A motion put forward by Cllr Roderic O’Gorman at a recent Fingal County Council meeting calling on the council to support a cycling officer position has been voted in favour by the council unanimously. The motion was submitted by Cllr O’Gorman in light of the recommendations from the Strategic Policy Committee group on Transport. Dublin Cycling Campaign has representatives involved with Fingal County Council SPC on transport . One of the points raised by Cllr O’Gorman was that the role will be senior within the management structures within the council. As per Policy No 17.3 of the National Cycle Policy Framework, each Local Authority is required to establish a Cycle Forum:

Local Authority Cycling Officers We will require each Local Authority to assign an officer at an appropriate senior level as a “Cycling Officer”. He or she will establish a Cycle Forum and be responsible for overseeing the formulation and delivery of the local cycling policy. This policy must be embedded within wider transportation policies and in the statutory plans. He or she will also be responsible for the upskilling of staff within the local authority so as to ensure that the competencies exist to fully implement the policies. http://www.smartertravel.ie/content/national-cycle-policy

Back in October 2016 Fingal County Council voted against safe cycling and walking provision in their development plan and was widely criticized at the time. https://www.thejournal.ie/cycling-schools-3020766-Oct2016/

The motion being voted on can be seen on the Fingal County Council website https://fingalcoco.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/415570/st…

A twitter post from Cllr O’Gorman https://twitter.com/rodericogorman/status/1115335237494611968?s=19

Another interesting motion put forward by Cllr O’Gorman

Motion : Councillor R. O’Gorman - Phoenix Park Cycle Lane Scheme “This Committee calls on Fingal County Council to add the Blanchardstown Village to Phoenix Park Cycle Lane Scheme and the Blanchardstown Town Centre to Whyte’s Gate (via Carpenterstown) Cycle Lane Scheme to the 2020 Capital Programme”. Response : following discussions on a Blanchardstown to Phoenix Park cycleway with the NTA, in the context of the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan, a decision has been made to prioritise the Royal Canal cycle scheme. Funding has been allocated to a Clonsilla-Damastown Cycle Feasibility Study. FCC notes that cycle lanes on the N3 are also part of the BusConnects scheme. Cllr. O’Gorman’s requested schemes are therefore not proposed for inclusion in the Capital programme in the short term.