Objects designed to slow down bicycles could be installed along the Clontarf cycle path and walkway to deal with speeding cyclists, a Dublin City Council safety audit suggests.
The audit, carried out for the council by DBFL Consulting Engineers, raised concerns about the speed that cyclists travel along the route as well as the speed at which they approach areas shared between cyclists and pedestrians.
It also highlighted other issues including pedestrians walking onto the cycle track, “causing cyclists to swerve to avoid them” and the problem of service vehicles and others parking in the cycle track.
The audit recommended installing signs to advise cyclists to give priority to pedestrians in shared areas of the route. It said if these did not work then “physical speed reducing measures” could be used.
“Cyclists travelling at high speeds on approach to/through the shared areas may fail to observe the shared area and as a result fail to give priority to pedestrians. The severity of any collisions/conflicts with pedestrians will increase with higher speeds,” the audit said.
“Whilst cyclists travelling at high speeds along the route increases the severity and the likelihood for conflicts with other cyclists (ie during over taking manoeuvres etc).”
It continued: “supplementary signage should be provided on approach to the shared areas to warn cyclists of the upcoming shared area, to reduce their speed and the necessity to give priority to pedestrians.
“Following the implementation of the additional signage, monitor the situation and should cyclists fail to reduce their speeds to an acceptable level, it is recommended that other physical speed reducing measures be provided.”
