The FitzWilliam Cycle Route is a proposed cycle route from Leeson Street Bridge to Holles Street Hospital along FitzWilliam Street and Merrion Square. It will provide a safe cycle route with a line of parked cars between the cycle lane and the traffic lanes. This keeps cyclists away from fast traffic. This will enable people of all ages and abilities to safely cycle in this part of the city.

This cycle route will join with other key cycle routes planned in the area. It will enable more people to safely cycle to work, to the shops, or to school or college in the Georgian Core of the city.

Businesses and organisations who are located on or near the route who support the FitzWilliam Cycle Route need to write a submission to Dublin City Council or the route may not be built. A submission is simply a letter from an organisation to the council about this project. The deadline for submissions is Friday 12th October.

Convincing your organisation to write a submission

If you want your convince your organisation to support the FitzWilliam Cycle Route you need to build consensus first. Gather other cyclists and interested parties in your organisation then start to approach managers.

You need to get the approval of a manager in your organisation who can sign the submission on behalf of the organisation. Depending on how big your organisation is you might have more success by convincing your direct manager and working your way up the organisation until you can convince a decision maker. Remember submission deadline is Friday October 12th so there is some urgency to this.

If you need materials to help convince members of your organisation check out some of the materials attached to the end of this article. There is a report given to local councillors about the project, which gives a good high-level overview of project. There is also a response from council officials on questions raised during initial public meetings. If you need more help feel free to reach out to Dublin Cycling Campaign.

How to write a letter on behalf of an organisation

Writing a letter to the council on this scheme does not a complicated process. You will probably find it easier to ghost write the submission for you manager and get them to approve it.

Your letter should include the following:

• The logo/letterhead of your organisation
• A brief description of your organisation:
  • What kind of organisation are you?
  • Where is this organisation based?
  • How many people work for this organisation?
• Why the FitzWilliam Cycle Route will benefit your organisation:
  • Will it provide a safe route for staff to get to work?
  • Will it bring more passing trade to your business?
• Feel free to copy some of the concerns raised by Dublin Cycling Campaign in our submission
• Get your organisations manager to sign off the submission

There is an example submission from a fake organisation that you might like to use as inspiration for your organisation’s submission.

Last step. You need to email the submission to fitzwilliamimprovements@dublincity.ie before midnight Friday 12th October.