Cyclist.ie – The Irish Cycling Advocacy Network outlines what needs to change in relation to getting more commuters using their bikes in a recent article in ‘Dublin Live’

The Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme for 2016-2021, published last September, proposes just €100M for Smarter Travel (which includes cycling) out of a proposed €10billion transport budget. This represents for cycling less than 1% of overall transport expenditure.

Mike McKillen of Cyclist.ie spells it out -

Why are we in this position where we face possible fines from the EU Commission simply because we can’t confront our highly motorised society with car dominance of our roads and streets to the extent that children no longer cycle to school like they did up to the mid-‘80s?

We in Cyclist.ie believe it is due to lack of political and administrative will to tackle car-dominance in the way that other states in the EU have done.

Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany and France are all making significant changes to how their citizens get around. In Copenhagen, approximately 33% of daily commuting trips are made by bike.

Contrast that with just 5.4%* cycle in Dublin city (according to the 2015 Canal Cordon Report) and even lower in our other towns and cities (a mere 1.6% nationally in Census 2011).

Our overarching aim is that 10% of the transport pie is spent on cycling and used to steadily implement the National Cycle Policy Framework. The bicycle needs to be recognised as the low emission vehicle to be prioritised.

Take Action

The new Minister for Transport Shane Ross TD has a chance to rebalance the transport budget in favour of active travel and improve the health of the population at the same time.

The Independent TD for Dublin Rathdown was instrumental in the removal of the M50 toll barriers.

Can he now incentivise and facilitate more of us to switch to active travel?

On behalf of Cyclist.ie, we are asking you to pass on that message to the new minister by emailing him with the following points to -

shane.ross@oireachtas.ie, minister@dttas.ie

Mr. Shane Ross,
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport,
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport,
Leeson Lane,
Dublin 2,
D02TR60

Re: Allocating Cycling a Better Share of Transport Funding

Dear Minister Ross,

The Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme for 2016-2021, published last September, proposes just €100M for Smarter Travel (which includes cycling) out of a proposed €10billion transport budget. This represents for cycling less than 1% of overall transport expenditure.

I am calling on you as the newly appoint Minister of Transport to

Allocate at least 10% of transport funding to cycling, in order deliver everyday cycling for all ages and abilities by -

• Implementing the National Cycle Policy Framework (2009) in full
• Reducing dependency on fossil fuels, especially for the short urban trips
• Achieving at least 10% of all journeys by bike nationally by 2020
• Appointing a National Cycling Officer in the Dept of Transport
• Making 30km/h the default urban speed limit
• Introducing a legally enforced 1.5-metre gap for overtaking cyclists
• Providing for contra-flow cycling on one-way streets
• Retrofitting the top 50 most dangerous junctions in Ireland
• Funding high quality cycle infrastructure
• Upskilling An Garda Síochána to understand cycling and address dangerous driving
• Providing cycle training in all primary and secondary schools

I look forward to seeing action taken on this matter in the immediate future.

Yours sincerely,

[enter name]

Feel free to add any comments of your own.

To promote this campaign on social media we are encouraging the use of the hashtag #allocate4cycling

Share to show that you took action on Twitter -

I’m calling on @Shane_RossTD to Allocate Cycling a Better Share #allocate4cycling http://buff.ly/1rp1Rjn via @dublincycling

or on Facebook copy following link to your post - http://buff.ly/1rp1Rjn

Real change happens when people come together and call for action. Please share this call to action with your friends and family. Together we can reach lots of people and help create change around this important issue.

* 2015 Canal Cordon Report was published on 9 June 2016 after the above Dublin Live interview was conducted.