What’s happening with the Liffey Cycle Route?

Following recent media reports about Dublin City Council’s delay in advancing the Liffey Cycle Route, I sought some information this morning at the Dublin Central Area Committee meeting in City Hall.

At that meeting, I asked for update on the work that has been undertaken to date by the Transportation Department of Dublin City Council on advancing the Liffey Cycle Route. Specifically, I asked officials to to outlined the works undertaken since the Emerging Preferred Route was adopted by the Transport Strategic Policy Committee in April; and to outline when is it that he expects a formal Part VIII planning application be presented to elected members of Dublin City Council for their approval?

The response I received is below:

 

In March 2019, Dublin City Council (DCC) received the Emerging Preferred Design for the Liffey Cycle Route from the National Transport Authority.This was presented to a Special Transport SPC on April 3rd 2019. The Emerging Preferred Design underwent a Non Statutory Public Consultation from May 2nd to June 6th 2019. It is envisaged that the Summary Report of the public consultation submissions will be published by the Environment and Transportation Department in December 2019.

DCC held a briefing session for external stakeholders on June 17th 2019. Attendees included representatives from the following organisations:

• Public Participation Network

• Blind Legal Alliance

• Irish Wheel Chair Association

• Dublin Civic Trust

• An Taisce

• Bus Eireann

• Dublin Bus

• Dublin Cycling Campaign

• NCBI

• Irish Architecture Foundation

The Environment and Transportation Department has engaged in extensive DCC inter-departmental consultation on the project, an internal briefing on the project took place on May 1st with follow up workshops with stakeholder departments held on July 24th and September 17th.

 

Internal DCC engagement has led to the identification of key areas that require scoping prior to the engagement of an engineering service provider. These key areas include but are not limited to the following:

• Masterplan for the Liffey Corridor

• Stage 1 Appropriate Assessment Screening Report,

• EIA Screening Report.

• Architectural Heritage Mapping and Conservation Impact Assessment,

• Archaeological Desktop Study and Impact Assessment,

• Tree Surveys

• Quay wall structural surveys / assessments and bridge condition surveys,

• Stakeholder mapping,

• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems

• Communications Plan and PR strategy

• Flood Mapping.

DCC is currently progressing these tasks. This information along with the comments received as part of the Non-Statutory Public Consultation will help frame a robust brief for an engineering service provider. The brief for the engineering service provider is currently being prepared and will be issued in Q1 2020.

The nature of the appropriate Statutory approval process will be dictated by the outcome of the above scoping exercises and the future timelines will be dependent on the statutory approval process required.

So, the effect of the above is that no date or timeline for when a planning application will be brought forward. No clarity as to what planning process will be? It begs the question whether Dublin City Council is capable of delivering this essential project for the provision of safer cycling along the Quays and in our Capital City.

During today’s meeting of the Central Area Committee, I secured the agreement of Councillors to bring senior officials and the team involved with the Liffey Cycle Route in Dublin City Council to the January meeting of the Area Committee. We need clarity and certainty about when this project is going to be advanced. What the planning process will be? How Dubliners have to chance to meaningful engage in the design process and ultimately find out when will Dublin City Council be able to provide safer and better cycling infrastrcture for Dubliners.