Author: Dublin City Council

A holistic approach to cycling on Dublin City Quays

The South Campshires Flood Protection and Cycleway Project pulled many competing demands together to deliver a high quality scheme with cycling at its core. Ticking multiple boxes in the Velo-city 2019 conference themes, the project was primarily environmental and infrastructural in nature, but also incorporated the health and social theme. The schemes purpose was multifaceted including a new 700m raised two-way cycle track; flood defence works to protect a thriving economic and residential area; improved public spaces and increased safety for all transport and pedestrian users through road and junction upgrades. Over 100 protected structures representing the cultural heritage of the area, some existing buildings and a significant number of utilities had to be incorporated into the final design to keep stakeholders on board. 

 
This approach delivered on all of the criteria of the Environment and Infrastructure Theme;
 

Tackling Environmental Change - The coupling of the scheme to combat rising flood levels and improved cycling infrastructure to promote more sustainable transport.
 

Evolution of cycling infrastructure - The cycle lane is raised and separated from vehicular traffic to improve the safety and experience for cyclists. It is built on the old carriageway reducing road width, better controlling the speed of vehicles. This raising and separation from other vehicles provides better views for the cyclist in a safer environment.

Strategic Planning for Infrastructure - The cycling infrastructure provided allows safe and seamless integration with offshoot cycling lanes and transport hubs, connecting it to the city. This is accomplished through the provision of smart traffic signals integrated into the vehicular and pedestrian junctions. Its location is critical joining up north and south side city routes along one of the most strategic portions of Dublin City, its quays.

Enabling Safe Access for All - The tidal flood defence protection ensures that the cycle lane and pedestrian routes will remain open and available to all even during extreme weather events. In many locations the new flood wall provides a separation between cyclists and pedestrians as well further improving safety standards. These flood gates can be closed well in advance of a very high tide warning which emanates from state of the art software designed for this purpose. Improved public lighting is an integral part of the scheme.

Beyond this the following element of the Health and Social theme was achieved;
Heath Promotion and Prevention - The project provides a new safe and aesthetically pleasing experience for cyclists, encouraging modal shift. Moreover, two new Dublin Bike stands were built to support this goal. Beyond this the scheme is very high visibility to the city’s vehicle drivers championing a possible move by them to a more relaxing and healthier form of transport. This section of the city quays has appeared in many recent television programmes nationally and  throughout Europe highlighting this cycleway and Ireland as a tourist destination.

In conclusion this new scheme offers cyclists and prospective cyclists a new unique, improved and safer journey experience in many different aspects, close to the heart of Dublin with fantastic views in an ever changing quarter of the Docklands area of the City.