of Shannon Bridge having spent no more than 14.5 minutes in a congested traffic scenario and like all the commercial vehicles in that mini-convoy is away off out the Dock rd. Thoughts later. 11+/

I could round it up to 16.5mins if I counted all the way to the other side of the bridge but WVWT isn't in congested traffic after fernbank lights. But that cuts both ways. WVWT isn't in congested traffic for nearly as long before them either. 12+/

Whichever way you cut it you can't just claim the cycle lane is your bane without acknowledging the sheer volume of traffic that's headed for the dock road (motorists using the 'old car lane' for this had no business doing so) rather than town itself -as well 13+/

as the role of the fernbank lights. I'd propose solutions like a fernbank roundabout but you know what? I actually can't be arsed. This is a motorist problem caused entirely by motorists and is for motorists to work out solutions to. 14+/

I'm just done appealing to and trying to reason with people who's answer is always No, not here and not there either because -Cars. So anyone claiming this #cycle lane is doubling their journey time all I can advise you do is reset your alarm clock for 8 whopping 16+/

minutes earlier and maybe go have a puss to some of the right wing and populist cllrs who'll gladly take your complaint to @LimerickCouncil CEO, and local media @LimerickToday @Limerick_Leader @limerickpost each of whom have taken a disappointing partisan line on this issue. 17+/

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