Council Brief: Public Opinion on Proposed Sandymount Cycle Track

Cycling on Strand Road

Most of those who wrote in recently to Dublin City Council about a possible trial cycle path along Strand Road in Sandymount want the trial to go ahead, says a council report.

Of the 2,922 submissions to the council about the trial, 56 percent were in favour, 27 percent were against, and 17 percent raised concerns.

The council wants to put in a separated two-way cycle track for six months. It would run from Sean Moore Road to Merrion Gates, marked off with orcas and bollards.

The track would replace a lane of vehicle traffic into the city on the sea side of the road.

The most common concern raised by those who submitted to the council was that it would increase traffic congestion on other roads, says the report, which was given to councillors in the south-east area.

Transport modelling suggests that could be the case on Sandymount Village and Gilford Road, and Merrion Road, according to the report.

It is also now proposed that Beach Road will be made one way for outbound traffic also.

The council report said that traffic into Sandymount Village has reduced by less than 80 percent since Covid 19, but that is expected to come back to normal levels once tight restrictions are lifted.

With that, the council predict that Sandymount Village will experience a 10 percent increase in traffic from pre-Covid -19 levels with the new trial and the rate of traffic could double on the Merrion Road.

The council also predicts that traffic will increase by 36 percent on Serpentine Avenue and Tritonville Avenue.

Dublin City Council plans to make changes — such as pedestrian crossings, or new bus stops — over the next eight to 10 weeks, that are needed for the trial to go ahead. And to press ahead after that, the report says.