Pedaling Billboards

dublin | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday December 29, 2009 17:17 by B_Hamilton

Dublin Bike Scheme is being further expanded which is indeed good news for Dublin’s marginalized cyclists. It further opens up cycling as an alternative mode of transport for Dublin’s commuters, by helping to normalize cycling culture, as opposed to cycling being perceived as a dangerous fringe form of transport to get from a to z.

Dublin bike scheme was initiated by labour councilor Andrew Montague last September. 200,000 trips, and over 20,000 subscribers later the scheme is a huge success by any conservative estimate. The vital thing about this scheme is it switches people on to cycling again, who have never considered using cycling as a mode of transport. Another off shoot would be Dublin City is much safer to cycle in, since the scheme was introduced as the more cyclists on the road, the more visible cyclists are, and hence cycling become much safer (arguably safer than walking around the city).

Downside of the scheme has being the billboard advertising JC Decaux has dumped around the city (mostly in working class areas). The Dublin Bike scheme is set to be expanded which is great news for aspiring cyclists..etc. According to the Irish Times JC Decaux has won the contract (being finalized), which means more public space polluted by advertisements.

Public expenses exhausted by NAMA, speculating that Dublin City Council finances suffering in the recession, not a big ask for tax payers euro’s to be invested in the scheme. Cycling is as “cheap as chips” to invest in compared to other forms/modes of transport. This form of transport also lessens health care costs as well and saves people a lot of time, not to mention helps Dublin crawl away from being one of the most car dependent cities in Europe. Even for car drivers the more people cycling the less cars clogging their route. Cars take up six times more space in our congested city.

Critical Mass Dublin
http://groups.google.com/group/dublin-critical-mass

Dublin Cycling Campaign
http://www.dublincycling.com/

The National Cycle Policy Framework
http://www.smartertravel.ie/

Gridlock: Dublin's Transport Crisis and the Future of the City
http://www.newisland.ie/node/271

Cycling Culture Netherlands
http://amsterdamize.com/

Video:
The London and Dublin cycling campaigns compare notes about Dublin as a bike friendly city
http://vimeo.com/4430145