In 2013 the Irish capital was ranked among the world’s top 20 bike-friendly cities, but only a small part of the promised cycle network was ever built
Laura LakerTue 25 Jun 2019 12.15 BST
One sunny May afternoon in Dublin, as the Spice Girls prepared to kick off their Spice World 2019 tour at Croke Park stadium, the coaches bringing their fans unwittingly sparked another reunion – the city’s cycle activists.It had been two years since the direct action group I Bike Dublin had mobilised to protect cycle tracks from car parking – uniting around twice a week under the hashtag #freethecyclelanes – but as police officers directed coach drivers to park in the bike lane by Dublin Bay, blocking the track, the protesters were back.
One of them, Stephen McManus, sat down on the cycle path with a sigh. “Cramp, is it?” asked his friend. “Yeah, in my toe,” the man on the ground agreed with a smile.
He was soon joined by 80 people, who formed a long protective line to keep the entire route open for commuters riding home – a human cycle lane. Local campaigner Ciarán Ferrie says they tried to find out who was responsible for the decision but says the bus operators, the Gardai (police), the city council and the National Transport Authority “were pointing the finger at each other”.
“They have to have a better plan than to close off one of the best cycle lanes in the city during rush hour,” he says.
