Cllr Donal Lyons has calimed the motion to introduce a temporary cycle track in Salthill was ‘forced through without debate’ in September.
At Monday’s meeting of the Galway City Council elected members were informed that parts of Salthill could potentially be reduced to one vehicular lane to accommodate the two way cycle track.
“I fully respect the decision of the members who supported the two way cycling track, but I was concerned because I realized - there were no plans or drawings in front of us - that there would be implications for its introduction,” Cllr Lyons told the Galway Advertiser.
“It was forced through without debate, now we realise with some information - and that information only came as a result of me asking a question - as to how the executive were going to proceed as a result of the vote when it came up in the minutes on Monday.”
No plan
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Cllr Lyons believes that a comprehensive plan should have been put before local councillors. “I have supported all of the cycling infrastructure that is being planned because it is joined up thinking,” he adds.
“This was being taken out of context - it is without a plan. All of the other ones we are going through on the west of the city - we have six all together - down along by the Canal, the extension of Seamus Quirke Road on to Bishop O'Donnell Road, Threadneedle Road, Dr Mannix Road, Devon Park, Lower Clybaun Road, and Bothar Stiofain. I am supporting all of those, the reason I am supporting all of those is that it is joined up thinking; there is plan.
“We can see what is actually going to be done. There is public consultation on it, whereas this is going to be brought in without any plan initially. Now a report is going to have to come back before the members for the November meeting from the director of services how and when this can be implemented.”
'Significant problems'
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Having only one lane open to vehicular traffic could lead to significant problems according to Cllr Lyons.
“It would create traffic chaos - you would just have an inward lane,” Cllr Lyons says. “I just feel when people voted - and this is the trouble when you bring in something without debate - now we are seeing the obstacles having a two way track from the officials. They are the people that are going to have to implement this.
“In my opinion there is no way that from Blackrock to the Barna Road can accommodate a cycle lane without it being on the road. You have areas along by the Golf club where it may be accommodated.”
Cllr Lyons was the only member of the Galway City Council to vote against the proposal. “I think it was a populist idea,” he says.
“I believe some people voted knowing full well it couldn't be implemented. I could have done the same thing, but I felt I had to make a stand. This is not sour grapes on my behalf, but I had to make a stand to ask how was it going to be implemented?
'Consequences'
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“It has consequences. Even on a temporary basis if you can bring it in with the least amount of infrastructure being disturbed or road works in order to accommodate it on a temporary basis. That was my question all along: what is temporary? The assistant director of services said it on Monday, it has to have a start date and it has to have a finish date.”
“The easiest solution suggested was to put it on the roadway with flexi bollards to protect the track. To my mind that means one side of the road is taken out of the equation completely. This would have come to the fore if we were allowed to debate it, to get the officials to explain the logistics of implementing such a move.”
