Vol. 510 No. 6
292 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will further refine guidelines and improve assistance towards the provision of proper cycleways in order to abolish the current experience of unsafe cycle paths sharing bus lanes or discontinuous unsafe cycle paths which disappear intermittently along busy traffic routes. [23418/99]
In March 1998 my Department, in association with the Dublin Transportation Office, published a design manual for cycle facilities entitled Provision of cycle facilities – National Manual for Urban Areas which was subsequently circulated to all local authorities. The manual was prepared with the assistance of major international consultants and reflects good international practice in relation to the provision of quality cycle facilities. The manual specifically addresses the need for continuity in relation to cycle facilities and shows examples where this can be achieved with particular reference to the question of continuity through junctions and at pinch points. It also presents the options for the provision of bus and cycle facilities and sets out a range of conditions which should be met when providing shared facilities.
In September 1998 regulations were made to give legal effect to certain of the new arrangements proposed in the manual. Both these regulatory provisions and the technical guidance of the national manual will be kept under review in the light of experience with the development of cycle facilities and networks.
