Anyone who has cycled around Drogheda, or any other town, will know only too well that it can be a very scary experience because you are sharing traffic lanes with much bigger vehicles, machines that can kill you.
Thankfully there has been a sea-change in attitudes in recent years and infrastructure is being retrofitted to existing roads that will accommodate all road users, including cyclists.
The Drogheda Cycling Group has called for Louth County Council to use the opportunity created by the development of cycle lanes on the Dual Carriageway in Drogheda to bring in safety improvements to benefit all users of this road.
The group has rejected as baseless claims that making the current traffic lanes narrower to make space for cycle lanes will lead to traffic congestion. They say that it is possible to add cycle lanes and maintain the road as a dual carriageway.
“Increasing lane width to reduce congestion is like loosening your belt to tackle obesity” said the group’s Chairperson Noel Hogan.
“Numerous studies have shown that when lanes are widened, more drivers engage in risky behaviour as the road begins to resemble a race track.
“This is obvious to anyone who has watched traffic on the dual carriageway in Drogheda recently. Junctions are frequently blocked by drivers trying to squeeze across before (or even after) traffic lights turn red. The result? Other traffic is blocked by cars blocking yellow boxes or turning lanes”
“When lanes are narrowed, it encourages drivers to drive with greater care and consideration for others. The result is a smoother (and safer) road.
“There have been enough accidents already on the dual carriageway, it’s time to end the carnage and Louth County Council has a responsibility to play its part.
“It’s perfectly possible to narrow the lanes, maintain the road as a dual carriageway and have safe, segregated cycle lanes. We need to put safety at the heart of our road design going forward”.
