Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus gabhaim buíochas leis freisin as teacht anseo chun labhairt ar an ábhar seo. The Luas, as we know, and I am specifically talking here about the green line that runs along the old Harcourt Street railway line corridor, was constructed without regard to other transport options that might have been put alongside it. For example, as you go through Ranelagh, right out through Milltown and the Milltown viaduct, and through all of the other places as far as Bride’s Glen and Cherrywood, there is no facility for people to walk or cycle alongside the Luas line. Undoubtedly, there is not enough space to do that in places, but given that the corridor was there and there was certain land acquisition, it seems to me that it was a real missed opportunity not to create a parallel facility. The Minister and I have spoken on a number of occasions about the provision of corridors, particularly for commuter cyclists and walkers. The one we have probably spoken most about is the Sutton to Sandycove greenway, S2S, which would be along the coast of Dublin Bay. The principle is the same here.

We are trying to encourage people to be commuters on foot and on bicycles because of the myriad benefits that arise from that both to them personally and in respect of the traffic and the levels of pollution, etc. If that is the starting point, we should also be making it as easy as possible for them to do that by putting in place properly segregated and separate spaces for cyclists and pedestrians to commute in and out of the city centre.

That is exactly what I am proposing with the S2S, which is separate from the road and not on the Rock Road but on the coast, away and uninterrupted. The same is possible with the Luas line.If we go as far as the end of the green line in Bride's Glen, there is definitely space throughout Cherrywood before construction takes place adjacent to the Luas line to create a segregated cycle space for commuter cyclists and, ultimately, for the thousands of people who will be living in Cherrywood to use that direct, uninterrupted line into the city centre if that is where they need to go to commute to and from work. It may not be possible to do that at every stage. The Luas goes through some fairly tight spaces in places like Dundrum, Balally and Ranelagh. Even if it involved extra construction along places like the viaduct in Milltown or if the line was to be extended through the viaduct at Bride's Glen, there is an opportunity to create a segregated cycle lane that would be a safe and easy route for commuter cyclists and it would encourage more people to use their bicycles to commute along spaces between different points along the Luas line or between points and the city centre.

The Minister will be aware that bicycles are not allowed to be brought onto the Luas, which is an issue that is not specifically related to the question I am asking the Minister. That is regrettable. People can take their bicycles onto the DART at certain times and under certain conditions but there is no tolerance whatsoever by the Railway Procurement Agency for bicycles to be brought onto the Luas. Again, it is another disincentive for people to part-use the Luas and part-use bicycles.

The purpose of my raising this issue today is to ask the Minister to give serious consideration to making it easier for cyclists to use their bicycles rather than their cars, essentially to use public transport rather than private transport which clogs up the roads and all that goes with that. There is an opportunity, even if it is retrospective, to refit the sides of the Luas line with cycle tracks, or one side as the case may be, but there was a missed opportunity to do that when Luas line was constructed. We have an opportunity now possibly to correct that. Will the Minister endorse the notion that we should have these separate segregated safe cycle routes and pedestrian routes for people parallel to the Luas line where there is space and an opportunity to provide them?