Ballincollig residents 'up in arms' at bike lane proposals
Greg Canty, Patricia Downing, Deirdre Waldron, Julieann Delaney, Claire and Lucia O'Brien and Kevin and Ciara Cooper near the roundabout at Coolroe Meadows, Ballincollig, Cork, where residents are objecting to a proposed bike lane plan and the taking away of the roundabout. Picture: Dan Linehan
Local authority engineers have been told to scrap contentious bike lane plans in a Cork suburb and go back to the drawing board.
The message came loud and clear from a public meeting, attended by an estimated 250 people, which was called to discuss Cork City Council’s draft ‘active travel plan’ for the Coolroe and Greenfield estates area of Ballincollig.
The scheme is one of about 70 such active travel projects which are at various stages of planning or construction in the city as local authorities set about spending record levels of State funding for such schemes.
It is one of three such major bike lane plans at consultation stage in the town.
But local politicians who attended the meeting say they have rarely seen such strong and united opposition to a bike lane project.
The council published its draft plans for the scheme in July, and invited feedback from the public.
it includes the installation of segregated bike lanes on either side of a near 900m stretch of road which runs through the estates, the removal of a roundabout and its replacement with a junction, and the removal of 23 mature lime trees.
The plans have been met locally with near universal criticism and opposition.
Local resident Greg Canty, who chaired Wednesday’s public meeting, said everyone believes that active travel should be encouraged and embraced but he said any "careless, poorly researched desktop plan" that might lead to huge safety risks for all road users, and cause congestion and inconvenience, should be stopped.
“This is not about voicing a concern, or an opinion,” he said.
“If there was a huge need for this cycling infrastructure, residents would welcome it with open arms.
“But there is not. The council is trying to solve a problem that does not exist and in the process cause unnecessary problems that carry with them serious safety risks."
The residents have criticised almost every aspect of the scheme, but specifically the proposals to remove five pedestrian refuge points, seven turn lanes into housing estates, the roundabout and the trees.
They said the scheme makes no provision for school buses, which use the road daily during the school term.
And they have criticised the timing of the publication of the draft plans during peak holiday season, the omission of Greenfields in the naming of the project, the “poor level” of public engagement by the council, the consultation portal, which they said is not fit for purpose, and confusion over the deadline for submissions.
James O’Brien, a member of the Woodberry Residents Association, said most people agree that a bad cycle lane is worse than no cycle lane and widening the existing footpaths and removing the grassy margins on either side of the road would create safer cycle lanes.
“This would cost more money, take more time and require more comprehensive planning — it’s not easy being green,” he said.
Fianna Fáil councillor Colm Kelleher and Fine Gael councillor Derry Canty both slated the proposals at the public meeting.
Mr Kelleher said he could not support something that has all the hallmarks of a desktop-designed scheme.
Mr Canty branded the proposals “a disgrace” and said: “It was a desktop job done with a Google map. It’s as if the engineers have a load of money, are picking an area and just deciding to put in bike lanes here, there and everywhere."
Sinn Féin councillor Eolan Ryng said he was broadly in favour of active travel measures but it was clear there was unanimous opposition to what was proposed here.
“I think there is space on either side of the roadside to hopefully find an accommodation for cyclists, in consultation with residents, who need to be at the centre of any proposed plan,” he said.
Only Fine Gael councillor Garret Kelleher and Green Party councillor Colette Finn supported the need for such schemes and said a compromise could be found.
Speaking afterwards, Ms Finn said a lot of the conflict over this scheme, and on future active travel schemes, could be avoided if City Hall engaged in pre-planning discussion with local councillors and residents before draft plans are published.
An estimated 150 submissions have been made on the scheme.
Its future now hinges on a meeting with officials and residents’ representatives next month.
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