Expanded Dublin Bike Scheme Approved by City Councillors, Tripling its Current Size
In a significant move to enhance cycling in Dublin, a new 2-kilometre cycletrack is set to be built at Clontarf, with an estimated cost of €600,000. This development, approved by the Dublin City Councillors, will provide a continuous 8-kilometre cycleway from Sutton to Fairview, contributing to the broader vision of improving cycling infrastructure around Dublin Bay's coastline.
The addition of the Clontarf cycletrack is part of a larger plan for the Dublin Bay Cycleway, an ambitious project aimed at creating a continuous coastal cycling route from Howth in the north to Dún Laoghaire in the south. This proposed route will improve cycling conditions along Dublin Bay's coastline.
Meanwhile, the Dublin Bikes Scheme, which has been gradually expanding over the years, is also set for expansion. The next phase will see the extension of the scheme East to West at the Docklands and Heuston, areas identified as having the heaviest demand, according to Jim Keoghan, Assistant City Manager.
However, detailed expansion plans for the Dublin Bay cycleway and the Dublin Bikes Scheme, including proposed routes and the number of bikes planned for the northside and southside of Dublin, were not found in the current search results. For precise and up-to-date details, it is recommended to consult official announcements from Dublin City Council or Transport Infrastructure Ireland, or recent Dublin Bikes press releases.
In the near future, another section of the Dublin Bay cycleway is set to be constructed, crossing Samuel Beckett to Ringsend. The Dublin City Councillors have also voted to expand the Dublin Bikes scheme, with plans for future expansion involving the addition of approximately 10,000 bikes, extending the scheme to Whitehall on the northside and Clonskeagh on the southside.
The expansion will also include 1,500 additional bikes for the Dublin Bikes scheme, but the council may need sponsorship to make up a €500,000 shortfall in the cost of running the scheme. It is worth noting that at present, two-thirds of the bikes in the Dublin Bikes scheme are stationed on the southside.
There have been complaints about a perceived bias against the northside in the Dublin Bikes scheme. Cllr Gerry Breen, in particular, has raised this issue, with the eventual plan being to have a 22-kilometre cycle track along the coast from Sutton to Sandycove, providing a more balanced and comprehensive cycling network for the city.
The expansion of the Dublin Bikes scheme will extend across the Docklands and Heuston, a finance-heavy area, as part of a larger plan to address the demand for better bicycle infrastructure. The proposed development of the cycleway in Samuel Beckett to Ringsend will contribute not only to the transportation sector but also to the growing finance industry within the area.
