Letter to Dublin City Council re Griffith Avenue Cycleway - Friday April 30th 2021

Following the All Hallows Area Association AGM on Monday April 26th 2021, having heard the views of a number of local residents and members of AHAA on the Griffith Avenue Cycleway, and having discussed the matter at a further meeting of the AHAA Committee in the time since the AGM the following letter has been submitted to Dublin City Council on Friday April 30th 2021. It is copied below in full.


Dear Chief Executive and Councillors, Please see the attached letter from the All Hallows Area Association, on behalf of our members about the Griffith Avenue Cycleway.


Mr Owen P Keegan
Chief Executive
Dublin City Council 30 April 2021

By Email

Re: Segregated Cycleway on Griffith Avenue.

I write on behalf of the All Hallows Area Association, which comprises some 800 members, including many living on Griffith Avenue (from Drumcondra Road to the Malahide Road) and on twelve roads which lead directly on to Griffith Avenue.  

The All Hallows Area Association (AHAA) held its Annual General Meeting on Monday 26th April 2021. The proposed cycleway along Griffith Avenue was raised by attendees and subject to lengthy discussion at the AGM.  

There is a significant number and variety of concerns amongst AHAA members, including in particular those living on Griffith Avenue, about the proposed cycleway, a summary of which is set out in Appendix 1 to this letter. None in attendance at the AGM expressed opposition to the cycleway proposal in principle. However, it is clear that the key issue is the lack of proper and detailed consultation with residents on the proposal and their concerns, which is not acceptable and needs to be rectified urgently.

One resident proposed the motion set out in the Appendix 2 to this letter at the AGM. The motion was debated, put to a vote and was passed. We note that the same motion has already been shared with various elected representatives by the proposer, acting in his individual capacity, rather than on behalf of AHAA or any other residents association referred to in the motion.

The newly elected Committee of the AHAA was asked to take away and consider all of what was discussed on the cycleway issue, including the motion itself.

The AHAA considers that the best and most effective way to address the key issue identified above is for Dublin City Council to schedule a public meeting open to all interested parties to:

a.     Present in detail on the cycleway proposal and its current implementation status;
b.     To facilitate a discussion and take questions and observations from local residents on the proposal; and
c.     To agree a means by which those questions and observations can be addressed and properly taken into account in the cycleway plan.

I would be grateful for a prompt response to this letter and confirmation that Dublin City Council will schedule such a public meeting urgently.

A number of elected representatives attended the AGM. The AHAA Committee has shared a copy of this letter with them, asking that they support the AHAA request above. A copy of this letter will be made available to AHAA members also.

 Yours sincerely

Catherine Hazlett,
Chairperson
All Hallows Area Association  




Appendix 1

Summary of Residents’ Specific Concerns

 

·       Loss of on street parking and consequences of that;
·       Traffic impact;
·       Recurring problems of leaf fall and blocked drains which may make the cycleway dangerous and/or inaccessible;
·       Safety for everyone;
·       Design of cycleway bollards and their adverse impact on aesthetics of Griffith Avenue;
·       Integration, if any, of Bus Connects, speed limit reduction and cycleway planning.




Appendix 2 

To: All Hallows Area Association

Motion re Griffith Avenue Cycleway for AGM on 26th April 2021.

 

[As proposed by and subsequently shared with elected representatives by Mr. Donal O’Brollachain.]

 

AHAA call on Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority  to

1.     suspend all action on each of the three current proposals (ie. cycle tracks, 30 km/h speed limit, Bus Connects) for Griffith Avenue pending

                            i.   an area wide traffic calming study be commissioned and completed;

                            ii.   a fully costed programme for implementation is drawn up;

                          iii.   funds are budgeted for this project during 2022.

2.     draw up an area-wide traffic calming programme for our areas, along the lines set out in 1993 in the Environmental Development Strategy.

You can view "Environmentally Adapted Through Road” from ONeill Environmental Development Strategy 1993.pdf" at: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:2f017e40-3eec-46ed-8759-48568044fbf7

AHAA, GADRA and five other residents’ associations (including Courtlands with a sole exit onto Griffith Avenue, Grace Park Community Association much of which has a sole exit onto Grace Park Road) funded and managed the study from which this is extracted.

3.     agree the terms of reference for this work with AHAA and other residents’ associations before it starts

4.     set up a committee representing AHAA and other residents’ associations nearby) to monitor the study and programme, given that DCC’s data collection leaves something to be desired.

Reason:  To take an integrated approach to this unique street-scape as we near the 100th anniversary of the street being laid out. It was named to honour Arthur Griffith (President of Dáil Éireann after the Dáil ratified the  Anglo-Irish Treaty). Griffith held the office from 10 January 1922 until he died (of natural causes) on 12 August 1922, about 10 days before Michael Collins died during the Civil War.

Background

The three proposals (30km/h speed limit, the cycle track, Bus Connects - some details below)  are being carried forward independently of one another, as I have failed to find any mention of the other projects in any of the documentation I have looked at so far.

This silo-based functionally oriented approach will not enhance our areas, based as it is on whimsical, ad-hoc and arbitrary notions being put into effect. Past experiences are that Dublin City Council prefers to do things by stealth eg

1.     the DCC/AECOM Walsh/Ferguson Road traffic calming was meant to cover parts of Griffith Avenue and Grace Park Road;

2.     Dublin City Council attempted to change the junction of Griffith Avenue and Grace Park Road as part of the planning permission granted to the Hampton development. An Bord Pleanála refused this stratagem, pointing out that it had nothing to do with the then proposed development at Hampton.