COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (2)

Monday, March 28, 2011

MOTION NO.6

MOTION: Councillor P. Kearns

That this Committee calls on the Manager to revisit the blanket ban on cycling in Tymon Park. Several parents have approached me asking for the provision of a designated area for parents to bring their children to cycle.

REPORT:

Cycling has been prohibited in public parks and open spaces (save with the permission of the Council) through the Parks Bye Laws for many years and the relevant section of the Bye Laws are reproduced below:

3. Traffic:-

 

3.1 No person shall bring into a park, save with the permission of the Council and in such areas as may be designated, any bicycle, skateboard, roller-skates, roller-blades or other vehicle except a wheelchair, child’s buggy or pram.

 

3.2 Where vehicles are permitted access to a park, no person shall leave any vehicle, bicycle or tricycle unattended in a park except in such places as may be set aside as standing or parking places.

It is, therefore, open to the Council to designate and permit cycling on the existing path system in Tymon Park – in effect providing a shared cycling and walking path system.  However, the Bye Law section in relation to cycling was included in response to issues raised by older people and families in particular who felt intimidated by cyclists in the park.   There have been some recent complaints about cycling in the park and we would have to acknowledge that not all cycle users behave in a manner that would be appropriate where there are both older citizens and young children present and who would consider themselves vulnerable to accidental contact with cyclists. It is generally recognised that best practice in this area is to provide dedicated cycle routes separate from pedestrian walking routes but there is an obvious extra cost in doing so.

In 2007 the Council prepared a document, Green Routes in South Dublin - A proposal for connected walking and cycling routes through the parks, open spaces and roads of South Dublin. The proposal listed 12 routes that connected together and some sections of these have been constructed or are under construction, e.g. Griffeen Valley Park in Lucan and Waterstown Park in Palmerstown. Tymon Park is included in the M50 Route outlined in the Green Routes plan but the the provision of the route would be dependent on detailed design work and the availability of the necessary funding to construct it.

In relation to the Bye-laws, the Council is in the course of reviewing all of the Bye Laws covering public parks and open spaces in the county and that includes reviewing the issue of cycling in parks.  A revision of the bye-laws relating to cycling would have to take into account the general safety of all park users and best practice.  The Bye-laws are currently with the Law Agent and will be brought before the Members for comment, prior to going on public display.